SBB luggage forwarding: send your suitcases ahead

Prices last checked: 27 October 2026 · Prices from sbb.ch and the Swiss Travel System

Short answer: SBB will move your suitcases between stations, hotels and homes in Switzerland. The cheapest option is station to station: CHF 12 per item, ready to collect two days later. Door to door costs CHF 50 plus CHF 12 per item (delivery on day 3), or CHF 50 more for same-day express. Swiss Travel Pass holders get up to 50% off same-day services in set periods (1 October – 15 December 2026, with more planned for 2027).

The options and prices

Prices per single trip from sbb.ch. Extras for door services: car-free resort CHF 30, chosen time window CHF 15. Bicycles CHF 20, e-bikes and special bikes CHF 30 (not on express).
Service	Price per trip	Arrives
Station to station Hand in at a station with a luggage counter, collect at another	CHF 12 per item	Day after tomorrow
Station to door Hand in at a station; delivered to an address	CHF 30 + CHF 12 per item	Day 3
Door to station Collected from an address; you pick it up at a station from 09:00	CHF 30 + CHF 12 per item	Day 3
Door to door Collected and delivered between 08:00 and 21:00 (2-hour slot sent the day before)	CHF 50 + CHF 12 per item	Day 3
Door to door express Collected 07:00–09:00, delivered 17:00–20:00, selected places only	CHF 50 + CHF 12 per item + CHF 50	Same day
Luggage special Flat rate to and from selected hotels and holiday homes	CHF 44 (1–4 items), CHF 66 (5–8), CHF 99 (9–16)	Two days later

Worked examples

Two suitcases, from a hotel in Lucerne to a hotel in Zermatt. Our arithmetic from the SBB prices above:

Whether the car-free surcharge applies to a given address is decided in the SBB shop; we show it because Zermatt is on SBB's list of car-free places. Without it, subtract CHF 30.
Option	Cost	You get your cases
Station to station (you carry them to Lucerne station and from Zermatt station)	CHF 24	Two days later, at Zermatt station
Station to door (Zermatt is car-free: +CHF 30)	CHF 84	Day 3, at the hotel
Door to door (+CHF 30 car-free)	CHF 104	Day 3, at the hotel
Door to door express (+CHF 30 car-free)	CHF 154	The same evening
Express with one Swiss Travel Pass discount (−CHF 60, in a promotion period)	CHF 94	The same evening

The key trade-off is time. The standard services take two days, so they only suit a stay of at least two nights, or sending cases ahead to your last stop. If you move every day, only the express service keeps up.

The Swiss Travel Pass luggage discount

The Swiss Travel System runs a trial called "See you later, luggage!". It applies to travel from 1 Oct – 15 Dec 2026, and further periods are announced for 1 Mar – 31 May 2027 (subject to change) and 1 Jul – 31 Aug 2027 (subject to change). Passes from the 4+1 / 8+2 promotion also qualify if their first day falls in the period.

Hotel to hotel, same day: CHF 60 off per Swiss Travel Pass, from CHF 52 per item after the discount (CHF 12 per extra item, up to 4 items per booking). Get a promo code at activateyourpass.com with your pass reference number, then book the "Express door-to-door luggage" product in the SBB luggage shop by 12:00 the day before. One code per booking: several passes mean several bookings.
Zurich Airport to hotel, same day: CHF 20 off per pass (up to 4 combined), from CHF 52 per item. No code and no advance booking: show your pass at the SBB counter at Zurich Airport and hand in your luggage by 11:30. Delivery to selected destinations in Andermatt, Interlaken, Lucerne, St. Moritz and Zurich.
Changes and cancellations are possible until 12:00 the day before travel; individual items cannot be refunded.

Rules that catch visitors out

You must be travelling. SBB only carries luggage for people with a valid ticket for the whole route or a Swiss annual travelcard. A Swiss Travel Pass valid that day is a ticket for the route. SBB's list of annual travelcards does not mention the tourist Swiss Half Fare Card, so with that card, have a ticket for the same journey.
Deadlines: book door services by 12:00 the day before collection. Station check-in depends on the counter's opening hours, and only selected stations have a luggage counter. Interlaken Ost and West, Lucerne, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Brig, Chur and Geneva Airport are on the list.
Weight and labels: up to 23 kg per item, labelled with name, address and phone number. Items must not be tied together. Skis and boots need a cover.
Not accepted: laptops, cameras, phones, jewellery, cash, identity documents, fragile items and perishable food, among others. Keep valuables and medicines with you.
Sundays: for the Luggage special, Sundays and some public holidays do not count as transport days, which adds a day.
Storage: at the destination station, storage is free on the day of arrival and the following four days, then CHF 5 per day.
Cancelling: by phone (+41 848 44 66 88) before 12:00 on the day before collection, for a CHF 10 fee. Later cancellations can cost up to the full price.
If something goes wrong: the carrier is liable up to CHF 2000 per item for loss or damage. For delays it pays proven emergency purchases (up to CHF 200 per item per 24 hours). Report damage within seven days.

Flights from Zurich or Geneva

SBB also handles flight luggage. Check in at selected stations and collect at the SBB luggage counter at Zurich Airport (from CHF 24), or book a door-to-airport service run by Airportr. For some airlines, luggage can be checked through to the destination airport abroad. Conditions vary by airline, so read SBB's flight luggage page before you rely on it.

When it is worth it

Panoramic trains: the Glacier Express asks for no more than one extra piece besides hand luggage and refuses large items. Forwarding is the practical answer (see Glacier and Bernina Express).
Arrival day: drop your cases at the airport and travel light to Lucerne or Interlaken.
Car-free resorts (Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren, Saas-Fee and others): door delivery spares you hauling bags through the village, at a CHF 30 surcharge.

Luggage costs are not part of our calculator. Add them by hand when you compare passes, since the discount above only applies to Swiss Travel Pass holders.

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.