Wengen to Milan – buy tickets in advance?

Short summary – read this first

A traveler is planning a trip from Wengen to Milan in August and is looking for advice on purchasing tickets in advance and using a half-fare card. They want to know if tickets should be booked ahead of time, the best sites for buying them, and if they can book directly to Milan while using the half-fare card.

Key takeaways:
  • Book train tickets in advance, especially for the Italian leg, to secure your preferred train and possibly save money.
  • Use various websites like SBB or others to purchase tickets, as prices may vary slightly between retailers.
  • When using the Swiss Half Fare Card, you can often book one ticket for the entire journey, and you don't need to present it during booking.
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InfoAI-generated summary
  • Anonymous
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    4 July 2018 at 15:52:51 #817069

    I am traveling from Wengen to Milan in August.

    1. Should I buy tickets in advance? Is there a difference?

    2. If I buy online in advance, where should I buy tickets? SBB or a different site?

    3. If I am thinking of buying a half-fare card, do I NEED to book separate tickets from Wengen->Domossodola and Domossodola->Milan? Can I not book straight to Milan all in one booking, and they will take off the necessary price for me when I present the half fare card at booking (either online or in person)?

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  • Arno
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    Reply 1 of 1 • 4 July 2018 at 16:27:11 #890193

    Hi Nadineshenm,

    1. Most trains in Italy (so, from the border onward) require seat reservations. If you don’t book in advance your preferred train can be booked out. Advance purchase can be a bit cheaper, again for the Italian leg only.

    2. There are many websites selling those tickets, SBB and others: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/italy/price. It does not matter where you buy, all tickets are the same but prices can vary slight per retailer.

    3. Some websites allow you to book one ticket, indeed with a discount for Swiss Half Fare Card holders: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/switzerland halffare/price. SBB offers this too, but only for the annual Half-Fare travelcard for Swiss residents. It should not be a problem if you pick that in this case, but the other sites like https://www.trainline. eu/search offer it for the actual tourist Swiss Half Fare Card. You don’t need to present the Swiss Half Fare Card during the purchase. The staff on board will check your travel documents.

    The Swiss Half Fare Card itself can be printed at home. Again there are several websites to choose from: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard/price.

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