[Removed user]

13 July 2017 at 14:15:18 #812609

We just got back from a 3 week tour of Switzerland and hope to write a trip report soon. But I was wondering what would have happened if we had gotten on a reservation required train without a reservation. Several of them had lots of room on them and not having a reservation would have given us more flexibility with the interesting weather we encountered the last few weeks.

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[Removed user]

14 July 2017 at 4:19:00 #866795

Hi Mvmomcat,

In the official SBB timetable for the Glacier Express it states:

Seat reservation obligatory. Reservations can be made at all railway stations. Passengers without a valid seat reservation are not entitled to transport.

Every time I have travelled on a train where a reservation was compulsory, the conductor has asked to see the reservation as well as my travel pass. I don’t know what they would do if you didn’t have it. I would guess you would be given the opportunity to pay for the reservation plus a fine, which I believe would be at least CHF 70 (partly-valid ticket, first offence).

Even though you had a reservation, there would be nothing to stop you from getting off the panorama train at any stop that took your fancy, and continuing your journey on a later regional train which doesn’t require a reservation. Or you could of course do the whole trip on regional trains without a reservation, providing the maximum in flexibility.

If you have a reservation, and there are vacant unreserved seats, there is also no reason why you couldn’t sit in one of the vacant seats instead of your own reserved seat.

Alpenrose