Impossible to book Gotthard Panoramic Express
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Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 0:28:00 #881442
Cannot believe I am here again
Finally the day arrives I can book all my 30 day out tickets
Alas fail at every turn
1. Cannot login because I do not have a swiss pass I bought from you so I cannot register or login online
2. System down for some maintenance
3. Never mind I find my login from history which incorrectly records my user name but I correct and manage to login (no idea how to correct permanently) to ticket office. Individual ticket location does not show 9.23 direct train at all. Have not bothered trying to re-find the boat tix yet.
Just want to rant that I think Swiss websites, information and booking procedures are terrible for overseas tourists. I am very computer literate and have booked trains online all over the world and have to say Switzerland is the worst, much to my surprise
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 0:44:25 #881443Oh dear.
1. There is no connection between the Swiss Travel Pass or the Swiss Half Fare Card and your ability to login. For SBB on-line tickets, like any other on-line shop, you need an SBB account and because you are not Swiss you won’t have a Swiss Pass account. You’re username is whatever you used to create the account. Not sure how it can be “incorrect”. You bought your “pass” from a retailer linked to from MySwissAlps. This site doesn’t sell passes.
2. Maintenance happens usually in wee small hours. Time zones can be a pain.
3. If you have your reservation already why not just save yourself the hassle and just buy the ticket at any station in Switzerland you happen to be passing. The actual departure time is not relevant for the ticket. Only the reservation. You just need a ticket for that day for the route – Lugano to Flüelen via Göschenen.
Does that help? Or did you already get it off your chest and I’ve just made it worse again? 😇
Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 1:26:29 #8814441. I worked around this and managed to login and even managed to book the boat but when i tried to pay the payment from my credit card failed, notwithstanding it is the same card I used previously and had stored
2. yup
3. I do not want to do this. I am travelling on my own with luggage. I do not want to waste my limited holiday time trying to figure out which and how to use the ticket machine and maybe have problems with credit card payment or queueing up at a ticket office.
So I tried again but his time I did not worry that I can no longer find the 9.23 Gotthard express in the dropdown menu and just book an individual ticket for the day; same for boat.
On the individual ticket drop down menu there is no Fluelen (See) nor Luzerne (Bahnhofquai)
Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 1:50:53 #881445so I cancelled and re-saved 2 credit cards
went back into place where I can find the Gotthard express and boat
it does not seem you can buy and save both to cart and have to do one at a time
so i go for train first and get this result-see screenshot
Attachments:Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 2:30:41 #881446So I try again but when I get to payment screen it asks me to login with my swiss pass, which as you know I cannot do. You cannot just go back but have to start all over again. I did this and now decide I will just check out as a guest even though i have an SSB login and get this result-see screenshot
Attachments:rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 2:55:35 #881447As regards Flüelen (See) and Luzern Bahnhofquia not appearing in drop-down menu you are right some drop downs are mor fussy than others. If you enter “Fluee” (the “uee” is in case you can’t type “üe”) you should see the (See) if you enter “Luzern B” you should see the Bahnhofquai. Then if you choose 12:00 departure time the first entry should be the steamer (BAV) you want.
But, if you can’t logon to the SBB ticket shop then you can’t buy a ticket.
Sorry KS but I have no idea what going on with your shopping problem. If you have lost your password you should be able to get it reset or sent to your email address.
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 3:02:38 #881448In fact if you put in the timetable Lugano to Luzern departing 9:23 the entire GPEX comes up in first spot. (attachment 1)
But when I go to try to buy a ticket I get an error. (attachment 2)
It’s not just you. 😖
For fear of sounding like a broken record I’ll repeat my advice to buy the tickets at ANY station on ANY day in Switzerland. There must be some possibility you will be walking past a ticket office when you don’t have a suitcase in tow.
Or if that doesn’t suit try advice Arno provided just above your post at http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/impossible-to-book-gotthard-panoramic-express#hBhPq6DW9mqS6v 8AAFcRTQ dated April 8.
Attachments:Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 5:28:45 #881449Having practised all day I am convinced the system is not operating properly
1. The train ticket -click to buy ticket just gets an error
2. the boat-can get all the way to paying but then payment not accepted.
It makes no difference whether I log in or proceed as a guest.
As to Arno’s advice it is not clear that this journey from Lugano to Lucerne Quay is by boat so not happy to risk this.
I am never without luggage until I get to Lucerne.
I will try again on weekend as I am determined to succeed.
If you work for SBB pls do ask them to review all this-their IT systems are truly awful-am sure they lose a lot of business
rockoysterParticipant8889 postsRemoved userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 5:57:11 #881451haha too funny-they should pay you
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 6:03:04 #881452The staff in the ticket office at Lugano Station are really friendly if that’s any use to you. I stuffed up my GPEX tickets and they fixed it in a flash. Even gave me a refund for the wrong ticket I bought.
Removed userParticipant72625 postsrockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 6:56:40 #881454Well there you go.
This could be a case of the blind leading the blind.
I just tried buying a ticket using the SBB mobile app and I now see what you mean by the Swiss Pass login. I haven’t bought a ticket since May/June 2017 when there used to be a seperate SBB Ticket Shop login. Somewhere along the way they changed over to everyone needing a Swiss Pass login (even if you didn’t have a Swiss Pass). Confused yet.
Anyway the point to all this rambling is to ask if you had tried using the mobile app.
I found the train and boat legs quite easily. Whether I could go on to buy tickets is another matter. I don’t have a credit card registered so couldn’t get past that part.
Hopefully Arno will chime back in soon.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 7:26:35 #881455Sorry to jump in late…and correct me if I missed it but we are just looking for tickets right? The reservation was done? Why don’t we just buy a Saver Day Pass?
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 7:31:56 #881456Genius! 👏👏👏
I knew the forest was hiding the trees for me. Spent too much time in there.
Removed userParticipant72625 postsRemoved userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 7:39:02 #881458i try the app but not in the least bit confident
rockoysterParticipant8889 posts2 May 2018 at 7:45:40 #881459With Swiss Half Fare Card the Saver Day Pass is as low as CHF29 for the entire trip. Good deal if you can get it at the best price. Don’t delay.
Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 10:10:43 #881460Yes, the Swiss Half Fare Card then lets you buy the Saver Day Pass for as low as 29chf if bought far enough out.
That’s much cheaper than the ticket itself and you can travel almost anywhere on the SDP you want that day. 🙂Removed userParticipant72625 posts2 May 2018 at 12:51:19 #881461Thanks Lucas
I thought I looked at this one time on my countless hours on this project and the Saver Day Pass did not apply to the actual 9.23 Gotthard Express Panoramic train which is direct to Fluelen
i don’t want to change trains with my luggage
Any input please on why I could not select tix or pay today
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