Frequently asked questions

We expressly reserve the right to make changes to the timetable and adjustments to the operation of the ships. A suspension of operations due to force majeure (e.g. storms, technical faults, official orders) or a reduced course offer does not entitle the passenger to a refund or compensation of any kind. There is no entitlement to a seat or to travel when capacity is exhausted.

In spring, summer and autumn, all tickets and combination tickets are available on our boats and at the stations in Thun, Spiez, Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost as well as Brienz. During the winter months the stations remain closed. On Lake Brienz, navigation is suspended during the winter.

Day tickets & combi tickets
Culinary cruises & special offers
Route tickets

Yes, the boat trip can easily be integrated into a round trip ticket. You can also purchase tickets for sections of the boat trip at practically all sales points in Switzerland. Please note that special offers can only be purchased directly from BLS Navigation.

Day tickets & combi tickets
Culinary cruises & special offers
Route tickets

Yes, you can purchase the multi-trip tickets at all our sales points. 

Cash (CHF and EUR); Reka, PostFinance and EC cards; as well as all major credit cards.

Yes, you can also buy your ticket ahead of the actual day of travel. Nevertheless, due to simplicity reasons, we recommend to buy your ticket at the day of travel.

The following season tickets are valid on scheduled cruises:

100% discount, free travel in the purchased class with

• GA travelcard
• Staff rate – general season ticket
• "Seepass" annual season ticket for Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
• Staff rate – day tickets
• 1-day travelpass for the Half-Fare travelcard
• Municipality day tickets
• Saver Day Pass SBB
• 1-day travelpass for children
• Dog day ticket/1-day travelpass for dogs
• Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex with date entered, and Swiss Transfer Ticket
• Eurail Pass and Eurail Youth Pass with date entered
• Interrail with date entered
• Berner Oberland Pass
• Junior travelcard: children up to the age of 15.99 accompanied by a parent
• Children’s Co-travelcard: children up to the age of 15.99 accompanied by the cardholder

50% discount with

• Half-Fare travelcard
• Swiss Half Fare Card
• Children (aged 6 to 15 years)

Important notes

• Validity always applies to the purchased class. For example, if you have a GA, a day ticket, or a Swiss Travel Pass for 2nd class, you need a class upgrade (surcharge) to travel in 1st class.
• The above-mentioned passes entitle you to travel but do not guarantee a seat. On our scheduled boats, free seating applies and reservations are not possible. An exception is table reservations in the onboard restaurant (consumption required).

Yes, Fairtiq and EasyRide tickets are valid on BLS Lake Cruise. 

Yes, you can buy a class change to your existing 2nd class ticket on the spot at the boat station or directly on the boat.

With the Seepass you can travel unlimited in 1st class on Lakes Thun and Brienz for 1 year. Take a look at our Seepass offer.

Yes, the Swiss Travel Pass is valid for boat cruises on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. In addition, the following passes/tickets are also valid: Jungfrau Travel Pass, Dong Shin VIP Pass (only valid during the summer season), Eurail (with date entered) and Interrail (with date entered).

Yes, both passes are valid for boat cruises on Lakes Thun and Brienz, provided the date of travel is entered.

The BLS Schifffahrt webshop requires 3D authentication when paying by credit card. If you have problems with authentication, please contact your bank. You can find more information about 3D Secure here: 3-D Secure | Viseca Card Services.

The Quickline discount code for 2 1st class Day Tickets for CHF 50 can be redeemed in our webshop under Day Tickets. Simply select the Day Ticket Lakes Thun and Brienz for two adults on your desired travel date and enter your discount code in the shopping basket.

The provisions of the Alliance Swiss Pass apply to Schifffahrt AG.

No, the Tell-Pass is not valid for boat cruises on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

No, the Seapass is personal and non-transferable. The accompanying person and accompanying children must be accompanied by the person registered on the card in order to travel on the ship and benefit from the Seepass partner discounts. Whether Seepass ONE, Seepass FLEX or Seepass PREMIUM, only one Seepass card is issued per person/purchase.

No, the Seepass is not valid on trains and buses. The Lake Pass is only valid on the scheduled boats on Lakes Thun and Brienz.

The Seepass is only available in advance from 18.11.2024 to 19.03.2025.

The Seepass can be purchased online via the ticket shop. If you have any questions or queries, please contact the Travel Centre Shipping by e-mail (schiff@bls.ch) or by telephone (+41 58 327 48 11).  

Link to order

Opening hours of the Travel Centre Navigation

Payment options online shop: credit card (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX) and Twint*
*When taking out a subscription, payment can only be made by credit card.

It is not possible to order on account.

The Seepass subscription model requires a new registration in the BLS Schifffahrt webshop. It is not possible to log in with the Swiss Pass customer account.

We will be happy to replace your Seepass. Please take the order confirmation* to a boat station or boat ticket office. There you can buy/apply for a replacement card for CHF 30 and receive a temporary sea pass until the new card is delivered. This is only valid together with the order confirmation.

*If you no longer have the order confirmation, you can request this from the Travel Center Shipping by sending an e-mail to schiff@bls.ch. Please let us know your subscription type, address and date of birth.

Yes, the Junior Travelcard and Children's Co-travelcard are valid if the accompanying adult has a sea pass.

No, travel is only possible with the adults listed and works in the same way as with the Junior or Children's Co-travelcard.

GA and Half-Fare travelcards are not valid in combination with the Seepass. Additional discounts (student or senior discount, etc.) on this offer are not possible.

The Seepass card must be presented digitally or physically to the control personnel. Upon request, the holder of the Seepass must be able to identify him/herself accordingly (identity card or identity card such as a driving licence, Swiss Pass, etc.). 

If your personal details on the Seepass are incorrect (surname, first name, date of birth), please notify us as soon as possible. If you have already received your Seepass, please return the Seepass to us with the incorrect details (BLS Schifffahrt AG, Lachenweg 19, 3604 Thun). We will accept adjustments free of charge until the closing date of 19.03.2025.

No, it is currently not possible to load the Seepass onto the BLS App or the Swiss Pass.

Yes, if there is a change of name during the year of validity (e.g. due to marriage), this is possible once a year. A fee of CHF 30.00 will be charged for the creation of a new Seepass.

The Seapass cannot be returned as it is a special offer

The sea pass can be transferred to another person free of charge in the event of death or prolonged incapacity to travel due to illness (at least 3 months) for a fee of CHF 30.  

A death certificate or medical certificate as well as the card to be rewritten and the details of the new holder are required to have a Seepass rewritten (send to BLS Schifffahrt AG, Lachenweg 19, 3604 Thun).

On the page bls-schiff.ch/seepass-partner you will find an overview of all Seepass partners as well as a PDF with all the details of the individual discounts.

If you have forgotten your «Seepass», you must buy a valid ticket. You can then have this refunded at a boat station/boat ticket office. To obtain a partial refund at the ticket office, you will need the following:

• Original «Seepass» (digital or physical)
• Purchased ticket with confirmation from the boat's control staff (note on the back of the ticket «Seepass vergessen», as well as your first and last name).

Note: A processing fee of CHF 5.00 will be charged for each refund.

There is no dog «Seepass». You can travel with your dog as your companion with the «Seepass» FLEX or PREMIUM or the Switzerland-wide Dog Pass (available at all railroad stations but not available at BLS Lake Cruise). Alternatively, dog day tickets for the boat (CHF 15.-) can also be purchased. The Dog Pass for the lake is no longer available.

The discounts offered by our Seepass partners only apply to the Seepass holder (person registered on the card). Each provider decides individually whether children (ONE, FLEX and Premium) and accompanying persons (FLEX and PREMIUM) also benefit from the discounts.

Yes, the Seepass (without subscription) makes an excellent gift. All you have to do is select the desired product (ONE, FLEX or PREMIUM) in the web shop, enter the recipient's personal details (first name, surname and date of birth), tick the ‘I would also like a physical card’ box and then enter your own address and e-mail address. Please note that the delivery time for the physical card can be up to two weeks. Do you want it faster? No problem, you will receive the digital Seepass by e-mail immediately after ordering.

If you would like to buy the Seepass as a Christmas present, please order it by 12 December 2024 at the latest.

On your birthday, you travel free of charge all day in 1st class on all scheduled services. You can obtain your free day ticket for Lakes Thun and Brienz on presentation of your identity card or passport at our sales points and on our boats.

Children under the age of 6 travel for free, while children aged 6 - 15 years only have to pay half-price. The Junior travelcard and Children’s Co-travelcard (for children aged 6 - 15 years) are valid on all scheduled cruises.

No discounts are available to seniors.

With the BLS Navigation day ticket, you can travel as much as you want on any of our scheduled cruises on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

The GA or Half-Fare travelcard is not valid on our special culinary cruises, as they are not part of our scheduled cruises. You will only receive a discount with a Seepass (with the Seepass FLEX and PREMIUM, the discount also applies to an accompanying person).

The 2024/2025 winter steamboat service on Lake Thun will not take place for operational reasons and due to a lack of sufficient personnel resources. Alternatively, the motorboats on the course can be used.

No, a ticket alone does not guarantee a seat on the boat. A seat respectively a table reservation is only possible in the on-board restaurant in connection with a consumption. You can make this reservation here.

Our cruises are subject to a regular timetable with various connections which must be adhered to. The boats can wait a few minutes, but no longer. The best thing to do is talk to the train staff so that they can inform the boat of the delay.

Dogs less than 30 cm tall at the shoulder can travel for free as long as they are in a suitable basket or bag. All other dogs require a valid dog ticket. This costs half the price of a 2nd class ticket and is also valid in 1st class. The maximum price for a dog ticket is CHF 15.00 (1-day ticket for dogs). The dog pass for the lake is no longer available. 

The SBB 1-day travelpass as well as the GA for dogs are also valid aboard our scheduled cruises.

Dogs are allowed inside the boat as well as in our on-board restaurants.

Subject to space, we are happy to transport your bike. Cost per bike: 1/2 price, and no more than CHF 15.00 (bike day ticket) Please note: we cannot guarantee to transport your bike. The national SBB 1-day bike passes and annual passes are valid for BLS Navigation.

Our boats travel all year on Lake Thun. We do not operate our cruises on Lake Brienz during the winter months.

Our boats operate in virtually all weather. We cannot guarantee schedule adherence in storms, thick fog, or high or low water (where possible, we will inform you on site).

Picnicking on board is permitted. However, please note that the tables in the boat restaurant are reserved for diners.

Smoking is permitted on the outside decks. We ask that you please use the ashtrays provided. Smoking is not permitted in any of the indoor areas.

The playing of music on board our cruise boats is not permitted, as these are modes of public transport carrying many passengers.

Yes, you can bring your luggage on the boat, but please note that there are no luggage racks. Luggage must be supervised by yourself and we do not accept any liability.

The basic principle to always keep in mind: course ships have priority. These vessels can only swerve with difficulty and have a long braking distance. At the same time, with their large mass and propellers, they pose a certain danger to other water users. Therefore, it is important that their line of travel is clear and that they have enough space to maneuver.

Learn more about the topic:

Prevention on the water

Video important rules of conduct on the water

Playing music on the course ships is prohibited.

Apart from our smallest boat (MS Interlaken), all vessels are wheelchair-accessible.  The accessways to the outside decks and restaurants in second class are level. Aboard MS Berner Oberland and MS Thun, the first-class area can also be accessed by lift.

All boats (with the exception of MS Interlaken) feature a disabled WC.

Travel companions of passengers with the “Disabled Passenger’s ID Card ” travel for free on our cruises. This discount is not comprehensively available on our special culinary cruises; here, the travel companion must pay the child fee.

For groups of 10 people or more, we offer a discounted group rate (30% reduction on the single-person rate). To claim the discount, the group ticket must be purchased and paid for by one person and a reservation is required. 

For groups of 10 people or more, we recommend making a reservation in order to guarantee that all passengers can travel.

• Online reservation for groups
• E-Mail
• Phone: +41 58 327 48 11

Yes, you can inform us about the cancellation as follows: 

• E-Mail: info@schiffcatering-thunersee.ch
• Phone: +41 58 327 48 11

Our catering partner is happy to cater to our guests on board the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats. If you would like to enjoy a lunch, breakfast or drink, please reserve a table in the restaurant.

You'll find out more about the menu here.

Please place your reservation online. 

Yes, we have a menu for people suffering from allergies on every boat. Nevertheless, it is useful to indicate allergies when making your reservation so that we can prepare alternatives for you in advance. Here you'll find the menu for people suffering from allergies.

No, you can make a note in the comments section. We will then take this into account and keep the table ready for you for the return journey.

No, you can make a reservation from any station. For example, simply enter "from Spiez" in the comments. For us, this means that the reservation and boarding are from Spiez.

You have the following payment options in our onboard restaurants:

• Cash
• Debit card
• Credit card
• Vouchers (issued by Schiffcatering Thuner- und Brienzersee or BLS Lake Cruise)

Gastronomically, no distinction is made between 1st and 2nd class. Compared to 2nd class, 1st class offers a higher level of comfort and due to its location on the upper deck, the view is often described as more impressive.

We take all requests regarding the choice of table (online via comments) and try to accommodate your wishes as best we can. However, we can unfortunately not guarantee anything, as the wishes are taken into account after the reservation is received (date of request).

Gift vouchers can simply be redeemed for a cruise. However, you unfortunately cannot use them to pay for onboard catering (Schiffcatering Thuner- und Brienzersee).

Voucher shop

Expired gift vouchers with the BLS Navigation value stamp will still be accepted on board the boats and at the boat landing stages after they have expired. This does not apply to vouchers with the Hotel Freienhof logo or to promotional and competition vouchers.

The minimum amount for value vouchers is CHF 20, but the upper limit can be freely selected.

The DS “Spiez” is currently not in operation. Public trips are planned for the period from the end of October to the beginning of November. The exact dates and times of the public rides will be published on the website on August. Tickets will be available in the webshop from this date.

As part of these trips, there are individual days on which the DS “Spiez” is available for private hire. The time slots for possible charter trips are from October 27 to 29 and from November 3 to 5, 2025. Booking requests for this are already being accepted Request advice | BLS-Schiff.