To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Zurich Insurance, everyone that wants one will be able to get a free ticket for Swiss public transport, valid for October 22. The ticket can grant up to 24 hours of unlimited access to all trains, buses, trams and boats in the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV) transport region - which includes all of Canton Zurich.

Zurich Insurance offers free train, bus, tram and boat ticket for October 22

In a statement, the insurance provider said that it wanted to express its appreciation for the city where it was founded. “Zurich has always been our home and has had a significant impact on our brand,” spokesperson Conny Kalcher told 20 minuten.

The international company also hoped that the free ticket would reduce the number of drivers and convince more people to take public transport. Kalcher explained that the aim was to inspire people to take action and protect the planet through “smaller contributions - such as using public transport - or other activities.” 

How do I claim my free Zurich public transport ticket?

To claim the ticket, people should book a pass - valid from October 22 - via the ZVV app or ZVV webshop and use the promo code Zurich150 at checkout to make the purchase completely free. The promotion will be valid for all second class tickets - including dog, bicycle and 24-hour tickets - and, if an all-zone pass is selected, would allow riders access to all public transport services in Canton Zurich and the wider ZVV public transport area. 

24-hour tickets bought with the scheme will remain valid after October 22. This means that if you bought a 24-hour ticket which is valid from 2pm on October 22, it would still be valid until 2pm on October 23. 

Speaking to 20 minuten, ZVV media spokesperson Thomas Kellenberger said that the company was pleased to be able to provide the free ticket. He said that, while a mass overloading of public transport isn’t expected on the day, ZVV cannot rule out trains being a little more crowded than usual.

As you are able to access all ZVV zones for free on Saturday, the ticket is a great opportunity to visit stunning places in Canton Zurich that are off the beaten trek. To help you choose where to go, check out our guide to 6 great places to visit in Canton Zurich with your free ZVV ticket.