Help with zone upgrades or connecting tickets for existing travelcards.
Already have a Point-to-Point Travelcard or Regional Travelcard but your destination is not on a valid route or in a valid zone? Then you should buy a zone upgrade or connecting ticket. Find out how to do this here.
This depends on the type of travelcard you have.
With a Point-to-Point Travelcard.
Buy a normal ticket for the missing route.
With a Regional Travelcard (e.g. ZVV, Libero, TNW, Passepartout, etc.).
Buy a zone upgrade for the missing number of zones within a fare network.
Travelling to a destination outside of your fare network?
Go to your desired fare network and select the relevant ‘Extension ticket’ option.
Enter the additional route you require in the timetable (tip: refer to the zone map and validity).
Buy the ticket for the additional route required.
Via SBB Mobile.
Almost all Regional Travelcards are integrated onto the SwissPass and can be viewed under ‘Travelcards on your SwissPass’ in the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab when you are signed in to the app with your SwissPass login.
If you then enter a connection within the same fare network (without Z-Pass), your Regional Travelcard will be automatically taken into account and you will only pay for the additional route. For this to happen, you must select ‘Zone upgrade’ under ‘Ticket options’ when making your purchase. Your Regional Travelcard will not be taken into account if you buy a “normal” ticket.
Tip: most fare networks have a maximum number of zones, and the zone ticket becomes valid for all zones when the maximum number is reached. You may therefore not need the full number of missing zones. Please refer to the rules of your fare network.
ZVV as an example: if your existing ZVV ticket or ZVV travelcard plus zone upgrade gives you a total of 8 zones, you are entitled to unlimited travel across the whole ZVV network (all zones) during the validity period of the zone upgrade.
You can buy a zone upgrade from a ticket machine, online at SBB.ch or in the SBB Mobile app.
Enter the additional route you require.
Buy the ticket and present it alongside your Regional Travelcard during the ticket inspection.
Please note the stopping points of your chosen means of transport.
In order to buy the right zone upgrade, you need to know where your chosen means of transport (train, s-bahn, bus, tram, etc.) stops. This is because on journeys that go beyond the borders of the network, zone tickets or travelcards are only valid until the last scheduled stop within the zones included in your ticket or travelcard. In this case, buy a ticket from the last stop your chosen means of transport calls at within the zones your travelcard/ticket is valid for.
Example: you want to travel from A to D.
Your travelcard/ticket is valid, for example, up to and including zone 30.
If your chosen means of transport stops at location C, you should buy a zone upgrade from C to D.
If your chosen means of transport stops in A and B, but not in C, you should buy a zone upgrade from B to D.
If your chosen means of transport is travelling from A to D without stopping, purchase a standard ticket for the journey from A to D.
The easiest workaround is the automatic ticketing function ‘EasyRide’ in the SBB Mobile app. All you need to do is check in, start your journey and then check out again. Any Regional Travelcards you have stored will be automatically taken into account and at the end of the day, the correct fare for the zone upgrade will be calculated.
Hi there, I hope you are well. We are an older Australian couple heading to Switzerland and are booked for travel in September, our ticket details are. Libero Individual Ticket Zones 100 101 115 126 626 700 701 710 720 730 740 750 Your choice: Interlaken Ost via direct Ber I have just added the SBB Mobile App to my phone and notice we have a booking on two Trains on the 21.09.26 the 9.59am departure and 11.59am departure? Just checking if that’s because of the type of ticket we purchased - we can travel on either journey or i double booked? Thank you, will appreciate your response.
Trains are mass transit in Switzelrand, just like in Australia. The SBB network is the same size as the Sydney Trains network. And it operates on a “turn up and go” basis, just like in Australia. So to get from Interlaken you buy a ticket from Interlaken to Bern, and what you get is just a time and zone based ticket for the Libero tariff system. So you have unlimited travel on all public transit in the zones mentioned for 180 minutes after the time mentioned on your ticket. You can see the zone map here: https://www.mylibero.ch/sites/default/files/2025-12/Libero-Gesamtzonenplan-2026.pdfLink opens in new window. Public transit works like that in many places in Europe. You have a zone system, and to travel you buy a number of zones, and can use any public transit within those zones. If you have two tickets one with validity starting at 9:59 and another starting at 11:59 you did do something odd there. Are you only going one way, or are you doing a day trip? Because in that case buying a day ticket (which is twice the price of a single) is that best option, as that gives you a whole day of unlimited travel in those zones. Also there is absolutely no advantage, and quite a few disadvantages in buying such tickets in advance. This is mass transit. You can easily buy these tickets on the day itself. When I go to Bern I usually buy the ticket richt after I have put my hat on to get out of the door :-) Maybe just see if you can cancel the tickets. Your plans might change.
Hello everyone, I noticed today that the mobile app sometimes doesn’t consider that a part of the itinerary is already covered by a local travelcard. I want to travel from Lucerne Station to my address in Zurich. I have a Half-Fare card and a ZVV pass, both in course of validity and on my Swisspass, visible in the app. If I look for the entire itinerary, the app suggests IR75 to Zurich HB and then tram n. 3, and the price for a ticket is 15.40 CHF. But if I look for the itinerary to Zurich HB it suggests the same IR75 train for a price of 13.50 CHF. As I already have a ZVV pass, the app should offer, in the ticket selection for the entire trip, only the ticket for the Lucerne-Zurich HB leg, for 13.50, not 15.40. Below are relevant screenshots from the app: Link opens in new window.Link opens in new window.Link opens in new window. Thanks!
Hello Toatuephe73Link opens in new window. Nope, nowhere is stated that the SBB Mobile app does consider local transport passes. This is only true if you travel within ZVV, for zone extension tickets. Use EasyRide if you need a travel network cross-border ticket or purchase the ticket to Zurich HB, or Thalwil respectively if zone 150 is part of your ZVV subscription. Kind regards, Roland``
Hello DanusiaLink opens in new window. Thanks for respecting that we answer questions in English only. Could you ask your question in English, please? Kind regards, Roland
Do you have any questions about rail travel, tickets or travelcards? Book a free consultation at an SBB Travel Centre or make an appointment for a callback.
