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Fare zone system
The different vehicles in the greater Zurich area belong to the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV). Tickets within the ZVV network are always valid within a whole zone. You can use all means of public transport within the validity period and zone of the ticket, you can transfer as required and make outward and return journeys.
The zones
The ZVV network’s area is divided into individual zones. The price of your ticket depends on the number of zones through which you are travelling. Fare zones 10 (Zurich city network) and 20 (Winterthur town network) are counted twice when calculating the price. Using the fare zone plan will help you identify how many zones you are travelling through.
Short-distance ticket / local network
The short-distance ticket area applies to short journeys in Zurich and Winterthur and beyond the borders of the city. The list of stops detailed on the automatic ticket machines shows you the respective short-distance area.
The local area is applicable within a municipality. The list of stops detailed on the ticket machine also applies to the respective local area.
Journeys outside the city of Zurich
Are you planning a journey outside the city of Zurich and you already have a valid ticket within the city limits? A coloured fare zone plan is displayed at each stop. You pay for the additional zones by buying the appropriate zone upgrade. You can work out the fare from Zurich to the other towns in the canton by clicking on the initial letter of the stop required:
Stops/towns (German)
The Z-Pass connects the regional transport networks
The Zurich Transport Network, the adjacent regional transport networks, A-Welle, FlexTax, OSTWIND, Schwyz (including the March region) and Zug, as well as SBB, are combined in a travelcard network for the Zurich economic and living area. “Z-Pass” is the travelcard which can be purchased for a combination of zones between ZVV and one of its neighbouring networks. With the “Z-Pass” all means of public transport can be used within the zones paid for, with the exception of a few boat lines. You can therefore travel easily and conveniently between the surrounding cantons and the Zurich Transport Network.
Journeys across the borders of the network
For example, if you have a ZVV NetworkPass for all areas, and wish to travel from Zurich to Chur, your travelcard can be taken into account in the fare. To do this you can buy an SBB zone upgrade, which is valid from the last stop that your train reaches within the ZVV fare area; in the abovementioned example this is from Pfäffikon SZ to Chur. However, if your train does not stop in the ZVV area, you will require a regular ticket from Zurich to Chur.
