Switzerland is probably one of the easiest countries I’ve travelled around using public transportation as a wheelchair user. I’ve done it twice now, using trains, buses, trams, boats, cable cars and funiculars, without renting a car or relying on accessible taxis.
But my favorite part is that using public transportation in Switzerland doesn’t mean you’re limited to cities. Quite the opposite. You can find yourself surrounded by mountains, see waterfalls and alpine lakes, explore tiny mountain villages, take a cable car up to a mountain peak or hop on a boat for a lake cruise. You can reach so many incredible places with public transportation, and for the most part, without constantly worrying about logistics.
Was everything perfect? Definitely not. We had broken elevators, accessibility information that wasn’t always completely clear and a few stressful moments along the way. But overall, getting around was easy, and more importantly, it gave me a lot of freedom to travel the way I wanted.
So in this guide, I’ll share how I actually did it: how I used the SBB app to plan accessible routes and buy tickets, when and how to book assistance, what accessibility was like, and how I chose which travel pass was worth buying.
Planning Your Route
Almost every journey I took in Switzerland started with the SBB app or website. I used it to plan my routes, check schedules, buy tickets and, most importantly, check the accessibility of each connection.
First, make sure you toggle Accessible connection on.
When searching for a route, the app shows you the accessibility of the journey and whether you can board independently or will need assistance. As you see below, same journey can have self boarding option on one train and assisted boarding on another.
Whenever a self-boarding option was available, I usually chose it, even if it wasn’t the fastest route. It gave me much more freedom to be spontaneous without having to plan my day around pre-booked assistance.
I’ll explain how and when to book assistance later in this guide.
Always check the entire route, not just one leg of the journey. Your route might include several types of transportation, like a train, bus, cable car or funicular, and the SBB route planner will show you everything, including transfer times, platform changes and any disruptions that could affect your journey, like a broken elevator.
Sometimes the connection times are very short, but the app will warn you when a transfer might not be long enough for travellers with reduced mobility.
For me, this was one of the things that made travelling around Switzerland so easy. I could open the app, see how to get somewhere and check whether the route worked for me as a wheelchair user before heading out.
Good to know: You don’t need to create an SBB account just to search routes, check schedules or see accessibility information. You’ll only need an account if you want to buy tickets through SBB or book assistance using the online form.
travelling by train
Depending on the train and station, you can either board independently or you’ll need assistance.
On trains marked for independent boarding, an automatic ramp slides out from the train, and you simply roll on. One important thing to know is to wait at the door marked with the 
symbol. That’s where the ramp provides level access from the platform. At other doors, there can be a slight height difference. At most bigger stations, the screens on the platform show the layout of the train and which section of the platform you should wait at for the wheelchair-accessible carriage.
Wheelchair spaces on the trains are clearly marked, and accessible toilets are available on most trains.
In my experience, people were generally aware of the designated wheelchair spaces and moved when I boarded. If they didn’t, the conductor asked them to move. For trains that require assistance, the boarding process is a little different.
booking assistance
If your journey requires assistance, you can book it through the SBB Contact Center Handicap, either by calling a local toll-free number or through an online form, at least 1 hour before departure (longer in some cases).
I personally preferred booking through the online form because when I travel, I usually use a data-only eSIM and don’t have a local phone number. To book assistance online, you’ll need to create an SBB account.
After booking online, you’ll receive an email confirming your booking.
If you prefer to book by phone, you can contact: 0800 007 102.
Once assistance is booked, a member of staff will meet you at the agreed meeting point and help you board the train using a ramp or lift. Assistance at your destination is arranged as well, so someone will be there to help you off the train.
If your journey includes a transfer, assistance will also be arranged for the different legs of the journey as part of the same booking.
buses and trams
I encountered two types of buses: low-floor buses with a manual ramp at the second door, and higher buses with an electric ramp, also at the second door. Both types had one designated wheelchair space, and I never needed to book in advance.
The rules varied slightly depending on the area. Some drivers were stricter and asked me to face backwards in the wheelchair space and secured me with a belt. In other places, I simply rolled into the wheelchair space. Either way, I found travelling by bus very easy and useful, especially for reaching small villages or when booking train assistance in advance felt like too much trouble.
I only used trams in Basel and Bern, and they were incredibly easy. At some stops, the tram was level with the platform and I could simply roll on. At others, the driver deployed a manual ramp.
cable cars, mountain trains, funiculars and boats
And now for the fun part. This is where Switzerland’s public transportation network really opens up a lot of possibilities for wheelchair users.
The SBB app provides accessibility information for some of these journeys, but I would still recommend checking the website of the specific cable car, funicular, mountain railway or boat operator before you go. Accessibility varies, and not every service is wheelchair accessible. Some have weight/height limitations for mobility devices, others aren’t completely step free.
Most of the cable cars I personally used were modern and wheelchair accessible. This included the cable car at Stockhorn, the cable car to Cardada in Ticino, the Stechelberg–Mürren cable car (which is also the steepest cable car in the world), and the Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminal to Eigergletscher.
Funiculars and mountain railways were a little more variable. The Harder Kulm funicular was accessible, although only for manual or lightweight wheelchairs and the information about how to reach the accessible boarding platform wasn’t very clear. The Bürgenstock funicular above Lake Lucerne was easily accessible, as was the mountain train I used to reach Jungfraujoch.
On the other hand, the Brienz Rothorn railway and Funicular Orselina in Locarno weren’t wheelchair accessible.
I took boats on Lake Maggiore, Lake Lucerne and Lake Thun, and all the boats I used were wheelchair accessible. That doesn’t necessarily mean every boat in each fleet is accessible, so I recommend checking the operator’s website or contacting them to find out which specific boats and departures work for wheelchair users. The SBB app has most of the information as well.
tickets and travel passes
Switzerland has several different travel passes, and figuring out which one makes the most sense can be a little confusing. The two main options for international visitors are the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Half Fare Card.
The Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days. In 2026, prices start at CHF 254 for 3 days in 2nd class. It also includes some mountain excursions, discounts of up to 50% on many others, and free admission to more than 500 museums.
The Swiss Half Fare Card costs CHF 150 and is valid for one month. Instead of giving you unlimited travel, it allows you to buy most train, bus and boat tickets, as well as many mountain railway and cable car tickets, at 50% off.
For both of my trips, I chose the Swiss Half Fare Card. Before buying it, I calculated the cost of the longer journeys I knew I would be taking between different regions. Those journeys alone were enough to make the CHF 150 card worth buying. Everything else was a bonus. I then saved even more on some of the cable cars, boats, funiculars and buses I used during the trip.
So my advice is to do the calculation based on your own itinerary. If you’re travelling a lot almost every day and visiting museums, the Swiss Travel Pass might make more sense and is definitely more convenient. If you’re staying longer, travelling between several regions but also spending a few days exploring locally, the Half Fare Card can be a really good option.
Travelling with a companion? Check the rules for each cable car, mountain railway or boat you plan to use. On many of the ones I used, my companion travelled for free.
Don’t Forget the Local Guest Cards – There’s another way to save money that’s really worth knowing about. In some regions, if you stay at an official hotel or participating accommodation, you’ll receive a local guest card that includes free public transportation in that area. We received the Basel Card, Ticino Ticket and Bern guest card, which gave us free local transportation in those regions.
final thoughts
After travelling around Switzerland twice using public transportation only, I can honestly say that the overall experience has been amazing.
It takes a bit of research and planning, and not every single type of transportation will be accessible. But having reliable accessibility information and the option to be spontaneous and travel independently on most routes made a huge difference.
Of course, things can still go wrong, and I had a few stressful moments on both trips.
On my most recent trip, we arrived in Basel after 11 PM and discovered that the elevator from our platform wasn’t working. The pedestrian tunnel that could have provided another way out was already closed for the night. A train conductor helped us find a station employee, who eventually opened the tunnel so we could get out of the station. We later found out that several elevators at Basel station were out of service that night.
On my previous trip, I also had one occasion when booked assistance didn’t show up.
But overall, it’s one of the best accessible transportation systems I’ve experienced, with so much beauty to be seen along the way.
Hopefully, this guide makes planning your own trip a little easier. And if you have any questions about travelling around Switzerland in a wheelchair, feel free to leave them in the comments.
