[Anonymous]

22 February 2022 at 1:40:35 #826545

Hi! I am a first time traveler to Switzerland and I am having such a hard time figuring out some things. Please, someone, I need help.

Overview: Staying in Tasch, planning to basically roam around Zermatt/Matterhorn only.

My questions:

1. Bought a ticket from London to Milan Bergamo (booked in an app putting London-Zermatt in the search engine and got this, thought it would be a point to point journey but apparently not). Please just help me to confirm if this route is the best route: Milan Bergamo Airport to Milano Central, Milano Central train to Brig, from Brig Bahnhofplatz train to Zermatt.

2. Upon reading choices of travel passes, I thought that the best travel pass me is the Adventure Pass. Question: 1.) It is the covering the region of Valais, am I right in assuming that it is the one covering travels within Zermatt-Tasch? I couldn’t understand the map no matter how I try. 2.) Will travel from Brig Bahnhofplatz to Zermatt and vice versa be included in this pass as well?

3. Would it be best to get a travel pass of just point to point tickets since I will basically be in one area?

I appreciate any answer. Anything will help. Thank you in advance.

💡 Save time and get daily forum questions & answers by e-mail

[Anna]

Reply 1 of 12 • 22 February 2022 at 9:20:32 #938900

Hi iammargaret,

Welcome to MySwissAlps.

1. Indeed that route Bergamo – Milano – Brig – Zermatt is one of the quickest way to get to Zermatt from Milan by train. Alternatively you can travel from Milan to Domodossola, then take the regional BLS train to Brig (Domodossola – Brig on the BLS train is valid with the Adventure Card). You can check out train connections using the SBB timetable.

2.The Adventure Card is valid in the following region: Upper Valais and certain parts of Uri (Andermatt) and Bernese Oberland. It is certainly valid on the train between Brig-Täsch-Zermatt. You can download the Adventure Card validity map here: http://www.myswissalps.com/adventurecard/validity The map also lists down the additional benefits of the card such as discounted travel on various cable cars and mountain railways.

3. A railpass is certainly practical if you plan to travel a lot. However if you’re only travelling in one limited area, paying point-to-point tickets might be cheaper. For long journeys or transfer to your base town, consider getting a Saver Day Pass or a Supersaver ticket. You can do a cost comparison using our quick guide and spreadsheet here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass

If you’re staying in a hotel in Zermatt, you might even get a visitor card which allows you free travel on local public transport. So be sure the ask your hotel provider about this.

For information about tickets from Italy to Switzerland: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 2 of 12 • 22 February 2022 at 10:31:10 #938901

Hi Anna! Thank you so much for your response. It was very helpful, really appreciate it

[User]

Reply 3 of 12 • 22 February 2022 at 23:40:58 #938902

Unless I’m very much mistaken, there are no visitors cards in Zermatt as it is not like larger Swiss towns and cities where hotels issue such cards. This is basically because Zermatt is too small to warrant it, and all the local ‘transport’ is the uphill lifts to the peaks

[User]

Reply 4 of 12 • 22 February 2022 at 23:50:11 #938903

I fear you have suffered from ‘computer thinks it knows better than a human’ syndrome. I suspect a few years ago a visit to a human travel agent would not have resulted in a suggestion of flying to Bergamo as a way of reaching Zermatt! Bergamo is east of Milano so is not well situated for getting to Zermatt. The usual way to reach Zermatt from London is to fly to Geneva (I usually fly Easyjet).

You are nevertheless correct that the route is Bergamo airport – Bergamo station – Milano – Brig – Zermatt. At certain times of day you can get a direct Eurocity tilting train direct to Visp where the narrow gauge railway jumps off up to Zermatt

[User]

Reply 5 of 12 • 23 February 2022 at 0:01:49 #938904

I’m afraid a few Swiss transport operators are not good at putting their presence on the internet!

The Adventure card (devised by the Matterhorn Gotthardbahn railway company comes into this category. The map in particular is rubbish!

The main page in English is here but it by far one of the least clear and easy tourist web sites in Switzerland! However here is the wording on the validity area from that site:

You enjoy free travel on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, on the BLS-stretch Kandersteg – Brig – Domodossola, on the SBB-stretch Brig – Salgesch, on all PostBusservices in the Upper Valais (Pass trips Central Alps 50%), on the Leuk – Leukerbad and District Community Transport LLB and the Region- Alps bus Visp – Leuk.

Additionally, there‘s also a 50% discount on a practically unlimited offering of regional railways, funiculars and cableways, boats, sport, leisure and cultural facilities.

erlebniscard.ch/en/

Unless you are skiing you may find that once you get to the area you do in fact want to go to other places. I don’t recommend point tom point tickets over the Adventure Card as you won’t get 50% discount on ‘uphill’ mountain transport in Zermatt

[User]

Reply 6 of 12 • 23 February 2022 at 10:11:30 #938905

Hi there,

regarding traveling in Zermatt, some hotels offer pick up and drop off service, so you do not have to carry your luggage on foot from and to the train station. Otherwise you can use the small electric busses. If you have a ticket for any of the cable cars/mountain trains, you’ll get a free ride to get there too. More information: http://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/travel.

Ildiko

[User]

Reply 7 of 12 • 24 February 2022 at 21:15:56 #938906

Hi everyone! Thank you all for your responses.

“You enjoy free travel on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, on the BLS-stretch Kandersteg – Brig – Domodossola, on the SBB-stretch Brig – Salgesch, on all PostBusservices in the Upper Valais (Pass trips Central Alps 50%), on the Leuk – Leukerbad and District Community Transport LLB and the Region- Alps bus Visp – Leuk.”

I still have some questions. With regards to the statement above:

1.) Does it mean that not all public transportations like common buses/trains in the localities in the map are not all covered by the pass?

2.) Is my understanding correct that there are only certain companies included in the benefits of the pass? Thus I can not just jump on a train/bus let’s say in Tasch, I have to select which transportation company it is first? -Sorry, newbie problems. I have zero idea on how the public transport work and my research aren’t backing me good enough.

3.) If so, from Domodossola to Tasch, it should be the BLS company?

4.) What are the difference of BLS, SBB, PostBusservices, etc from each other?

I do understand, though, that the special trains like Glacier Express, cable cars, boats, etc are not all included, unless specified.

Thank you!!

[Anna]

Reply 8 of 12 • 25 February 2022 at 12:01:20 #938907

Hi iammargaret,

Indeed the Adventure Card only covers selected partners and public transportation within the validity area. However within Zermatt itself, you can use the card on all local transport as the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway (MGB) is the regional operator , which also came up with the Adventure Card.

If you wish to use the Adventure Card for part of your trip from Milan to Zermatt, you will have to switch to the BLS train in Domodossola which will then take you to Brig, where you’ll change to the MGB train to Zermatt. This way your trip is covered from Domodossola to Zermatt. I hope this makes sense.

BLS and MGB re basically local regional transport operators. SBB is the main operator of the Swiss public transport. PostAuto runs local and regional buses.

I hope this helps you to plan your trip.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 9 of 12 • 25 February 2022 at 12:16:47 #938908

Hi Anna!

Yes! Your answers are very helpful. It gives so much light to my confused mind. 😊

One last question (I hope), does MGB run within Tasch as well? This question pertains to my travels from Tasch (where I will be staying) to Zermatt (where I wish to travel to most of the time).

Thanks so much for your patience!

[Anna]

Reply 10 of 12 • 25 February 2022 at 13:31:31 #938909

Hi iam margaret,

Yes, Täsch is along the train route between Brig and Zermatt run by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and is therefore covered by the Adventure Card.

Regards,

Anna

[Anna]

Reply 11 of 12 • 25 February 2022 at 14:19:40 #938910

Hi iammargaret,

Just for clarity and as an additional information, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn runs a railway line which stretches up to 144km from Zermatt to Disentis and Andermatt to Göschenen. If you have the Adventure Card, it’s basically free (or discounted) for you travel anywhere on this line. So it might be practical to plan your activities and sightseeing along the MGB railway route. A list of interesting suggestions here: http://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en/summer/offers

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 12 of 12 • 27 February 2022 at 2:15:47 #938911

I have a published work on the history of the Zermatt railway, so I can give you some background.

Zermatt is served by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB). This railway company is a combination of two original railway, the Furka Oberalp (FO) and the Brig – Visp – Zermatt Bahn (BVZ) .

Tasch is a small village on the railway line to Zermatt. As tourists cars are not allowed into Zermatt, Tasch became the transfer point from road to train for visitors to Zermatt who take their cars up the valley. As Tasch is a huge car park for visitors, there are regular shuttle trains between Tasch and Zermatt (in addition to the normal trains from Andermatt and Brig to Zermatt).

The ‘Adventure Card’ was devised by the MGB railway as a benefit for tourists to use its services. The company subsequently arranged with other local operators in the area to allow free use of their services as well. However it remains essentially a localised travel pass so is not valid on every route (but the valid routes can be seen – it is most clear on the PDF download: erlebniscard.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ErlebnisCard2021_23_WEB.pdf

On the PDF map:

any red coloured (train) route is free

any yellow line (post bus routes) is free

any blue line is 50% discount (this includes most cable cars, chairlifts etc but also trains to farther away places (including Lake Thun, Interlaken and even Lake Luzern)

Returning to the history / geography

MGB operates the trains: Goeschenen – Andermatt and Disentis – Andermatt – Brig – Visp – Zermatt

Other railway routes ‘free;’ with the card are:

BLS railway company trains only: Domodossola – Simplon Tunnel – Brig – Ausserberg – Goppenstein – Kandersteg

SBB ‘RegionAlps’ local trains: Visp – Leuk – Salgesch