The secret to Switzerland's public transportation system

The Swiss Travel System

There are those who go to Switzerland's simply to experience it's extraordinary public transportation. All day they ride trains, boats, buses, trams, and cable cars. For them, the "Swiss Travel System" is more than getting from place to place, it turns the country into one big amusement park ride.

In Switzerland's, public transport is so reliable, so frequent, so comfortable, so integrated, and so fast and efficient that a visitor from the U.S., where trains are mostly a novelty and buses considered beneath our dignity, can only marvel. And though it may be an amusement park ride to some visitors, it is as essential to the Swiss as cheese and chocolate. In Zürich, citizens use public transport at a rate double the average of other major European cities. Clean-as-a-whistle trams, buses and little funiculars take them from any part of town to any other, seemingly every three minutes, all day long.

The country believes in public transportation and when ridership flattens, rather than cutting service, as is often the case in the U.S., the government encourages increased use by investing large sums to improve it. In 2001, for example, SBB, the Swiss railroad introduced new, faster equipment and more frequent service. Half-hourly departures are now available on most Intercity lines, new late-night and early-morning trains were added, and tilting trains - faster around curves - have lowered travel times. Very early departures from all over the country now get passengers to Zürich, Basel and Geneva airports as early as 5:30am. There are also new double-decker trains featuring "quiet" cars (no cell phones, loud talk), "bistro" cars, and family cars with children's play equipment. In addition, peak-hour trains between Zürich and Bern have an on-board grocery store, the "Railshop."