Swiss train travel questions
Nov 12, 2017, 10:44 am
#151
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Here's a webcam showing the top of Pilatus. That will give you an idea of what to expect from the views today. Pretty much in the cloud as I write this.
The Rigi is looking a good bit better this morning.
What I would probably do, is to head over to Luzern. Many of the train stations have free wifi. Zürich and Luzern both do. When you arrive, have a look at the webcams for Pilatus and Rigi. Then decide if one of them is decent.
Plan B: When you get to Luzern, and the weather atop the Rigi and Pilatus is bad. I would then take the train across the Brünig, futher to Interlaken, and then up Wengen or Grindelwald (If you have time, otherwise just continue from Interlaken), then back to Zürich via Bern (or if you have time, back over the Brünig via Luzern to Zürich).
Since you have the pass, you can just hop on any train you wish. But check the schedules on the SBB site.
The Rigi is looking a good bit better this morning.
What I would probably do, is to head over to Luzern. Many of the train stations have free wifi. Zürich and Luzern both do. When you arrive, have a look at the webcams for Pilatus and Rigi. Then decide if one of them is decent.
Plan B: When you get to Luzern, and the weather atop the Rigi and Pilatus is bad. I would then take the train across the Brünig, futher to Interlaken, and then up Wengen or Grindelwald (If you have time, otherwise just continue from Interlaken), then back to Zürich via Bern (or if you have time, back over the Brünig via Luzern to Zürich).
Since you have the pass, you can just hop on any train you wish. But check the schedules on the SBB site.
Spent the last few hours hopping from Luzern to Bern and then Interlaken (fiancé asked for some chocolates from Schuh if I made it to Interlaken). Ran out of daylight to get into the mountains from Interlaken unfortunately and work starts tomorrow but definitely want to come back.
The pass was perfect really appreciate you pointing me there. Made this easy and flexible without having to be to an exact schedule.
Nov 12, 2017, 3:31 pm
#152
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Posts: 517
Thanks for all the help! On the way back to Zurich now but managed to pack in a lot. Got to Mt. Rigi which was great and the view was there so it was worth every penny.
Spent the last few hours hopping from Luzern to Bern and then Interlaken (fiancé asked for some chocolates from Schuh if I made it to Interlaken). Ran out of daylight to get into the mountains from Interlaken unfortunately and work starts tomorrow but definitely want to come back.
The pass was perfect really appreciate you pointing me there. Made this easy and flexible without having to be to an exact schedule.
Spent the last few hours hopping from Luzern to Bern and then Interlaken (fiancé asked for some chocolates from Schuh if I made it to Interlaken). Ran out of daylight to get into the mountains from Interlaken unfortunately and work starts tomorrow but definitely want to come back.
The pass was perfect really appreciate you pointing me there. Made this easy and flexible without having to be to an exact schedule.
Nov 12, 2017, 11:05 pm
#153
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Gold; Sprüngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,912
Thanks for all the help! On the way back to Zurich now but managed to pack in a lot. Got to Mt. Rigi which was great and the view was there so it was worth every penny.
Spent the last few hours hopping from Luzern to Bern and then Interlaken (fiancé asked for some chocolates from Schuh if I made it to Interlaken). Ran out of daylight to get into the mountains from Interlaken unfortunately and work starts tomorrow but definitely want to come back.
The pass was perfect really appreciate you pointing me there. Made this easy and flexible without having to be to an exact schedule.
Spent the last few hours hopping from Luzern to Bern and then Interlaken (fiancé asked for some chocolates from Schuh if I made it to Interlaken). Ran out of daylight to get into the mountains from Interlaken unfortunately and work starts tomorrow but definitely want to come back.
The pass was perfect really appreciate you pointing me there. Made this easy and flexible without having to be to an exact schedule.
Packing a day like yesterday in, during the storm that was going on, was a challenge. Nicely done! I'd seen that the Rigi webcam had a view, so there was hope.
Nov 21, 2017, 12:50 am
#154
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
Don't really know where to post that, but just came across that "black friday" promotion: halftax abo for half the price (CHF 92.50). As far as I know, it's the first time such a promotion is made. And it's for new costumer by the way.
Nov 22, 2017, 4:34 am
#155
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PIT
Programs: OZ Diamond, UA Gold
Posts: 9,919
Don't really know where to post that, but just came across that "black friday" promotion: halftax abo for half the price (CHF 92.50). As far as I know, it's the first time such a promotion is made. And it's for new costumer by the way.
Dec 7, 2017, 9:45 am
#157
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Geneva Transport Card
These questions are mainly for curiosity and because I can't find the answers online anywhere: how does the free Geneva Transport Card (that you get if you stay in a Geneva hotel) actually work?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
Dec 7, 2017, 9:52 am
#158
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PIT
Programs: OZ Diamond, UA Gold
Posts: 9,919
These questions are mainly for curiosity and because I can't find the answers online anywhere: how does the free Geneva Transport Card (that you get if you stay in a Geneva hotel) actually work?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
If it’s anything like the Basel pass, it’ll be a paper with your name and dates printed on it.
Dec 7, 2017, 12:17 pm
#159
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
These questions are mainly for curiosity and because I can't find the answers online anywhere: how does the free Geneva Transport Card (that you get if you stay in a Geneva hotel) actually work?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
Apparently it's non-transferable so does the hotel write your name on it or what? Is it just a piece of paper or an electronic smartcard? How would a ticket inspector know how long you are staying for? Do you have to get a new one each day even if you don't use it, etc. or are the dates of your stay stored somehow?
If I arrive at 6am I suppose I can go to the hotel and get one, even if I can't check in until 9 hours later, right? And is the card still valid until 5am the day after check-out, like paid daily tickets?
Dec 7, 2017, 2:12 pm
#160
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 276
Remember that in Switzerland you are not expected to show your ticket to the driver when boarding a city bus. (in fact, trying to do this annoys them). You just need to have it on your person somehwere...
Feb 7, 2018, 9:04 am
#161
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Montreux CH
Programs: FB Platinum, M&M FTL, BA Blue
Posts: 11,621
Got a friend coming for a week, arriving Zurich, coming down to Montreux. Would it be better for her to get a Swiss Transfer Ticket for CHF154 (if such a thing still exists), a Half Fare Card valid valid for one month for CHF120, or to use full fare Super Saver tickets which will be about CHF50-70 per direction?
Feb 7, 2018, 1:31 pm
#162
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
Hi Concerto,
Depending on the travel period, she could also get a saver ticket. But the downside is that she has to take the exact schedule that she'd have booked, which isn't great at all if her flight lands in ZRH not as scheduled. Maybe something to think about for the return journey?
And with a bit of luck, you may find daycard on ricardo or anibis for a very reasonable price, especially if someone desperately tries to sell his fixed date daypass. Otherwise, you can check directly with the towns at this link or have a call (since Montreux for example isn't listed).
The next question would be
... how can I bring her the daycard to ZRH ????
By the way, the one month half fare card would only good if she'll use the train for more than a ZRH-Montreux-ZRH ride.
Depending on the travel period, she could also get a saver ticket. But the downside is that she has to take the exact schedule that she'd have booked, which isn't great at all if her flight lands in ZRH not as scheduled. Maybe something to think about for the return journey?
And with a bit of luck, you may find daycard on ricardo or anibis for a very reasonable price, especially if someone desperately tries to sell his fixed date daypass. Otherwise, you can check directly with the towns at this link or have a call (since Montreux for example isn't listed).
The next question would be
... how can I bring her the daycard to ZRH ????Got a friend coming for a week, arriving Zurich, coming down to Montreux. Would it be better for her to get a Swiss Transfer Ticket for CHF154 (if such a thing still exists), a Half Fare Card valid valid for one month for CHF120, or to use full fare Super Saver tickets which will be about CHF50-70 per direction?
By the way, the one month half fare card would only good if she'll use the train for more than a ZRH-Montreux-ZRH ride.
Last edited by Artemio; Feb 7, 2018 at 1:33 pm Reason: mise en page
Feb 7, 2018, 3:41 pm
#163
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Location: Montreux CH
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Looking for her to go back in mid March on a Friday, but I can't find any billets dégriffés. Which makes me think they may be hard to come by on a Friday. Can I get her such a daycard on Ricardo, given she has no abonnement? One pertinent question, though: how early in advance do they release the billets dégriffés? I think it might be something like 3 weeks, but I'm not sure.
Feb 8, 2018, 1:31 am
#164
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
Looking for her to go back in mid March on a Friday, but I can't find any billets dégriffés. Which makes me think they may be hard to come by on a Friday. Can I get her such a daycard on Ricardo, given she has no abonnement? One pertinent question, though: how early in advance do they release the billets dégriffés? I think it might be something like 3 weeks, but I'm not sure.
Just one thing my wife noticed the last time she hesitated to book one, is the fact that for the exact same journey the price raised 1-2 days before the trip.
On ricardo, hit "Tageskarte sbb". The ones for her would be the gemeinde Tageskarte like this one. With those, no other abonnement is needed; it's like a AG (or GA
) for the specific day.Just discovered that one for 49.-, but don't know if it would work out with the dates. Only available until march 11th.
Feb 11, 2018, 8:22 am
#165
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Location: Montreux CH
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Totally good for the dates, she will be here from 4 to 9 March inclusive. If I bid for one of the gemeinde Tageskarten, does that mean she needs to be a resident here (which she isn't) in order to use it?
I just signed the contract for my new Abonnement Général, starting next Wednesday 14th. It's really worth the cost (CHF340 a month) the way I end up using it. I'll be crossing the lake on a boat to play for a music competition, going up a funicular to work with a brass band, heading up the Val d'Anniviers on a Postbus to do a workshop in a school, up and down to Geneva for theater rehearsals... and many other things.
I just signed the contract for my new Abonnement Général, starting next Wednesday 14th. It's really worth the cost (CHF340 a month) the way I end up using it. I'll be crossing the lake on a boat to play for a music competition, going up a funicular to work with a brass band, heading up the Val d'Anniviers on a Postbus to do a workshop in a school, up and down to Geneva for theater rehearsals... and many other things.
Last edited by Concerto; Feb 18, 2018 at 9:01 am Reason: typo