[Removed user]

14 February 2013 at 3:05:17 #805800

Hi, we will be travelling in May to Swiss from Milan to Lucerne and staying for 2 nights before going to Zurich for a day.
My plan for day 1 is taking the golden round trip to Pilatus.
Day 2 to travel to interlaken followed by up to jungfraujoch.
Day 3 take train to Zurich and spend a day there followed by overnight train to amsterdam

Will it be very rush for me to take the golden round trip if we can only reach Lucerne near noon time? Normally how long does the whole golden round trip takes?
Is it worth it to purchase the swiss half pass (1mth) if we will only be there for 3 days?
I have purchase the train ticket from Milan to Chiasso hoping to get the swiss half pass and chiasso to lucerne train tickets there. Does Chiasso sells swiss half pass? I understand that Milan does not sell the swiss half pass. Thanks:-)

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[Annika]

15 February 2013 at 14:20:42 #838092

Welcome icejade! The Golden Round Trip takes at least half a day, and the last descents from Pilatus are about 17.00 pm. So whether this is doable, depends on your arrival time in Lucerne. You can best check the Swiss timetable and the Pilatus timetables to see what suits you. Please notice that the leg Alpnachstad-Pilatus will open by mid May only; the exact date depends on the amount of snow at the top. This means that the Golden Round Trip may not yet be possible during your stay. If this is the case, or ifit takes too much time, you can also visit the Pilatus by cable car from Kriens (near Lucerne) only.

Yes, the Swiss Half Fare Card is definitely worth buying. Mountain trips are rather expensive; for example, just the trip to the Jungfraujoch is nearly expensive enough to justify the use of a Swiss Half Fare Card. You may also look into a 3 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass, as this grants unlimited traveling throughout the country. You’d only need discounted tickets between Alpnachstad/Kriens-Pilatus and Grindelwald/Wengen-Jungfraujoch; the rest of your trips will be for free and you won’t have to buy additional tickets. Whether this is cheaper will also depend on your plans for the last day in Zurich. Purchase options for both passes are listed at the right hand of the Swiss Half Fare Card and Swiss Saver Flexi Pass pages. Just fill out your country of residence and further data for an overview.

[Removed user]

18 February 2013 at 1:57:50 #838093

Hi, thanks for the reply. I will be reaching Lucerne on 16May and how can I check when the golden round trip starts? I will reach Chiasso at 0749 and the next train to Lucerne is 0752, if not 0847. How far is the train platform in Chiasso from the ticket office? Is it possible for me the reserve the swiss half pass and the train ticket from Chiasso to Lucerne online and make the collection within 3 mins?
Just curious, is it possible for us to continue the journey from Chiasso to Lucerne without getting the tickets and only make payment in Lucerne? i.e. take the train 1st and pay later.. haha just a thinking… Thanks:-)

[Arno]

18 February 2013 at 2:49:58 #838094

Hello icejade,

Purchase options of the Swiss Half Fare Card are listed on the page that Annika provided. The half priced ticket can be purchased here. Ang change suggested by the timetable is doable. Short connection times are usually for easy cross platform changes. Platform information is also provided through the online timetable and in many cases, through the station and train intercom systems, so it’s fairly easy.

You’re not allowed to pay after arrival. Even worse, you’ll be fined if traveling without a valid ticket.

[Removed user]

20 February 2013 at 1:00:38 #838095

Hi, thanks for the reply. Just curious, is there such a thing called e-ticket/voucher for half fare card? Cos if there are, I can collect the physical card at Lucerne and use the e-ticket to reserve a train ticket from Chiasso to Lucerne online. In that case I can take the earlier train without having to rush to purchase the pass and ticket at Chiasso ticket office. Thanks.

[Arno]

20 February 2013 at 1:18:10 #838096

Hi icejade,

Yes, there are e-tickets. You can check the SBB site for details. Please note that you can’t travel with a half priced ticket without a Swiss Half Fare Card. You need to have the ticket and the card when your board the train. You can order the Swiss Half Fare Card online so you’ll have it in time.