[JoeL]

16 August 2018 at 8:17:27 #817909

Hi

Can the card be purchased in Malpensa Airport or Como Italy? I heard that it cannot be purchased in Switzerland. Does the card cover all lifts and boats from Lucerne to Rigi? Coes it cover all lifts in Zermatt? I only saw one lift on the site. I only have one trains two take – from Lucerne to Zermatt and from Lucerne to Meirgenn and was debating if it is worthwhile to purchase the card.

Thanks

Joe

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[Removed user]

16 August 2018 at 12:57:02 #894332

Hi joe and welcome to MySwissAlps!

It is just the opposite actually. It’s harder to buy the Swiss Half Fare Card outside of Switzerland if you want it from a train station or travel agency, but getting it online is easy.

I would recommend buying it online as you can then use it for your travel into Switzerland (you have to get to Lucerne). http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard/price

Is Lucerne where you are going to from Milan or Como?

You can see what all is covered by the Swiss Half Fare Card here (and by covered we mean 50% off like the name suggests). 🙂 http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard/validi ty

Essentially every trip you make in Switzerland is 50% off with the SHFC (boat, train, cable car, bus).

You can use our spreadsheet on the following link to do the math and compare point to point tickets to the discounted SHFC tickets to see if it saves you money after you factor in the purchase price: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass

For tickets from Italy to Switzerland look here: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/italy/price

[JoeL]

16 August 2018 at 16:08:11 #894333

I am arriving from Lucerne from Como Italy on Aug 22. Then from Lucerne to Meirgenn on Aug 26. Connecting to my travel group at Meirgenn. They will drop me off in Lucerne on Sept. 1 and I will take the train To Zermatt. Then from Zermatt to Malpensa airport Italy and home .

From what I read it is not worth the price to get off the trains from Italy and switch to a Swiss train or vice versa. The only swiss train rides planned are what I wrote. What do you think?

What does the occupancy rate mean and why is there a number 1 and 2 there. If it is red color what does that mean. Is it wise to order the tickets in advance?

Thanks

Joe

[Removed user]

17 August 2018 at 6:16:48 #894334

Hi Joe,

You don’t need to switch trains from Italian to Swiss due to your tickets or rail pass.

If you are leaving from Como S. Govanni for example, you would take a train to Lucerne via Lugano (change trains there) and possibly elsewhere. There are no direct trains,you’ll have between 1 and 3 train changes. The timetable here will give you details from Swiss railways: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

So you can buy 1 ticket from Como to Lucerne (easiest but maybe most expensive)

or if you buy a rail pass, a ticket from Como to Chiasso (Swiss border town) and another ticket/pass for the rest of the trip within Switzerland.

I’d guess a Swiss Half Fare Card may be worth it for you to save on the trips you make around Switzerland – especially if you do any mountain trips in Zermatt (or Lucerne, on your own if you have time).

If you are confident you won’t do any mountain excursions, or any other trips in Switzerland other than to Lucerne, to Zermatt and to Malpensa airport (and keeping things as simple as possible rather than saving as much as possible) point to point tickets may not be much more expensive.

Occupancy rate means how busy the train is expected to be: 1 “figure” is not busy; 2 “figures” are fairly busy and 3 “red figures” are very busy and seating may be limited. The #1 means 1st class and #2 is 2nd class.