[Anonymous]

29 August 2023 at 11:44:10 #830631

Hello, I have a trip planned for the period of 28/9-16/10 Zurich~> Lucerne-> wengen -> interlaken -> montreux -> zermatt-> Milan -> Lugano -> Zurich

duo to Gotthard tunnel and other road work issues I want to make sure my travel route is ok ! I have below questions:

1. train to Milan from zermatt seems affected by some work near domodossola area but it will be cleared by October 8 per SBB, my date to Milan is October 10, hopefully there is no delay of the work ? It is 3 + hour train time but currently is 5/6 hours due to road work!

2. Milan into Lugano on Oct 11 , will be affected? I will use SBB for ticket , and so far SBB doesn’t show longer hour as it’s after October 8 which is projected date of completion of road work — are they often accurate or the date will change again ?

3. Lugano back to Zurich Oct 14 , as per SBB it is delayed by one hour , the train is diverted via panaroma express route , do you think it’s more scenic ? Do I need book this ticket in advance?

currently I plan on buying tickets right before boarding the train and no plan on seat reservation unless it’s necessary

4. I booked all my hotels but need to pay two weeks before arrival , so from zermatt —> Milan —> Lugano —> Zurich if it’s too troublesome , I can change the route before committing to hotel payment as I don’t have to go to Lugano , instead I can go to French side via montruex and Lausanne~~> Bern ~> Zurich ! I just want to go back to Zurich on time and fly home as my ticket is not changeable and need to back to work ! Please advise !

thanks

Fionatravel

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[Anna]

Reply 1 of 6 • 29 August 2023 at 17:43:54 #957742

Hi Fionatravel,

The only route on your list affected by the Gotthard Tunnel closure is from Lugano to Zurich. Due to the closure, passenger trains in both directions are diverted to the panoramic route (over the mountain). This is indeed a more scenic route but adds an hour to your train journey. Seat reservation on the trains are not required unless you are travelling on the Gotthard Panorama Express train.

According to current news, the tunnel is currently partially open to restricted rail traffic. You can find current updates here: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/gotthard-base-tunnel-mostly-closed-2023-2024

Also, be sure to check the timetable for the latest information.

Let us know if you need further info.

[User]

Reply 2 of 6 • 29 August 2023 at 23:03:02 #957743

Thank you!

another question : I try to register an account with SBB for me and for my husband as our travel dates are getting closer now but it didn’t let me and keeps saying try later after I input all required information!

Do I have to have the Swiss pass first in order to have an account ? I want to open an account first and then buy the pass while in the account so I will have PDF loaded onto my phone instead of using paper ticket !

wondering what’s the hold for me getting through the registration?

Fionatravel

[User]

Reply 3 of 6 • 30 August 2023 at 3:52:52 #957744

Hello Fionatravel,

You don’t actually need an account to purchase a rail pass. All rail passes can be purchased online and downloaded onto your phone and stored. (Passes are emailed to you as a PDF file. This file has a code that train staff can scan, you may also receive a link to add the pass to a wallet app on your smartphone. You can use this instead of, or in addition to, the PDF file).

Which rail pass is it that you are thinking of purchasing?

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[User]

Reply 4 of 6 • 30 August 2023 at 4:06:12 #957745

I see ! But I would like to add my husband as my co- passenger , so I can buy the ticket before boarding the train for two of us !

I plan to get 1/2 fare card and with 8 day BO pass ! We will travel outside of BO region for some long distance travel — interlaken to montreux then zermatt and then Milan to Lugano and back to Zurich so I might break even with STP ! But I will plan the train the night before and use easy ride so it shouldn’t be too bad ?

thanks

Fionatravel

[User]

Reply 5 of 6 • 30 August 2023 at 13:01:52 #957746

Hi Fionatravel,

With the Swiss Half Fare Card that you will be purchasing, you won’t be able to add this to a Swiss Pass account.

The Swiss Pass account is actually geared towards local residents (the Half-Fare Travelcard that local residents buy are valid a year long or more. Yours would be valid for a month only).

So for you to purchase tickets , you would do that as a guest. No login required. Don’t worry you can still buy your discounted tickets accordingly. Going forward, just present your ticket with your Swiss Half Fare Card when asked by an inspector.

For your long distance trips, you may want to research a Saver Day Pass or Supersaver tickets (both would be discounted with your Swiss Half Fare Card) and may possibly be cheaper than the normal 50% discounted tickets.

• https://www.myswissalps.com/saverdaypass
• https://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland

Note, with Supersaver tickets, these are time and date specific, any missed departures would mean you’d need to buy a new ticket.

Easy Ride, similarly this is geared towards local residents. It’s actually not often used by tourists, as there are often better value options available like the Swiss Travel Pass, a regional pass or the Saver Day Pass and Supersaver tickets (mentioned above).

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[User]

Reply 6 of 6 • 31 August 2023 at 2:13:36 #957747

Thank you ! That’s great suggestions looking into saver day pass and super saver day pass ! I am not familiar with either one of them! I will look into it my next day off !

appreciated your input!

Fionatravel