[Swede4life]

20 February 2022 at 13:28:32 #826537

My wife and I will be traveling by rail in July 2022 using the STP.

We will be traveling to Zermatt from Luzern on Saturday July 16th. We will take the boat/train excursion from Luzern to Andermatt arriving at 14:06 or 15:06. We wish to take the Glacier Express at Andermatt to Zermatt at 15:08. I am aware I need a paid seat reservation.

Problem: At the 2 enclosures they reveal different prices and no timed reservation. Also 1st and 2nd class are the same price.

Question: Do I pick 2 49 euro 1st class reservations and be assured I have two first class seats starting at 15:08 on July 16th to Zermatt? Also, are these seats refundable?

It just doesn’t feel right. Can you help? Thanks.

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[Annika]

Reply 1 of 8 • 20 February 2022 at 15:35:26 #938849

Hi Swede4life!

It looks like you’re studying https://www.happyrail.com/en/pass/europe/switzerland/passholder-fares-glacier-express, right? What you’re seeing is all correct. Your first screenshot shows prices for high season (in which you’ll be traveling), the second one shows prices for low season. That explains the difference. Seat reservation prices are the same for 1st and 2nd class.

But: you want to travel from Andermatt to Zermatt and not from Zermatt to Andermatt. The latter is what you’ve selected now and that’s for trains in the opposite direction. HappyRail doesn’t offer reservations from all stations along the route yet, and at the moment it’s not yet possible to select a stretch from Andermatt.

This will probably change in a while. But for now, it might be better for your specific situation to reserve seats through the Glacier Express website instead. You’ll find links at the bottom of http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets. Note that this system allows you to book 92 in advance, so you’ll have to wait a bit.

As a rule, seat reservations for Swiss trains are not refundable.

[User]

Reply 2 of 8 • 21 February 2022 at 2:09:08 #938850

To save money and hassle, I recommend you forget the Glacier Express. Once you arrive at Andermatt there are regular regional trains from Andermatt to Visp. Sometimes, even though they are shown in the timetable as separate trains, the same carriages are used for Goeschenen – Andermatt – Visp – Zermatt, so it is possible you won’t even have to change trains. They take slightly longer than the Glacier Express but are free to board with STP, give just the same views and are a more ‘local’ /’real’ travel experience.

[Lauramassad]

Reply 3 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 14:52:43 #938851

Thank you for all the helpful information about traveling in Switzerland. I am still a bit confused about purchasing rail passes. I understand from your post that it is possible to take the same train route on the local trains as the Glacier Express train. Are the local trains much less expensive to travel on than the ticket for the Glacier Express? I get the impression that it is easier to make stops in towns and villages along the route with the local trains, but purchasing the tickets might be tricky for me. Does the Glacier Express have stops long enough to visit towns along the route or are the stops too brief for viists? We are travelling in late July and trying to decide to book a ticket on the Glacier Express or go with local trains.

Thank you for your hellp,

Laura

[Anna]

Reply 4 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 15:15:26 #938852

Hi Laura,

Yes, it is possible to take a regular train on the Glacier Express route. However the Glacier Express is the only direct train between Zermatt and St Moritz. If you are travelling on regular trains, you will need to switch trains a few times to complete the entire route. If you’re not used to travelling with the train, this can be very overwhelming. I think that is why the operators came up with the Glacier Express and other panoramic trains. It’s simply to make it easier for travellers to travel on these scenic routes. Be sure to read this for more insights : Regular trains versus Glacier Express (scroll down to this section)

For your information, the Glacier Express does make short stops to allow travellers to get and off — long enough I guess to take pictures but not long enough to explore each stop. Andermatt and Brig are the last two towns before Zermatt on the Glacier Express route from St Moritz. With the local train as suggested by 1960man, you can indeed hop on and off with the Swiss Travel Pass and need no reservation.

I hope this helps you with your planning.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 5 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 18:43:45 #938853

Hi,

If I have STP, may I know what other fees I still need to pay for the following trips?

– Zurich Airport to Zurich Main Train Station

– Zurich to Lucerne (return trip)

– Zurich to Bern (return trip)

– Zurich to Interlaken/Grindewald (return trip)

– Interlaken/Grindewald to Geneva

– Geneva to Zermatt

– Zermatt to St Moritz by Glacier Express Excellence Class (this is the most confusing for me)

– St Moritz to Zurich

Thank you very much in advance.

Vincent

[Anna]

Reply 6 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 21:17:31 #938854

Hi vincenology,

The Swiss Travel Pass is valid on all the routes you listed.

However to travel on the Excellence Class on the Glacier Express you need to make a seat reservation and also a valid 1st class ticket or rail pass. For further information, see this page and scroll down to find the link to the official Glacier Express website: http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets

Hope this answers your question.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 7 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 22:50:52 #938855

The Glacier Express does not allow you to stop off and see places, unless you reserve separate journeys on each section over 1 day or more than 1 day. This is a hassle and somewhat costly compared to normal trains which can be used on a ‘hop on hop off’ basis

Purchasing tickets for Swiss trains is not onerous. You can do it on line or just turn up at a station and use the ticket office or the very easy to use standard national Swiss railway ticket machine. You don’t have to do the latter if you have already decided to use a pass such as a Swiss Travel Pass

It is worth having another look at the history of the Glacier Express. In many ways it’s modern marketing is confusing and deters tourists from using regular train services that run along the same line just as on passenger railways around the the world.

The Glacier Express started as a single train once a day each way many years ago, running slightly (but not much) faster than the regular trains and conveying a restaurant car for the wealthy to travel between the two ‘elite’ resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz.

The Glacier Express trains now are such a money spinner that they operate as ‘exclusive’ trains on otherwise ‘normal’ railway; ie the Rhaetische Bahn (RhB) and Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) railway company lines which run in addition to normal ordinary service trains. The ‘panoramic’ coaches on these trains require a reservation or supplementary fare to be paid in addition to the normal fare. In all cases ordinary trains can be travelled on on the RhB/MGB network without paying any additional fare.

The Glacier Express suits organised tours that rush you to Zermatt, then put you on the Glacier Express all day, then rush you off from St Moritz to somewhere else. But for independent tourists, there are a plenty of regular trains on these and all the other Swiss railways, so there are a zillion other sights to see in Switzerland which are ‘not’ on the Glacier Express!

[User]

Reply 8 of 8 • 22 February 2022 at 22:53:22 #938856

Absolutely nothing extra to pay on any of the routes listed – except for the Glacier Express Excellence class which is an incredibly expensive way to see a few mountains and valleys from a train!

Price for excellence class is the cost of a first class ticket PLUS CHF 420 (USD455) for the whole journey