This is a truly incredible offer on some of the most scenic railways in all of Europe. The Swiss Half Fare Card isn’t just a Swiss train discount of 50% that lasts a month ! It’s a Swiss train discount, and a Swiss bus discount, and a Swiss boat discount, and a Swiss mountain railway discount, at 50% off, all lasting for a full month ! That’s a Swiss half fare that’s ideal for longer stays in Switzerland, especially since there’s public transportation in 75 towns and cities to use it in ! How about that ! A country that’s already famous for chocolate found a way to be even more tempting !

Swiss Half Fare Card
- Children under 16 travel for free.
Overview
How does it work?
Rail Passes in 3 steps
1. Pick the right rail pass
Rail passes are available in 1, 2, 3 or 4 country combinations for extensive travel on the national rail networks. Going for an extended trip? Try the Eurail Global Pass offering rail travel in 31 different countries.
Once you've selected your pass, its price will depend on the class of service, First or Second, selected and the number of rail travel days.
2. Reserve your seats
For many trains in Switzerland, seat reservations are not required. Simply board the train with your rail pass and choose any open seat.
3. Activate and travel
Your pass was pre-validated at the time of booking, it is now valid for use for the duration you selected. You're all set and ready to explore.
Rail pass benefits
More than just trains
And the Swiss Half Fare Card is packed with bonuses to make your trip even more enjoyable. You'll get discounts on buses and trains or hotels or cruises or ferries or museums or activities, and more.
With the Swiss Half Fare Card, the benefits like the connections it provides - are everywhere. Whether you are an adventurous traveler or avid planner, the Swiss Half Fare Card is your pass to freedom and an unforgettable journey of discovery.
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Main discounts and bonuses in Swiss Half Fare Card
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FAQ
Common Questions, Simple Answers
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Q. If my travel party won’t fill the entire compartment, can we buy it out to travel by ourselves ?
A. We’re only able to sell train tickets/reservations for beds that will be filled by travellers. If you purchase “extra” beds in a compartment to occupy the space, the conductor can fill empty beds if space is needed, even if the whole compartment has been purchased. No refund is given if a conductor fills an “extra” bed.
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Q. Are lockers and luggage storage services available at the train station ?
A. Most major train stations have a left luggage facility offering either self-serve luggage lockers or staffed luggage facilities.
Keep in mind that there is a fee to store your luggage at a train station. Typically, stations will charge a flat rate to rent a luggage locker that you’re free to fill. For staffed luggage facilities, you may incur a “per bag” fee. In either case, the fee is usually under 10 Euros. If you do leave your bags, be sure to keep some money in your pockets for the luggage lockers.
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Q. Are there shower facilities on board ?
A. Onboard shower facilities vary by car equipment, operating carrier, and the class of service you’re booked in. You can view the details when you search for the train you wish to travel on.
In addition, there may be shower facilities at the rail stations. Typically, you will need to pay a fee to use these showers.
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Q. Does my train ticket include a seat reservation ?
A. Rail Europe tickets include a reservation whenever possible. To tell if you have a reservation, see if you received one or two travel documents for your trip. If you received two travel documents, you probably received an open ticket and a reservation. The reservation portion will show a train number, car number and seat number assigned to you personally.
If you received only one document, you should also see if it indicates a seat number and car number. If so, your ticket includes a reservation.
The only case where you may not have a reservation with your ticket is if you received an open ticket. With these tickets, you can simply hop on any non- reservable train that travels on the route for which you bought your ticket.
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Q. I have a question about my Rail Europe Gift Card. Who should I contact ?
A. Just send us a message on our Contact Us page and we will respond to you via email within 24 to 48 hours.
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Q. Who should I contact with a question about a special offer ?
A. Questions about special offers may be submitted to us by filling in our Contact Form on this website. We will respond within 24-48 hours.
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Q. What's the difference between a rail pass and a train ticket ?
A. A rail pass and a train ticket are two completely different types of travel documents.
A train ticket is valid for a single journey between two cities. Many tickets also include a reservation, which mean that they are valid only for a specific train, on a specific date and at a given time. To learn more about tickets, read our article : tickets explained.
A rail pass, on the other hand, is good for travel in an entire geographical area (1 country, 2 countries or more). With it you can take as many train trips as you want within that geographical area, for as many travel days as you purchased, within a set period of time (the pass validity period).
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Q. Who is eligible to buy a rail pass ?
A. Rail passes are available to anyone except residents of Europe, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Turkey or any of the countries of the former Soviet Union. If you’re a resident of these countries we can’t sell you our rail passes, but there are other similar options available to you such as the InterRail pass.
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Q. What should I do if a strike has been announced in the country I’m traveling to ?
A. Typically, a strike only affects a few trains along certain routes. If a strike is called within a country, you may continue your travels if there are train services operating. If your train is affected by a strike, railway officials typically provide accommodations for either alternate train, or in some cases, bus transportation.
If a train is canceled by the railroads due to a strike, and alternate transportation has not been offered or if you decline the alternate transportation, then a railway official at the origin station must cancel your seat and they must stamp the back of your ticket/reservation “Not Used Due to strike” before the original train departure time. Our partners at the European Railroads will not allow us to process a refund unless this step has been taken.
This process will allow you to submit that train ticket/reservation for a refund. Please be sure that all refund requests are received by our Customer Relations department within 30-days of the train departure date.
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Q. Do you offer maps of European train stations ?
A. We do offer links to Google Maps for many European train stations. At this time we do not have specific layouts of any train station interiors in Europe.

We've got you covered, add Rail Europe's Rail Protection Plan to your booking. We offer an exclusive Rail Protection Plan™ that gives you the flexibility to change your train ticket, rail pass, reservation and select activities with no questions asked. You'll also be protected in the event of a railroad strike for train tickets, and in the case of loss or theft of paper tickets, rail passes, city passes or tours.