Dear SBB Community
Whether for commuting or in your leisure time, a Regional Travelcard offers you flexible and affordable travel within a fare network. In Switzerland, there are around 20 fare and regional transport networks – so it’s easy to lose track of things sometimes. It’s no surprise, then, that we repeatedly receive questions about zone upgrades and travelling beyond fare network boundaries in the Community.
In this article, we answer the most common questions and tell you what you need to pay attention to when buying tickets. And we give you advice on how you can always travel at the best price.
When do I need a zone upgrade?
You have a Regional Travelcard but your destination is outside the fare network or the zones you purchased? Then you also need a ticket (zone upgrade). You can buy this in the SBB Mobile app, online at SBB.ch or at any ticket machine.
Are there zone upgrades within a fare network?
Yes. If you travel beyond your purchased zones within a fare network, you need a zone upgrade for the missing zones. You can find this in the SBB Mobile apps under ‘Extension offer’ in the ticket options.
If you’re not sure where your purchased zones end, take a look at the zone map. You can find an overview of all fare networks on SBB.ch.
Go to the fare networks.
What should I do if I want to travel over the boundaries of the fare network?
For journeys beyond the fare network boundaries, you should purchase a normal ticket. Keep in mind that zone-based travelcards and tickets are valid as far as the last timetabled stop within the purchased zones. For this reason, you should find out where your chosen transport service (train, S-Bahn, bus, tram etc.) stops and then purchase a ticket starting from the last stop that falls within your valid zones. Important: Buy the ticket via a timetable enquiry from the last timetabled stop. That way, you will get the correct ticket and avoid paying double for the route.
You can find further useful tips and examples of how to buy the right zone upgrade on SBB.ch.
Help with zone upgrades or connecting tickets for existing travelcards
You can also find commonly asked questions on Regional Travelcards.
Help with Regional Travelcards
My Regional Travelcard is not recognised and I am paying too much. What can I do?
For normal ticket purchases made via the timetable enquiry, the SBB Mobile app currently does not recognise the Regional Travelcards stored in your customer account. For this reason, a zone upgrade is not automatically issued. If you purchase a ticket in the app for a route that extends beyond the fare network or your purchased zones, it can happen that the price for the entire route is calculated.
There is a simple way to avoid this: use the EasyRide function in the SBB Mobile app when travelling beyond the fare network boundaries. EasyRide takes into account your stored Regional Travelcards and automatically calculates the correct price for the zone upgrade after the journey.
You can find more information about EasyRide on SBB.ch
We wish you a nice trip.
BR
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