[Toff]

29 July 2022 at 16:46:59 #827915

Hello! Two of us have a Glacier Express reservation on 05 Sept for the Chur to Brig leg. We then need to go from Brig to Lauterbrunnen. A “best choice” train for our schedule leaves Brig at 16:48. We have Swiss Travel Passes that will be good on that day, but the map seems to indicate (red dashed line) that part of the journey may be at a reduced fee, but not fully free with our pass. I’ve read in several places that you do not need to reserve a train…..just “hop on”. As a planner who likes to minimize risk, this makes me uncomfortable. The train ticket websites I have visited do not seem to allow the entry of Swiss Travel Pass information and this Brig to Lauterbrunnen journey does not allow seat reservations. Does anyone have advice on what I should do to “secure” the Brig to Lauterbrunnen rail journey? Or am I supposed to relax (it’s only an 8 minute lag between Glacier Express arrival and Brig to Lauterbrunnen departure)? As a person not familiar with Europe, it just seems odd to me that, during tourist season, I don’t need to worry about space being available. Thank you so much for listening.

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[Anna]

29 July 2022 at 17:26:31 #944915

Hi Toff,

Welcome to MySwissAlps.

The Swiss Travel Pass is valid on any route from Brig to Lauterbrunnen. The red dashed line you see on the map indicates a tunnel. So you’ll be travelling through a tunnel on some part of the journey. And yes, the Swiss Travel Pass allows you to hop on and hop off as you wish. There is no need to make seat reservations. This is explained in detail here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/reservations.

And don’t worry, the 8-minute transfer time should be sufficient to catch the 16.48 Brig to Lauterbrunnen train. If you miss that connection, you can always catch the next train. You can check train schedules here: http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable

Hope this gets you going.

Regards,

Anna

[Toff]

29 July 2022 at 22:32:30 #944916

Anna, thank you so much for that quick and complete response. We look forward to our visit.

Chris. (Toff)

[Arno]

30 July 2022 at 8:27:21 #944917

Hi Chris!

You don’t need to enter a Swiss Travel Pass number anywhere. You can travel without additional tickets on all free routes (https://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/howtouse). And if you do need additional tickets, you can buy them wherever you like without a product number or account. The SBB website may ask for a SwissPass number, but that’s something very different: http://www.myswissalps.com/swisstravelpass/details.

Seat reservations aren’t required for the vast majority of Swiss trains: https://www.myswissalps.com/train/reservations. If you’d like to learn a bit more about how train traveling in Switzerland works, this page may help: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel. It’s an easy and very efficient system. I think you’ll like it :-).

[Toff]

30 July 2022 at 12:18:34 #944918

Thank you, Arno! I had read some, not all, of the website details and took another look. It was interesting to learn about things like trains that split into two destinations, about quiet zones, and about button requests to get on and off in small towns. The website is a wonderful source of information, as is the forum. I love trains and am familiar with the excellent reputation of the Swiss system. I look forward very much to experiencing it. One conclusion I have reached from the responses is that the normal trains (not the panoramic trains) rarely fill to capacity..or that if they do, a traveler simply needs to wait for the next one. I think (this is just my opinion) that the average American is accustomed to that for local transit, e.g., subways and city buses, but that they expect to secure a reservation for a longer journey. I realize I could do that by purchasing a full price ticket, but then I wouldn’t be taking advantage of the Swiss Travel Pass. Anyway, with the help of your and Anna’s replies, I have a better understanding of what to do and what to expect. Thank you so much!

Chris (user: Toff)

P.S. Information just for your entertainment: I studied German for 4 years in high school. My given full name is Chris, not Christopher. My German language teacher decided, as a result, that I should be called Toff, not Kristoffel …..with the umlaut over the o, of course. My best friends from high school have called me Toff ever since. 45 years later.

[Anna]

30 July 2022 at 14:00:00 #944919

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the extra information 🙂

During peak times, regular trains do get filled up especially the second class carriages. You have the option to upgrade to 1st class if you wish, wait until someone gets off and a seat becomes available, or like you said, just wait for the next train.

Enjoy your trip.

Regards,

Anna

[Removed user]

30 July 2022 at 20:56:08 #944920

If I am reading correctly, you are from the USA. If I am correct, then here are a few comments based on 60 years of travelling on railways in Switzerland, and as a railway author and expert in general

1) unless something really extremely unusual happens, you will never have to “wait for the next train” on the main lines of the Swiss national railway network

2) Bern – Lauterbrunnen journey will not include any request stops (this will only be needed if you want to stop of in the middle of the countryside for a hike for whatever reason, or you are staying at a rural chalet or camp site.

3) Passenger railways in Switzerland, and other major European countries are nothing like the largely inefficient, infrequent and often badly organised USA passenger railway system

4) you really do not need to make reservations on the regular trains of the main Swiss railway network

5) A journey from Bern to Lauterbrunnen is a shorter distance than some journeys across Greater New York

[Toff]

30 July 2022 at 21:47:29 #944921

Thank you for these insights! We look forward to rail travel in Switzerland.

Chris