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I'll be visiting Beatenberg, near Interlaken, Switzerland, and I expect to take the PostAuto bus down to Interlaken a few times.

As a family of four, I really don't want to fumble with Swiss francs every time I take the bus. And it would be great if we could save some money too.

Is there some kind of pass we can buy that will let us ride the bus?

Or is there some Swiss card (analogous to the B-W card tourists receive at hotels in Baden-Württemberg) that allows free or reduced-price public transit use?

Kyralessa
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  • After posting this, I found this: Habkern and Beatenberg guest cards Maybe posting the question helped focus my search terms. A more comprehensive answer is still welcome, though. – Kyralessa May 26 '21 at 12:51
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    Thanks for the additional info, but know that comments (like these) often are deleted and disappear. Further the content of comments are not indexed. Thus, either post this additional information as an Answer (one may answer one's own Question) or edit this information into your question using the "Edit" button that appears below the question text. That way, the info will be indexed and will survive to be seen by other users. Thanks! – DavidRecallsMonica May 26 '21 at 14:33

1 Answers1

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In Switzerland there is no need to "fumble with cash" when taking a bus. In fact, buying a ticket from a bus driver is actively discouraged, and in many cases not even possible. Many bus drivers don't like it when you board in the front.

The easiest way to pay for public transport is to get yourself the SBB app. This app has a function called "easy ride" where you just "check in" when you start your journey, and "check out" when you finish. The system then automatically calculates your trip. This works for all modes of transport.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile/easyride.html

At the moment easyride only works for one single passenger. However with the SBB app you can buy transport tickets for other passengers travelling with you. In the case of the Interlaken area one thing you can do is buy a "return" ticket which basically will function as a day pass.

If you are going to travel a lot it may be worth wile to get a Half Fare Card, which gives you 50% off on all travel. This also gives you 50% off on mountain railways, which makes for example the eyewateringly expensive trip up to the Jungfraujoch just merely a dear excursion. This card is interesting for families as it comes with a free family card, which gives free travel to kids till their 16th birthday.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-halffare-card.html

For local travel some towns and regions give tourists free travel on local transport. How useful this is varies a lot. For example the guestcard Habkern/Beatenberg just gives you access to local transportation in the Interlaken area. The Canton of Ticino is a lot more generous here. Tourists staying in Ticino get free public transport in the whole canton!

If for some reason you still need to get a local transit pass you will need to consult the conditions of the local public transport tariff association. There are several of these, and to find out more here is a good place to start: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/buying-options/fare-networks.html

Krist van Besien
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  • I have Fairtiq (and the SBB app version too) but it's not an option because I'm travelling with kids. It'd be nice if they'd make a version where I could add more people and cover them all with one swipe. (No, my kids don't have smartphones.) The half-fare card isn't an option either because I live in DE, not CH, and I don't travel much in Switzerland. The Beatenberg tourist card seems to be the thing I was looking for, and it turns out when I e-mailed them, they sent me a card to cover my initial travel from Interlaken to Beatenberg! Then I'll get the full card at the hotel. – Kyralessa May 26 '21 at 17:09
  • @Kyralessa: The STS HFC I linked to is especially intended for tourists, and not even available to people living in Switzerland. Whether it is worth getting depends on how much use of public transit you intend to make. (You need to get to Beatenberg somehow, not?). It is convenient because kids then travel for free. I add this to make the answer more generic, as this information may be useful to others too. – Krist van Besien May 27 '21 at 05:05
  • Thank you for the clarification. If I were travelling more in Switzerland, that half-fare card might be a good option, so I'll keep it in mind for the future. The Beatenberg tourist card covers bus travel between Interlaken and Beatenberg, and the card the tourist agency e-mails out covers that initial trip from Interlaken to Beatenberg, after which I get the full card from the hotel. – Kyralessa May 27 '21 at 05:25