September: Milan-Zermatt, train not available?
A traveler named Rpita is planning to travel from Milan to Zermatt in September and is facing issues booking a seat on the EC52 train. They have been waiting for five months to secure their ticket, but it now shows as sold out. Rpita seeks advice on availability and how to navigate their connection to Zermatt.
- If you're using a Swiss Travel Pass, make sure to book a ticket to Domodossola, as the pass covers the remainder of the journey to Zermatt.
- Trains like the EC52 may sell out, so consider checking for available seats regularly, especially during busy seasons.
- If transferring from Milan Central to Milano Porta Garibaldi, you can take a regional train, or the metro, which is quick and efficient.
- Taxis are readily available at stops like Milan Central if you need a faster option to make your connections.
- Be mindful of your luggage when using public transport, as you should be able to find space on the trains even without reserved seating.
AI-generated summary-
Hello! I will be traveling from Milano Central to Zermatt in September. Per your suggestion, I will purchase a ticket to Domodosolla and travel the rest of the way on my Swiss Pass. I have been watching the train that I want to take everyday for about 5 months but it never opened up. I was originally advised I was too far out. Now it is stating that the seats are no longer available. I want to travel on the EC52. Am I too early for booking or do I need to make other reservations? It does look like the train is available in again in October? I’m not sure how I could’ve missed the booking unless someone reserved the entire train.
Thank in advance for your advice.
RPITA
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Hello Rpita,
Thank you for sharing.
There are situations when one can purchase rail tickets sometimes up to 6 months in advance but it can vary.
That’s right, with your Swiss Travel Pass, you would only need a ticket to Domodossola and thereon your Swiss Travel Pass would take you to Zermatt.
I just did a quick search via the SBB timetable (https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable) for a spontaneous date of 21 September, 2023. There is a train departing from Milan at 11.20h, which is the EC52 travelling to Brig, thereon you would change here for a train to Zermatt. It appeared to allow me to progress and purchase a ticket. Was there a particular date you were wanting to travel on?
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hello Yolanda,
The train you saw on the 21st is the one I want except I need September 15. When I put in the information it states seats not available but I have watched it everyday for 5 months. I don’t think it ever opened up. If it is full then I will buy a reservation on another train but I was really wanting the 11:20. Do trains sell out or is it possible a large group booked the entire train?
Thanks for your help!
Rpita
Hi Rpita,
Reservation on the EC train from Milan sometimes do sell out. You can still travel to Domodossola using regular trains. In Domodossola you can find connections to Zermatt via Brig.
Regards,
Anna
I wouldn’t be surprised if the train becomes bookable later. Multiple trains are listed as unavailable that day, and it’s unlikely that all of them are fully booked. I’d suggest to try the websites listed on http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy again in July and August.
I have just looked on Trenitalia (the state railway operator in Italy) and EC52 is indeed sold out on some days in September (it is possible that some days are very busy because perhaps families who work in Switzerland are returning to Switzerland from a summer in Italy).
However some dates are showing as available.
Go to this page and input Milano to Domodossola:
I appreciate all your thoughts!
I reserved a later train on the 15th but I have one more questions.
It looks like I can get closer to the times I want if I go out of Milano Porta Garibaldi. I will be arriving to Milan (from Florence) at 10:50. How difficult is it to get to Milano Porta Garibaldi for a 11:46 departure. It looks like a 15 min transfer but since I don’t know Italian or how the trains work, do you think this is doable?
Thanks for all your advice!
Hi Rpita,
From Milan central railway station, you can take a regional train directly to Milano Porta Garibaldi. The journey takes roughly 10 minutes. I am not sure how regular the train is. You can check the train schedule on the Trenord website.
Regards,
Anna
Thanks, All!
Looking at the Trenord schedule, that transfer won’t work for me. Are taxi’s easily available outside the stations? I would think it would be a small taxi fare since it is a short distance. It also looks to be a 20 min walk if all else fails. Any thoughts on this?
We will be traveling with luggage. I am hoping that I can take luggage easily on this type of train. I know I can’t reserve seats but stops every few minutes I should be able to snag something along the way. Do you have any thoughts that I should consider before traveling this way.
Thanks again! You guys are so kind!
Hello Rpita,
There is also an option to reach Milano Porta Garibaldi via the metro. It appears to be 2 stops away from Milan Central. For taxis, I am pretty sure there will be taxi ranks at Milan Central as it is a major train station.
As for walking, I am sure this is doable too if time allows for you to reach your train connection in time.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
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