Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference between a ZVV ticket and an SBB ticket is how you define your travel area. With a ZVV ticket, you buy access based on "time and space", which means that your ticket is valid on all public transport (train, bus, tram, boat, etc.) within the defined zones. An SBB ticket, on the other hand, is route-based and only valid for a specific route and mode of transport.

For travel within the ZVV area (the canton of Zurich and 14 neighbouring municipalities), only zone-based tickets are issued. These tickets allow unlimited travel on all forms of public transport within the purchased zones. For example, a ticket for zone 110 (City of Zurich) is valid on the S-Bahn, tram, Limmat ship, Polybahn, Dolderbahn and all regional buses within the city limits.

A Z-Pass is a combined fare network that allows seamless travel between the Zurich transport network and its neighbouring fare networks: A-Welle, OSTWIND, Schwyz, Zug and SBB. It allows passengers to purchase tickets that cover multiple zones on both the ZVV and one of the neighbouring fare networks. 

Since the end of 2012, the Z-Pass has been available as an individual monthly or annual ticket, allowing passengers to travel flexibly in these regions. Rather than being route-specific, Z-Pass tickets are zone-based and allow unlimited travel within the selected zones on trains, buses, trams and even boats. 

The fare depends on the number of zones selected. However, zones 110 (City of Zurich) and 120 (City of Winterthur) count as double zones due to their higher density of public transport services. 

For more information, visit z-pass.ch or check with your local ticket office.

A short-distance ticket allows you to travel up to 2 km, or up to 3 km within Winterthur. These tickets are only available in the cities of Zurich and Winterthur, and either the start or end stop must be within zone 110 (city of Zurich) or zone 120 (city of Winterthur) or within the respective city boundaries. 

You can check if your journey qualifies as a short-distance journey in the ZVV app, on the ZVV website and at ticket machines. The short-distance ticket is not valid on ZSG scheduled boats.

No, the ZVV system does not offer tickets for a single zone, except in the special cases of the city zones of Zurich (zone 110) and Winterthur (zone 120). These two count as double zones due to their higher density of public transport options, which means they are priced as if they were two zones. 

For all other zones, a minimum of two zones (fare stage 2) must be purchased. When you buy a ticket for zone 121, you automatically get a second zone. 

For example, if you buy a ticket for zone 121 from Wallisellen to Zurich Airport on the Glattalbahn, the ticket also includes zone 122, even though the entire journey is within zone 121.

No, zone upgrades are not available as multiple-journey tickets.

Tip: Buy a multiple-journey ticket or a 24-hour multiple-journey ticket for the zones outside the validity area of your Travelcard in which you travel frequently.

For journeys on Lake Zurich and Lake Greifensee, the ticket must cover the start and end zones as well as all zones crossed. However, for local crossings such as Thalwil-Küsnacht, Thalwil-Erlenbach, Horgen-Meilen, Männedorf-Wädenswil and Stäfa-Wädenswil, only the start and end zones are required. 

Exception: For longer boat journeys (e.g. Zurich Bürkliplatz to Rapperswil), only the shore-side zones are taken into account (in this case: all zones), even if the boat follows a zigzag route.

As long as your ticket is valid, you can travel between the purchased zones as often as you like - whether by train, tram, boat or cableway.

For example: For a boat trip from Stäfa (zone 143) to Horgen (zone 151) via Männedorf (zone 142) and Halbinsel Au (zone 152), a total of 4 zones must be paid for. On the other hand, if you travel from Thalwil to Wädenswil, you only need to pay for the three zones on the left bank (150, 151, 152), even if you have to change at Männedorf. With a ticket valid for these three zones, you can also take the train instead of the boat.

No, night supplements are no longer required (as of 13 December 2020). A regular ticket is sufficient to use the ZVV night network.

General and Half-Fare Travelcards are accepted on all ZVV lines. The GA Travelcard allows you to travel freely, while the Half-Fare travelcard gives you a discount on single tickets, day tickets, 9am day tickets, multiple-journey tickets, day tickets and group tickets.

The GA Night is also accepted on all lines in the Network Tariff Area. It is valid from 19:00.

No, you cannot purchase a "Young Adult" NetworkPass if you are aged 25 or over. However, you can continue to use your Young Adult monthly or annual travelcard until it expires, as long as the first day of validity was before your 25th birthday. We recommend that young people with a concessionary Travelcard carry valid proof of age to avoid any misunderstandings with customer services.

No, you cannot continue to pay the "Young Adult" price for the ZVV 1-month travelcard. Our Travelcards already offer significant discounts, and additional discounts are not available with the Half-Fare Travelcard. We recommend that you consider an annual Travelcard, which offers savings of over 20% compared to buying monthly travelcards.

Yes, GA and Half-Fare Travelcards are valid on all ZVV lines. The GA Travelcard gives you unlimited travel, while the Half-Fare Travelcard allows you to buy single tickets, day tickets, 9 o'clock day tickets, multiple-journey tickets, multiple day tickets and group tickets at a discounted price.

If your ZVV travelcard is lost or stolen, you can request a replacement for your personal annual or monthly travelcard for a fee. However, please note that transferable monthly and annual travelcards cannot be replaced in the event of loss or theft.

Yes, you can use your ZVV travelcard for journeys that are partly outside the ZVV territory, but only up to the last stop within the ZVV zones as specified in the timetable. 

For example, if you have a ZVV NetworkPass for all zones and want to travel from Zurich to Chur, you would need to purchase an SBB ticket starting from the last stop within the ZVV area – in this case, from Pfäffikon (SZ) to Chur. However, if your train does not stop between Zurich main station and Chur, you must buy an SBB ticket for the entire route from Zurich to Chur.

Yes, you can return your monthly or annual ZVV travelcard and get a refund. Travelcards can be returned free of charge via the ZVV app or the ZVV Ticketshop. Alternatively, you can return them at staffed sales points or by calling ZVV-Contact customer service for a return fee of CHF 10.

The refund amount is calculated on the basis of the number of days used, according to the percentage refund table, which takes into account the period between the first day of validity and the day of return. For more information, including details on refund calculations and applicable deductions, please see our tariff regulations and guidelines (German only).

Please note that refunds are not available after a certain number of days. Annual passes are refundable for up to 270 days of use, monthly passes for up to 7 days and 9 o'clock passes for up to 4 days.

Partially validated multi-journey tickets and unused single tickets are also refundable.

No, ZVV tickets cannot be paused or extended.

Yes, you can exchange your ZVV NetworkPass if you need to travel in different zones. When you purchase a new annual Travelcard for different zones, you will receive a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of your current annual pass. The refund will be calculated on a daily basis and the remaining value will be credited at the time of the new purchase at no additional charge. The only condition is that the original card must be returned and no replacement card must have been issued prior to the exchange.

No. ZVV NetworkPasses that have been refunded cannot be reactivated.

No, ZVV NetworkPasses are not automatically renewed. However, you can set up a reminder in your customer account on zvv.ch or swisspass.ch to be notified before your pass expires. You can choose to receive a reminder via SMS, email or letter, depending on your preferred notification method.

Yes, Reka Cheques are accepted as payment for all ZVV tickets at all sales points of service.

Children under 6 travel free and do not need a ticket. For children aged 6 to 15.99, grandparents can use the Children's Co-Travelcard, which allows them to travel free of charge, provided the grandparent has a valid ticket. The Co-Travelcard costs CHF 30 per child and is valid for one year. It can be purchased at any ZVV sales outlet.

Please note: each Co-Travelcard is only valid for one designated grandparent – either the grandmother or the grandfather. Both grandparents can have their own Co-Travelcard, but they cannot share the same one. The Junior Travelcard (for parents and children) cannot be used by grandparents.

For further information, please visit www.sbb.ch

Yes, you can. The SBB Junior Travelcard is valid for all ZVV tickets and allows children under 16 to travel free of charge when accompanied by one or both parents. The Junior Travelcard can be purchased from ZVV sales outlets for CHF 30 per child and is free from the third child.

For more information visit www.sbb.ch

If you want to travel beyond the zones covered by your travelcard, you can buy a zone upgrade ticket for the additional zones. Zone upgrades are available as short-term tickets (valid for 1 or 2 hours) or 24-hour tickets and can be easily purchased via the ZVV app, the ZVV ticketshop or at ticket machines. If the total number of zones on your ticket and the upgrade is 8 or more, you can travel freely on the entire ZVV network. 

However, combining separate tickets, such as a 3-zone Travelcard and a 5-day Travelpass, does not automatically give you access to the entire ZVV area. In this case, you would still need to purchase a zone upgrade for the missing zones. 

For monthly or annual 9 O'Clock passes, City/Agglo Zurich or City/Agglo Winterthur passes or the ZurichCARD, a single zone upgrade for 4 zones is sufficient to cover the entire network.

Yes, the GA Night travelcard is valid on all lines within the ZVV network. It is valid from 19:00 until 05:00 on weekdays. On Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, its validity extends until 07:00.

From Monday to Friday, the 9 o'clock day pass is valid from 09:00. If your departure is prior to this time, you are obliged to purchase the correct zone upgrade. This restriction is not valid on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you believe the penalty fare was charged unjustly, please reach out directly to the relevant TaxCenter. You can find the contact details on the document provided by the ticket inspector. For more information about ticket inspections, please click here.

Mobility Carsharing provides 845 cars at 445 locations throughout the ZVV network area, offering a convenient combination of public transport and car travel. The car sharing stations are ideally located near public transport stops and stations, making it easy to switch between modes. 

Click here for more information. 

ZVV-Contact is your main point of contact for all inquiries and feedback related to public transport within the Zurich Transport Network. The ZVV-Contact team is available daily from 06:00 to 22:00.

ZVV-Contact:

• Phone: 0800 988 988

• Fax: 0848 988 989

• E-mail: contact@zvv.ch

• Post: ZVV-Contact, Postfach, 8040 Zurich

Please reach out to the municipal office of your place of residence. Each city or municipality has a designated representative responsible for public transport matters.

If a conflict with a transport company cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, you can contact the independent and neutral arbitration board at www.ombudsstelle.zh.ch. Please note that timetable-related issues are subject of the official timetable procedure and cannot be addressed by the arbitration board.