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Hello,
I’d like to get advice on part of my Glacier Express ride.
I plan to leave Lugano in the morning to catch the Glacier Express at Andermatt. SBB provides a route leaving from Lugano to Bellinzona, and from there to Göschenen to connect another train to Andermatt. The train will arrive Göschenen Platform 1 at 10:08 and I will walk to platform 11 to catch another train to Andermatt (R 44 637) at 10:12.
I am a bit nervous because carrying my luggage I will have only 4 minutes to make my connection at Göschenen. Does anyone know how long is the walk from Platform 1 to 11? Are there directions/signs to clearly identify platform 11?
Please advise. Thank you! Letty
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Hi Letty,
No worries. The distance between Platform 1 and Platform 11 is just 25 metres. You just need to walk across Platform 1 through the tiny station to get to the other side (Platform 11).
On the SBB timetable, you can click on Show the Map icon on your selected connection to get the direction.
Regards,
Anna
Goeschenen is a small station and the main line platform used by northbound train from Lugano is next door to the platform used by the narrow gauge train up to Andermatt.
All connections in Switzerland between trains are designed to be achievable – 4 minutes is longer than it seems
That’s good to know! Many thanks to Anna and 1960man for your quick responses! Letty
Hi all,
It’s me again.
Today is the first day I can make reservation for Glacier Express for September. I want to book the portion from Andermatt to Chur. When I made reservations, I discovered the following which is odd.
After I selected from Andermatt to Chur, I received a message saying that there are no connections available.
To checked things out, I tried the following for the same date and found that:
From Zermatt to Chur – 23 seats available
From Zermatt to Andermatt – 23 seats available.
From Andermatt to Chur – no seats available
from Andermatt to Tiefencastel – 23 seats available
from Andermatt to Filisur – 23 seats available
It appears that “there are no connections available” was a misleading statement. The express will pick up passengers from Andermatt to Tiefencastel, Filisur, and St. Moritz. But why not from Andermatt to Chur? Does anyone have any Idea?
Thanks, Letty
Hi Letty,
I went on the Glacier Express website and tried booking a random seat. I find it strange that you can’t get a seat from Andermatt to Chur when there are more than 10 available seats from Andermatt to St Moritz. If your date is fixed, I recommend booking a seat from Brig to Chur or Andermatt to St Moritz (seat reservation might cost slightly more but you’ll have peace of mind). Alternatively, you might have to travel on a different day.
Would this work for you?
Anna
Hi Letty,
I think this is what you could do:
- Contact the Glacier Express company and double-check if their info on the Andermatt-Chur stretch for your travel date is correct.
- Take Anna’s suggestion to book for a slightly longer stretch. Select Andermatt as your departure station in that case. If you book from a station earlier on the route but your seat is empty before you board in Andermatt, the train personnel might think you didn’t show up. They could theoretically assign your seats to last-minute travelers (who have made a booking at a rail station just before boarding).
- Consider a different class. I’m not sure if you were looking for 2nd or 1st class seats. The other class might have seats for your stretch and date. Make sure you arrange for a rail pass or ticket for the appropriate class too: http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress/tickets.
I tried both 1st and 2nd class but received the same result that no seats are available from Andermatt to Chur. Are there other trains running on the same route as the Glacier Express does? If it does, how can I tell from the SBB’s suggested connections? My final destination for that day is BUCHS SC to catch a train at 15:54. Thanks! Letty
Hi Letty,
Yes, there are regular trains running on the Glacier Express route. On the SBB timetable, the Glacier Express is labelled as PE. Anything else are considered regular trains. Do take note that the Glacier Express is the only direct train between Zermatt and St Moritz. So if you plan to take the regular train from Andermatt to Chur, you might need to switch trains a few times. Based on the SBB timetable, you can take the 12.28 train from Andermatt and reach Buchs SG at 15.45. You will need to switch trains at Disentis and Chur.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Anna
Thank you Anna! It’s a comfort to know there are other options. I will continue to check with Glacier Express for availability. Letty
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