Take your bike on your travels: with a Point-to-Point Ticket, a Day Pass Bike, or an annual bike pass, you can load your own bicycles on many public transport routes in Switzerland.
Please note that carriage capacity for bikes may be limited on certain connections when demand is high – usually when the weather is nice – and the carriage of bikes is not guaranteed.
Compulsory bicycle space reservation.
From 21 March to 31 October, you will need a bike space reservation for your bike on InterCity (IC) trains. In the timetable, trains requiring reservation are marked with the bike reservation symbol.
Every day for the IC2/21 lines through the Gotthard Base Tunnel (Basel/Zurich–Ticino).
Every day for the IC5/51 lines at the southern foot of the Jura (Basel–Biel/Bienne, St. Gallen/Zurich–Biel/Bienne–Lausanne/Geneva).
From Friday to Sunday as well as Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday and 1 August for all other InterCity lines.
Bicycle spaces are subject to reservation throughout the year on EuroCity (EC), InterCityExpress (ICE) and Railjet (RJX) trains within Switzerland.
Carriage of bicycles is not possible on all PostBus lines. On some PostBus lines, you have to reserve bicycle spaces in advance. Please note the information in the timetable.
A prerequisite for travelling with a bicycle is that you can load it and unload it independently and place it in the holder provided.
Please note the following:
Tandems, recumbent bicycles, tricycles, cargo bicycles and other bicycles over 2 metres in length can only be transported on SBB trains of the categories RE, S and R.
Postbuses cannot carry bicycles which do not fit into the racks, or which are over 2 metres long.
Vehicles with combustion engines (e.g. mopeds), three-person tandems, multi-seater recumbent bicycles, personal transporters (e.g. Segways) and electric mopeds are excluded from being transported.
The self-service loading of bicycles is only permitted on Zurich’s S-Bahn trains between 8am and 4pm and between 7pm and 6am Monday to Friday. Other connections with restrictions on bicycle transport are marked in the timetable with a crossed-out bicycle symbol.
Due to the dimensions of train doors, and for safety reasons, only bike trailers no wider than 80cm can be carried on most trains.
Bicycle shipping or rental are good alternatives to taking your bike with you on the train.
In the online timetable, select “Advanced search” and then “Carriage of bicycles required (Switzerland only)” to see the connections on which bikes can be carried.
Some connections require reservation. Please pay attention to the notes and pictograms in the online timetable.
You can find out how to make a reservation in the “Buying a bike space reservation” section.
Please consider the forecast occupancy rate when choosing your connection. At weekends and during public holidays with good weather prospects, many travellers are on their way to or from their day trip destinations, especially between 7am and 9am and 4pm and 7pm. This means that space in public transport can become tight and bicycle transport cannot be guaranteed. For trains and Postbuses which require reservations, we recommend early booking.
Bicycle shipping or rental are good alternatives to taking your bike with you on the train.
Groups of ten or more cannot take their bikes with them on the train.
Given available space, it makes sense, and may at times be necessary, for small groups of up to 9 people to spread themselves across different coaches with bicycle spaces.
On trains which require reservations, a maximum of 5 bicycle spaces can be reserved at the same time. You may have to make your reservation in several steps.
Reservations are mandatory for groups of 6 or more people on the PostBus network.
Tip: Our partner Rent a Bike offers tailor-made group tours. However, if your group would like to travel with their own bikes, you can simply register them as items of luggage – we can transport your bikes for you between all stations able to handle luggage.
See which sections of the platform the coaches with bicycle spaces (bicycle hooks, bicycle platforms) will arrive in as early as three hours before your train departs.
For many connections, the online timetable and the SBB Mobile app both use a bicycle symbol to show the locations of these coaches under “Show train formation”.
For trains which you have a reservation for, please pay attention to the coach number.
Buy tickets and reservations.
If you take your bicycle with you, for most trains, buses and boats you will need one of the tickets listed here for your bike.
Bicycles which do not fit in a normal bicycle rack or which are longer than 2 meters are classed as special cycles. For these you need 2 tickets (or an annual bike pass).
Reduced Point-to-Point Ticket.
For short journeys, you can buy a half-price 2nd class Point-to-Point ticket for your bike.
For longer journeys, you can buy a Day Pass Bike for CHF 14. This is also available as a Multiple Day Bike Pass for 6 days of your choosing for CHF 84.
If you regularly travel by bike, the annual bike pass for CHF 240 per year is a practical solution. It is also valid for special cycles which are longer than 2m. It will be integrated onto your SwissPass.
For connections requiring reservations, you must purchase a bike space reservation in addition to the bicycle ticket.
InterCity (IC) bike space reservation.
A bike space reservation costs CHF 2 with the SBB Mobile app or at the ticket counter and can be made until shortly before the train departs.
Alternatively, you can reserve your bicycle space via the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.) no later than five working days before the start of your journey.
EuroCity (EC), InterCity Express (ICE), Railjet (RJX) bike space reservations.
You can reserve a space for your bike at the ticket counter up to 30 minutes before the train departs.
Alternatively, you can reserve your bicycle space via the SBB Contact Center on 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min.) no later than five working days before the start of your journey.
General provisions.
No reservation is necessary for balance bikes and the bicycles of children younger than 6.
If you cannot present a reservation when on the train, you are required to pay a CHF 10 surcharge. However, this does not guarantee you a space for your bike – if necessary, you will have to give up your bicycle space to passengers who have a reservation.
The reservation fee cannot be refunded.
You cannot buy bike space reservations for trains which do not have a bicycle reservation sign in the timetable.
During your journey.
Please allow enough time for your arrival and for changing trains.
If capacity is limited, please use an alternative connection.
Please look out for those coach doors bearing the bicycle pictograms and use them to board with your bicycle.
If you have a reservation, look for the coach number.
Passengers may only take one bike each.
Please make sure that you are able to carry your bike or e-bike onto the train and, if necessary, secure it without assistance.
Place your bike in the space provided for it on the train. Depending on the train type, you may have to hang it on a bike hook.
For reasons of safety, escape routes, entrances and exits and access to the locomotive crew’s cab must always be kept clear.
Bikes can only be taken on the train if there is sufficient space.
Please follow the instructions given to you by the train crew. They may impose restrictions on taking bicycles for safety reasons.
The following types of bicycle count as hand luggage and do not require a ticket:
Folding bicycles, when folded up.
Bike trailers being used to transport children.
Bicycles of children younger than 6.
Shopping carts (including those with a bicycle connection).
Bicycles packed in a transport bag with their front wheels detached.
For bicycles which have had their front wheels detached, use a special transport bag such as the TranZBag, which is available in the SBB Shop or from specialist bike or outdoor shops. Every cover is acceptable regardless of its manufacturer.
During your train journey, stow your packed bike with its front wheel removed under your seat, above your seat, or in the boarding area.
Please make sure your bicycle carry case is secure and cannot tip over, is not in the way of other passengers, is not blocking any sliding doors and does not constitute a hazard.
Areas marked with bike symbols are reserved for bicycles that are subject to a fee and must not be occupied by bicycles in carry cases.
If you wish to put your carry case on a seat, you must purchase an additional half-fare ticket.
As with any item of hand luggage, you alone are responsible for your bike.
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