Has anyone had trouble with their Swiss Rail ticket order?
 

I just received my package of tickets for 3 journeys via Swiss Rail. I bought them directly from Swiss Rail over the internet. I noticed that no tickets were issued for our second journey-it seems as though they forgot to include them because they paperclipped what looks like the train schedule for that particular journey with a receipt.<BR><BR>I have emailed them to find out what really happened. But in the meantime I'd like to know if anyone has had a similar problem and what the outcome was. I'm thinking they need to cancel the original tickets wherever they may be and reissue another set and send them to me.<BR><BR>Also I notice that the other tickets I received don't have the passenger names printed on them-isn't that necessary?

I got mine fine. And no where in Europe have I ever had a name on a train ticket. I have my name on my rail pass, but NOT on an ordinary ticket.<BR>For Austria, the pass even has my picture.<BR>But for an ordinary ticket, no.<BR>

Bob, thanks for the information. Well, now half of my worries are over. Hopefully I'll receive a reply from Swiss Rail in another hour or so as it's early morning there now. I hope they'll be able to replace those missing tickets.

I have emailed them several times over the years and usually I get a coherent response, but the quality varies depending on how well the responder can write English. Sometimes I think the response is vague because the writer does not know how to phrase the answer in idomatic English.<BR>I can write some German, and usually I get a more coherent reply if I can induce the responder to write in German.<BR>But if my question is not clear, then I have not gained anything.<BR>Good luck. If the answer is poor, it may be caused by language skills rather than refusal to answer.<BR>

I've been emailing them back and forth for the past couple of months just to get more information. I've been impressed with their prompt email replies, usually within a few hours or within 24 hours. It's true there is a slight language barrier with some agents, but mainly their English is excellent. <BR><BR>I haven't heard back from them yet so I'm hoping I can resolve this by tomorrow at the latest.

I can not tell from your 1st post but are you sure your 2nd trip is not included in the 1st or 3rd ticket ? This do happen.

As a matter of fact, iron, yes, I heard back from Swiss Rail. And they say that my reservation for the 2nd trip is included in the 1st trip's ticket. <BR>This is the itinerary:<BR><BR>1) Paris-Strasbourg<BR>2) Strasbourg-Basel-Bern<BR>3) Bern-Paris<BR><BR>We have the tickets for #1 & #3 but Swiss Rail says there's a reservation for #2: no tickets. They say we have a choice of either stopping at Strasbourg or using it to continue on to Bern which we do need to do.<BR><BR>So how do we use the tickets and reservation? Do we just show them all to the conductor or do we need to validate them? Thanks.

Any help-thanks.

Julia, glad to know you have solved your problem. <BR><BR>In France you have to validate your tickets before getting on the train. You will find a orange-colored validation machines in the stations. But this is not the case in Switzerland. You just hop on the train and show your tickets to the train conductor when he comes around. <BR><BR>&gt;Swiss Rail says there's a reservation for #2: no tickets.<BR><BR>I don't understand above. There should be a ticket for your 2nd rouing too, not only the resrvation. It should be included somewhere. Maybe better take another look.<BR><BR>

Journey #2 they said the ticket is just for seat reservations from Offenburg to Basel & that they can't reserve the trains there. So do we just show this ticket and jump on any train?

ttt

Alright, so you do have the ticket for Basel to Bern, right? Then there is no problem. For Swiss domestic trains, you don't need seat reservation. There should always be free seats for you(at least that's what they say) and actually the seats on most trains can not be reserved (except certain IC trains). So worry no more and take any train you want for Bern. You don't need to show the ticket before getting on it.<BR>You have to show it only in the train when a conductor passes by and ask you for it. <BR><BR>Hope everything is in order now. Enjoy your trip.

Hello iron, thanks again for your invaluable help! <BR><BR>Actually the Basel-Bern trip contains the reservation ticket alone and that's what they tell me is all we need-just says it's for 3 persons to reserve the seats in general I suppose. They say the tickets for journey #1 (and I checked the actual tickets which did say von Paris nach Bern via Kiehl GR-Offenburg-Basel Bad Bf-Olten) includes the whole trip from Paris to Bern. <BR><BR>We have never travelled within France and then via France to Switzerland before so this is all very confusing at first. The only train travel we did was from Paris-Brussels and that was straightforward to understand.<BR><BR>Iron, just curious, but what part of Switzerland are you from? If you have time, please let me know if you're familiar with Bern. Our hotel, Goldener Sclussel, is a bit away from the train station so I'm not sure if we should take a taxi. I think it's located near the old town which should be a nice area. Anyway, I can always ask the hotel if you don't know.<BR><BR>Thanks!

Julia, you are in luck. I vaguely know whereabouts of Hotel Goldener Schlussel on Rathausgasse (Golden Key Hotel on City Hall Lane). It's situated in the old town between the railway station and the bears'pit.It's a pretty straightforward walk from the station but without heavy luggage, it would take 10-15 min walk. In your case, I think you'd better take a taxi. Once gotten rid of your luggage at your hotel, most of the things are within easy walking distance in Bern. You will be staying in the middle of a World Heritage of UNESCO. <BR><BR>Me,I live in Geneva.

Julia, I did a search on this site for "Goldener Schlussel" and found a few threads. There is one poster who says &gt; We stayed at the Goldener Schlussel Hotel which was very centrally located and the staff were very helpful.Breakfasts were delicious, served in the retaurant downstairs. We easily walked wheeling our luggage from the train station. <BR><BR>So I see some people walk with luggage this distance. If you are fit enough, then you might as well ... <BR>

Hello iron, thanks for the follow-up about the Goldener Schlussel. The way it sounds we may take a taxi because 15 mins. with luggage is a bit too much for us. If not for the luggage we'd walk. So you live in Geneva, that's a very nice city too.