Questions about train travel in Switzerland
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Hello helping friends, can you please answer to the following queries please ?
1) We will be using the Swiss public transportation system quite a lot and several times we will have to catch connecting trains. With a time lag of only a few minutes between the two trains, we have to change platforms and wait at the right spot to board the next train (we will be travelling 2nd class). This is where we are feeling a bit uncomfortable as we do not want to miss the connecting train as that would completely jeopardize our travel plans. We have no idea how big the stations are and how easy or how difficult it would be to change platforms within that time. I know the Swiss time table indicates track numbers, but not sure if that is correct all the time. We will have a very hectic day when we will travel from Interlaken to Zermatt early in the morning, ride Glacier Express all the way from Zermatt to St Moritz, and then return to Lucerne – all on the same day. GEX tickets, hotels are all booked accordingly. Also, we will have to take an early morning train from Lucerne to Zurich Airport on the day we return as our flight leaves at around 9am. Hence we must ensure that we do not miss any connecting train. Do you have any tips to offer that would make us feel confident and we will not miss the connecting train ?
2) When we are travelling by cable car or bus, and buying tickets on the spot, do we need to have exact change in CHF to pay for the fare ? If we have to pay cash (if credit card is not accepted), will the machine or the bus driver return the change if we do not have the exact fare ? Also will the half fare be applicable even for short bus rides and boat rides in Lucerne ?
3) If we have a ticket from one destination to another, can we get off at any of the stops in between, spend some time there and then board another train towards the destination ?
4) Two of us will be travelling and we already purchased our Half Fare Cards although our travel date is a month away. We would like to buy the train/bus/boat tickets online in advance for the routes that we must stick to (for Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch, we can wait until that day to buy the tickets as you advised). Should be buy two individual train tickets online or one ticket for the two of us ?
5) When I was exploring the options of buying tickets on SBB website, I found a % sign in a black triangle at the top left corner for some of the connections. Couldn’t figure out what they were for. I only found that the fare for those connections were considerably more than the others.
6) What are the differences among different train types – IC, EC, IR etc ?
7) Schilthorn Piz Gloria website also offers tickets between various locations and Schilthorn. Would they be different in any way than the ones I can buy on SBB or STC website ?
Thanks !
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