Navigating on SBB.ch

Tips and Tricks


«General»
Four to five connections are usually displayed. The departure point and destination are linked and lead to the departures and arrivals tables.
A symbol (icon) is displayed before the departure point and destination. Clicking on this icon displays a detailed map of the area surrounding the departure point/destination.

Use "Earlier" to search for connections before the first one displayed and "Later" for connections after the last one displayed.

Entry fields «from» and «to»
Please enter your departure point and destination in these two input fields. These may be stations/stops, addresses or landmarks.
If the search produces more than one result, please select your preferred location from the list.
The list box is preset by default to "All types", i.e. the search will cover the entire database. However, it can be restricted to the following areas:

  • Station/Stop: to search for connections to stations and stops
  • City, Street no.: to search for connections to a particular address
  • Point of interest: to search for connections to a particular attraction


Entry field «Via» 
You can usually leave this field blank. Entering data is only necessary if you wish to travel on a different route from the normal one. If that is the case, please enter the preferred station or stop via which you want to travel.


Entry field «Date»
Please enter your preferred date of travel in this field. The default setting for the field is the current date. The date should be entered in the format DDMMYY. Click on the arrows to the right of the date field to select the previous day (left arrow) or the next day (right arrow).
You can also click on "Calendar". Another window is then displayed showing a calendar, on which you can select your date of travel.


Entry field «Time»
Please enter your preferred time of travel in this field. The default setting for the field is the current time. The time should be entered in the format HHMM.


Radiobuttons «Departure» and «Arrival»
You use these buttons to choose whether the date and time you previously entered should be used as departure or arrival data.


Button «Search for connections»
Here you can begin your connections query.

 

Search for more alternative services
Consider alternative stops at departure point/destination
Suppress connections with long waiting times max. Waiting time
Carriage of bicycles required (Switzerland only)
Group travel (Switzerland only)


Link «Change query input data»
The chosen settings for the information can be amended here.


Link «New request»
This takes you back to the entry screen. New data can be entered.


Link «Opposite direction»
By clicking on this link you can search in the opposite direction, i.e. the starting point and destination are exchanged.


Link «Continue journey»
By clicking on this link the destination is automatically preset as the place of departure for your next query.


Icon «Dynamic connection details»
Details of individual connections can be displayed or hidden.

The connection appears in a new, more easily accessible format. The connection information is displayed as standard, and then additional details can be displayed as required.

Detailed information includes «Intermediate stops» as well as enabling the use of additional functions such as «Eco-footprint calculator», «Map view», «Send by e-mail», «Create Word export» «Import to calendar», «Text view», «Read aloud», «SMS Alarm», etc.

Using the link «Show all details» all the details of the listed relations will be shown.


«Occupancy»
Customers can see at a glance when they make timetable enquiries whether «low to medium occupancy», «high occupancy» or «very high occupancy» is predicted on a particular service. Occupancy predictions are now available for every timetable enquiry made for SBB long-distance services at www.sbb.ch - in both 1. and 2. class.

The first occupancy predictions are available as early as 30 days before the train departs. The anticipated spare capacity of each train is updated on a daily basis.


«From» prices
The «from» price is based on a standard 2nd class ticket, for a single trip with Half-Fare travelcard or for a child from 6 to 16 for the connection in question.

If supersaver tickets are available, the cheapest supersaver ticket price is displayed. Connections with supersaver tickets are marked with a «%» symbol. Supersaver tickets are available on a first come, first served basis, so there is no guarantee that supersaver tickets shown on the timetable will still be available at the time of purchase. In addition, supersaver tickets are not available all year round. For further information visit www.sbb.ch/en/supersavers.


«First connection» & «Last connection»
Shows the earliest and/or latest connections on your date of travel.


Button «Details for selection»
This button is used to display details about the selected connections. These include platform information and more detailed comments about the means of transport involved. At least one connection must be selected.
For the connections in the detailed summary, all stops on the entire route can be shown in addition. For rail journeys within Switzerland, fare information is also available.


Button «Print view»
The print version offers you an optimised view of all connections for printing.


Button «Show intermediate stops»
Shows the stops on the chosen route.


Link «Environment»
The SBB ecocalculator enables users to compare the environmental credentials, journey times and usable time of various modes of public transport with those of travel by car.

SBB offers its customers sustainable and climate-friendly mobility. This new, individually tailored function enables you to create a personal environmental balance sheet for your journey from A to B. You can also make direct comparisons of the actual and usable journey times of various modes of transport for your journey.

The values are based on the ecological statistics provided by the ecoinvent database. Specific environmental data has been compiled for all timetabled public transport – from buses and trams, to regional and long-distance trains, to boats and cablecars.


Link «e-mail»
E-mails the timetable connection details as a text or Word (RTF) document.


Link «Word»
Exports the timetable connection details into a Word (RTF) document.


Link «Calendar»
Imports journey date and connection details into the local calendar (iCalendar format).


Link «Map»
This function provides you with a graphic combining «Route» with the maps for the locations of «Start» and «Destination» . Walking routes in the «Start» and «Destination» maps will be labelled as far as possible. You also have the option of blending «Points of interest» and «Other stops/stations» into the map.


Link «Text view» *
Instead of a table, the connection information is also available as text.

Having the connection information in text form makes it much easier to read aloud using a screen reader, a device used by blind and visually impaired people to help them read.


Link «Read out»
The connection information can be read out in four languages in your browser and downloaded as an MP3 file.

The new «Read out» function provides support for the blind and visually impaired, those suffering age-specific sight problems and people with reading and learning difficulties. The connection information in the timetable can be read aloud, and you can take the MP3 file with you on your laptop, mobile phone, iPhone, etc. as a travelling companion.

Please note that the correct pronunciation of stops, adresses and places of interest is only asured in the language of the according region.


Link «Fully accessible connection»
This feature displays the extent to which the selected journey is barrier-free, with each boarding/alighting point listed individually. Passengers with a disability can see whether independent boarding/alighting is possible or not.


Link «mySBB»
If places of departure, destinations or connections have been saved, they may be retrieved here. In this way, frequently used places do not have to be re-entered each time.


Link «Timetable Booklet»
This is a cross-reference to the Personal Timetable. The corresponding query page, with preset place of departure and destination place, is displayed. The default format is PDF (e.g. for Adobe Acrobat Reader).


Advanced search
As the default, all means of transport will be considered in your connections query. However, if specific means of transport are excluded from your connections search the «Options» button must be selected. A product selection is then displayed. You can decide not to include items by deselecting the checkboxes under the relevant icons.
Under «Further options» you can also request.

Stopover at «via stops»
You can input up to five different via stops including the time you wish to spend at each of them in minutes or hours.

Checkbox «Search for more alternative services»
As well as the «quickest» connections and «easiest» connections with fewer changes (but a slightly longer travel time), this option displays alternative connections that are only slightly slower, but have other advantages like tourist routes.


Checkbox «Consider alternative stops at departure point/destination»
If the object of a search falls between two stops or stations, the stations entered and all other stations and stops in the surrounding area will be used as starting points/destinations for the search. In some cases, because of a poor transport connection, e.g. no services after 6.00 p.m. or at weekends, no connections will be found.
This option will also include neighbouring stops for starting points/destinations in the search.


Entry field «Duration of transfer»
Transfer time can be adjusted individually using the «Advanced Search» function (change times: standard, at least 10 minutes, at least 20 minutes, at least 30 minutes).


Checkbox «suppress connections with long waiting times»
This option hides the waiting times. The default setting is two hours. The period that can be selected individually is between 1 and 5 hours.


Checkbox «carriage of bicycles required (Switzerland only)»
If you would like to take a bicycle with you on your trip, select this option. Only connections where it is possible to do so will be displayed.


Checkbox «group travel (Switzerland only)»
If you would like to travel in a group or would like to make a group reservation, select this option. Only connections where it is possible to make group reservations will be displayed.


Button «Search for connections»
Here you can begin your connections query.


Link «Change query input data»
The chosen settings for the information can be amended here.


Link «New request»
This takes you back to the entry screen. New data can be entered.


Link «Opposite direction»
By clicking on this link you can search in the opposite direction, i.e. the starting point and destination are exchanged.


«Products»
As the default, all means of transport will be considered in your connections query. You can decide not to include items by deselecting the checkboxes under the relevant icons.
The product selection described above may be shown separately for individual sections of a connection.
 

Checkbox «Occupancy»
With this feature, you can restrict your search to trains which have the desired anticipated passenger occupancy in each class.

 

Checkbox «Fully accessible connection»
Here you can define the desired status with regard to boarding/alighting on your journey before starting your search. This enables passengers with a disability to find a suitable connection more easily.