Need some clarity on Italy to Switzerland train

Hi,

I am finishing up a week of travel in Lake Como, Italy on 6/16/12. I then plan on taking a train from Lake Como to Wengen that day. There is also a possibility that I will accompany my travel partners to the Milan airport before training to Wengen on that day. I was just starting to research which Swiss discount rail pass (I’ll refer to it from here on out as generic 'RailPass' since I don’t know yet which variety I’ll be using) would be appropriate for me and I became confused as to how the Italian and Swiss Railroads interact with each other regarding recognition of train passes. I am sure that regardless of whether I originate from Lake Como or Milan that a Swiss RailPass obviously has no effect but I’m not sure as to when I cross into Switzerland on a train that originated in Italy what will be covered by a RailPass. In addition to getting from Italy to Wengen I will also be staying in Wengen for 4 days and very likely be using trains there as well. I then train to Lucerne for a 2 day stay before taking a train to Zurich for my flight back to the States. So, I have two questions:

1. Can anybody enlighten me as to what if any part of my journey from Italy to Wengen by train would be covered by a RailPass.
2. Given my itinerary, any suggestions as to which RailPass would be most appropriate. I’ll be traveling solo.

Thanks. Rob

Hello Rob, and welcome to the forum! All Swiss rail passes will become valid from specific border stations onwards. For most connections from Italy to Switzerland, this is Domodosolla; in some other cases it's Chiasso. If you use the timetable to plan your inbound trip, you'll see which one applies to your connection. This means that you have to buy a regular ticket up to Domodossola or Chiasso. From there on, your Swiss rail pass will take over. Depending on which pass you take, you will either enjoy free traveling or a 50% discount.

Which pass is best, can only be said for sure once some detailed calculations have been made. As for now, I'd say you should look into either the Swiss Half Card or a 3 day Swiss Saver Flexi Pass. Both have a detail page (I just linked to) listing all details, purchase options and a downloadable map showing the area of validity.

Does that get you started? You're welcome to get back with further questions!

Hello Rob! Either a Swiss Card or a Swiss Half Fare Card would be best indeed. The FAQ I referred to in my previous post may help you to calculate which one is cheapest. as for the Swiss Card: the "round trip" doesn't have to start and end at/from the same town. You can get to any destination in Switzerland during your free inbound trip, and depart from any (other) destination back the airport or border station during the free outbound trip. So you could use it for Lugano-Wengen and Lucerne-Zurich Airport. I hope this helps you decide.