Landseaair

We are planning to buy two 8 day Swiss Travel Passes, 1st class, to use when we arrive in Geneva late September. I was planning to just get the passes at the Geneva airport.
I have been looking at what segments of travel need reservations, namely one day on the Golden Pass route and another day when we leave Lauterbrunnen to go to Milan- (Venice is our final destination that day, and I'm planning to purchase the Milan to Venice ticket on an Italian rail site, so I'd like the Swiss portion to be reserved, so that our arrival time in Milan is pretty accurate for that connection to Venice).
While looking through the various sites, I noticed there is a sale on the 8 consecutive day 1st class ticket on Rick Steves RailEurope, with no shipping fee, also myswitzerland is running the same deal (not sure if shipping is free there tho) but this deal doesn't seem to be available on the sbb.ch site.
Any reason I shouldn't purchase these passes ahead of time and save some $$$?
Can I reserve the segments I want on any rail site if I've bought the passes through either RailEurope or myswitzerland?
Or do I need to book any reservations through the site I purchased the Pass from?

PalenQ

Yes take the deal here is cheaper and that IME is often the case with specials often popping up - Rick Steves is great but his orders go thru RailEurope I believe - I would call Byron also at www.budgeteuropetravel.com - I'vew bought various passes from him for years and he will always IME answers any questions even if not buying and can make the reservation for you if you want.

anyway take the cheapest - but yo can I believe reserve your own on the Goldne Pass official site without a ticket or pass - others have said that.

Landseaair

Thank you for the prompt response. I appreciate your advice!

china_cat

the golden pass site didn't care if I actually had a pass or not. I made the reservation before I even got my pass. The only one who cared was on the conductor on the actual train who needed to see both... my first class pass, and separately my reservation for the VIP seats.

so they are separate things and it doesn't seem to matter where you buy them. I'm pretty sure I got my pass through myswitzerland, although I don't have 100% recollection.

PalenQ

china cat's experience with reserving on the official GP site jives with many others;' similar easy experiences booking a reservation - which is not required but for VIP seats advised as they sell out months early - I've ridden first class on GP without a reservation but tour groups can always book up the spiffiest cars too so make the optional reservation for peace of mind (and there are local trains over the same exact route and scenery).

PalenQ

If I recall correctly most of the scintillating scenery - teh rocky high Alpine spine of Switzerland is on the south side of the train - not sure you can pick seats but if so go south IME - in first class many seats swivel so you can turn as the scenery dictates.

PalenQ

Ironically it would seem that VIP seats - next to the driver's cabin would block out one side of the scenery - I have never taken VIP seats and wonder about this - can see forward but not at all one way? Or is that not the case?

china_cat

The driver is above you. You get a great view all around.

You can kind of see it in my pictures here: http://switzerlandbytrain.blogspot.c...pmontreux.html

Pepper_von_snoot

There is no reason to purchase 1st-class passed for train travel in Switzerland. Second class is good enough and in certain cases there is only general seating on trains and gondolas in the BO.

For example, there is only general seating on the trains and gondolas to Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald, Kleine Scheidegg, Mannlichen, Stechelberg.

The train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen only takes 20 minutes. No need to sit in 1-st class.

Waste of money.

Good luck in Switzerland. You will pay big $$$$.

Also, are you planning to go up to the Jungfraujoch?

I think the Swiss Pass only covers 25% above Wengen.

I always use the Half-Fare Card in CH.

Thin

kybourbon

>>>I have been looking at what segments of travel need reservations, namely one day on the Golden Pass route and another day when we leave Lauterbrunnen to go to Milan<<<

A Swiss Pass of any kind would only be good to the border, not to Milan. You would need to purchase a train ticket to Milan. Lauterbrunnen to Milan requires multiple train changes unless you take an early train (7:00) which requires only two changes or a train in the afternoon (not a good idea since you need to go on to Venice). If you purchase a ticket on the EC train which is an international Switzerland/Italy train, seats will be included with the ticket. In Italy, tickets bought on Trenitalia for their fast trains include your seats (seats are mandatory on the faster trains in Italy). Your entire day will be train travel.

Landseaair

Thanks for all your replies. Chinacat thanks for the pictures and I'll be reading the rest of your travel blog!
My thinking on first class was this is a once in a lifetime trip to the BO area, so why not? I do realize many trains don't have the two classes anyway. Even questioned the need for passes but we do love going to museums and will undoubtedly take a boat ride or two so I hope the cost pencils out. It would be interesting to keep track of all we do and see whether the passes are worth it. Probably jet lag and the weather will determine what we accomplish. Had not considered the thought that it might rain on the day we do the Golden Pass, chinacat, but of course it can happen and your pictures are still stunning.
I wasn't sure about the trip to Milan- thought I read somewhere that the pass would cover just to Milan, then we would need to buy a separate ticket for Milan to Venice. Since we don't make that trip until a week after we have arrived I'll probably ask at a train station for help with all that.
Thanks for your input kybourbon, I know it's going to be a long day. Was thinking we would be on that 7 am train from lauterbrunnen. DH only wants to do trains for this trip (he's probably reliving his college days European train trip )
PalenQ thank you for the tip on the scenery from the Golden Pass. If I'm reading the schematic correctly the south side of the car has single seats facing each other across a table, the north side has mostly two seats together facing either forward or backward. Was thinking I wouldn't want to be facing backward, then realized I did it on the Eurostar last year with no problem, although the scenery is certainly different.
Oh about Jungfraujoch- not sure whether we will go there, I know it costs extra, and we will just have to see what the weather is like. It looks like there is plenty to see and do either way.
Thanks for all your input- would like to put these train details behind me and focus on what to put on our list of must sees for each area. Half the fun of the trip is the planning, isn't it?

kappa1

If you can afford first class train, why not? I do enjoy European 1st class trains occasionally. I tend to take 1st class train more and more (maybe that's my age needing more comfort ...) , for longer rides, TGV to Paris (TGV Lyria 1st class includes light meal with drinks, not gourmet food but fun ), to Venice or even in Switzerland. Still within Switzerland I take 2nd class more often than 1st. 2nd class is usually good enough but it can get quite full. It was like that the other day from Zurich to Geneva. Fortunately I was in 1st class but even then the coach was 80% full. I used to take 2nd class train every Friday after work, always packed ! If you take train in the middle of the day, not much problem, otherwise having 1st class ticket would give you a piece of mind. I don't disagree with Pepper 100% but, waste of money? Far from it.

Dukey1

You can buy the entire ticket or any part that you need from Lauterbrunnen or the border city such as BRIG to Milan/Venice using the SBB rail site.

PalenQ

Was thinking I wouldn't want to be facing backward, then realized I did it on the Eurostar last year with no problem, although the scenery is certainly different.>

Again last time I took first class on GP the seats swiveled so you could easily turn as the scenery dictates - not sure those do but I suspect they may.

there is a narked difference between classes on the GP type trains but mountain trains either have none or just a tiny bit of seats no different much from the rest (except they will usually be empty - the main plus of first class - you can always IME find an empty seat without reservations (except of course on GP type trains that do tend to be much fuller.

Pepper_von_snoot

>hope the cost pencils out<

Believe me, it won't.

There are two classes on the Lake Brienz and Lake Thun boats, by the way, since you will be in the BO.

Sorry, I am not a once-in-a-lifetime traveller. I try to save money where I can.

Thin

Landseaair

Interesting that the boats have two classes, I would not have expected that.
To each their own, and after taking this trip I may very well be on the other side of the fence about the cost of the first class passes. We plan to return to Switzerland in the spring, to visit DD again, but will only stay in Lausanne area a day or two then go to France. We will know more what to expect with Switzerland then. But for this trip there is the peace of mind that there are likely more seats open in first class, when it's available, and we are getting to the age where we appreciate the extra room.
Thanks again all for your help.

china_cat

Landseaair, we did first class for all the reasons you've mentioned. My husband is a big guy, and appreciated the extra room. The trains between larger cities (lucerne to Zurich, and Lucerne to Bern) were packed in 2nd class. Were their seats? Yes, I imagine there were, but first was nearly empty, and no worries about seats or where to put the luggage.

On the boats, the upgrade is totally worth it as first class is the upper deck, and also has nicer food options if you want it. On the boat to Rigi, the conductors came up and sent a couple dozen passengers downstairs all of whom wanted the nicer seats.

We used our passes a lot and sometimes did things we might not have done without it....like hop on a boat from Montreux at 4Pm and just do a loop cruise, with a bottle of wine and a nice cheese plate, and those fabulous views. Inever figured out if we saved money with the pass, but I expect we did since we exercised it so much.

I hope you like my blog/trip report. We had such a good time in Switzerland, I'm sure you will too.

PalenQ

chna cat reflects my experiences as well - inter-city Swiss trains can be totally mobbed in 2nd class and half or even nearly empty in first class - a lot of trains I've been on - and on boats a world of difference too. But for folks just going to Alpine areas 2nd class there is fine - really little benefit on those trains in first class but if traveling around Switzerland, like in any country, a world of difference IME and well worth the extra cost on the trip of a lifetime. and there are often specials on first class passes IME - check about that - like an extra day free, etc.

PalenQ

If someone has a 2nd class pass and wants to sit in first class, be it on a boat or train they can onboard pay an upgrade - the difference between normal first and second class fares - so if you board a train SRO in 2nd class go sit in first class (best if you find the conductor first though before he finds you) - this is a policy in general on trains in Europe but only with full-fare tickets I think.

Landseaair

Well I stand corrected on my original post. I am looking at the SBB.CH site and there is a advertisement for the Swiss Pass Summer Promo, $100 off. Upon clicking on the advertisement, you get sent to the RailEurope site. So the deal is promoted on the SBB site.