Swiss-austria travel options

Hi, we are on a ski holiday, travelling from Zurich to Zermatt (on the Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt). Then travelling from Zermatt to St Anton am Arlberg, then back to Zurich to fly home. We are not sure whether the best train pass option is the Eurail Swiss-Austria saver pass or the Swiss flexi saver pass. It appears the Eurail pass does not cover the Glacier Express and some other mountain railway options, however it does cover the Austrian part of the trip. Any advice on what is most cost effective? Thanks.

Hello sadlee, and welcome to the forum. There are indeed some important differences between the Swiss Pass and the Eurail Austria-Switzerland Pass. For example: the Eurail Austria-Switzerland Pass doesn't cover urban transportation in larger cities, a part of the Glacier Express and quite some mountain trains and cable cars, whereas the Swiss Pass does cover these options. So if it's important to you to make your Glacier Express journey entirely for free, and to use mountain lifts and trains, the Swiss Saver Pass would be the better choice. This could be supplemented with an Austrian rail pass, such as the Austria Pass. However, if the trip from the Swiss border to St. Anton am Arlberg and back is the only rail trip you'll be making in Austria, it's probably cheaper to purchase regular train tickets for this.

I hope this helps you decide! Good luck and have a beautiful stay in Switzerland and Austria.

Thankyou Annika,

That is really helpful advice. We are really looking forward to our holiday.

Actually, I have another question.
How do you go about booking seats on swiss trains? is it possible to do in advance to guarantee a seat?

Many thanks.

Hi sadlee. I'm glad this advice has helped you out. As for seat reservation: this isn't necessary for most Swiss trains. Only international train journeys (such as the trip from Zermatt to St. Anton am Arlberg) and scenic trips (such as the Glacier Express) require seat reservation. This can be arranged for online and in advance. Our page on seat reservation will provide you with the right information. Please let me know if any questions remain!

Best regards,