[Swatchme]

2 September 2019 at 3:13:59 #823688

Hello,

I’m a little confused and hope someone here can help. In the process of purchasing a ticket to Gornergrat (I have a hotel reservation at KulmHotel for one night), a message appears that “return is valid for 10 days”.

One cannot go up and down multiple times within 10 days, correct?

The dilemma I’m having is that I will have to take my luggage up with me (for the overnight stay) which means I’m unable to stop on the way up (or down) if I want to get off at any of the stops along the route, correct?

Is it possible to check into the hotel and come back down? I assume not. Or, is it that once I’m up there and checked in, I have to stay up there?!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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[Mark]

Reply 1 of 7 • 2 September 2019 at 20:53:37 #921444

Your best bet is to check with the concierge at your hotel by email or perhaps one of the moderators here may know for sure. I believe your ticket will be good for one trip up and one trip down. Our hotel at Riffelalp which is partway up to Gornergrat gave us vouchers for our first trip up to check in and another to get down after checking out. you might check to see if your hotel offers the same thing. What I don’t know is the answer to your question if you can stop at stations along the way and then continue on without having to buy another ticket.

Mark

[User]

Reply 2 of 7 • 2 September 2019 at 23:59:17 #921445

I very much doubt it will be a ‘rover’ ticket, rather a standard return ticket which you must finish using within 10 days of your outward journey. That doesn’t prevent you from stopping at a station and continuing on a following train.

You would need a new out and back ticket if you went up to Gornergrat first then did a separate down and back up journey to say Riffelberg. But if you are staying at Gornergrat, you won’t gain a huge amount by visiting any of the intermediate stations, as you will see all the views you need from the train or from Gornergrat. You can also walk from Gornergrat

[User]

Reply 3 of 7 • 3 September 2019 at 9:18:30 #921446

Hello Swatchme,

I would also contact your hotel to be entirely sure about the issue, they must be able to tell you!

Do let us know once you find out please, for future travellers in the same situation.

Thanks in advance!

Best,
Steph

[Swatchme]

Reply 4 of 7 • 3 September 2019 at 22:10:00 #921447

Hello Mark, 1960Man and Steph,

Thank you ALL for your very helpful responses! I have sent an email to the hotel to inquire (I was so overthinking the situation, I didn’t think of simply emailing them!)

I will certainly let you know their response.

Thanks again!

So helpful and I’m SO excited to visit soon,

Felicia

[User]

Reply 5 of 7 • 3 September 2019 at 22:53:23 #921448

emailing the hotel won’t make any difference, the message comes up on the Gornergratbahn on-line ticket purchase site when you select a return (as opposed to one way) ticket, so to be doubly sure it is the Gornergrat Bahn that needs to respond. However, I have already given the answer – with my railway operations knowledge I know that the message means the return can be made up to 10 days after the outward journey (which the GGB site asks you to specify) ie it is valid for use one return journey within a ten day period.

[Mark]

Reply 6 of 7 • 4 September 2019 at 2:10:33 #921449

Of course your correct about the return ticket being good anytime for the next 10 days. I think Swatchme also wondered if they were able to stop at in between stations along the way then continue up or down on the same ticket. How about if you ride up to Riffelberg then hike down to Riffelalp could you catch the train from there up to Gornergrat using the same ticket?

When I was last in Zermatt the hotel at Riffelalp issued or sold some small tickets with minimal print on them that we inserted into automated turnstiles at the small unmanned Riffelalp station for those wishing to go down to Zermatt. I suppose I could have gotten on any train going up or down but i had the impression once I used the ticket in the turnstile it was used up and void and could not be used to get back on the train if I got off at another station before reaching Zermatt.

Also interesting was that our hotel said the 10 PM train from Zermatt to the Gornergrat was free to accommodate guests that had eaten in Zermatt and were returning to their hotel. We used this free ride one night after dinner in Zermatt. The person checking tickets at the entrance to the platform said they had never heard of the free ride but let all of us on (8 people)without tickets. I still have no idea what the official policy is. A somewhat strange experience.

One of the reasons i suggested Swatchme check with her hotel is that Our hotel, Riffelalp Resort provided a free ticket on check in day and another free ticket at checkout. I thought her hotel might offer something similar.

Mark

[Swatchme]

Reply 7 of 7 • 4 September 2019 at 15:57:09 #921450

Thank you all for your input. I received the below response from the hotel this morning:

<You can lock your luggage at the train station in Zermatt so you don’t have to bring the whole luggage with you. Otherwise you can contact the Gornergrat rail way if they can take the luggage down. It cost around CHF 10.00.

We are looking forward to welcoming you here with us at the Kulmhotel Gornergrat.>

Makes sense. I’ll just take my small pack up & can get off the train on my way up OR way back down. Thank you for your assistance!

Felicia