Ticket checks

You must check whether you have a valid ticket before boarding public transport. In vehicles where the driver sells tickets, you need to buy your ticket when you board. Multiple-journey tickets or multiple day passes must be stamped at the ticket machine or immediately after boarding using the ticket validator in the bus.

For inspection purposes, the name, home address, date of birth and place of origin of any passenger who does not have a valid ticket will be recorded. The receipt or payment demand notice from the inspection can be used as a ticket in all zones for the next hour. The right to report the offence essentially remains reserved. From the third time a person is caught, a report is always made to the police.

Children/young people

Children under 6 travel free when accompanied by an adult. Up to 8 children can travel free per accompanying adult. Children from 6 to 16 pay the reduced fare. The GA travelcard for young adults allows children aged 6-16 to travel for free when accompanied by a parent. The GA travelcard for grandchildren allows children aged 6-16 to travel for free when accompanied by a grandparent. The parent or grandparent must have a valid ticket.

Travelling on a partially valid ticket

A reduced penalty fare will be charged if a ticket is valid for the entire journey, but does not fulfil one of the following conditions:

• missing first-class upgrade
• ticket for the wrong customer group (e.g. ticket at the discounted price without entitlement to it)
• missing change-of-route ticket or different route
• wrong choice of mode of transport (e.g. route ticket for Bern–Zürich Enge via Zurich main station, part of the route in Zurich is travelled by bus instead of by train)

Travelling without a valid ticket

Passengers without a valid ticket pay the full penalty fare. However, a reduced penalty fare is paid by people who

• can produce a national ticket that is valid for at least two stops of the route travelled;
• can produce a ticket for the relevant public transport network or a neighbouring one that is valid for at least part of their route when their ticket is inspected;