[Removed user]

25 March 2011 at 7:17:12 #804195

I am from Australia and am wanting to buy a half fare pass for 5 adults. It is not convenient to buy online so i was hoping to be able to either buy one in France, or Italy, or else when we arrive in Lugano, from Milan. We want to travel on the Bernina Express on the day we arrive in Lugano (bus to Tirano) and i am not sure about the order in which i need to buy the pass and the tickets for the Bernina Express. We will need to make reservations on the Bernina Express. After leaving Chur we will be travelling to Lucerne, Bern, Lausanne and Geneva.
Could someone give me some advice please.

Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions. Sign up

[Arno]

25 March 2011 at 9:13:04 #832447

Hello kenwil,

You can buy it at manned Swiss rail stations such as Lugano. I don’t know about other countries, but you better not count on buying Swiss rail passes at Italian or French rail stations. Perhaps specialized travel agencies sell them. Once you’ve purchased the Swiss Half Fare Card, you can start using it right away. The order of buying the Swiss Half Fare Card, tickets and seat reservations is not important. What matters is that you posses all travel documents when boarding a train. You can buy the Swiss Half Fare Cards online and the tickets in Switzerland or vice versa.

Does this answer your questions?

[Removed user]

26 March 2011 at 18:52:47 #832448

Thanks for the reply, but i am still confused!
On Saturday 30/4/2011, our party of 5 will be arriving at Lugano, by train from Milan, at 9:08. We want to catch the bus to Tirano at 10:00am to catch the 14:04 train from Tirano to Chur. My concern is whether we can buy the Swiss Half Fare travel card, the Bernina Express ticket, and the reservation required, at Lugano that morning. I would prefer to be organised beforehand and buy them all online, but there is a time delay getting the travel card sent to Australia, as well as the extra cost. I am also not sure whether i have to actually have the card before i can buy tickets and make the reservations, since i assume that these have to be paid for online at the time of making the booking. If this is the case i am not sure how we make use of the half fare card. Do i have all this correct? I have had the thought that maybe we pay for it all when we collect our booked tickets at Lugano. Is this correct?

Thanks for your patience!

[Arno]

27 March 2011 at 5:11:57 #832449

Hi kenwil,

– The Swiss Half Fare Card can either be purchased online or in Lugano. Shipping the card to Australia takes about 5 business days (for details, please check the upper right corner of the Swiss Half Fare Card page).
– The reduced tickets to go with it can either be purchased online through the timetable or in Lugano.
– The seat reservations for the bus and train Lugano – Tirano – Chur (Bernina Express) can either be purchased online or in Lugano. I would strongly recommend to arrange for that in advance and as soon as possible, as seats may be sold out if you try to book just before departure. Please refer to the seat reservation page.

You don’t have to have the card when you arrange for tickets and reservations. It’s explained on the seat reservation page as well.

I hope this clarifies things! Enjoy the ride!

[Removed user]

4 April 2011 at 17:49:16 #832450

what lifts and gondolas etc around the Berner Oberland will allow half fare with the half fare card

[Arno]

5 April 2011 at 0:19:44 #832451

Hi almrose,

You can best check the network map we link to from the Swiss Half Fare Card page.