Train Zurich airport to Zurich central station

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    27 March 2018 at 19:42:54 #815002

    May I take a train from Zurich airport to Zurich central station without a rail pass or Zurich card? If yes , how do I pay and how much does it cost? Alternately, Is there a bus from and to these points and How do I pay and how much does it cost? Thank you

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    rockoyster
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    27 March 2018 at 21:54:24 #880078

    Howdy Murphb33 and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

    Take a train it will get you there in 10 minutes for the princely sum of CHF6.80 for a ZVV – ZVV Individual ticket/Day Pass 3 ZONE.

    You can use the Swiss Train Timetable (http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable) to work out the fares for any trip. When you go to buy a ticket the fare you see on the right hand side of the page will normally be the half-fare price. Double it to get full fare.

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    28 March 2018 at 0:01:21 #880079

    >> May I take a train from Zurich airport to Zurich central station without a rail pass or Zurich card? If yes , how do I pay and how much does it cost? Alternately, Is there a bus from and to these points and How do I pay and how much does it cost?

    As an alternative to the train, you can also get a tram from the airport to Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station). It costs the same as the train: CHF 6.80 single trip in Zones 121 and 110 (which count as 3 zones), or CHF 13.60 for a 24-hour pass for those zones (if you were planning on taking more tram trips in the next 24 hours).

    Taking the tram would be a good idea if you were heading for a hotel in the vicinity of the “Central” tram stop, which is the last stop before Zürich Hauptbahnhof. It saves you a bit of a walk with luggage in tow.

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
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    28 March 2018 at 2:27:11 #880080

    Hi Alpenrose,

    Doesn’t the tram take nearly 50 minutes compared to the trains 10 mins? Or are there Express Trams?

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    28 March 2018 at 6:22:46 #880081

    No express trams (cool idea though!). So yes, that trip is a lot longer.

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    28 March 2018 at 6:25:00 #880082

    HI Murphb33,

    Do you mean the Central tram stop or Zurich HB (Zurich’s main train station)?

    What is your final destination that day? If you put it into the timetable you will get the most direct route options.

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    28 March 2018 at 13:41:04 #880083

    HB Zurich.Thanks

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    28 March 2018 at 13:53:23 #880084

    Thanks. I must not understand how to look up fares. When I did what I thought was the right way, I got 11.1o for second class. Please tell me how to do it correctly. Thankse

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    28 March 2018 at 13:56:11 #880085

    Did you use the Swiss railways timetable? Just enter Zurich airport to Zurich HB and it should give you 6.80chf

    rockoyster
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    28 March 2018 at 19:43:59 #880086

    On the page Lucas linked to use the advanced timetable on the right even though you are doing a simple search. It connects to the actual SBB site and gives the right price. The timetable on the left goes to a third-party site and gives a different price.

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    29 March 2018 at 8:38:02 #880087

    Hi rockoyster,

    >> Doesn’t the tram take nearly 50 minutes compared to the trains 10 mins?

    Typical journey time on the tram from Zürich Flughafen (airport) to the Central tram stop is 33 minutes, so it does indeed take longer than the train.

    However, my recommendation was very specific, i.e. for people departing from the airport (not heading for it) and staying at a hotel near the Central tram stop. There is quite a concentration of hotels in that area, which is in the Niederdorf quarter of the Altstadt (old town) and is an ideal area in which to stay, in my opinion.

    The advantage of the tram is that it drops you on the street, literally within 100 metres or so of many hotels. Tram floors are level with the stop platforms, so you have no steps to contend with in boarding and alighting with your luggage.

    The train is quicker from A to B, but likely as not, you will end up on an underground platform of Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station), from where you will need to get up to street level via several escalators or lifts, work out which of the many exits you need, go out the wrong one, then find the right one, then walk 5-10 minutes to the Central tram stop with luggage in tow (or find the right tram outside Zürich Hauptbahnhof to take you there). So to your 10 minute trip on the train, you could easily add another 10-15 minutes to get to a hotel near Central tram stop. By the time you get to Central, you have not saved more than a couple of minutes, compared with getting there on the tram.

    So, taking the tram is a doddle if your destination is close to Central tram stop (or elsewhere on the #10 tram route).

    Being a Melbourne resident, I also happen to love travelling on trams!

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
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    29 March 2018 at 8:50:39 #880088

    Have you met Bruce (of ABC’s ThinkTank fame)? Apparently he is Melbourne’s happiest tram driver. Last time I was in Melbourne I met an inspector, at a tram stop outside Flinders Street Station, who it transpired was the Australian Seniors Games Darts Champion but was bemoaning his inability to get to Tasmania to defend his title. We had a great chat about Swiss trains.

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    29 March 2018 at 8:51:05 #880089

    Always making a good point! 😉 The tram (#10) could work well for hotels near Central tram stop for sure.The timetable shows me 39 minutes which if on a newer tram could be a little nicer trip.

    The older trams still have stairs down to contend with though.

    Except the new tram #8 which is an old tram but with one wheelchair accessible middle section. Only one I’ve seen in Zurich! See attached.

    My friend with twins was quite excited about it as she always has to time it to get a new tram with the stroller. I took this pic for her because she didn’t believe me when I said there was an old tram that was stroller friendly!

    rockoyster
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    29 March 2018 at 8:58:07 #880090

    Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to Lugano? Probably won’t be much open there on Good Friday I guess. Looking forward to your report. Weather looking better for Sunday/Monday! 😎🇦🇺

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    29 March 2018 at 9:04:03 #880091

    We’re just there 2 nights (the friends have a SMALL bed for us) haha. Saturday to Monday.

    And yes, Saturday looks nicht so gut! 🙁

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    29 March 2018 at 9:25:05 #880092

    >> Have you met Bruce (of ABC’s ThinkTank fame)? Apparently he is Melbourne’s happiest tram driver.

    I have indeed travelled on his tram on several occasions! There are a few “colourful” personalities amongst Melbourne’s tram drivers and ticket inspectors.

    My last encounter with a ticket inspector was a little embarrassing! I was sitting in a seat at the very front of the tram, and an elderly passenger boarded and sat beside me. She said it was a bit of a nuisance to find her myki card (electronic ticket for public transport) in her bag , but it was probably best to “touch on” with it in case an inspector got on.

    I agreed, and said that they usually dressed like other passengers these days, so you couldn’t pick them, and used an unfortunate turn of phrase “they look like normal people, even though they aren’t”. At which point, a woman standing near us said, with a smile on her face, “we are normal, really”, and proceeded to check our tickets!

    Alpenrose

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    29 March 2018 at 9:38:41 #880093

    >> The older trams still have stairs down to contend with though.

    Tram route 10 between Zürich Flughafen (airport) and Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station) is serviced entirely by low-floor trams these days!

    http://www.zvv.ch/zvv/en/serv ice/travel-without-barriers/low-floor-vehicles/tram.html

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
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    29 March 2018 at 9:55:08 #880094
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    29 March 2018 at 10:37:00 #880095

    Well that’s a good idea isn’t it? I’ve never been on the 10 route as it is too slow. 😉

    I’ve gotten checked in Zurich about 4/5 times in 2 years. Do they check often in Melbourne/Australia?

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    29 March 2018 at 15:12:36 #880096

    >> I’ve gotten checked in Zurich about 4/5 times in 2 years. Do they check often in Melbourne/Australia?

    Yes, I would guess I get checked during 2 out of every 5 trips, and most days I travel by tram I see them somewhere or other (getting on or off other trams, or waiting at stops for the next tram in the opposite direction).

    A typical scenario is that they travel in groups of 4. They dress in ordinary clothes (but have ID they pull out when necessary). They are easy to pick when they are waiting at a tramstop, chatting together, and with their notebooks out. When a tram approaches, they put their notebooks away, and act as if they don’t know each other, boarding the tram through separate doors.

    Once on the tram, they spread out, and blend in by taking a seat, or standing alongside other passengers, for several stops, watching people boarding and validating their card (or not!). Then, when the tram is between stops, and no-one can get off, they set off through the tram checking tickets!

    Practically every time I’ve seen them on a tram, they have found at least one person travelling without a valid ticket!

    It’s quite funny to see people rushing for the validating machine, or suddenly deciding to get off the tram, when uniformed tramways employees board the tram. But these people are usually just employees on their way home, not ticket inspectors. They must find it amusing to see what effect they have whenever they board a tram!

    Alpenrose

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    29 March 2018 at 20:53:22 #880097

    In Zurich they are either plain clothes and start checking once the tram is between stops (but this is very rare) or there are about 12 of them in bright ZVV vests waiting for you at the bus/tram stop. 6 get on the bus or tram (which waits there while they check you). The other 6 grab everyone coming off the bus/tram at the stop. Then after the check the tram or bus continues on.

    Again I’ve seen them maybe 6 times in 2.5 years. I did find out some time ago that tickets bought on the app are not valid for 2 minutes after purchase – to prevent people from buying a ticket as soon as they see the ZVV guys at the tram stop as they approach.

    I got on a bus and bought a ticket at the stop before they checked us and they said the ticket was not valid (I should have bought the ticket on my phone a few minutes before getting on the bus apparently). I only bought it once I boarded the bus itself which was only 1 minute before the check. Cost me 90chf as they don’t accept any excuses for not having a valid ticket.

    Same with speeding tickets. My wife’s co-worker got a 60chf fine for going 1km/h over the limit….Strict people these Swiss. Suffice it to say I have not been impressed with these practices but at least they very rarely seem to check!

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