For families the Swiss Travel Pass maths is not close, and it is not really about trains. Children under 16 travel free with the Swiss Family Card when a parent holds a pass — so a family of four pays for two adults and nothing else. The card is free, but it is not automatic: you have to request it when you buy. Miss that and you pay twice for a trip that should have cost half.
The rule that decides it
The Swiss Family Card, in plain terms
| Children 6–15 | Travel free with the Swiss Family Card, accompanied by a parent holding a valid pass |
| Children under 6 | Always free, no card needed |
| Cost of the card | Nothing — but you must request it when buying the parent’s pass |
| Youth 16–24 | Not free, but the Youth pass is roughly 30% below the adult price |
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children under 16) | You pay for two adult passes only |
| With a Half Fare Card instead | The Family Card works with that too — children 6–15 are still free |
| Mountain railways | The discount applies, but children still pay their share of the discounted fare |
| 3-day / 6-day / 8-day adult pass | CHF 254 / CHF 399 / CHF 439, 2nd class |
This is the single most expensive thing families get wrong. The Family Card is not applied by default at every seller and it is not something you can add afterwards at a ticket window mid-trip. Ask for it at the point of purchase, and check it appears on the confirmation before you travel. Two children on a week-long trip is easily CHF 400 of difference.
The 3-day version — one base, no packing
With children, hotel changes cost more than train time. Base yourself in Interlaken and do not move.
Day 1
Lake Thun by boat
Board at Interlaken West and sail to Spiez. The boat is free, there is deck space to run around, and a castle with climbable towers at the other end. Come back by train in twenty minutes when patience runs out. Low effort, high payoff, and no queue anywhere.
Day 2
Grindelwald First, not Jungfraujoch
First is 50% off with the pass, the Cliff Walk at the top is free, and the way down has mountain carts and trottibikes — the only mountain in the region built around children doing things rather than looking at things. Jungfraujoch is 45 minutes in a tunnel train each way for a view; save it for a trip without under-tens.
Day 3
Brienz — steam train or open-air museum
Boat to Brienz on the greener lake, then either the Rothorn steam railway, which is a genuine coal-fired rack locomotive, or Ballenberg, an open-air museum of historic farmhouses with animals and craft demonstrations. Ballenberg wins for under-eights; the steam train wins for anyone who likes trains.
The 7-day version — two bases, one move
Add Lucerne to the front, keep Interlaken for the second half, and move once. That is the most a family should attempt in a week.
- Days 1–3, Lucerne. Lake boats free. Rigi is free outright with the pass — cogwheel train up, no discount to calculate, no extra to pay. The Swiss Museum of Transport is the best rainy-day building in the country and pass holders get a discount.
- Day 3. Travel afternoon on the Lucerne–Interlaken Express — two hours, no reservation, right-hand side, and a rack section that children notice.
- Days 4–7, Interlaken. Run the three-day plan above, then use the spare day for Titlis if you want snow in summer, or Harder Kulm and a slow afternoon.
A 6-day pass at CHF 399 or 8-day at CHF 439 covers this per adult. Children are free.
Practical things nobody mentions
Family coaches on InterCity trains
Many double-decker InterCity services carry a family coach with a small climbing area and slide on the upper deck. It is marked on the outside of the carriage and costs nothing extra.
Worth walking down the platform for on any journey over an hour. Ask which coach at the station if you are unsure.
Prams, and the luggage problem
Swiss trains are level-boarding almost everywhere and prams are straightforward. Cable cars and older mountain railways are less so — check before committing to a summit day.
On travel days, send the suitcases by luggage transfer. With small children the difference between two hands free and two hands full is the whole day.
What to skip with children
- The Glacier Express. Eight hours in one seat. Ride the two-hour Chur–St. Moritz section instead if you want the Albula viaducts.
- Jungfraujoch under about age eight. Long tunnel approach, thin air at 3,454 m, and the payoff is a view. Only 25% off with a pass, too.
- More than one big mountain in three days. The recovery day matters more than the second summit.
- Zurich as a base. Fine to land in, but everything a child wants is elsewhere and you will spend the week commuting.
Before you buy
Request the Swiss Family Card with the parent’s pass, confirm it on the booking, and check what else is covered in boats, buses and mountain discounts — the free lake ferries do a lot of work on a family trip. If you are staying more than two weeks, compare against a Half Fare Card — the Family Card works with that too, so your children stay free either way.
Fitting this around a bigger loop? See the 7-day Grand Train Tour itinerary for the adult-paced version, and the 3-day Interlaken plan for more detail on the lakes.
When the family pass is not the cheapest answer
Children are usually not what makes a family trip expensive, which changes the maths more than people expect.
- Under-16s already travel free. With the Swiss Family Card the children cost nothing, so you are only ever comparing adult prices. A family of four is a pass decision for two people, not four.
- One base changes the answer. If you are staying put and taking day trips, the adults may do better on half-fare pricing, and your hotel guest card may already cover the local buses your pass would have covered.
- Long travel days have a cost that is not money. An itinerary that justifies a longer pass often means young children on trains for hours. The cheaper trip and the better trip are frequently the same trip.
Family Swiss Travel Pass questions
Do children travel free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with the Swiss Family Card when accompanied by a parent holding a valid Swiss Travel Pass, and under-6s are always free. The Family Card costs nothing, but you must request it when buying the parent’s pass — it is not applied automatically.
Do children travel free on the Half Fare Card too?
Yes. The Swiss Family Card is issued free with the Swiss Travel Pass, the Flex version and the Swiss Half Fare Card, so children aged 6 to 15 travel free on all three when accompanied by a parent holding one. Children do not decide which product to buy — but forgetting to request the Family Card costs you regardless of which you pick.
Which mountain is best with young children?
Grindelwald First. It is 50% off with the pass, the Cliff Walk at the top is included free, and the descent has mountain carts and trottibikes. Jungfraujoch means 45 minutes in a tunnel train each way for a viewing platform, and it is only 25% off.
How many days should a family plan in Switzerland?
Three days from one base, or seven days across two bases with a single hotel change. Hotel changes cost more energy than train journeys with children, so fewer moves beats more destinations.
Are Swiss trains easy with a pram?
Yes on the main network — boarding is level at almost every station and space is provided. Cable cars and older mountain railways are less predictable, so check before building a day around a summit. On travel days, a luggage transfer between hotels makes a large difference.
What is a family coach on Swiss trains?
Many double-decker InterCity trains carry a dedicated family carriage with a small climbing frame and slide on the upper deck, marked on the outside of the coach. It costs nothing extra and is worth walking down the platform for on any journey over an hour.
Buy your Swiss Travel Pass
Children under 16 travel free with the Swiss Family Card — request it when you buy.