The BLS (formerly Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn) is a public railway company in Switzerland. It operates many train, bus and ship connections and primarily runs in the Canton of Bern.
The BLS offers a network map of its routes on its website.
Summary
- BLS accepts FIP Coupon and FIP 50 Tickets.
- The use of all trains (except for Motorail trains), buses, and ships with FIP is possible.
- No reservation is required.
Validity of FIP Tickets
Train Categories and Reservations
There is no reservation requirement on any BLS train.
Other Transport Means
Ticket and Reservation Purchase
Online
SBB WebsiteReservation Costs:
FIP 50 Tickets
On the SBB website, FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased with the “50% Halbtax” discount, provided they are not a saver ticket, saver day pass, or a special ticket.1 This option is actually intended for passengers with a Halbtax subscription (SBB discount card), but is also accepted as a straightforward solution for FIP 50 Tickets. The Halbtax price is usually preselected by default on the SBB website.
In urban areas, a ticket with Halbtax discount may also include transport operated by companies that do not accept FIP (e.g., trams or buses). These sections cannot be used with FIP, and the purchased ticket is not valid there without a Halbtax subscription.
Reservations
Individual national reservations can be purchased online at SBB. To do so, search for the connection using the regular journey planner. Then select the desired connection (“Choose ticket”) and you can then select the additional option “Seat reservation only”.
Sources
DB WebsiteReservation Costs:
Reservations
The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.
Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.
If an error occurs while booking trains requiring reservations, it may be that reservations are not yet available for that connection. Please observe the relevant advance booking deadlines and, in this case, try again later, check the connection on the operator’s website, or use other booking methods.
DB Website FIP (DB Employees)Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets between Germany and Switzerland, with ticket portion only for the Swiss section. Only for Deutsche Bahn employees.Reservation Costs:
FIP 50 Tickets
Deutsche Bahn employees can purchase FIP 50 Tickets online for journeys from Germany to neighboring countries. These tickets are available in the DB Reisemarkt > Bahnangebote > Ausland > FIP-Angebot. The FIP 50 ticket is only valid for the foreign section of the route. This is especially important for DB employees, as FIP 50 Tickets are not valid in your own home country. Therefore, an additional ticket is required for the domestic section within Germany up to the border point.
Booking is only possible via the link in the DB Reisemarkt. Discounts do not need to be selected; they are applied automatically.
FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries:
- Poland
- Austria
- Italyonly Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt – Milan
- Czech Republic
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- France
Reservations
The reservation price is calculated per journey. This means that for connections with transfers, you only need to pay once for multiple trains.
Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Book seat only” option in the search.
If an error occurs while booking trains requiring reservations, it may be that reservations are not yet available for that connection. Please observe the relevant advance booking deadlines and, in this case, try again later, check the connection on the operator’s website, or use other booking methods.
DB Website FIP (International)Cross-border FIP 50 Tickets between Germany and Switzerland for the entire route (not valid in the country of issuance of the FIP Card)Reservation Costs:
FIP 50 Tickets
Online FIP 50 Tickets for journeys within Germany and neighboring countries can be booked via Deutsche Bahn. The tickets must include at least one section within Germany. The FIP 50 ticket is issued for the entire route. The ticket is not valid in the country where the FIP Card was issued; an additional ticket is required there.
Employees of CFL, DSB, NS, ÖBB, PKP, and SBB can also book tickets that are only valid for the German section of the route. For the section within their own country, an additional ticket is required, as the ticket price is calculated starting from the German border. The ticket is not valid in the country where the FIP Card was issued.
Booking is only possible via the link. Discounts do not need to be selected—they are applied automatically.
FIP 50 Tickets are only sold if no association tickets are offered for that connection. See Journeys in Transport Associations in Germany.
FIP 50 Tickets can be purchased for the following countries, as long as a section in Germany is included:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Franceonly regional trains between Germany and France
- Germany
- Italyonly Brenner route with Austria and ECE Frankfurt – Milan
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
Reservations
The reservation price is charged per journey. For connections with transfers, you only pay once for multiple trains.
Seat reservations can be purchased via the Deutsche Bahn website. To do so, select the “Seat reservation only” option in the search.
If an error occurs while booking trains requiring reservations, it may be that reservations are not yet available for that connection. Please observe the relevant advance booking deadlines and, in this case, try again later, check the connection on the operator’s website, or use other booking methods.
Telephone
On-Site
On the Train
Purchasing FIP tickets on the train is not possible. A penalty fee is charged for passengers without tickets.
Discounts
Children up to and including 5 years of age travel free of charge. From the age of 6, the regular FIP adult fare applies.1
In addition, there is the option to purchase a Junior Travelcard for CHF 30. This allows your own children up to and including 15 years of age to travel when accompanied by a parent. The accompanying parent must hold their own valid ticket for the journey (e.g. FIP Coupon or FIP 50 Ticket). The Junior Travelcard can be purchased on-site at public transport points of sale in Switzerland. See the SBB website: Junior Travelcard.
Alternatively, the Day Pass for Children offers children aged 6 to under 16 unlimited travel on public transport for one day for CHF 19 (2nd class) or CHF 33 (1st class). See the SBB website: Day Pass for Children.
Special Tariff Conditions
Cable Cars
FIP is not valid on cable cars and funiculars operated by the BLS. 1
Mutual Recognition of Coupons between SBB and BLS
The Swiss railway companies SBB and BLS partially accept each other’s FIP Coupons: 2
- The FIP Coupons of the SBB are accepted on all BLS trains.
- The FIP Coupons of the BLS are accepted on SBB trains on routes where BLS trains also run, i.e. between two stations where both SBB and BLS trains operate. The BLS network is available online.
However, the SBB Coupons are not valid on BLS ships on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, nor on BLS buses that primarily operate in the Emmental.
Rail Replacement Services
On rail replacement buses, FIP discounts apply when they replace a train on which FIP would have been valid.
Recommendations
At some operators, family members are not entitled to FIP Coupons from SBB. With the Coupons from BLS, it is nevertheless possible to explore large parts of Switzerland together with family members.
Sources
