Swiss Half Fare card versus Half Fare Travelcard

[jillm]

Hi, I will be visiting Switzerland for 42 days. I see that the Swiss Half Fare card costs CHF 120 for 30 days (

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/inspiration/international-guests/swiss-halffare-card.html

) and that there is a 12 month Half Fare Travelcard for CHF 185 (

https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/half-fare-travelcard.html

) which would be a better option than getting 2 consecutive Swiss Half Fare cards.. Are tourists eligible for the 12 month Half Fare Travelcard or is this only for Swiss citizens?

[KK51]

Hi, I plan to travel to Switzerland soon. Is the 12 month Half Fare Travelcard only for Swiss Citizens or can this be purchased by tourists as well? 

Thanks,

Roy

[jillm]

Hi Roy, I think it is for tourists too. I'll be a tourist and I've gone through the process of purchasing the 12 month Half Fare Travelcard via the sbb.ch site (uses same login details as swisspass.ch). As part of the process you apply for a SwissPass. There's an automated ID process - you need to follow the instructions exactly. After you've purchased the ticket you get a Temporary SwissPass document (valid for 14 days) with a QR code. In my case the issuing of the actual SwissPass took another 4 days. My partner registered later than me and is still waiting for his SwissPass. You can then link the SwissPass to the SBB Mobil app on your phone. Note that the start date on the 12 month Half Fare Travelcard starts the day you apply for the SwissPass/make the payment etc rather than being a start date that you can nominate.

[AferditaH · Accepted solution]

Hello @jillm 

Thank you for your query.

You can decide for yourself which of the two you would like to buy.

I wish you a nice day.

Kind regards. AferditaH

[jillm]

Thank you.