Most people buy a Swiss Travel Pass for the trains, buses and boats, without realizing it also covers a batch of free mountain transport: cable cars, mountain railways and rack railways, 16 in total. Some are in familiar Lake Lucerne country, others sit tucked into the slopes of the Valais, and none of them needs a separate ticket.
This guide groups all 16 by region, with the station to start from, what you ride up on, how long it takes, and what there is to do at the top. Note that the free list shifts slightly from year to year, so always check on-site notices, and the benefit only applies on days when your pass is valid.
How to Choose: Start With the View You Want
- Glaciers and 4,000 m peaks: Blatten – Belalp cable car
- Lake views and classic panoramas: Rigi, Stoos, Stanserhorn
- Traveling with kids: Zugerberg, Stockhütte, Chaumont, Braunwald
- Vineyards and Lake Geneva: Mont Pèlerin
- Sledding in winter: Klewenalp
Valais (5 Peaks)
🚡
Blatten – Belalp Cable Car
Take the postbus from Brig to Blatten (about 22 minutes), then the cable car up. Views take in 17 peaks above 4,000 m and the 24 km Great Aletsch Glacier, plus a 124 m suspension bridge across the ice.
Cable car 8 min
🏔️
Le Châble – Verbier Cable Car
Ride the cable car straight up from Le Châble station to a sunny plateau with views of Mont Blanc. In summer, think hiking, mountain biking and paragliding.
Cable car 13 min
🚠
Sierre – Crans-Montana Funicular
From Sierre station, the funicular climbs to Crans-Montana at 1,500 m, one of the Valais' biggest resorts, sunny, with hiking, golf and cross-country biking.
Funicular 13 min
🌼
Unterbäch Cable Car
From Raron station, a cable car up to flower-filled meadows and old irrigation channels in a quiet small resort. Hiking and mountain biking in summer, reliable snow in winter.
Cable car 8 min
🍑
Riddes – Isérables Cable Car
From Riddes station, a cable car up to two trails of about 1 hour 15 minutes each: the orange route runs through apricot orchards above the Rhône plain, the green through forest with a mountain hut and picnic spots.
Cable car 6 min
Lake Lucerne Region (7 Peaks)
⛰️
Rigi
A long-standing favorite on the free list. Three ways up: boat from Lucerne to Vitznau then the red rack railway, train to Arth-Goldau then the blue rack railway, or boat to Weggis, cable car to Rigi Kaltbad and onward by rail.
3 routes up
🚡
Engelberg – Ristis Cable Car
Switch to the cable car at Engelberg station for views of Mount Titlis and a panoramic terrace restaurant. Continue on to Brunni, where the Walenpfad trail is counted among Switzerland's most beautiful high-altitude hikes.
Cable car 6 min
🚋
Schwyz – Stoos Funicular
Postbus from Arth-Goldau to Schwyz (about 30 minutes), then the barrel-shaped funicular, whose cabin levels itself as the slope steepens so it feels like riding on flat ground. Ten lakes in view, plus the Stoos ridge hike.
Funicular 7 min
🚃
Stanserhorn
A vintage rack railway from Stans (about 8 minutes), then CabriO, the world's first open-top cable car, with no roof on the upper deck. At the summit: a revolving restaurant, a loop trail, and views of Alpine peaks stretching 100 km and ten lakes.
Open-top cable car 7 min
🌿
Zugerberg Mountain Railway
Postbus from Zug (about 11 minutes), then the mountain railway up. About 80 km of trails cross protected moorland, with an adventure park and barbecue area, and in summer you can rent a scooter for the ride down.
Railway 12 min
🛷
Klewenalp Cable Car
Postbus from Stans to Beckenried (about 18 minutes), then the cable car up. In winter, a 9 km flat sledding run, the longest in central Switzerland, plus walking trails.
Cable car 10 min
🌳
Stockhütte Cable Car
Postbus from Stans to Emmetten (about 25 minutes), then the cable car up. A treetop trail and an 18 m tunnel slide that kids love, connected to Klewenalp.
Cable car 8 min
Neuchâtel & Biel Region (2 Peaks)
🚞
Magglingen (Macolin) Funicular
Postbus from Biel/Bienne to the funicular station (about 3 minutes), then the funicular up. Wide views reach across to Lake Morat and the distant Alps.
Funicular 6 min
🌲
Chaumont Funicular
Postbus from Neuchâtel to La Coudre station (about 6 minutes), then the funicular up. You can see Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Biel and Lake Murten all at once, and there's a family-friendly Adventure Park on top.
Funicular 10 min
Two More
🍇
Mont Pèlerin Funicular
Postbus from Vevey to the funicular station (about 3 minutes), then the funicular up. It sits above the Lavaux vineyards, with views over Lake Geneva.
Funicular 9 min
🥾
Braunwald Funicular
Ride the funicular straight up from Linthal station and try the Zwerg-Bartli adventure trail, great for kids. In winter it's a lower-key ski area, and further cable cars from Braunwald are available for an extra fee.
Funicular 7 min
The free list changes slightly each year, so please rely on on-site notices and feel free to check with GoByTrain before you go. For fuller route details, read our complete guide.
