Your pass on the boats

Is the Lake Brienz cruise free with a Swiss pass?

Yes. A Swiss Travel Pass covers every scheduled BLS course on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, in the class you bought, with nothing to book.

BLS lists the Swiss Travel Pass among the tickets that travel 100% free on its boats. You board at Interlaken Ost for Lake Brienz or Interlaken West for Lake Thun, and the crew checks the pass on board like a conductor would. The paddle steamer Lötschberg on Lake Brienz counts as a scheduled course, so it is covered too.

One rule trips up Flex holders. The Swiss Travel Pass Flex only works on a travel day you have activated, and myswissalps notes that you should set the day before you start travelling, not once you are already on the deck. A boat day is a good use of a Flex day: Interlaken to Brienz and back, plus Lake Thun in the afternoon, adds up fast.

Which passes cover the boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz?

The Swiss Travel Pass, the GA, the Berner Oberland Pass, Eurail and Interrail with the date entered, the Saver Day Pass, the Seepass and the Junior or Children's Co-travelcard.

Here is the full list from the BLS tickets page, in the order most visitors will hold them. "Free" means 100% free in the class of the pass.

Sources: BLS Schifffahrt tickets page; Berner Oberland Pass partner page for the Lötschberg; myswissalps for Flex activation.

Does the Half Fare Card work on the boats, and do children ride free?

The Half Fare Card gives 50% off. Children under 6 ride free, children 6 to 15 pay half, and with a family card or Co-travelcard they can ride free with a parent.

With a Half Fare Card the 2026 BLS day ticket for both lakes drops to CHF 41.50 in 2nd class and CHF 62.50 in 1st. The Lake Brienz-only day ticket comes to CHF 37.50 and CHF 56. BLS has no senior discount, so the Half Fare Card is the only reduction adults get on the pier.

• Under 6: free, no ticket needed.
• Ages 6 to 15: 50% off, or the kids' day ticket at CHF 15 in 2nd class and CHF 24 in 1st (2026).
• With a Swiss Travel Pass: the free Swiss Family Card lets children 6 to 15 travel free with a parent who holds a pass (myswissalps).
• With a Berner Oberland Pass: children 6 to 15 need a child pass, chosen when you book the adult one.
• Dogs: under 30 cm in a bag ride free; others need a CHF 15 dog day ticket.

Can I sit in first class with a second-class pass?

Not for free. The pass is valid in its own class, so a 2nd class pass means the lower deck unless you buy a class upgrade: CHF 42 for both lakes or CHF 37 on Lake Brienz in 2026.

BLS sells a day class upgrade for the boats. Berner Oberland Pass holders get a better deal: the pass's partner page lists a one-day 1st class upgrade at CHF 12 instead of CHF 40. On a sunny day in July the upper deck is the busy part of the ship, so think about whether the extra space is worth it to you.

Upgrade or not, nobody gets a reserved seat. BLS guarantees no seat on any course, and the seats are free to take except the restaurant tables. Board early at Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West, where the boats start, and you'll have the pick of the benches.

What do Swiss passes not cover on the lakes?

Culinary and event cruises, food and drinks on board, and every trip on a boat that isn't a scheduled BLS course: the jetboat, the kayak tours and the chocolate fondue float.

BLS states that passes are not valid on its culinary and event cruises, which are priced as packages. Meals and drinks from the on-board restaurant are always extra. Then there are the private operators in Bönigen, who run their own boats on Lake Brienz and sell their own tickets:

• The jetboat ride: 45 to 50 minutes past Iseltwald to Giessbach Falls with 360° spins.
• The kayak tour: three hours along the north shore, one coach for six guests, May to October.
• The chocolate fondue float: a slow drift from Bönigen to Interlaken with tea and white wine.
• The winter kayak and the winter jetboat for the cold months.

The guided Giessbach day is a mixed case: its boat leg is a scheduled BLS course, so your pass covers that part, and what the booking adds is the guide and the walk. The Giessbach funicular is a separate fare.

Your pass already pays for the steamer. Spend the difference on 50 minutes of spins below Giessbach Falls.

★ 4.7 · 45 to 50 minutes · from $144

Explore the Lake Brienz jetboat ride → Tour details

How much is a boat day ticket without a pass?

A full-price BLS day ticket for both lakes costs CHF 83 in 2nd class and CHF 125 in 1st in 2026. Lake Brienz only costs CHF 75 and CHF 112.

The Thun and Brienz day ticket also includes Libero zone 750, which covers the train between Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost and the Interlaken buses, handy for switching lakes. BLS sells discounted day tickets online in limited numbers each month as a RailAway offer with your train there and back. When one level sells out, the discount steps down.

Sources: BLS Schifffahrt tickets page; BLS lake cruise offers page for the monthly discounts.

The official BLS boat day pass for both lakes, bookable ahead with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.2 · 1 day · from $50

Explore the boat day pass for both lakes → Tour details

Is the gondola free with a Swiss pass?

Sometimes. Mountain railways and cable cars set their own rules: the Swiss Travel Pass includes a few lines in full and only reduces the fare on most summit trips.

Around Interlaken, myswissalps lists the train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and the lines from Lauterbrunnen up to Mürren as included with the Swiss Travel Pass. Summit trips like the Schilthorn, Schynige Platte and the climb to Jungfraujoch are reduced, not free. Check the operator's own page for your line before you go.

The Berner Oberland Pass is the regional answer. Its listing includes more than 25 mountain railways and cable cars free, among them the Schilthorn, Schynige Platte and Brienzer Rothorn, plus discounts on Grindelwald-First and Harder Kulm. Two limits: seat reservations on the Rothorn, the GoldenPass Express and Jungfraujoch are extra, and the last stretch up to Jungfraujoch needs a connecting ticket.

What is worth booking if your pass already covers the boats?

The trips no pass covers: the jetboat, a kayak tour, the fondue float, or a guided day where the guide is the extra.

A pass holder can ride the scheduled boats all week at no extra cost, so a second steamer day adds little. What adds something is a different boat. The jetboat puts you low on the water at speed, the kayak lets you stop under the cliffs where the steamer never goes, and the fondue float turns the end of the day into dessert.

If you'd rather keep the BLS boat, the Giessbach day with a guide plans the funicular, the walk behind the falls and the forest path to Iseltwald for you; pass holders ride the boat leg free, others need a BLS ticket. Our Lake Brienz cruise guide covers the stops if you'd rather go it alone.

Frequently asked questions