Trains from Paris to Lauterbrunnen to Rome

I will be arriving in Lauterbrunnen from Paris in September. What is the best way to reserve a place on the train, yet take advantage of the Swiss Pass? After 4 days in Lauterbrunnen, I will take a night train to Rome. Should I go through Bern, Zurich, or Lucerne for this trip, and how would I use the Swiss Pass best for this trip?

Hi STLtraveler,

All train services can be found in the timetable. The most usual way to get to Lauterbrunnen is to take a TGV Lyria from Paris to Basel first. You can buy a ticket and seat reservations for this trip while ordering your Swiss Pass (if you need more help with the tickets, please let me know your country of residence). From Basel, you don't need seat reservations, and the Swiss Pass covers the trains to Lauterbrunnen for free.

The shortest way to Italy is via Spiez, Brig and Domodossola. However, since you have a specific night train in mind, your route is probably much different. You can best check the timetable for this as well. What I found was a night train from Innsbruck (Austria) to Rome. From Lauterbrunnen, you would travel via Bern and Zurich. The train from Zurich to Innsbruck is covered to Buchs SG. So you'll travel for free from Lauterbrunnen to Buchs SG, and you need a ticket for the rest of the trip.

All about the Swiss Pass, including a downloadable map showing what's covered, can be found here.