How to access Swiss timetable without cell phone?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    15 March 2016 at 23:12:24 #808632

    Hello! I will be traveling to Switzerland and will be purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass. I will not be able to use my cell phone (due to international charges). Where does one purchase the complete Swiss timetable (for rail/buses/etc)? Do I order it before I leave or can I pick one up at the Zurich airport or train station? Thank you in advance for your assistance with this!!!

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    Arno
    Moderator
    15483 posts
    16 March 2016 at 7:42:45 #849462

    Hi swissiam, welcome to MySwissAlps!

    I am not sure if they still sell the complete Swiss timetable on paper. I once had one. It was a set of two rather big books (especially the bus book was large) and not very comfortable to carry around. Many stations provide free booklets with regional public transport timetables. Also you can ask for a printout of your particular trip at a staffed station.

    Apart from the paper options, many hotels provide (free) wifi, and there’s free wifi at many rail stations as well: myswissalps.com/train/ practical/internet. Also you can get a SIM card with a huge amount of data for a relatively low price so you can check timetables, the weather, etc. at any time: myswissalps.com/simcar d.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    16 March 2016 at 21:52:51 #849463

    Hi Arno,

    The same applies for me too. Would have asked this question sooner or later for my April travel. But from what I have read in some blogs, the station wifi or the wifi in trains, requires one to do a one time registration using a OTP (one time passcode) sent as a text and that does not work on international numbers – it has to be a Swiss number. So eventually one has to end up buying a Swiss sim.

    Do you have any idea about the Salt simcard for data ? (earlier Orange CH)

    Arno
    Moderator
    15483 posts
    18 March 2016 at 15:24:38 #849464

    Hi sskundu,

    The wifi at stations (if available) works on international phones as well. I have updated the page I mentioned with more details. There is no wifi in the trains. It’s an amplified 3G/4G signal, so you do need a SIM card for that. It’s explained on the same page.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 March 2016 at 12:24:09 #849465

    Thank you for your assistance!

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    11 April 2016 at 1:27:17 #849466

    Hi Swisssiam –

    Please see this thread. Very relevant. Please read it all.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/selection-of-a-travel-hub

    I bought the complete timetable on paper last December, at Zürich main station or perhaps airport. In theory, you can get it at any manned station, but the large stations are a better bet. They are not so popular anymore. People prefer the simplified version as on this website:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

    or,

    http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.htm l

    However, if you would like the paer versions, for 14 CHF (maybe it is 16 CHF now) you get three large books- one for trains/boats/public transport cable cars (blue). Two for buses (yellow) . I did not get the buses books because my luggage was full. Same price for just one or all three.

    They provide a set of information in a form that the usual online timetable does not provide, but can be confusing unless you are very careful. I love them and use them all the time for my trip planning.

    Slowpoke

    ssd1966
    Participant
    12 posts
    11 April 2016 at 21:51:21 #849467

    On the timetable site you can create personal timetables. These can cover wide period of dates. These can be saved as pdf allowing you to save and view on phone when not online

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