[Anonymous]

1 August 2019 at 8:48:11 #823175

Hi

I am going to spend 3 nights in Switzerland and I have a question regarding train tickets.Let me roughly outline my itinerary:

Day 1- Arrival to Zermatt from Milan via Brig

Day 2- If the weather is good I will do Gornergrat rail ride ,spend the day there and take the train to Bern via Kandersteg

If I cannot do Gornergrat I will leave Zermatt early and take the trains to Lauterbrunen via Spiez/Interlaken and visit nearby villages/Junfraujoch. Thereafter I will take the train to Bern.

Day 3-I will leave for Basel and if time permits make a short visit to Colmar,then return to Basel and leave for Scaffhausen and spend the night there.

Day 4- Visiting Rhine falls and Stein-am-Rhein then leave for Rorschach and take the ferry for Lindau island and continue the trip from there.

I do not think that it’s worth buying a HFC since I will only be there for a short time.I am thinking of buying a saver day pass for the 2nd and 3rd days and point-to-point tickets for the rest.Do you think that I will be able to save more money that way?

If I have a saver day pass for the arrival day, can I book Trainitalia train only upto the Italian border station?

If I have day saver for the 2nd day I will only have to buy tickets for cable cars/trains from Lauterbrunen to nearby villages. Am I correct?

Thanks.

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[rockoyster]

Reply 1 of 7 • 1 August 2019 at 11:16:10 #919103

Hello Gihanation and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

Get yourself a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass. Check the area of coverage in that link and you will see it’s your best option.

Don’t believe me? Then read “How to choose the best travel pass” (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass), download the handy spreadsheet calculator and do the math.

[User]

Reply 2 of 7 • 1 August 2019 at 11:46:31 #919104

Dear rockoyster

Thanks for the suggestion.I also think that it’s a better idea.If I got it emailed and get a printout , is it all that I need whenever I take a train/ferry?

[Annika]

Reply 3 of 7 • 1 August 2019 at 12:26:09 #919105

Hi Gihanation!

Getting regular full-fare tickets and/or Saver Day Passes would be expensive for your plans. Regular fares add up quickly, and Saver Day Passes don’t include mountain transportation such as Jungfraujoch or Gornergrat: http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass/validity.

I just did a quick check (http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass) and for day 1-3 only, even ignoring a possible trip up to Jungfraujoch, you’d benefit from a Swiss Half Fare Card (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard) over Saver Day Passes/regular tickets.

But looking at your overall itinerary, I agree with Rockoyster that a 4 day Swiss Travel Pass is by far the easiest solution. If you buy an e-ticket from one of the retailers listed at http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/price, then a print-out is all you need. You can keep a digital PDF on your mobile phone as a back-up. Additional tickets for mountain transportation can be bought either online in advance, or at the spot before boarding: http://www.myswissalps.com/go rnergrat/tickets, http://www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfraujoch/tickets.

[User]

Reply 4 of 7 • 2 August 2019 at 7:29:52 #919106

Hi Annika, thanks a lot for the information. Seems that the best option is to buy a 4 day travel pass.

I have a small issue regarding journeys across the borders:

1. If I am arriving from Milan having a swiss travel pass, should I buy the tickets for Chiasso OR Domodossola only? Is such an option available when I book Italian trains online?

2. For the third day, when I select the fastest route to Schaffhausen from Basel , the map shows that the train will be running through German territory as well. In that case will I have to buy a separate ticket? If i want to benefit from the Swiss travel pass , should I travel via Zurich?

Thanks in advance!

[Annika]

Reply 5 of 7 • 2 August 2019 at 12:57:02 #919107

Hi Xmistral99!

1. That’s correct, you only need additional tickets for the leg that’s not covered by your Swiss Travel Pass. You can arrange for tickets from Milan to Domodossola/Chiasso through http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/italy/price. Please read the explanation at http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/italy first.

2. I assume you’re using the maps presented in the SBB timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) if you research a specific train connection? You’re right, those blue lines give the impression that the train cross Germany, but it’s a simplified map that doesn’t show the exact route. Most connections are in Swiss territory only. You can click the “plus” symbol between the start and end station for each connections, and then compare the rail stations along the way with those at the Swiss Travel Pass validity map: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/validity.

[User]

Reply 6 of 7 • 5 August 2019 at 6:58:35 #919108

Hi Annika

1.Thanks for the clarification! So, applying the same logic, if I want to travel to Innsbruck from Zurich , I can purchase the ticket from Buchs SG to Innsbruck, am I correct? Or it is better to select the entire journey and then check whether there is any discount for Swiss travel pass ?

2. Yes I was looking at the maps on sbb website and Swiss validity map.The map on sbb shows that the train I selected is passing through Bad Sackingen, Walshut-Tiengen which, I believe, are located in Germany?Seems that that line is 20 minutes faster than the line via Zurich.But will I have to buy tickets if i use that line?

[rockoyster]

Reply 7 of 7 • 5 August 2019 at 7:14:27 #919109

1. Theoretically you are correct on the STP but you would be wise to compare the price of an advance purchase direct ticket from Zurich to Innsbruck before buying a ticket from Buchs. See http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/austria.

2. If you go Basel to Schaffhausen via Bad Sackingen then you are on German trains. That route does not appear on the STP validity map so is not covered.