Swiss pass – do i need to buy tickets in advance?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 February 2011 at 0:14:03 #804129

    Hi. i have a swiss pass and am finding booking trains a little confusing.
    i know the site says you SOMETIMES need to buy tickets in advance but i don’t know if i need to. the timetable keeps insisting i put in a return journey date but i only want 1 way and can’t seem to find that option. so therefore i can’t check if i need to pre-book the tickets or not.

    Basically, i want to know if i need to buy tickets in advance for the following journeys. if i do, how do i go about doing this?

    if i don’t need to, do i just rock up at the train station on the day and hop on??

    i plan to go:
    zurich to lucerne
    lucerne to interlaken
    interlaken to bern
    bern to geneva

    thanks.

    also, while i’m here, what is the best way to organise tickets for the Mt titlus cable car and the jungfra top of europe tours? better to just book there on the day? any idea how much extra i will need to pay?

    thanks so much for the help – the answer i got to my previous questions was really helpful – great site!! 🙂

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15471 posts
    6 February 2011 at 3:04:26 #832203

    Hi traveller,

    Which timetable did you use? This one allows you to check for single journeys as well. It also marks trains that need a reservation or that are adviced to book in advance. Pre booking only applies to international and special panoramic trains like the Glacier Express. The transfers you listed can be made without reservations. You can just board any train as long as you have a valid rail pass or ticket.

    Tickets for Titlis, Jungfrau and any other mountain transportation can be purchased right there at the valley station. You can purchase the tickets in advance if you like, but that’s not a reservation. It’s just a ticket like the ones you would purchase locally. Prices can be found on the websites of Titlis and Jungfrau.

    I hope this helps. Enjoy the travelling!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 February 2011 at 3:15:24 #832204

    yep, this is the timetabl ei used and i must be really blind cos i can’t see where it says single trip and it keeps asking me for return dates. but if i don’t need to worry about pre-booking then it doesn’t matter. thanks!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    6 February 2011 at 20:24:50 #832205

    Contact the Swiss Tourist Board they were very helpful when I decided to go by train instead of hiring a car after flying to Geneva.
    A word of warning, have the different platform numbers you will need written down as I was sent from one platform to another by Railway employees as I did’nt do the job properly and they were no help at all.On my return journey I knew exactly where I needed to be and the times of the connecting trains,which made the journey home far less stressful.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 February 2011 at 12:11:08 #832206

    just a word of advice re junfraujoch,if the weather is bad and you have purchased tickets i think they only valid for that day..so go to interlaken, if u can , wait for a good clear day, then book at the station in interlaken..like wise for places like neisen,neiderhorn and to a great respect piz gloria..or schilthorn…a cloudy day is a waste of money, as you see absolutly nothing..
    rob

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    20 February 2011 at 12:12:08 #832207

    any couples staying in interlaken from june 17th wish to meet up please contact me . rob

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