Paris to Zermatt train reservations with a pass
A traveler is planning a trip from Paris to Zermatt in late November with three friends. They need advice on how to reserve seats on trains after purchasing Swiss Rail Passes, specifically regarding the train from Basel to Zermatt. They also inquire about the best station to switch trains while carrying snowboards.
- It's generally not necessary to reserve seats on Swiss trains; only a few scenic trains require it.
- For train transfers, Basel SBB has lifts and escalators, while Lausanne has ramps and lifts, making both stations easy to navigate with luggage.
- When planning your route, Basel is the most common transfer point for trains to Zermatt, but ensure you give yourself enough time to manage your luggage during transfers.
AI-generated summary-
Four adults are traveling from Paris to Zermatt in late November. We are considering purchasing a train ticket from Paris to Basle and the using Swiss Rail Passes for the trains from Basle to Zermatt. We don’t understand how to reserve a seat on a train when you have a Swiss Rail Pass. We understand that not all of the trains on this route have seats that can be reserved but for the trains on which you can reserve a seat how do you do it?
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Hi Cam223, welcome to MySwissAlps!
I really wouldn’t bother reserving seats within Switzerland, apart for the few scenic trains. It’s uncommon and not necessary to book seats even if it’s possible. However, if you want to, you can find further details and booking links here: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/reservations
Details and booking links regarding Paris to Basel tickets can be found here: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/france
Purchase options of the Swiss Travel Pass, which is all you need to board Swiss trains, are listed here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/price
Enjoy your trip!
Thanks for the information it was quite helpful.
Another question we have is whether or not it would be better to depart Paris for Basle or Lausanne on our way to Zermatt? Any opinions? Which is an easier train station to switch trains? We will be carrying snow boards, etc so each of us will have quite a bit of luggage.
>> Basle or Lausanne … Which is an easier train station to switch trains?
Neither Basel SBB nor Lausanne should be particularly difficult. If you need to change platforms, Basel has lifts and escalators and Lausanne has ramps and lifts.
The Swiss Timetable will show you what platforms your trains will arrive on and depart from. Then you can look at the station plans to see which platforms are together and which would involve using a lift/escalator/ramp to get to another platform, as well as at which sector/s of the platforms the ramps, lifts or escalators are located.
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/trafimage/sta tion-plans.html
Alpenrose
Hi cam223,
Almost all trains from Paris to Zermatt will go via Basel and Visp – so 2 changes.
A few trains will go via Geneva and Visp. Both stations I think are fine for transfers – go with the transfer that gives you the most time to get your luggage into the next train.When I searched the timetable to get an idea of options the only trains I found to Lausanne also involved more changes (3 or 4). This could be different on your date of travel.
You can also select a longer station transfer time under advanced search on the Swiss railways timetable here.
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