Zurich transport tickets and live train tracking now available via Google Maps
By Jan de Boer
Need to know if your train to Zurich is delayed or which ticket you should buy? From now on, all travellers in the Swiss metropolis will be able to check journeys and buy passes for the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV) using Google Maps.
ZVV announces new integration with Google Maps
Whether it’s trying to find a new restaurant your friend recommended or which shops are open on a Sunday, Google Maps has always been a handy tool to help get around Zurich. Now, those who use the app to travel around the city will be able to easily access tickets sold by ZVV.
In a first for Switzerland, anyone who checks a public transport route on their mobile phone using Google Maps will be presented with a ZVV logo. If you click it, you will be taken directly to the ZVV app, which will automatically suggest the best and cheapest ticket for the journey you were just looking at. Users can then buy the ticket using the app.
All public transport tickets in Zurich offered via Google
All tickets offered in the ZVV tariff zone - Canton Zurich and small parts of Schwyz, St. Gallen and Aargau - are included in the service. In a statement, ZVV said that the system is intended to improve accessibility to public transport by making it easier than ever to buy a ticket.
It is hoped that the system will also make it easier for tourists to use the system to visit the canton’s attractions and historical sites, without accidentally buying an unnecessarily expensive pass they don't need. It is also a sign of the times, with the association reporting that 75 percent of its tickets sold are now issued digitally.
Live tracking now available for Zurich public transport
If you’re one of those who likes to keep track of where your plane is in the sky as you head to the airport, or wish you knew exactly when your delayed train or bus is just around the next bend, ZVV has some more good news. The association will also transmit the location of all its trains, buses and trams directly to Google Maps, allowing users to track services at all times.
Thumb image credit: Michael Derrer Fuchs / Shutterstock.com
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more