Chance to choose specific seats in Glacier Express

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 April 2017 at 9:17:50 #811577

    Hi ,with your guidance, our group have buy the Swiss travel pass. We have reserved seats for Golden Train from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost and had experienced that we can choose the seats as preferred. Is this the same when we reserve seats for the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz ?.This is important to us as we are travelling in a group of eight including seniors.

    thank you for your reply and assistance

    ms LAI SO FUN

  • Effortlessly learn from the questions and answers in the forum. Receive a daily e-mail with new discussions.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 April 2017 at 11:55:50 #862339

    >> We have reserved seats for Golden Train from Lucerne to Interlaken Ost and had experienced that we can choose the seats as preferred. Is this the same when we reserve seats for the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz ?.This is important to us as we are travelling in a group of eight

    Yes, you can reserve 8 seats together (two groups of 4) if you book early enough.

    The seats selected automatically by the booking system will be green on the seat booking diagram, and may not be together. If you don’t like the seats selected automatically, you can click on any green seat to deselect it, then click on an alternative seat of your preference. The light grey seats are already booked, so you can’t select them. The dark grey seats are currently available, so you can click on any of them to reserve them, and they will turn green.

    I have attached two screen shots of the Glacier Express booking system, for a booking for 8 people on a random day in May. The first screenshot shows the seats selected by the booking system. The second screenshot shows how I changed the booked seats so that all 8 passengers are seated near each other.

    You can book seats here:

    shop.glacierexpress.ch /gex_en

    Alpenrose

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 April 2017 at 12:20:01 #862340

    Thank you Alpenrose

    I can follow your steps to reserve seats for the journey in coming August

    good day

    Ms LAI SO FUN

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 April 2017 at 15:11:27 #862341

    Hi Alpenrose

    I have been trying for days to deselect and reselect seats on that site exactly as you say but have failed in every attempt! I am quite sure I was able to do this last year so have no idea why it won’t work this time around. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

    Maggie

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    27 April 2017 at 16:07:13 #862342

    I had tried out to-night and same thing happened as Maggie . I select one seat in green and the computer stops for any step. It just hung on the previous stage.

    Any assistance in this step?

    Thank you indeed for the advices

    Ms LAI SO FIN

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    27 April 2017 at 20:57:25 #862343

    Hi Maggie,

    Have you tried a different browser?

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 1:28:47 #862344

    >> I have been trying for days to deselect and reselect seats on that site exactly as you say but have failed in every attempt! I am quite sure I was able to do this last year so have no idea why it won’t work this time around. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

    Hi Maggie (and Lai So Fun),

    I don’t think it’s anything you’re doing wrong – rather, a buggy web page. I’ve been able to replicate the same problem on my computer. It seems to be an intermittent problem – sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

    Two ways have worked for me in getting the screen to “unfreeze” and allow the de-selection of the green seats in order to choose alternative ones:

    – Refreshing/reloading the page. That takes you back to where you enter the departure/arrival, date and class details, so you have to do that again.

    – Just clicking around on the seats at random also got it working once!!

    What sort of device are you using, and what browser? I am using a netbook PC with Windows 8.1, and have tried it successfully (with refreshes etc) using Internet Explorer 11 and Firefox 53.

    I doubt if it’s relevant in this case, but another thing that’s often recommended with webpage problems is deleting the browser cache, including cookies. In Internet Explorer 11, the command is Tools | Delete browsing history, then ticking the boxes for Temporary internet files and website files and Cookies and website data.

    Let us know how you go!

    Alpenrose

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 1:34:17 #862345

    Thank you Rockoyster

    I had tried it with computer and IPad, same situations happened. Most importance of all is: the reserving system does not select seats among us, it offers seats at different points . As a result, we cannot sit together during the 7.5 hours journey. Any resolution to this?

    Hope for your guidance.

    Thank you

    MS LAI SO FUN

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    28 April 2017 at 2:48:22 #862346

    Hello MS LAI SO FUN,

    Alpenrose has covered the likely problems and possible solutions. If you are trying to book for August I am surprised you even get to see the seating arrangements. I thought they only took reservations 3 months in advance.

    I just tried booking for 8 on a random date in July. The seats where allocated all over the carriage but I was able to re-arrange the into 2 groups of 4. See attached. I am using Safari on a MacBook.

    If you have a Mac close the Glacier Express website then go into Safari Preferences -> Privacy -> Manage Website Data. Do a search on Glacier, select the Glacier Express entry and click Remove, then Done. See second image attached below. Not sure if this will help but it is worth a try (assuming you have a Mac). If Windows then try instructions from Alpenrose o clearing cookies etc.

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 3:28:55 #862347

    Thank you Rockoyster

    I don’t have a MAC book, I think I will try Alpenrose ‘s advice as I have the windows version at home. I will try to pick a random day before August. Hope I can make it

    Thank you so much

    MS LAI SO FUN

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 14:07:41 #862348

    Hi Alpenrose (and others)

    I tried again on another device but had same problem! I had contacted Rhaetian railways by email for advice a couple of days ago but they couldn’t help – I was given a phone number to try which is what I have just resorted to this afternoon. I spoke to a young man who spoke excellent English. He says they have made changes to the website this season are having problems with it which they are currently trying to fix but he doesn’t know how long it will take.

    Because we are travelling in high season, I was worried in case the train we need to use would become fully booked if I waited and asked if it was possible to book with him directly — he said he could do that for me but instead of receiving booking by email to print, I would need to pick up the reservation at the railway station instead. That is no problem as we are in St. Moritz for the week preceding our trip so plenty of time to collect it.

    He reserved for me 2 window seats at table for 2 which is what I wanted – I had to give him details of date, time, departure and destination stations, name address and credit card details. The seats are now reserved!!! I have been given a reservation number to use to pick up the paperwork.

    The telephone number I used is 0041 81 288 65 65

    Thanks to everyone for advice and suggestions – hope website gets fixed soon and others can make reservations successfully.

    That was the final piece in the jigsaw for our trip so we are now ready for anything and everything – all bookings complete! Flights Birmingham into Zurich and return, 1 week in hotel in St. Moritz, Glacier Express to Brig from where we transfer to Thun. (We will send big cases ahead by express rate – this should cost 54chf – 12chf per case + 30chf for express transfer ) Our hostess has offered to collect us from Thun to take us to apartment in Uetendorf, where we will stay for 3 weeks. Our STPs are ordered and paid for. We opted for 2 consecutive 15 day passes each to cover our month’s stay – 1st class as we are in high season (we also like the upper decks on the numerous boat trips we will probably take!)

    I have an extensive list of possible excursions (with researched train schedules etc.) on a USB memory stick – I take my laptop along so I can do last minute searches for trains and weather forecasts – it also has big e-book library which saves carrying paper versions!

    My thanks to all for help in my planning etc., especially Alpenrose for some great ideas for the Engadine portion of our trip.

    Best wishes

    Maggie

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 16:43:06 #862349

    You are definitely ready to go!

    Thanks very much for the information on your reservation odyssey!

    Have a great trip!

    Lucas

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    28 April 2017 at 17:21:50 #862350

    Hi Lucas

    Yes all ready to go now!

    I thought it would be useful for you to know about the problem with their website in case other travellers contacted you with the same problem and asked for advice. Hopefully they will fix the glitch soon but in the meantime the telephone could be the way to go if people are anxious about waiting.

    Maggie

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    29 April 2017 at 2:23:09 #862351

    >> I was given a phone number to try which is what I have just resorted to this afternoon.

    Hi Maggie, I’m glad you found a way of getting your reservations done now, so that you don’t have to worry about missing out in high season.

    The information you have given about the process will be great for anyone else who has to resort to a telephone booking, and will enable them to be prepared, with all the necessary information on hand before they make the phone call.

    >> That was the final piece in the jigsaw for our trip so we are now ready for anything and everything – all bookings complete!

    First class is a nice choice for travelling in high season, and using Swiss Travel Passes for the whole trip is absolutely the best for convenience, spontaneity and flexibility! Sending your luggage ahead will add to your comfort too. I hope you enjoy your new apartment in Uetendorf as much as you did the one in Thun! It will be nice to have the opportunity to practice speaking German again as well.

    Looking forward to hearing all about your trip at the end of the summer, and wishing I were back there again this year too!

    Alpenrose

  • The thread ‘Chance to choose specific seats in Glacier Express’ is closed to new replies.

About MySwissAlps

We’re passionate tourists and locals. We share tips about how to plan a trip to Switzerland. MySwissAlps was founded in 2002.

Get a free account for a worry-free trip

  • Join our 10730 members and ask us questions in the forum
  • Access to member-only promotions
  • Detailed maps and weather forecasts

Planning your first Switzerland adventure?

Get a jump-start with Annika’s 20-minute e-mail course, “Switzerland for beginners”. Subscribe to our newsletter to unlock the course.