Touring Switzerland by Public Transport: Ultimate Joined-Up Swiss Pass Travel Experience
How often do we find ourselves complaining about Britain’s travel system? Often, is the answer. So how about visiting a country with the best travel system in the world? What could that be like? How pleasurable could it be? How comforting and enjoyable?
Well, last week I was able to answer such questions, because Switzerland is said to have the best integrated travel system anywhere - and, having spent five days belting about that mountainous land, I can support the claim. Indeed, the trip I joined was specifically designed to show journalists how, geographically speaking, Switzerland is the most joined-up country on the planet.
The Swiss Travel Pass: Effortless Freedom Across Trains, Buses, and Boats
The basic idea was that we would stay in one town (Interlaken) and enjoy a series of day-trips which would show us travel writers how delightfully easy it is to reach even the most out-of-the-way places using the Swiss Travel Pass - a special all-round ticket available to visitors from abroad. It gives you unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats and includes a great many fabulous scenic rail routes.
(If you're enjoying this post take a look at our other Swiss articles here)
The pass allows you to combine panoramic train journeys, lakeside towns and high Alpine excursions in one memorable trip, all at your own pace. You can also enjoy some mountain excursions (such as Mount Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos) which are included, while many other cable cars, funiculars and privately run railways offer pass-holders discounts of up to 50 percent.
An adult Swiss Travel Pass costs approximately £254 for three days in second class, which is good value when you compare it with the cost of buying individual tickets. For example, a return second-class rail journey from Zurich to Interlaken costs around £138 - a longer return trip, like the one from Zurich to Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, would knock you back around £227 - which alone almost covers the cost of the 3-day pass in a single round trip.
And, of course, the country’s travel network is run and organised with the precision of one of a Swiss watch. Not only are large areas of the mountainous country served by the extensive rail-network, but just about every village or remote area that isn’t will have a bus service. The bus routes tend to be connected to the railway stations both physically, so there’s little walking involved. And the buses (often the railways too) also serve the many ferry terminals on Swiss lakes, which, as I’ve said, are also covered by the travel pass.
Travel apps on your phone allow you to use this fully integrated network with very little hassle - and more often than not both rail and bus connections are designed to dovetail with one another, so a journey to some seemingly difficult-to-reach location can be simple and seamless.
Am I a fully signed-up and enthusiastic fan of all this? Yes, I am! I only wish we had a public transport system that was even a tenth as good.
Exploring Lake Biel: Vineyards, Ferries, and Watchmaking Heritage
One of the joys of travelling in Switzerland is that the journey itself becomes part of the holiday. And nowhere was this more apparent than on our day trip to Biel/Bienne, a town well away from the normal tourist routes, where we experienced first-hand how the country’s transport system is about much more than trains. By the way, the two names come from the fact it’s located in Switzerland’s bilingual canton of Bern where both French and German are official languages: Biel German, Bienne French.
(Check out our fieature on Swiss Christmas markets here)
On an unusually hot October day we caught a train from Interlaken, changing at Bern before arriving in town. From there it was a short sunny walk to the harbour, where we boarded a boat for a pleasant cruise along the shores of Lake Biel. I have travelled on some pretty wonderful boats in my time, but there is something particularly pleasing about exploring Switzerland from the water. Shorelines slipped by at a gentle pace, vineyards climbed the slopes of the Jura mountains above the lake, and the villages appeared to have been designed by someone illustrating a Grimm’s Fairytale.
Our destination was the wine-making village of Ligerz, from where we walked through steep vineyards to another winemaking centre called Twann. A lovely stroll, with views across the water and a chance to appreciate a Swiss flatter more open landscape that is quite different from the high snowcapped peaks we could see in the far distance. We stopped for lunch at Restaurant Traube, where the menu included a fabulous fresh garden salad (the Swiss are the masters of salad-making) and catfish from Lake Biel, served with fresh-picked chanterelle mushrooms.
Later we tasted wines with Anne-Claire Schott, who runs her family’s vineyard and produces highly distinctive and delicious wines using biodynamic methods.
Switzerland Tourism
The ferries on Lake Biel act like buses, so we were able to take a return service back to town, where our guide Claudia took us on a fascinating tour of the Old Town, with its historic streets and architectural reminders of the watchmaking industry which helped shape the town. It was a delightful way to round off our afternoon before heading to a restaurant, Ecluse, for an early dinner - a wonderful place in which to enjoy food inspired by local and seasonal produce. Then, as the evening drew in, we simply walked back to the station and caught the train back to Interlaken.
So… Swiss transport at its best: a full day of boating, walking, wine tasting, sightseeing and fine dining, followed by a straightforward journey home. Our Swiss Travel Pass took care of the train and scheduled boat journeys, leaving us free to enjoy the day rather than worry about the logistics.
Riding the Luzern–Interlaken Express to Historic Lucerne
The following day we took the scenic Luzern–Interlaken Express, a route which takes around two hours and passes through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. The panoramic windows make the most of the views, with lakes, wooded slopes, pretty villages and mountains appearing around almost every bend.
Again, this is not merely a means of getting from one town to another. It is a scenic excursion in its own right - one that you can enjoy without having to drive along winding mountain roads. Sit back, watch the spectacular landscape unfold and enjoy a coffee with a slice of the local walnut tart, while the train does all the work.
At our destination, we had time to explore town before strolling across to the ferry terminal for a lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne. Once again, the Swiss Travel Pass proved its worth, as it was valid for the boat trip. We were able to enjoy a two-hour cruise, with a very good lunch served aboard - and all the while the magnificent scenery provided the entertainment. With the pass, you pay for lunch but not for the boat ride.
(See our special posts on an amazing light festival which is held in Lucerne)
The shoreline villages are among the most beautiful in the world. I believe that to be the case which is why I included them in my novel The Lemon Tree Forest. I am also supported in the notion by none other than writer Mark Twain, who took up residence in the village of Weggis on a couple of occasions. The entire lake is surrounded by wooded slopes which rise steeply from the water and big bold neighbouring mountains, such as Rigi and Pilatus.
Later, in what again was unusually hot October weather, we were given a guided walk through Lucerne, discovering its old streets, squares and historic buildings. The city has plenty to interest the visitor including the famous Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) which crosses the River Reuss. I also visited the extraordinary Bourbaki Panorama, a vast 360-degree circular painting that immerses visitors in a dramatic episode from the Franco-Prussian War, as well as the nearby Rosengart Collection, which houses an impressive collection of Picasso paintings and drawings.
The return journey was just as enjoyable as the outward one, thanks to the fact that we had dinner in the train’s restaurant car while passing up through the Haslital (Hasli Valley), following the River Aare towards Meiringen, before crossing the Brünig Pass. It’s a particularly scenic stretch, with wooded slopes, mountain views and traditional Swiss villages. I shall not forget sipping excellent Swiss wine while admiring the evening views.
High Mountain Excursions and Seamless Travel
We also had a day devoted to the high mountains, including a memorable journey to the Schilthorn, with its spectacular views and revolving summit restaurant. We also had dinner at an extraordinary hotel run by a charitable organisation and a memorable supper on a raft in the middle of a lake - but those experiences deserve a story of their own, so I shall report on them in a future Hesp Out West.
For now, what stays with me is the pleasure of being able to explore Switzerland without a car, moving effortlessly between trains, buses and boats. The Swiss seem to understand that a good transport system is not simply about getting people from A to B. It is about opening up a country, allowing visitors to discover its towns, lakes, mountains and villages with the minimum of fuss.
Sidebar 1: Travel Essentials & Swiss Rail Information
For more information on Switzerland, visit switzerland.com
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS)
SWISS offers more than 160 weekly flights from the UK to Zurich or Geneva. One-way fares start from £76 to Zurich and from £54 to Geneva, and include all taxes etc, one piece of checked luggage weighing up to 23kg and one piece of hand luggage. SWISS will also transport your first set of ski or snowboard equipment free of charge in addition to your standard free baggage allowance subject to availability (excluding hand-luggage-only fares). swiss.com
Travel Switzerland
Travel Switzerland’s Swiss Travel Pass offers international visitors to Switzerland unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus and boat network, plus scenic routes (seat reservation fees apply) and local trams and buses in around 90 towns and cities. It also includes the Swiss Museum Pass, which grants free entry to 500 museums and exhibitions. Prices start from £254 for a three-day second-class ticket. swisstravelpass.com also see the special Day Discoveries website https://www.travelswitzerland.com/experiences/day-discoveries/
Sidebar 2: Airport Accommodation & Parking
Airport Help
For West Country residents, flying from Heathrow can be a challenge. Holiday Extras is the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges, and transfers – and in 2025 its customers saved an average of £200 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance.
Booking an airport hotel with parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle – and can actually cost less than booking airport parking alone. A standard room at Hilton Garden Inn T2 & T3 with six days’ Purple Parking Meet & Greet T2 at Heathrow Airport is available for £464.66 (based on arrival on 11/11/2026). Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel or amend you can without charge. For more information and to book, visit HolidayExtras.com or call 0800 316 5678.
