The program for checking luggage at the airport and having it delivered to the train station, after clearing customs, sounds so Swiss and so wonderful. Does it really work? How does it work coming back to the states? Does the luggage actually arrive with you?

We are planning our first Swiss trip and would love to be luggage-free ... but not for too long!

Yes it does work. Have a look on the Swiss Rail site www.sbb.ch/en and look for fast luggage. I think I am correct in saying that if you are flying back to the States you could only use the fast baggage service, which means you would have to collect your luggage from the station at either Zurich or Geneva airport and then check it at the counter. You might as well find you have to send it off the day before you fly back to the states, and yes it would get back with you. As I fly from the UK I don't know the details but the Swiss Rail site and which ever airline you are flying with will have the details. Ir may be that you have to fly Swiss International, I'm not certain about this.

Hi milkmaid46,

Yes, it works great. I've used it two times -- once when I was skiing with too much luggage, and once when I was travelling with my mom.

If you're on a US carrier, you'll get the documents from Raileurope. Also if you're on a US carrier, the luggage won't go back to the USA (you can send it to the Zürich airport as tipsygus says, then pick it up and take it upstairs to the airline counters). But if you're on Lufthansa or Swiss, it should work both ways easily through the SBB.

However, I would always carry one day's worth of clothes and toiletries with me, just in case!

Have fun!

s

I am somewhat faint-hearted and struggling to take a chance! Maybe have hubby drag his bag from New Orleans to Lucerne ... and do the "I told you so" dance at the Lucerne station if MY bag turns up as promised... thanks for the information. I am going to work on my 'courage'! It is my first trip to Switzerland...

Hi again,

I wouldn't expect the bag(s) to arrive on the same train as you do -- I would wait maybe until later that evening before looking for it.

s

I arrived on NWA/KLM in Zuerich around noon. After customs clearance, proceeded to train ticket counter on the ground floor of the main air terminal, bought my train ticket to Lauterbrunnen and, right next to the ticket counter, dropped off my heavier bag for check-through to Lauterbrunnen. There is a charge, I believe it was 10 Swiss Francs. Took the train (around 2PM) to L. My bag was promised and arrived the next day around 6PM at the Lauterbrunnen train station. I picked the bag up. The hotel would have done it, too. I had packed for one overnight in my carry-on.

In other words, it works. And just think, if it should not work, how much fun your husband will have with "I told you so". That will give you several credits to reciprocate in the future.

If the Swiss say it works, it works ;-)