Baggage on Basel to Geneva train
Oct 19, 2011, 3:22 pm
#1
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Baggage on Basel to Geneva train
I will be traveling by train from Basel to Geneva in a couple of weeks. In addition to a standard airline carry on bag, I will have a large bag (meets the checked bag limit for British Airways - close to but under 50 pounds). I assume I will need to check the large bag. Can I just arrive early and check it at the station in Basel? The information on rail.ch about baggage is a bit confusing.
Thanks for any information and suggestions in general about rail travel between these two destinations.
Thanks for any information and suggestions in general about rail travel between these two destinations.
Oct 19, 2011, 4:09 pm
#2
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I wouldn't check in a bag that size, personally, just take it on board. Pretty much all Swiss trains will have more than enough luggage storage for a standard size bag like that.
Oct 19, 2011, 5:09 pm
#3
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Thanks very much for the quick reply. I was bit concerned that a bag that large would take up more than my share of the luggage storage, but if that's not a problem, it's certainly more convenient.
Oct 20, 2011, 8:02 am
#4
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You can't check bags on Swiss trains to get them back when you deboard the train. You can send a bag as unaccompanied baggage, but usually you have enough space between seat backs to put bags in, otherwise there are baggage racks.
Oct 20, 2011, 9:58 am
#6
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Depends on how much you want to commit to a particular time.
Swiss railways are very much a turn-up-and-go service, and very good at managing to provide the correct capacity on any particular route. You generally don't need a reservation (you don't get one by default), and there are plenty, easy-to-use ticket machines at Basel-SBB.
(Oh, and do make sure you go to Basel-SBB station, not Basel-Bad - the latter is only for services to Germany. There is a Bale-SNCF station too, but this is a French subsection of the main SBB/CFF/FFS station...)
However... There are some prepurchase, inflexible discount tickets available ("sparbillete") for online purchase - these are scheduled to return on the 27th Oct. Unlike in many other countries, these tend to be available at relatively short notice only, and you're not guaranteed that any particular route will be covered. Keep an eye on the SBB website for further details. If you do know which train you're going to get, you can save up to 50% of the ticket price.
Swiss railways are very much a turn-up-and-go service, and very good at managing to provide the correct capacity on any particular route. You generally don't need a reservation (you don't get one by default), and there are plenty, easy-to-use ticket machines at Basel-SBB.
(Oh, and do make sure you go to Basel-SBB station, not Basel-Bad - the latter is only for services to Germany. There is a Bale-SNCF station too, but this is a French subsection of the main SBB/CFF/FFS station...)
However... There are some prepurchase, inflexible discount tickets available ("sparbillete") for online purchase - these are scheduled to return on the 27th Oct. Unlike in many other countries, these tend to be available at relatively short notice only, and you're not guaranteed that any particular route will be covered. Keep an eye on the SBB website for further details. If you do know which train you're going to get, you can save up to 50% of the ticket price.
Oct 20, 2011, 11:24 pm
#7
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Depends on how much you want to commit to a particular time.
Swiss railways are very much a turn-up-and-go service, and very good at managing to provide the correct capacity on any particular route. You generally don't need a reservation (you don't get one by default), and there are plenty, easy-to-use ticket machines at Basel-SBB.
(Oh, and do make sure you go to Basel-SBB station, not Basel-Bad - the latter is only for services to Germany. There is a Bale-SNCF station too, but this is a French subsection of the main SBB/CFF/FFS station...)
However... There are some prepurchase, inflexible discount tickets available ("sparbillete") for online purchase - these are scheduled to return on the 27th Oct. Unlike in many other countries, these tend to be available at relatively short notice only, and you're not guaranteed that any particular route will be covered. Keep an eye on the SBB website for further details. If you do know which train you're going to get, you can save up to 50% of the ticket price.
Swiss railways are very much a turn-up-and-go service, and very good at managing to provide the correct capacity on any particular route. You generally don't need a reservation (you don't get one by default), and there are plenty, easy-to-use ticket machines at Basel-SBB.
(Oh, and do make sure you go to Basel-SBB station, not Basel-Bad - the latter is only for services to Germany. There is a Bale-SNCF station too, but this is a French subsection of the main SBB/CFF/FFS station...)
However... There are some prepurchase, inflexible discount tickets available ("sparbillete") for online purchase - these are scheduled to return on the 27th Oct. Unlike in many other countries, these tend to be available at relatively short notice only, and you're not guaranteed that any particular route will be covered. Keep an eye on the SBB website for further details. If you do know which train you're going to get, you can save up to 50% of the ticket price.
Oct 21, 2011, 5:21 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2011
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the only advance purchase in CH, which makes sense, is a discounted ticket for a very particular train, otherwise just buy a ticket either at the ticket counter or via the ticket machine. That's the same price as when you would buy it over the internet. If you buy over internet, be aware, that there are specific requirements about printing the ticket (size). But even an advanced purchased ticket, does not provide you a reserved seat. You don't reserve seats for travel witin Switzerland. As the Basel-Geneva train originates in Basel, make sure to turn up about 15 minutes before scheduled departe time and you should not have a problem getting good seat space. As far as I know, there is a direct train every 2 hours with a connecting service on the other hour, basically a train every hour.
Oct 26, 2011, 4:25 pm
#9
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As others have said, not worth buying advance tickets for Swiss railways and the discount tickets are probably more trouble for someone who isn't used to the system.
The print your own tickets aren't that difficult to do, but they aren't any cheaper than tickets bought at a counter or kiosk.
My suggestion would be to use a kiosk - they can be switched to speak in English and their use is fairly easy and intuitive. They take credit cards.
Trains from Basel to Geneva are every hour, every second hour the trains are direct, otherwise you change in Biel/Bienne to a train on the adjacent platform, so no stairs, just about 10 meters to cross the platform.
The print your own tickets aren't that difficult to do, but they aren't any cheaper than tickets bought at a counter or kiosk.
My suggestion would be to use a kiosk - they can be switched to speak in English and their use is fairly easy and intuitive. They take credit cards.
Trains from Basel to Geneva are every hour, every second hour the trains are direct, otherwise you change in Biel/Bienne to a train on the adjacent platform, so no stairs, just about 10 meters to cross the platform.
Oct 26, 2011, 10:54 pm
#10
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As others have said, not worth buying advance tickets for Swiss railways and the discount tickets are probably more trouble for someone who isn't used to the system.
The print your own tickets aren't that difficult to do, but they aren't any cheaper than tickets bought at a counter or kiosk.
My suggestion would be to use a kiosk - they can be switched to speak in English and their use is fairly easy and intuitive. They take credit cards.
Trains from Basel to Geneva are every hour, every second hour the trains are direct, otherwise you change in Biel/Bienne to a train on the adjacent platform, so no stairs, just about 10 meters to cross the platform.
The print your own tickets aren't that difficult to do, but they aren't any cheaper than tickets bought at a counter or kiosk.
My suggestion would be to use a kiosk - they can be switched to speak in English and their use is fairly easy and intuitive. They take credit cards.
Trains from Basel to Geneva are every hour, every second hour the trains are direct, otherwise you change in Biel/Bienne to a train on the adjacent platform, so no stairs, just about 10 meters to cross the platform.
