Interrail vs Swiss Travel Pass in Switzerland
Short answer: for train travel alone, the Interrail Switzerland Pass is much cheaper than the Swiss Travel Pass (€223 against CHF 349, about €370.05, for 4 flexible days), but only people living in Europe outside Switzerland can buy it. The Swiss Travel Pass costs more because it also covers city trams and buses in over 90 towns, lake boats, free museum entry and more mountain railways. Visitors from outside Europe choose between the Swiss Travel Pass, a Global Pass and tickets with the Half Fare Card. Swiss residents can't use the Switzerland Pass or the Swiss Travel Pass, and a Global Pass gives them only one journey out of Switzerland and one back.
Who can buy what
| You live in… | Interrail Switzerland Pass | Interrail Global Pass in Switzerland | Swiss Travel Pass and Half Fare Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe, outside Switzerland (e.g. UK, Germany, France) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outside Europe (e.g. US, Canada, Australia) | No: Interrail sells the Switzerland Pass to residents of Europe only | Yes | Yes |
| Switzerland | No: a One Country Pass can't be used in your country of residence | Only for one outbound and one inbound journey | No: these are sold only to people living outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein |
Prices side by side
| Travel days | Interrail Switzerland Pass (within 1 month) | Swiss Travel Pass Flex (within 1 month) | Swiss Travel Pass (consecutive days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | €193 | CHF 289 (≈ €306.43) | CHF 254 (≈ €269.32) |
| 4 | €223 | CHF 349 (≈ €370.05) | CHF 309 (≈ €327.64) |
| 6 | €274 | CHF 424 (≈ €449.57) | CHF 399 (≈ €423.06) |
| 8 | €318 | CHF 459 (≈ €486.68) | CHF 439 (≈ €465.48) |
| 5 | €250 | not sold | not sold |
| 15 | not sold (Global Pass 15 days in 2 months: €553) | CHF 519 (≈ €550.30) | CHF 499 (≈ €529.09) |
What each one covers
| Interrail (Switzerland or Global Pass) | Swiss Travel Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB and BLS trains | Yes (Interrail lists SBB and BLS as participating companies) | Yes |
| Other private railways | Some included, others discounted 25–50%; Interrail does not publish a full list in the pages we read | Most included; see our Swiss guides |
| Zurich S-Bahn | Yes, except lines S4, S10 and S18 | Yes |
| City trams and buses | Not stated by Interrail; we found no statement either way, so assume you will need tickets | Included in over 90 towns and cities |
| Lake boats | BLS lake cruises free; other private boats 50% off (Interrail benefits portal) | Included |
| Jungfrau Railways | 25% discount | Included to Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren; discount to the Jungfraujoch (see our Jungfraujoch guide) |
| Scenic trains (Glacier, Bernina, GoldenPass, Gotthard Panorama) | "Special conditions"; reservations from €30–€39 on the Bernina Express | Travel included, reservation extra |
| Crossing the border | Switzerland Pass: no, Switzerland only. Global Pass: yes | No, it is a Swiss pass |
| Museums | No | Free entry to more than 500 |
A worked example: four travel days
Zurich Airport → Lucerne, Lucerne → Interlaken, Interlaken → Zermatt and Zermatt → Zurich Airport on four separate days within a week, all on trains that need no reservation:
- Zurich Airport → Lucerne: CHF 31
- Lucerne → Interlaken Ost: CHF 34
- Interlaken Ost → Zermatt: CHF 86
- Zermatt → Zurich Airport: CHF 134
That is CHF 285 (≈ €302.19) at SBB's full 2nd-class fares.
| Option | Cost | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Interrail Switzerland Pass, 4 days in 1 month | €223 | Residents of Europe, but not of Switzerland |
| Interrail Global Pass, 4 days in 1 month | €283 | Everyone (Swiss residents: home-country limits) |
| Tickets at full fare | €302.19 | Everyone |
| Swiss Half Fare Card + half-price tickets | €310.14 | Not Swiss or Liechtenstein residents |
| Swiss Travel Pass Flex, 4 days in 1 month | €370.05 | Not Swiss or Liechtenstein residents |
For a European resident the Interrail Switzerland Pass wins by a wide margin. For someone from outside Europe the Global Pass is cheapest on this route, and it would also take you on to Italy or France. The Swiss Travel Pass Flex costs more for these four rides; it catches up only if you also use the city transport, boats, museums and mountain trips it covers. The Swiss Travel Pass calculator prices those extras.
Things to watch
- InterCity trains in Switzerland don't need a reservation, though Interrail recommends one (€4.40) in the high season.
- To reach Italy, the EuroCity from Zurich needs a reservation (€13–€17); the regional train from Chiasso to Milan does not.
What we could not verify
- Whether an Interrail pass is valid on city trams and buses in Swiss towns: Interrail's pages say nothing either way.
- The full list of Swiss private railways included in Interrail, as opposed to discounted.
- The exact terms of Interrail's "special conditions" on each scenic train.
Sources
Every price and rule above was checked against these official pages on 2026-10-27. If something has changed, the operator's page is right and we are wrong. Please tell us.
- Interrail: Switzerland Pass
- Interrail: Trains in Switzerland
- Interrail benefits portal: Switzerland
- Interrail Pass Conditions of Use, version 19 (PDF, passes bought from 10 Sep 2026)
- Interrail: Global Pass (prices, conditions, child and age rules)
- Interrail: Domestic train reservation fees
- Swiss National Bank: monthly average exchange rates (EUR 1 = CHF, Sept 2026)
- SBB: Buy the Swiss Travel Pass (price tables)
- SBB help: offers for tourists (residence outside CH/LI)
- Our Swiss Travel Pass vs Half Fare Card guide (coverage table, sources)