Swiss Travel Pass vs Swiss Travel Pass Flex

Prices last checked: 27 October 2026 · Pass prices valid until 31 Dec 2026

Short answer: Flex costs CHF 20–40 more than the consecutive pass in 2nd class (CHF 32–63 in 1st). It pays off when your travel days are spread out, so that a consecutive pass would have to be one size longer. Example: 6 travel days spread over 12 calendar days needs a 15-day consecutive pass, while 6 Flex days are cheaper. If you travel on most days in a row, the normal pass is cheaper. Either way, check first whether you need a pass at all: for many adult itineraries the Half Fare Card is cheaper.

What is the same and what differs

	Swiss Travel Pass	Swiss Travel Pass Flex
Days	3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days	3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days of your choice within one month
On a valid day	The same benefits: unlimited train, bus and boat travel; public transport in over 90 towns; Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos included; up to 50% off many other mountains; free entry to more than 500 museums
Using it	Valid automatically from the start date	Each day must be activated at activateyourpass.com before your first journey that day
Changing your mind	n/a	An activated day can be changed until the day before. On the day itself it cannot be undone
Mountain discounts	Every day of the pass	Only on activated days. Jungfrau Railways, for example, requires an activated Flex day for the free ride to Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren and for its discounts
SBB Mobile app	Can be shown in the app if bought with a SwissPass login	Cannot be added to the SBB Mobile app; each activated day gives you an e-ticket to show on your phone or as a printout

The Flex premium, in francs

Adult (25+) prices from SBB. Youth versions (under 25) are about 30% cheaper for both passes.
Days	STP 2nd	Flex 2nd	Premium	STP 1st	Flex 1st	Premium
3	CHF 254	CHF 289	+CHF 35	CHF 405	CHF 461	+CHF 56
4	CHF 309	CHF 349	+CHF 40	CHF 492	CHF 555	+CHF 63
6	CHF 399	CHF 424	+CHF 25	CHF 634	CHF 674	+CHF 40
8	CHF 439	CHF 459	+CHF 20	CHF 697	CHF 729	+CHF 32
15	CHF 499	CHF 519	+CHF 20	CHF 787	CHF 819	+CHF 32

The premium is small compared with the cost of moving up a size. If you have 4 travel days spread over a week, the choice is a 4-day Flex (CHF 349) or an 8-day consecutive pass (CHF 439). Flex saves CHF 90.

A quick rule

Count the calendar days from your first to your last travel day, and then your actual travel days.

If the smallest consecutive pass that covers the calendar span costs more than the smallest Flex that covers your travel days, Flex wins.
You can also buy a smaller Flex, use it on your expensive days and pay for short hops with ordinary tickets. Our calculator tries every Flex size this way.

Worked example 1: six travel days back to back

Day	Plan	Full fare	Half Fare	With STP
1	Zurich Airport → Lucerne	CHF 31	CHF 15.50	CHF 0
2	Rigi day (Lucerne ⇄ Arth-Goldau + Rigi Kulm return)	CHF 111.20	CHF 55.60	CHF 0
3	Lucerne → Interlaken Ost	CHF 34	CHF 17	CHF 0
4	Interlaken Ost → Zermatt	CHF 86	CHF 43	CHF 0
5	Zermatt → Montreux	CHF 76	CHF 38	CHF 0
6	Montreux → Zurich Airport	CHF 88	CHF 44	CHF 0
	Total	CHF 426.20

Six consecutive travel days, Youth (under 25) prices. 2nd class, one youth traveller. Saver Day Passes priced at CHF 106 (no Half Fare) and CHF 59 (with Half Fare), typical short-notice prices seen on sbb.ch on 2026-10-27.
Option	Total cost	vs cheapest
Swiss Travel Pass 6 days CHF 282 pass	CHF 282
Swiss Travel Pass Flex 6 days CHF 300 pass	CHF 300	+CHF 18
Swiss Half Fare Card CHF 150 card + CHF 213.10 in half-price tickets	CHF 363.10	+CHF 81.10
Saver Day Passes (no Half Fare) 1 Saver Day Pass(es) at CHF 106, other days on tickets	CHF 421	+CHF 139
No pass (full-fare tickets) 6 travel day(s) at full fare	CHF 426.20	+CHF 144.20
Half Fare Card + Saver Day Passes No day where a Saver Day Pass at CHF 59 beats half-price tickets	n/a

For a traveller under 25, the 6-day consecutive pass (CHF 282) beats 6 Flex days (CHF 300). There are no gaps to pay for, so the Flex premium buys nothing.

Worked example 2: the same six journeys spread over 12 days

Day	Plan	Full fare	Half Fare	With STP
1	Zurich Airport → Lucerne	CHF 31	CHF 15.50	CHF 0
2	Rigi day (Lucerne ⇄ Arth-Goldau + Rigi Kulm return)	CHF 111.20	CHF 55.60	CHF 0
4	Lucerne → Interlaken Ost	CHF 34	CHF 17	CHF 0
7	Interlaken Ost → Zermatt	CHF 86	CHF 43	CHF 0
10	Zermatt → Montreux	CHF 76	CHF 38	CHF 0
12	Montreux → Zurich Airport	CHF 88	CHF 44	CHF 0
	Total	CHF 426.20

Same journeys with rest days in between, Youth prices. 2nd class, one youth traveller. Saver Day Passes priced at CHF 106 (no Half Fare) and CHF 59 (with Half Fare), typical short-notice prices seen on sbb.ch on 2026-10-27.
Option	Total cost	vs cheapest
Swiss Travel Pass Flex 6 days CHF 300 pass	CHF 300
Swiss Travel Pass 15 days CHF 356 pass	CHF 356	+CHF 56
Swiss Half Fare Card CHF 150 card + CHF 213.10 in half-price tickets	CHF 363.10	+CHF 63.10
Saver Day Passes (no Half Fare) 1 Saver Day Pass(es) at CHF 106, other days on tickets	CHF 421	+CHF 121
No pass (full-fare tickets) 6 travel day(s) at full fare	CHF 426.20	+CHF 126.20
Half Fare Card + Saver Day Passes No day where a Saver Day Pass at CHF 59 beats half-price tickets	n/a

Now a consecutive pass would have to be the 15-day version (CHF 356), and 6 Flex days are cheaper. This is the trip Flex is designed for: a base in one or two places, with travel days in between.

Worked example 3: the same spread trip for an adult

Same spread trip, adult (25+) prices. 2nd class, one adult traveller. Saver Day Passes priced at CHF 106 (no Half Fare) and CHF 59 (with Half Fare), typical short-notice prices seen on sbb.ch on 2026-10-27.
Option	Total cost	vs cheapest
Swiss Half Fare Card CHF 150 card + CHF 213.10 in half-price tickets	CHF 363.10
Swiss Travel Pass Flex 4 days CHF 349 pass, 2 day(s) left on full-fare tickets	CHF 414	+CHF 50.90
Saver Day Passes (no Half Fare) 1 Saver Day Pass(es) at CHF 106, other days on tickets	CHF 421	+CHF 57.90
No pass (full-fare tickets) 6 travel day(s) at full fare	CHF 426.20	+CHF 63.10
Swiss Travel Pass 15 days CHF 499 pass	CHF 499	+CHF 135.90
Half Fare Card + Saver Day Passes No day where a Saver Day Pass at CHF 59 beats half-price tickets	n/a

At adult prices, the Half Fare Card is cheaper than any pass for this trip. That is common for mid-range itineraries, so compare Flex with the Half Fare Card too, not just with the consecutive pass.

Worked example 4: two weeks with rest days

Our 15-day sample itinerary has 10 travel days, so we priced every pass option for it:

15-day sample itinerary from our Half Fare article. 2nd class, one adult traveller. Saver Day Passes priced at CHF 106 (no Half Fare) and CHF 59 (with Half Fare), typical short-notice prices seen on sbb.ch on 2026-10-27.
Option	Total cost	vs cheapest
Swiss Half Fare Card CHF 150 card + CHF 391.50 in half-price tickets	CHF 541.50
Swiss Travel Pass Flex 8 days CHF 459 pass, 2 day(s) left on full-fare tickets + CHF 189.60 excursions at the pass price	CHF 687.80	+CHF 146.30
Swiss Travel Pass 15 days CHF 499 pass + CHF 189.60 for excursions at the pass price	CHF 688.60	+CHF 147.10
Saver Day Passes (no Half Fare) 1 Saver Day Pass(es) at CHF 106, other days on tickets	CHF 767.80	+CHF 226.30
No pass (full-fare tickets) 10 travel day(s) at full fare	CHF 773	+CHF 231.50
Half Fare Card + Saver Day Passes No day where a Saver Day Pass at CHF 59 beats half-price tickets	n/a

The cheapest Flex here is 8 days, with the two cheapest travel days paid as normal tickets. It costs about the same as the 15-day consecutive pass. When your travel days are this cheap, the Half Fare Card is the better buy.

Practical Flex tips

Activate before you board. A day must be activated before your first journey of that day. Activated days can be changed until the day before, but not on the day of travel.
Plan mountain days as Flex days. Discounts on mountain railways only apply on activated days.
All days within one month. If your trip is longer than a month, Flex cannot cover it all.
Seat reservations are extra on the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express and Palm Express, with either pass.

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.