MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Be careful with SBB timetables
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My wife and I stayed in Yvoire this past weekend. Come Sunday, it was time to go home to Coppet, so I went on the SBB app and booked a boat from Yvoire to Coppet. Bought 2 First Class tickets all the way to Coppet. When we boarded I asked the “deckhand” if they were going to Coppet and he said no, “only to Nyon and back to Yvoire”. Well, to our surprise he was right and I had a discussion with the girl in the kiosk in Nyon and she was no help as was the “deckhand”. My point, before what you buy off of the SBB app, please confirm with someone. It looks as though they’ll sell you anything! Maybe there’s a boat from Yvoire to Zurich they would sell you!
P.S. My wife and I have been living in Switzerland for over 2 years, so we know how the transportation system works. Also, if you need help with something that they messed up on, good luck! If it’s not part of their job description, they’re useless in trying to help. That mindset is pretty much the whole country wide too.
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Did you catch the 12:40 or the 15:55 boat? They are the only two that go direct from Yvoire to Coppet – a 30 minute boat ride. SBB will also offer you connections via Nyon on other departures. You then go from Nyon to Coppet by train unless you specify “ship” all the way.
But there was a special CGN timetable in operation when you travelled and up to 27/6/2020 which shows no connections Yvoire to Coppet (or Nyon to Coppet) for that matter). http://www.cgn.ch/media/pdf/horaire-juin-2020.pdf. Perhaps the SBB timetable became out of sync with this special CGN Timetable.
The people you spoke to would have been CGN employees not SBB. They run boats not trains.
I must say that all my dealings with SBB whether on-line or in person, as a tourist over the past several years, have been VERY positive. The same goes for Swiss people in general and certainly those in service industries.
Perhaps pandemic-stress is taking its toll?
Hello Dereksmith,
What a silly incident you’re telling us about there!
It can be a little tricky finding out, WHICH connection you’re buying a ticket for on the app, I agree there. It’s recommendable to check the details of the connection before purchasing. As Victoria states, there are often different ways to get from A to B.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable
– http://www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/practical/websitesAs for the support of the staff, it is hard to say, if they have the competence to actually assist in such moments, but one should be able to expect some kind of support. What a pity.
To be entirely sure it is always better, speaking to someone when buying the ticket, you’re absolutely right on that!
Hope you nevertheless enjoyed your trip last weekend and also found your way back home.
Best,
StephHello Victoria,
We caught the 15:55 boat. I specifically specified Coppet “LAC” on my purchase. The itinerary I bought, showed the boat leaving Yvoire, to Nyon, to Celigny (stop on request) and then Coppet. One hour ride on Ship 105. Again, I made the purchase on SBB not CGN.
I understand that they were CGN employees. I only talked to her because SBB doesn’t have a kiosk at the pier.
I’m glad you’ve had very positive dealings. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak French. Overall, it’s been a very enjoyable experience living in Switzerland.
Hey Steph,
I just checked the SBB app. That same itinerary is being offered for this coming Sunday (28.06.2020). Maybe the boat starts running that weekend and SBB posted it a week early.
Yes, we made it safe and sound back to Coppet. Just wasn’t planning on that uphill walk to the train station in Nyon! HA!
Stay well,
-Derek
CFF timetable is definitely wrong – but it isn’t their fault per se I don’t think. The timetable produced ‘centrally’ and perhaps CGN didn’t give the ‘authorities’ the correct information. CGN’s timetable clearly shows boat 105 running only in the Summer service starting Saturday 27/6. Having said that I would always (personally and recommend others to do so) go to the ‘horses mouth’. In this case I would have dealt directly with CGN – their web site seems to have a ticket purchase option.
Currently it is advisable to also check the website of the (small) transport operator und not only SBB ch. Even though SBB provides the central schedule for all Switzerland there are so any changes in the schedules of Bergbahnen and boats that they might not have sync properly. The process is designed for schedule change twice a year and not for such often changes as in the Covid Situation.
For Rigi Bahn eg we had more trains running to Mittlerschwanden than listed in the SBB schedule during the reduced service period.
Hi there,
I have a little bit similar experiences. We were lucky in this short story.
Beginning of June we have been to the Jungfrau region and the cable way from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp supposed to run in every half an hour, but they changed the timetable suddenly as there were so many people waiting for the cable way there. After they run in every 15 mins on that day. Of course if you checked the timetables online you could only see the original version of it.
Ildiko
“Even though SBB provides the central schedule for all Switzerland “
As I mentioned in my previous post, the timetable is ultimately actually not SBB’s responsibility. Creating the timetable comes under the direction of the Federal Office for Transport (BAV / OFT)
Hi Ildiko –
<<“….. supposed to run in every half an hour, but they changed the timetable suddenly as there were so many people waiting for the cable way there. After they run in every 15 mins on that day….”>>
My experience from many years of visiitng the BO is that they add extra services or trains quite frequently if there is a heavy passenger load. A bit confusing if you don’t expect it. 😉
Slowpoke
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