[Removed user]

7 October 2014 at 0:04:30 #806679

Hi. Please could you advise best route to travel as a family of four (teenagers age 14 and 16) from Paris to Interlaken (prefer not to use direct TGV which arrives late at night). We are travelling in January and spending three nights in Interlaken before going to Venice by train. Please could you help us selecting a suitable rail pass to cover these journeys, including some sightseeing in Interlaken area. With many thanks.

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[Arno]

7 October 2014 at 7:26:33 #841201

Hi susanb,

Either a Swiss Pass or a Swiss Half Fare Card could suit your plans. Please see the links and this page for how to choose between them.

Normally the quickest way would be to take a TGV from Paris to Basel (Switzerland). These trains need to be booked in advance. From Basel onwards, both of the suggested passes are valid and you don’t need to book seats. Another option is to take a TGV to Geneva or Lausanne, and then travel via Montreux and Zweisimmen to Interlaken (the Golden Pass route). See here for how to book TGV tickets. Traveling times for all the routes are in the timetable. Traveling times for January will be available from mid October.

How to book the journey to Venice is explained here.

Does this help you out?

[Removed user]

8 October 2014 at 0:54:46 #841202

Thank you Arno. That was very helpful. I just wonder if we can go to Venice from Interlaken via Spiez and Brig instead of going to Milan? If so, how do we book these tickets if we have a Swiss Pass to cover only part of the trip?

[Arno]

8 October 2014 at 4:31:57 #841203

Hi susanb,

The Spiez-Brig route is also going through Milan. It’s one and the same route. So you’d get the tickets as explaned in the other post: nothing to book for Interlaken – Spiez (just board any train with your Swiss Pass), book Spiez to Milan with the pass to get part of it free, book Milan to Venice separately.

[Removed user]

8 October 2014 at 6:25:00 #841204

Hi Arno, Thanks again. Sbb timetable shows an Interlaken to Venice Route that goes via Spiez and Brig then via Milan but no change of train in Milan. Can I book the entire route on SBB and indicate we have swiss passes? If not, it seems I have to book raileurope in separate sections even though not changing in Milan and hope to be booking the train which goes straight through to Venice. Is that correct? Thanks a lot.

[Arno]

8 October 2014 at 7:01:56 #841205

Hi again susanb,

Actually this can’t be checked yet as the timetable for January will not be released until around mid October. Currently there are no direct trains from Spiez to Venice that I am aware of, nor have I heard of any direct trains being offered in the new timetable. There’s always a change in Milan. Just be clear: you can book Spiez to Venice as a single ticket through Rail Europe. I just warned in the other post about them not showing all the connections if you fill out that trip. But if it happens to show the connection you plan to take (I saw the one departing from Spiez at 8.36 AM), then you can just book that in one go. It’s still with a change in Milan though. If you have another departure time in mind, then book the two legs separately and more options will be shown.

You can book through the SBB site, but in your case it makes sense to just buy the tickets and the rail pass of choice in one order from your local reseller (Rail Europe). They ship the documents from Australia while SBB ships from Switzerland which results in high shipping costs (I think around CHF 80 or so). You can get an additional discount with Rail Europe, and pay in your own currency (no exchange rate costs), so all in all it should be a good option.

Apart from shipping, SBB also offers to collect the tickets from a staffed SBB station. That’s a possibility, although it’s more convenient to have them at hand right away. That goes for the rail pass especially, which can be activated by the staff of the train to Basel, so it won’t take you time upon arrival. You can switch to the next connecting train immediately.

I hope this answers your questions.

Kind regards,

Arno

[Removed user]

8 October 2014 at 7:46:34 #841206

Hi Arno, sorry to bother you again! I will perhaps get back to you if necessary once timetables are available however just wanted to let you know that the train I actually saw was direct from Brig to Venice without a change in Milan, departs 9.44am on current schedule. Seems to be only one and may not run in Winter.

thanks again for all your excellent info re booking procedures.

[Arno]

8 October 2014 at 8:02:26 #841207

Hi susunb,

You are right, from Brig there is a direct train (it originates from Geneva). It doesn’t make a difference for the number of changes though: one either changes in Spiez and Milan, or Spiez and Brig. Brig is slightly easier because it’s a smaller station than Milan. I expect that train to be available in Winter too; we’ll soon know! You can book it through Rail Europe, as one ticket, too.

Feel free post back here if you have further questions!

[Removed user]

8 October 2014 at 8:13:50 #841208

Thanks Arno, that’s the one I was hoping we could take to Venice and glad you could confirm it and explain it to me. I will keep an eye out for the new timetable. Thanks again for all your help with my questions.