The concept of the Swiss mobility ticket, where guests receive a free pass for local public transport on checking in at their hotel, is one that is incredibly appealing to out-of-town visitors keen to explore and it is no surprise that it has been such a successful venture in Basel, where they have now been in place for a few years. What makes this Basel transport pass even more beneficial for tourists is that not only is their version valid for a total of thirty days – meaning there is little chance of it expiring during a visit – it can even be purchased from the airport or train station as soon as visitors arrive in the city, providing they have a valid hotel reservation number to hand. The success and popularity of these Basel tickets means that Swiss tourism officials are keen to roll out the model to additional cities in the hope of attracting more tourists.
This year, these free tickets will also be implemented in the hotels and transport systems of Bern and Geneva.
From June 1st, the city of Bern will also be taking part in this ticketing scheme and offering free public transportation to holidaymakers. Again the scheme focuses on the bus and tram systems and those that are eligible can claim a free ride to their hotel from Bern-Belp airport; however, it must be noted that this eligibility comes with hotels that are officially registered with the promotion and it is not necessarily a guarantee. What is particularly encouraging about this roll-out in 2013 is that Geneva are also showing their interest and seem to be planning to use it to its full potential – not only will guests be able to use their pass on the buses and trams, they can also get a free taxi boat ride on the lake. If successful this expansion across these key Swiss cities should increase the popularity of mobility tickets and open the country up further to even more tourists.