Half-Fare Travelcard and SwissPass (students buying privately)

Last checked: 5 Oct 2026. Unofficial student guide, not EPFL or government advice: confirm on the linked official pages before you act. Unfamiliar abbreviation? See the Glossary.

Companion to Getting around and Student pass commune subsidies.

Two different Half-Fares (do not mix them)

Track	Who	Where
Private Half-Fare (this page)	Anyone who buys from SBB / a public-transport point of sale	SBB Half Fare Travelcard
EPFL staff Half-Fare	EPFL employees working at least half-time under a contract of at least 12 months get it free (EPFL: "For staff members only")	EPFL Public transportation (staff section; questions: cff.demi-tarif@epfl.ch)

Ordinary Bachelor/Master students without a qualifying EPFL employment contract use the private SBB product. For students, EPFL Mobility only points to municipal subsidies (it names Lausanne, Epalinges, Ecublens, Chavannes-près-Renens) and says to contact your commune.

What the private Half-Fare does (SBB)

SBB: the Half-Fare Travelcard halves or reduces ticket prices on most SBB routes and most other railways, boats and PostBuses, in 1st or 2nd class. Urban transport often has discounts too; for short journeys or special offers the cut may be less than 50%.

It sits on your SwissPass (SBB: "Your Half Fare Travelcard is integrated onto your SwissPass"). SBB now offers two forms (SBB SwissPass):

SwissPass Mobile: no plastic card; register at swisspass.ch, pick "Mobile" at "Choose your ID", then activate it in the SBB Mobile app. Inspectors may ask for official ID. If your phone cannot show it (flat battery etc.) and you have no card, SBB says processing fees are charged. The amounts are on SBB's travel without a valid ticket page and in the national tariff T600 (13.7.6): CHF 5 if you show the pass within 10 days, CHF 30 after.
SwissPass card: register at swisspass.ch and pick "Card", or order at a staffed point of sale with valid official ID; the card is posted to you. Useful for extras (ski passes, bike rental, SwissPass PrePay) and as one way to open Mobility shared cars; for Mobility it is optional, since the Mobility app also opens the car (Mobility car sharing).

Forgot your Half Fare or SwissPass at a ticket check? See Fines in Vaud.

Train an hour or more late? See Train delays: compensation and your passenger rights.

The tourist Swiss Half Fare Card is a different product for visitors, not this residents' travelcard.

Youth vs adult prices (SBB table, re-check live)

SBB prices per year in CHF (page states prices subject to change; checked 5 Oct 2026):

Offer	CHF / year
Youth (at least 16 and under 25), new purchase or after a break	120
Youth loyalty (renewal, or GA→Half-Fare without break)	100
Adults 25+, new / after break	190
Adults 25+ loyalty	170

SBB: the card is valid one year but sold as an indefinite contract that renews automatically; they remind you before the cancellation deadline. Buy online on SBB.ch or at a public transport point of sale. On campus, the tl sales point at the EPFL Maison de la mobilité (BI A0 432, Mon-Fri 9.00-13.00 / 13.30-17.00 per EPFL Mobility) sells the half-fare travelcard among other national travelcards.

Sources: SBB Half Fare Travelcard · Travel as a teenager or young adult

How this fits with commune subsidies

Some communes refund or voucher part of a demi-tarif (Half-Fare) purchase (see Ecublens Fonds DD / Chavannes tables on Student pass commune subsidies). Buy the Half-Fare first if the commune scheme is reimbursement-based, keep the SwissPass + receipt, then file within their deadline.

Mobilis zone season tickets are separate from the national Half-Fare; many students use both (Half-Fare for long trains, Mobilis for daily zones 11-12). Compare on live Mobilis / SBB calculators; this kit has no break-even maths.

Sources

Unofficial student project. Re-check SBB CHF the day you buy.