[Anonymous]

11 April 2022 at 1:13:26 #826834

I would like to buy two 1st class tickets on the Gotthard Panorama Express from Lugano to Fuelen including the steamboat ride from Fluelen to Lucerne for August 5. does anyone know the website where i can go and buy the tickest?? Do We have to buy the boat tickets separately or its included with the train as a package. Can by the tickets thru this website???

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[Anna]

Reply 1 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 8:31:14 #940397

Hi Manfredi27,

In addition to valid tickets, you also need to make seat reservations on the Gotthard Panorama Express. Details on how to do this aare available here: http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/tickets (scroll down for options to buy online)

I hope this helps. Let us know if you need more information.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 2 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 11:55:14 #940398

Hello Anna:

i purchased the Gotthard express tickets via Happy rail. but I don’t know if the boat from Fluelen to Luzern is include! if they are not included where can i purchase the tickets. Can I paid on the boat? also how can i choose the seats on the train. this is very confusing and complicated. I know we have about 11 minutes to get from the train to the boat.

thanks

[Annika]

Reply 3 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 17:14:01 #940399

Hi Manfredi27,

So you bought these tickets: https://www.happyrail.com/en/depart?from=fluelen&to=lugano? If you got them for Flüelen-Lugano, that’s the train section only (please see https://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/gettingthere). You can get your boat tickets on the boat, when boarding in Lucerne.

Are you sure you didn’t get seat reservations instead (https://www.happyrail.com/en/pass/europe/switzerland/passholder-fares-gotthard-panorama-express)? Those are different from tickets. In any case: these seat reservations too apply to the train leg Flüelen-Lugano only. The boat doesn’t require seat reservations.

You can’t select specific seats. This can only be done for a few Swiss panoramic trains and through a few booking systems. Theoretically, you could select seats when booking through shop.gotthard-panorama-express.ch/, but the driving direction is not guaranteed. Moreover this website is available in German and Italian only, so it’s not very tourist-friendly I’m afraid :-).

The 11-minute transfer time is more than enough. The boat dock and the rail station in Flüelen are very close to one another, and the timetable is designed for this transfer that’s made by many passengers.

I noticed in one of your other treads that you were considering a Swiss Travel Pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/lugano-to-lucerne-on-the-gotthard-panorama-express. Did you end up choosing this? If so, it’s good to make sure you haven’t bought anything that you don’t need, as the Swiss Travel Pass covers quite a lot of this journey as explained at https://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/tickets (scroll down to “Get a discount with your rail pass”) and at https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/validity (scroll down to “Top attractions covered by the Swiss Travel Pass”).

I hope this helps. If you’re still unsure, you can upload a screenshot of your tickets (please remove personal details such as your name), so we can have a look.

[Anna]

Reply 4 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 17:22:37 #940400

Hi again Manfredi27,

If you purchase a 2nd class ticket, you need to pay an upgrade to 1st class as the train is only available for 1st class travel. Also, you need to pay a surcharge which includes the seat reservation. This is explained here: http://www.myswissalps.com/gotthardpanoramaexpress/tickets. Please use the links provided for information on 1st class upgrade and scroll down for options to book seats online.

The transit time is generally sufficient to transfer from boat to train. In Fluelen, the train station and the boat landing stage are located next to each other.

Regards,

Anna

[User]

Reply 5 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 17:40:10 #940401

Hi Anna:

I believe these are seat reservations only – it’s not a train ticket. I’ve email happy rail regarding valid travel document required (train ticket or train pass and how to purchase them) They informed me that I will received the seat reservations 2 months before the trip. I believe i paid 21euros for each(1st class) I did not select the.42 euro 2nd class when purchasing. so maybe that was my mistake…..just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to explaining the process.

[User]

Reply 6 of 6 • 11 April 2022 at 19:14:39 #940402

My personal opinion on the Gotthard Panorama Express is that, whilst it might be a good ‘fit’ for organised tour parties, it is not worth the bother for independent travellers choosing their own itinerary, for the following reasons:

The regular ‘regional’ service, which for a few years was only available on fairly spartan glorified commuter trains is now operated by the SOB company using its bang up to date ‘Traverso’ electric trains under the ‘Treno Gottardo’ banner. The Treno Gottardo trains are brand new trains and run once every hour, much more convenient and cheaper than the once a day GPE

The old Gotthard mountain route has rather lost its ‘romance’ since all the main international passenger and hug freight trains were diverted through the base tunnel. The ‘romance effect‘ of travelling on the old route was in part due to the fact that your train would interact with other trains on the line so that you might see a train way above you then a few minutes late it would pass by and then be below you, this doesn’t happen now with so few trains on the line

Although there are two or three sets of spirals, the line is in valleys (nowadays shared with the concrete motorway) so you don’t see high mountain peaks.