[Waycoll]

11 January 2024 at 6:29:04 #1059099

Hi all

I’m trying to obtain the solutions to 2 particular problems relating to train ticket purchases on the SBB site.

Firstly, I have a question about purchasing train travel and being able to reserve specific seats. My wife and I will be using Zurich as a base for travel in July, meaning that we are now entering the 6 months prior to travel. I’ve had a bit of a play with the SBB website (and plugged in some relevant travel details for our first proposed trip) and in regards to seat reservations it says this:

“Seat reservations for the selected offer are available until further notice at the Travel Centre or by telephone at the SBB Contact Center.”

Does anyone know if this arrangement for seat reservation is due to persist, or should I be able to log in at some future time and select specific seats online if I was to book now? (I know that 6 months is a long way ahead but we’ve thought a lot about things and know precisely which services we want to take on which days. Perhaps the long lead time has its own difficulties in regards to booking?)

Secondly, the SBB site does not currently indicate that semi-flexible conditions are being offered for the service I’ve tested with. Does anyone know if semi-flexible tickets are offered by SBB?

Regards

Wayne

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[User]

Reply 1 of 6 • 11 January 2024 at 13:30:28 #1060608

Hi there Wayne,

Generally, you’ll find seat reservations on trains are not required in Switzerland.  That said, they are necessary for some of the scenic, panoramic trains. More details in the link below:

• https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/seat-reservation/

Is there a particular route you are researching that requires a seat reservation?  My understanding is that via the SBB website, purchase of seat reservations are not possible till April this year.

As for ticket types, if I have understood your question correctly – do let me know if I have not.  There are the regular tickets which are flexible for the day you are traveling on or there are the Supersaver tickets which are time and date restricted.  More on ticket types here:  https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/tickets/  (Scroll to tickets, within the “Point-to-point tickets” section)

I hope the above helps, do reach out if there are further questions.

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[Waycoll]

Reply 2 of 6 • 13 January 2024 at 6:10:37 #1061241

Hi Yolanda

Thanks for your kind response.

In answer to your question, the service I was writing about is the first of 6 longer distance journeys we will be taking in July. This first one is a Railjet service from Zurich HB to Innsbruck HB, booked through SBB. (Return to Zurich will be a week later. Zurich will be the hub for our journeys. ) Later destinations include Como and Interlaken. All journeys will be First Class. We have specific services in mind, so that we arrive at each destination at an appropriate time on each travel day. We are including a fair bit of time between each leg, where 2 or more journeys occur on a given day. This will hopefully avoid missing connections should we be delayed along the way.

Indications on the website indicate that the Innsbruck service will be busy. (Given the time of year, I assume all of our journeys may be busy.) This is the reason I thought seat reservations were a good idea. If I can’t include a reservation at the time of booking, I guess I’ll be trying to add reservations later, as the system allows.

Thanks again for your interest and response. Any additional comments or suggestions would be gratefully accepted. 🙏 🙂

Regards

Wayne

[Anna]

Reply 3 of 6 • 13 January 2024 at 22:00:57 #1065324

Hi Wayne,

For Railjet connections to Innsbruck, you can try booking your seats on the OBB website. You can find more information about travel and tickets to Austria here: https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/austria-switzerland/

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 4 of 6 • 14 January 2024 at 16:46:30 #1065646

Hi Wayne,

Just to add, as you will be traveling in first class, I think you’ll be safe without having to reserve seats but of course, for a peace of mind as you mention, it’s also July (peak season), a seat reservation maybe the way to go.

Another tip, on the Swiss timetable (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel/public-transport/timetable/), you’ll be able to see if reservations are recommended or compulsory for your trips.  

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[Waycoll]

Reply 5 of 6 • 15 January 2024 at 21:31:50 #1069893

Thank you Anna for your suggestions. Much appreciated.

Cheers

Wayne

[Waycoll]

Reply 6 of 6 • 15 January 2024 at 21:35:30 #1069894

Thanks Yolanda for that additional information. I’ll be sure to check that reference for each journey we undertake. I appreciate your help.

Cheers

Wayne