Travelcards

Arcobaleno travelcards are suitable for anyone who regularly uses public transport and wants to save money while protecting the environment.

The Arcobaleno travelcard is available as an annual, monthly or weekly option. It is the perfect solution for those who regularly use public transport for professional or private purposes as well as for leisure.

The travelcard is personal. It can be issued for adults (from 25 years) in 1st or 2nd class, as well as for young persons (from 6 to 25 years) in 2nd class, and is valid for the selected zones. From 6 zones, a flat-rate ticket is valid for travel throughout Ticino and the Moesano region.

Our travelcards

Where to buy

L’acquisto degli abbonamenti è possibile agli sportelli di vendita.

Useful documents

See all useful documents here.

Further information

It is very simple to use an Arcobaleno travelcard. No matter whether you hold an annual, monthly or weekly travelcard, you simply board and show it to the ticket inspector when requested to check its validity.

A passport photo and an official ID are required when you first buy an annual or monthly travelcard.

Note:

The Half Fare Travelcard and the Ape Card cannot be used to purchase an Arcobaleno travelcard.
Many municipalities in Ticino and the Moesano region grant discounts on the purchase of an Arcobaleno travelcard. Please contact your municipality directly for further information.

Purchase instructions

Purchase the necessary zones for the route required.
Flat-rate price from 6 zones; the travelcard is valid for the whole of Ticino and the Moesano region.
Young persons can purchase a 1st class travelcard at the adult price.
A passport photo and official ID are required when first purchasing a monthly or annual travelcard.
You are free to choose the start of validity of the travelcard.
The travelcard can be purchased a maximum of two months in advance.
If you have your 25th birthday during the period of validity, the travelcard remains valid up to its expiry.
The annual and monthly travelcards are loaded onto the SwissPass. Monthly travelcards can also be purchased in paper format at ticket machines on the Arcobaleno integrated fare network, at post offices, and on regional buses where tickets are sold on board.

Class upgrade

If you have a ticket or travelcard for 2nd class, you can travel in 1st class by purchasing a class upgrade. Both tickets must be shown at the ticket check.

Class upgrade: prices (valid from 01.06.2019)

Zone	Validità in ore	Intero	Ridotto
1 zona	1	1.70	1.60
2 zone	2	3.40	1.70
3 zone	2	5.00	2.50
4 zone	2	6.80	3.40
5 zone	2	8.40	4.20
6 zone	2	10.20	5.10
7 zone	2	11.80	5.90
da 8 zone	4	13.60	6.80

Multi-class upgrade

With this ticket you can buy 6 class-upgrade tickets for the price of 5.

Multi-class upgrade: prices (valid from 01.06.2019)

Zone	Validità in ore	Intero	Ridotto
1 zona	1	8.50	8.00
2 zone	2	17.00	8.50
3 zone	2	25.00	12.50
4 zone	2	34.00	17.00
5 zone	2	42.00	21.00
6 zone	2	51.00	25.50
7 zone	2	59.00	29.50
da 8 zone	4	68.00	34.00

Ape card

The Ape Card is a means of payment for purchasing all Arcobaleno tickets. It can be used as a multiple-journey ticket, Multiple Day Pass and multiple class upgrade. Using the Ape Card, tickets can be paid for without using cash or a credit card at Arcobaleno ticket machines as well as on buses that take payment on board. A saving of up to 14% can be made thanks to a bonus amount credit when loading or topping up the card.

Other useful information

Minimum top-up amount at ticket machines and on the bus: CHF 5
Minimum amount for the bonus credit: CHF 20
Maximum top-up amount: CHF 500 (including bonus credit).
Initial loading and topping up via cash payment or with a standard debit or credit card.
The amount loaded onto an Ape Card does not entitle you to purchase another Ape Card.
The Ape Card cannot be purchased from or validated by SBB and Postbus Switzerland (Grisons region), nor can it be used as a means of payment for these services.
The Ape Card cannot be used to purchase Arcobaleno travelcards and tickets for destinations outside Ticino and the Moesano region.

SwissPass

The SwissPass heralds a new era of travel on public transport. Not only different tickets, but also a variety of services such as, ski passes, PubliBike and leisure offers, can be loaded onto a single card. With the SwissPass, holders of annual or monthly travelcards can receive notifications regarding their expiry. Those holding a company travelcard should contact the human resources department at their firm to renew their travelcard.

Arcobaleno on the SwissPass

Since the end of 2018, Arcobaleno travelcards have been loaded onto the SwissPass in stages.

Since 1 January 2020, the following Arcobaleno travelcards have been loaded onto the SwissPass:

Arcobaleno annual travelcard for adults;
Arcobaleno annual travelcard for young persons;
Arcobaleno monthly travelcard for adults;
Arcobaleno monthly travelcard for young persons;
Company travelcard;
Appresfondo annual travelcard;
DECS annual travelcard.

New: from 3 August 2020, cross-border travelcards are available on the SwissPass.

At the counter

The Arcobaleno travelcard on the SwissPass can be purchased at the points of sale of transport companies that participate in the Arcobaleno integrated fare network.

Cross-border monthly and annual travelcards from Arcobaleno, and the monthly travelcards from Arcobaleno on the SwissPass, can only be purchased at the following points of sale:

FART: La Biglietteria, Piazza Stazione, 6600 Locarno-Muralto;
TPL: Lugano Centro stop, Corso Pestalozzi, 6900 Lugano;
SBB: at Biasca, Bellinzona, Locarno, Lugano, Mendrisio and Chiasso stations;
PostBus: advice and sales, Via S. Balestra 4, 6900 Lugano.

Online

Arcobaleno annual and monthly travelcards can also be purchased or renewed online

● SBB
Holders of Rail Checks and recipients of subsidies from their municipalities are kindly requested to go to a point of sale to purchase and/or renew their Arcobaleno travelcards on the SwissPass.

By telephone

You can also purchase tickets by telephone:

PostBus advice and sales: 0840 852 852
SBB Contact Center, advice and sales, 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/min., 24 hours a day); payment by credit card.

For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions page.