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> 50% of the ticket price is essentially a "tourist tax", which is unavoidable by buying a different kind of ticket ... at the station

Do you mean "avoidable"?

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I do not. I mean it's not avoidable that way, because there's no ticket with the discount available at the station.

Can't you buy the half fare card on the spot and then use it?

You can, but it will cost ~$120-150 if I recall correctly, so unless you're making several trips it's rarely worth it.

They do have a 'secret' ticket called a Swiss Transfer ticket which will take you from any airport to any train station and back for a much cheaper price than a normal train ticket. However you cannot buy it in Switzerland, but have to order online before your departure.

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