Is Mount Rigi free with the Swiss Travel Pass?

Yes — fully included, with no supplement, on all three of its approaches. Rigi is one of only two mountains in this guide where the pass genuinely means free rather than discounted, and the fare it saves you includes the boat across Lake Lucerne.

Is Stanserhorn free with the Swiss Travel Pass?

Yes. Stanserhorn is the other fully included mountain: the funicular and the open-top cable car above it are both covered, with nothing extra to pay at the station.

What discount does the Swiss Travel Pass give on Mount Titlis?

Half price — and that is exactly what a Half Fare Card gives at Titlis too. The pass buys no better rate on this mountain than the cheaper card does; what it adds is the travel to and from Engelberg, not a deeper discount at the cable car.

Is Jungfraujoch included in the Swiss Travel Pass?

Partly, and not the part most people mean. The valley trains towards Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen are covered, but the summit leg is not: expect roughly a third off from Interlaken Ost and about a quarter off from Grindelwald or Wengen. That is less than the flat half price the pass gives on most other Swiss mountain excursions, and it is the single most misunderstood thing about the pass.

Which Swiss mountains are completely free with the Swiss Travel Pass?

Very few. Of the twelve major cable-car and cogwheel excursions we track, only Rigi and Stanserhorn are fully included. Swiss Railways also lists Stoos. Everything else is a discount, not free entry.

Does the Swiss Travel Pass give a bigger mountain discount than the Half Fare Card?

On most mountains, no. Nine of the twelve excursions we track give 50% off with either — identical. What the Swiss Travel Pass adds is unlimited train, bus and boat travel between them, plus museums, not a deeper discount at the mountain itself. If you are staying in one place and doing one excursion, the cheaper Half Fare Card often wins.

What is the difference between the Swiss Travel Pass and the Flex version?

The standard pass covers consecutive calendar days and needs no activation. Flex covers a chosen number of travel days inside a one-month window, and each day must be activated online before you travel. The part most guides miss: on Flex, the museum entry and mountain discounts only apply on days you have actually activated, not across the whole month.

Do children need their own Swiss Travel Pass?

Usually not. A parent buying a Swiss Travel Pass — or a Half Fare Card — gets a free Swiss Family Card, and children from 6 up to and including 15 then travel free when accompanied by that parent. Under 6 needs no ticket at all.

Are seat reservations on the Glacier Express included?

No. The journey itself is covered, but a seat reservation on the Glacier Express, Bernina Express and Gotthard Panorama Express is mandatory and always charged separately, whatever pass you hold.

Is first class worth it with a Swiss Travel Pass?

Choose first class for travel comfort where available, not for a deeper mountain discount. Compare the current price for your pass duration and check service-specific class or reservation requirements. Upgrading does not turn discounted mountain excursions into included ones.

Guide

What the Swiss Travel Pass actually covers on the mountains

Almost every guide tells you the pass gives "50% off mountain railways". That single sentence hides three completely different answers, and the difference between them is worth hundreds of francs. Here is the real picture for the twelve big Swiss cable-car and cogwheel excursions, checked one at a time — and the part nobody selling a pass wants to lead with: on most mountains the pass gives you nothing a much cheaper card does not.

The mountain coverage, one by one

Verified against the Swiss Travel System's own ticket shop and the operators. Each mountain links to its live PEAK / MAYBE / SKIP verdict — the other half of the decision, because a pass is no bargain on a day the summit is in cloud.

291

Free with the passHalf price — same as a Half Fare CardLess than half — the exception

2Free with the pass

Walk on, pay nothing. Swiss Railways also lists Stoos, which we do not cover.

Rigi KulmFree on all three approaches: the Vitznau and Goldau cogwheel lines and the Weggis cableway.
StanserhornFree on both legs — the funicular and the CabriO cable car.

9Half price — same as a Half Fare Card

Read that again: on these the Swiss Travel Pass buys no better mountain rate than the much cheaper card.

Grindelwald First
Schilthorn
Harder Kulm
TitlisThe separate regional Lucerne Travel Pass does include Titlis in full — it is a different product from the Swiss Travel Pass.
PilatusApplies on both routes — the Kriens cableway and the Alpnachstad cogwheel.
Gornergrat
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
Schynige PlatteThe separate Berner Oberland and Jungfrau travel passes do include this in full — they are different products from the Swiss Travel Pass.
Glacier 3000

1Less than half — the exception

The most expensive ticket of the twelve, and the one people misjudge most.

JungfraujochValley trains to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen are free with the pass, but the summit leg is not: about a third off from Interlaken Ost, a quarter off from Grindelwald or Wengen.

Swiss Travel Pass vs Half Fare Card, head to head

Compare mountain discounts separately from the trains, boats and museums you will actually use. A matching mountain discount does not mean a matching total trip cost.

	Swiss Travel Pass	Half Fare Card
Rigi & Stanserhorn	Free	50% off
The other nine mountains	50% off	50% off — identical
Jungfraujoch	Mixed coverage: about 25% off the upper route; total saving varies by origin	50% off — better
Trains, buses, boats	Included within the pass validity network	50% off each ticket
City transport in 90+ towns	Included	50% off
500+ museums	Free entry	Not included
Free travel for children 6–15	Yes, via Family Card	Yes, via Family Card
Relative cost	Depends on duration and class	One flat fee, one month

The short version: the pass wins on movement — long train legs, city transport, museums. It does not win on mountains, except at Rigi and Stanserhorn. If your trip is one base and a couple of summits, the Half Fare Card is worth comparing—but buying neither may cost less for a small itinerary.

So which should you buy?

The honest answer is that it depends on how much you move, not on how many mountains you climb — because on nine of the twelve the mountain discount is identical either way.

Doing one or two excursions from a single base? A Half Fare Card may fit, but add its purchase cost to the discounted tickets and compare with ordinary tickets too. A discount card is not automatically a saving.
Moving between regions — Lucerne, then Interlaken, then Zermatt? Compare the Swiss Travel Pass with the total cost of those train legs, local transport and museums. Count only journeys and admissions you expect to use.
Mainly doing Rigi or Stanserhorn? Those two are genuinely free with the pass, so the arithmetic changes in its favour.
Travelling with children 6–15? Either product gets you a free Swiss Family Card, and they travel free with you. Do not buy them their own pass before checking this.

Use three totals for the same itinerary: ordinary tickets; Half Fare Card plus discounted tickets; Swiss Travel Pass plus uncovered transport and reservations. Compare the same dates, class, routes and currency. For Flex, assign benefits only to activated travel days.

Compare Swiss Travel Pass optionsvia Headout Compare the Half Fare Cardvia Headout

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What the pass includes beyond mountains

Travel on trains, buses and boats within the pass validity network; check your specific route.
Local trams and buses in over 90 towns and cities.
Free entry to more than 500 museums.
A free Swiss Family Card: children from 6 up to and including 15 travel free with a parent who holds a pass. Under 6 needs no ticket at all. This comes with a Half Fare Card too, which is rarely mentioned.
The same mountain discount categories in first and second class; compare the current class premium and service-specific requirements before upgrading.

The things that catch people out

Panoramic-train seat reservations are never included: The Glacier Express, Bernina Express and Gotthard Panorama Express all require a mandatory seat reservation, charged separately whatever pass you hold. The journey is covered; the seat is not.
On Flex, your benefits only exist on activated days: The Flex pass covers chosen days within a month, and each must be activated online before you travel. The part almost no guide states: museum entry and mountain discounts are gated to those activated days too, not to the whole month. Walking into a museum on a non-activated day means paying.
You must carry photo ID with the pass: A passport or official ID has to be shown alongside the pass on inspection. Photos and photocopies are explicitly not accepted.
The youth discount is bigger than most guides say: The Youth pass covers ages 16 to 24 — and working it out from the official price table, it is around 30% off the adult fare, not the 15% that circulates widely. If you are under 25, check the youth price rather than assuming.
Prices shown to you may not be in francs: Official and reseller pages render pass prices in the visitor's own currency, and the converted figures drift apart. This is why guides quote contradictory numbers for the same pass. Before comparing any two offers, force both into CHF — we deliberately quote no prices here for exactly this reason.

Common questions

Is Mount Rigi free with the Swiss Travel Pass?: Yes — fully included, with no supplement, on all three of its approaches. Rigi is one of only two mountains in this guide where the pass genuinely means free rather than discounted, and the fare it saves you includes the boat across Lake Lucerne.
Is Stanserhorn free with the Swiss Travel Pass?: Yes. Stanserhorn is the other fully included mountain: the funicular and the open-top cable car above it are both covered, with nothing extra to pay at the station.
What discount does the Swiss Travel Pass give on Mount Titlis?: Half price — and that is exactly what a Half Fare Card gives at Titlis too. The pass buys no better rate on this mountain than the cheaper card does; what it adds is the travel to and from Engelberg, not a deeper discount at the cable car.
Is Jungfraujoch included in the Swiss Travel Pass?: Partly, and not the part most people mean. The valley trains towards Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen are covered, but the summit leg is not: expect roughly a third off from Interlaken Ost and about a quarter off from Grindelwald or Wengen. That is less than the flat half price the pass gives on most other Swiss mountain excursions, and it is the single most misunderstood thing about the pass.
Which Swiss mountains are completely free with the Swiss Travel Pass?: Very few. Of the twelve major cable-car and cogwheel excursions we track, only Rigi and Stanserhorn are fully included. Swiss Railways also lists Stoos. Everything else is a discount, not free entry.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass give a bigger mountain discount than the Half Fare Card?: On most mountains, no. Nine of the twelve excursions we track give 50% off with either — identical. What the Swiss Travel Pass adds is unlimited train, bus and boat travel between them, plus museums, not a deeper discount at the mountain itself. If you are staying in one place and doing one excursion, the cheaper Half Fare Card often wins.
What is the difference between the Swiss Travel Pass and the Flex version?: The standard pass covers consecutive calendar days and needs no activation. Flex covers a chosen number of travel days inside a one-month window, and each day must be activated online before you travel. The part most guides miss: on Flex, the museum entry and mountain discounts only apply on days you have actually activated, not across the whole month.
Do children need their own Swiss Travel Pass?: Usually not. A parent buying a Swiss Travel Pass — or a Half Fare Card — gets a free Swiss Family Card, and children from 6 up to and including 15 then travel free when accompanied by that parent. Under 6 needs no ticket at all.
Are seat reservations on the Glacier Express included?: No. The journey itself is covered, but a seat reservation on the Glacier Express, Bernina Express and Gotthard Panorama Express is mandatory and always charged separately, whatever pass you hold.
Is first class worth it with a Swiss Travel Pass?: Choose first class for travel comfort where available, not for a deeper mountain discount. Compare the current price for your pass duration and check service-specific class or reservation requirements. Upgrading does not turn discounted mountain excursions into included ones.

What we could not verify

Stating this is the point of the page rather than an apology for it. Everything above was checked against the Swiss Travel System's own materials, Swiss Railways, or the mountain operators. These were not, so they are not claimed:

Any price, in any currency. The official pass shop renders prices in a widget rather than as text, and the official pages that do serve plain text served them in US dollars. Check the current price in CHF at checkout.
The exact Jungfraujoch summit supplement. The discount rates above are verified; the franc figure is not.
Refund and cancellation terms, and how the pass interacts with overnight sleeper trains. Both are worth asking about at the point of sale.

Coverage terms change. If you find something here that is out of date, it is worth more to us than a booking.

The other half of the decision

A pass makes a mountain cheaper. It cannot make the summit clear. Before you spend a day on any of these, check whether today is actually the day —every Swiss mountain we track, ranked right now.