Why the Swiss Travel System is the world’s most efficient and convenient public transport model
Every year, the first Saturday of March is celebrated as the International Day of Public Transport to spread awareness about the environmental effects of growing traffic intensity and to encourage people across the world to save fuel and get on to public transport. Switzerland has been at the forefront of this change, having built the world’s densest and most effective public transport network — The Swiss Travel System. Not only does the STS run like clockwork, right to the second, it is also synced with multiple modes of public transport across the country from buses, trains including mountain railways, boats, cars to even cable cars, allowing passengers to hop on and hop off at will!
The STS offers both locals and tourists an opportunity to seamlessly travel anywhere in the country, giving them a hassle-free, convenient and comfortable travel experience.
Here’s why the STS is the world’s most efficient public transport system, working seamlessly across different modes of transport:
Comfy Rides And a View!
Whether you’re travelling by boat, train, bus or car, one thing you’ll find in abundance and exclusive to only this part of the world is the sweeping, panoramic views whichever way you look. That’s what makes public transport in Switzerland all the more doable and memorable. The trains and even the boats on Swiss lakes have comfortable seats with ample leg-room and enough space to fit in large pieces of luggage. The onboard restaurants offer delicious delicacies from all Swiss regions. The experience is so good, you even forget you’re using public transport!
Luggage woes
For almost every international traveller, lugging around big pieces of luggage and worrying about losing it are two major concerns. Not with the STS. Upon request, your luggage can be moved from hotel to hotel. What’s more, you can even deposit your luggage in lockers provided at various stations. And of course all modes including buses have space to stow luggage.
Swiss perks of public transport
On Swiss train stations, a wide range of shopping and catering facilities are available to fill up your time while you’re in transit. The network also offers special services for commuters with limited mobility such as low floor access, platforms and lifts without steps, boarding and disembarking services at larger stations, to name a few.
It’s all about the experience
The STS in Switzerland is not designed to just take you from point A to point B. Rather, it is built to give you a spectacular experience by itself. Panoramic trains like the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express have ceiling-high windows so that passengers can soak in the country’s idyllic vistas and local life. Travellers commuting by boats can choose from a varied fleet of vessels ranging from a historic steamboat to a yacht or even a modern catamaran!
Those looking for unique experiences can dine at the “Restaurant in the Sky” — a panoramic cabin set up in a cableway; or take a ride on the world’s steepest cog railway; or even ride up to Titlis in the world’s first revolving aerial cableway; or hop aboard themed trains like the chocolate or the cheese train!
The Swiss are known as the timekeepers of the world for a reason – they’re always on time! Well, so is the STS and that’s why even the locals prefer to leave their Volkswagens and Mercedes’ at home and get a ride on the STS. What makes this travel network more attractive to the world traveller, however, is the all-in-one ticket or the Swiss Travel Pass that gives guests unlimited access to all rail, road and waterways throughout Switzerland, dropping in a glance of a majestic mountain here, or a trip to a modern museum there, making it all worthwhile.
So, the next time the sights and scenes of Switzerland beckon to you no matter the destination, the Swiss Travel System will get you there!
