Swiss Travel Pass, GA and half-fare card in the Schwyz region: what is included?
Not every mountain railway treats a travelcard the same way. On some you ride free with a Swiss Travel Pass or GA, on others you only get a reduction, and on a few the card brings almost nothing. Knowing this in advance makes it easier to judge whether a pass is worthwhile. For Central Switzerland the balance is pleasing: the Rigi is fully included, as is the Stoos funicular, the steepest in the world. All the trains, buses and scheduled boats in between are covered too. Here is the breakdown attraction by attraction, both for guests with a Swiss Travel Pass, the card for travellers from abroad, and for Swiss residents with a GA travelcard or half-fare card.
The overview table
| Attraction | Swiss Travel Pass / GA | Half-fare card |
|---|---|---|
| Rigi (all railways and cable cars) | completely free | 50 % |
| Boat Lucerne–Vitznau/Brunnen/Flüelen | completely free | 50 % |
| Stoos funicular (Schwyz–Stoos) | completely free | 50 % |
| Cable car Morschach–Stoos | completely free | 50 % |
| Stoos chairlifts (Klingenstock/Fronalpstock) | not included (summit experience ticket) | reduced |
| All trains (Lucerne/Zurich–Schwyz–Brunnen etc.) | free | 50 % |
| All buses (incl. 501 to the Stoos funicular/Hölloch/Muotathal) | free | 50 % |
| Rütli boat from Brunnen | free | 50 % |
| Treib–Seelisberg funicular | check current coverage | reduced |
| Rotenflue cable car (Mythen region) | usually not free, possibly reduced; please check | reduced |
| Einsiedeln (train from Zurich/Lucerne) | free | 50 % |
| Hölloch guided tours | not included (an activity, not transport) | not applicable |
| Mineral bath Rigi Kaltbad | not included (admission, not transport) | not applicable |
| Museums (Forum of Swiss History etc.) | many free with the Swiss Travel Pass (museum function); with GA please check | not applicable |
Coverage can change, so check the official lists before buying. The basic pattern stays the same, though: public transport and the big classics are free, small private railways and activities cost extra.
On the Rigi everything is included
On the Rigi you pay nothing with a Swiss Travel Pass or GA, not even a reduced fare. Included are both rack railways, the cable car from Weggis, the Scheidegg railway and the scheduled boat from Lucerne for the journey there. A regular return ticket up the Rigi costs a fair amount depending on the tariff, and the boat comes on top. A single day on the Rigi therefore already offsets a considerable part of the price of a travelcard day. If another long travelling day is on the programme besides the Rigi, the pass pays off in most cases. More about the Rigi and the journey there: Rigi: The Guide to the Queen of the Mountains and Getting to the Rigi.
The Stoos: covered all the way to the village
The funicular from Schwyz and the cable car from Morschach are fully included. The ride on the steepest funicular in the world into the car-free village thus costs travelcard holders nothing. You do have to pay separately for the chairlifts to the Klingenstock and the Fronalpstock, which you need for the ridge walk. For those you buy the summit experience ticket on site. With a travelcard a day on the Stoos therefore stays very affordable, because you only pay for the lifts to the viewpoint summits. More on this: Stoos Ridge Hike and Getting to Stoos from Lucerne and Zurich.
The Swiss Travel Pass is valid in museums too
The Swiss Travel Pass also serves as a museum pass for hundreds of institutions. In our region the Forum of Swiss History in Schwyz is usually among them. On a foggy day you can therefore put together a cultural programme in the cantonal capital that costs you nothing, neither for the journey nor for admission. Anyone holding a GA should check the museum offers separately. More about the museums in Schwyz in the article Federal Charter Museum and Forum of Swiss History.
Which card suits which guest?
- Swiss Travel Pass (valid on consecutive days): it is worthwhile for guests from abroad whose programme includes the covered mountains. A round of Lucerne–Rigi–Stoos–Einsiedeln–Zurich is made for it. A suitable itinerary is in the article Central Switzerland itinerary.
- Swiss Travel Pass Flex suits you if you stay in one city and spread your excursion days across the trip.
- The half-fare card (also available to guests as a one-month version) is worthwhile for travellers who take their time and make only a few, but expensive, journeys.
- Saver day passes, booked early, are usually the cheapest solution for single big excursion days, for instance the one day on the Rigi from Zurich.
- Swiss guests with a GA travel almost everywhere free in the region anyway. With a half-fare card it is worth comparing the day tickets of the mountain railways for intensive mountain days.
As a rule of thumb for the region: if two or more days with mountain railway and boat are planned during the validity of the card, the pass is clearly worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Stoos included in the Swiss Travel Pass and GA? The funicular from Schwyz and the cable car from Morschach are fully included. That does not apply to the chairlifts above the village, so for the ridge walk you buy the summit experience ticket.
Is the Rigi free with a Swiss Travel Pass or GA? Yes. All railways and cable cars on the Rigi are covered, as are the boats that go there.
Are the Lake Lucerne boats included? Yes, the scheduled boats are fully covered, including the Lucerne–Vitznau route, the services from Brunnen and the Rütli landing stage.
Does the card also cover the Hölloch or the Rigi bath? No. The card covers transport and, with the Swiss Travel Pass, many museums as well, but not activities such as cave tours or admission to the bath.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass worthwhile for the Lake Lucerne region? For most guests with two or more excursion days it is clearly worthwhile. A single day on the Rigi already offsets a large part of the daily cost, and the journeys between the destinations are included anyway.
