Switzerland: Railway Information

The Swiss railroad network, about 5,000 km in length, is the densest transportation network in the world. Efficiently organized and developed, the Swiss transport system guarantees very short waiting times when changing trains. ‘One train an hour’ applies for all major destinations. The trains are well equipped and many have dining cars or beverage carts.

Railway companies in Switzerland

Logo Swiss Railways

A Eurail Pass valid in Switzerland is valid on trains operated by SBB (Schweizerische BundesBahn), the national railway company of Switzerland.

Website of the SBB: English version / German.
Plan your trip: SBB timetable / Swiss Eurail map (PDF)

Your Pass is also valid on various private transport companies. See the overview of Swiss railway companies.

The page Swiss Pass Benefits contains an overview of free boat services that you can use with your Pass and various discounted transport services.

Seat reservations

For domestic trains in Switzerland operated by the companies mentioned, seat reservations are not required. You can just hop on any train with your Eurail Pass. An exception are the special scenic trains such as Bernina Express, Glacier Express, Golden Pass and Wilhelm Tell Express. For these trains a supplement and/or seat reservation is required for Eurail Pass holders. 

There are some international trains from Switzerland that require a reservation fee. Examples are the EuroCity (formerly Cisalpino) to Italy, the ICE International to Germany, the TGV Lyria to France and the Railjet to Budapest. See the reservation fees for international trains.

Airport - station links

From Geneva Cointrin international aiport, there are train connections (every 15 minutes) to Genève. More details on the airport website. 

From Zurich  aiport, there are train connections (every 10 minutes) to Zürich main station (Hauptbahnhof - HB). More details on the airport website.

Eurail Aid Offices in Switzerland

For questions about Eurail, you can go to the international ticket offices at  the stations Bahnhof Basel SBB, Hauptbahnhof SBB Bern, Gare de Genève (Geneva), Gare de Genève Aéroport (Geneva Airport), Bahnhof Interlaken-West, Bahnhof SBB Luzerne (Lucerne), Hauptbahnhof SBB Zürich (Zurich) and Bahnhof SBB Zürich Flughafen (Zurich Airport). See the page Eurail Aid Offices for opening hours and more aid offices in Europe.

Swiss Rail Network

National trains depart every 30 or 60 minutes. Air-conditioned InterCity trains with dining cars, mini-bars and children’s playroom cars bring passengers to all Swiss cites, from where numerous regional trains carry them to lovely little villages in maximum comfort.
For tourists the journey itself is often a main goal in itself. The Swiss transportation system is based on this idea, to make travelling an experience.

Scenic routes

Rail tour suggestion

Berne - Interlaken- Geneva
Sit back and relax. Take in the spectacular scenery of Swiss mountains and valleys while using your Swiss Rail pass. Cities like Montreux, Brig and Interlaken invite to a stopover.

Tour stages and average journey times

  • Berne - Interlaken (53 mins)
  • Interlaken - Kandersteg (1 hr 30 mins)
  • Kandersteg - Brig (41 mins)
  • Brig - Sion (38 mins)
  • Sion - Montreux (41 mins)
  • Montreux - Lausanne (21 mins)
  • Lausanne - Geneva (39 mins)

Geneva is near the French border. There are several options to travel to French cities from Geneva.

Read a detailed description of this tour in the recommended guide Europe by rail, available from Thomas Cook Publishing.

Railway services
There are restaurants on the intercity and ICN network in Switzerland and on the international routes to Germany and Austria. It is possible to reserve seats. There is also a bistro or trolley service in some trains.

Swiss rail map

Eurail Passes for Switzerland