4 to 5 day trip from Zurich to Italy - train advic

Hi weissmand,

Thanks for joining us! A Swiss Half Fare Card would be a good option price wise, but there are other options too. Do you mind getting tickets for each trip? If so, one of the regional passes might be a better choice, as they include free unlimited traveling. This page is helpful too.

Additionally you need a ticket from the Swiss border (Domodossola) to Italy.

Just let us know if you need more help!

<<"My wife and I are going to be traveling from Zurich to Wengen, stay and hike around the Jungfrau area of 4 days or so, ">>

Higher trails won't be open until the latter part of June, unless the season is unusually warm.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Is there a single Eurorail pass that we could use for all of our train travels in both switzerland and italy? We're planning on going in August.

Hi Weissmand,

There is no pass combining Switzerland and Italy, unless you don't mind paying for a pass covering 4 countries (Eurail Select Pass). Eurail does not cover as much as the Swiss Travel System passes when it comes to Switzerland, so be sure to download the maps from our pass pages to compare before you buy a Eurail pass. It's best to first have a detailed itinerary, and then look into passes that fit your plans.

Sorry for the multiple question, but here are a few more.

1. If I get this regional BO pass, I assume I would still need a one way ticket from the Zurich Airport to Wengen (where I will be staying)?
2. If I am going from Zurich to wengen and then around BO for a few days followed by Wengen to Italy, am I better off getting a Swiss Travel Pass vs some individual tickets and a Region BO pass?
3. If I get a Regional BO ticket, It looks like I may need a one way ticket from switzerland (brig?) to Domodossola as it suggest buying to the entry point to italy. Will a Swiss Travel Pass work for this leg?
4. The RailEurope website cannot find tickets from Brig to Domodossola in August, is it too far in advance or do I need to find other routes?
5. Would I buy my ticket from Domodossola to Portofino with RailEurope website or somewhere else?

Thanks so much.

Questions are welcome, no problem!

1. Yes, if you don't use the pass the day of arrival. If you do use the pass that day, you only need a ticket to Bern or Lucerne (see the map).
2. Price wise, this can only be answered if you know your day trips in detail and then do the math to compare overall costs.
3. Assuming you'll be using the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland on the day of your outbound trip, you can take the old, slower route via Kandersteg to Brig for free, so you need a ticket from there. You can't use the quicker tunnel (grey line on the map). With the Swiss Travel Pass, you can use any route as far as Domodossola, so you only need a ticket from there (see the Swiss Travel Pass map).
4. You don't need tickets from Brig to Domodossola. You need them from either Wengen, Spiez, Brig or Domodossola to your final destination in Italy. You can find tickets through the resellers listed here. In your case the page raileurope.com/europea n-trains/trenitalia/how-to-book.html makes sense. But first you need to know which pass you will have and whether you will use it on the day you travel to Italy. Only then you'll know what kind of ticket is required.
5. If you buy your pass through Rail Europe it makes sense to buy the ticket there as well.

you are so helpful. almost there!

1. I want the most convenient train pass, so it seems that a Swiss Travel Pass will get me anywhere in switzerland, is that correct? I am less sensitive to price...
2. what ticket do I buy to most conveniently get from Wengen to Milan (grey line)? Each time I search on the links provided on rail europe for Trenitalia for august, I get the following message "At this time, our online system can't find tickets or schedules for this trip"
3. will the trenitalia ticket work all the way from wengen to milan or do I need separate tickets

thanks

Hi weissmand,

1. In that case a Swiss Travel Pass is the better choice I think. It's easier for your inbound and outbound transfers, it includes the boats around Interlaken for free, the cable cars/trains to Mürren are free, the trains to Grindelwald and Wengen too, so no tickets required for all of that. Other mountain transport is 50% off, and 25% off of the Jungfrau railway. You can get the pass from raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/swiss-pass/index.html.
2. I recommend to get a "pass holder ticket" from the town where the train to Milan departs. That's Spiez (e.g. 8:05 AM) or Brig (e.g. 9:44 AM), depending on your travel time. Your Swiss Travel Pass gets you to Spiez or Brig without any ticket. To get the ticket to Italy, go to raileurope.com/europea n-trains/trenitalia/how-to-book.html, fill out Spiez or Brig to Milan, answer "Yes" to the question "Are you traveling with a rail pass?", and select the Swiss Travel Pass. That makes sure you do not pay for the Swiss leg of the ride. If you also need a ticket from Milan to elsewhere in Italy, you book that the same way, accept do not select a rail pass.
3. See 2. please.

All of this is one order on one website. It should work fine; I just tried these tickets without a problem.

<<"To get the ticket to Italy, go to raileurope.com/european-trains/trenitalia/how-to-book.html,
fill out Spiez or Brig to Milan, answer "Yes" to the question "Are you
traveling with a rail pass?", and select the Swiss Travel Pass. That
makes sure you do not pay for the Swiss leg of the ride.">>

Arno -

That sounds like a very effective system. Glad to read about it here.

Thanks.