Yes, the GA selection, but you must have your card and enter a # on Trenitalia (when booking in the opposite direction, sbb doesn't ask for a #, but requires picking up the ticket at station in Switzerland). You would choose Milan/Spiez on Trenitalia, select your train and the class choices will appear underneath. Select "view other prices and services" and click continue. On this screen, under offer, in the drop down box select GA (1st or 2nd cl depending on which pass you are buying). I think the HTX Switzerland selection is for half fare cards. After you select the GA discount, it recalculates your price for the discount. You can't proceed without your pass #. You will be required to pick this ticket up at a self service kiosk at a station in Italy. You will get a list of stations that have this, but you don't have to select the station like sbb makes you do traveling in the opposite direction. If your first train ride is Venice, you can just pick it up there.

Is it Milan to Domodossola Or Brig. How do we confirm.

If it is the former then the ticket price is only 9EUR.>

Domodossola, even though in Italy, is considered a Swiss border station for reasons of tarifaction and after that you can use you Swiss Pass to Brig/Visp and beyond. So as most trains continue on to at least Brig/visp just buy that 9 euro ticket NOW - may not be there tomorrow.

PalaenQ, Thanks for that. Got Six 9EUR tickets and one 19EUR tickets, Milan to Domodossola.

kybourbon, Thanks. Even though I have ordered for Swiss Pass, it is yet to arrive. I need the numbers to book it using the GA option. I hope PalenQ suggestion is also good enough.

My confirmed connection from Milan to Domodossola-SPIEZ(EC 352) is at 11:25. I am planning to take the 6:50AM train from Venice which will reach Milan by 09:25AM

However Is it too much of a risk, If I take the 7:50AM train from Venice(of course when it become available for 5th August) to Milan which will reach by 10:25

I have changed trains in Milan before, and 45 minutes was plenty of time to go downstairs and have lunch as well. I have never been unfortunate enough to be delayed on a high speed train (local another matter), but others on the thread are much more experienced with Italian trains than I am.

Venice to Milan - still not uploaded in TrenItalia. Just adding stress.


As I mentioned earlier I am yet to plan for my last 5 days after Wengen in Switzerland.

palenq had suggested Vevey and Montreux(Lake Geneva area) for 3 days and 2 days in Lucerne and flyout through Zurich.


However I am unable to find any apartments or B&B in these areas. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I'm surprised these aren't loaded yet, but they are showing up on Bahn.de. All the departures are listed without connections for Milan for August 5th. Keep checking Trenitalia every day.

FYI - Trenitalia has free travel for children this summer (under age 15). It's called Bimbi Gratis. Here is how to book these seats free. Half way down the link you will see "to purchase the Bimbi Gratis proceed as follows". Since Trenitalia only allows to purchase 5 tickets at a time you will need to do two purchases since there are so many of you, splitting the children among the two purchases.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...008916f90aRCRD

kybourbon - Thanks for the link.

It will be really helpful if it is a base fare or more.(Seems not applicable if we are lucky enough to get the discount tickets at 9EUR. In that Case I would be saving a lot any way)

Any suggestions for the remaining 5 days after Wengen at Switzerland for accommodations would be helpful.

cheers

Why do you want to leave Venice at 6.50? In only 2 hrs you can do absolutely nothing at Milan. Even if you leave Venice at 7.50, you will have to kill half an hour or so before you can board your Brig - Basel bound train. The walk from one platform to the other will hardly take more than 10 min.

>> However Is it too much of a risk, If I take the 7:50AM train from Venice(of course when it become available for 5th August) to Milan which will reach by 10:25<<


neckervd,Thanks.

Really don't want to take 6:50. But don't want to risk strikes/delay etc. Since I already bough the connection to Switzerland .

And again would like to grab some food from Milan for the onward connection.

Please help with any suggestions for the remaining 5 days after Wengen at Switzerland for accommodations.(B&B or Apts preferred)

I would be a very happy person, if I could take 7:50(it makes a bit easier to manage 3 kids for early morning)

Please help with any suggestions for the remaining 5 days after Wengen at Switzerland for accommodations.(B&B or Apts preferred)>

How about going over to Lake Geneva to experience French-speaking part of Switzerland - very different than the German/Italian areas - a town like Montreux or Vevey (which many rave about) both on the lake are sweet bases from which to hop to many different great places - like Geneva itself for a day or the Chocolate Train to Gruyeres - a perfect walled medieval town and onto the Broc Nestle Chocolate plant (can do either as a day trip - or lake boats on Lake Geneva, like over to Evian-les-Bains in France - or tiny mountain-climbing trains, etc.

Swiss Passes are valid on the lake boats, even to France and on the Golden Pass, a fabled scenic train you can take from Interlaken to Montreux.

PalenQ - Thanks. Lake Geneva area sounds very good. Any suggestions on Montreux or Vevey accommodations.

Hi vjose,

What is your preferred price range for your hotel? And what are your preferences -- off the beaten path? Quiet? Views?

Montreux/Wengen is a great combination with the Oberland area to give you a great contrast and overview of the country. Be sure you travel from Wengen to Montreux on the scenic Golden Pass route via Gstaad:

www.goldenpass.ch

s

Thanks Swandav.

we are going to take the Golden Pass(9AM) to Montreux from Interlaken Ost(???Correct me if I am wrong).

Any thing we should be aware of before reserving the seats - such as which side is better for viewing etc.

Golden Pass always goes through via Gstaad? if not , how will we find out(sbb.ch)

Price Range- we are paying 590SRF per day in Wenegen. If possible any thing less-(may be 350-400).

We would prefer a nice B&B or Apartment which is conveniently located

Any thing we should be aware of before reserving the seats - such as which side is better for viewing etc.>

get one in an observation panoramic car - as for which side if I recall rightly sit on the south side as the high mountains are on that side - but overall not much an issue.

Hi again,

Yes, the Golden Pass goes via Gstaad; other routes go via Spiez and Visp. The Golden Pass is a bit longer, but you can stop in Gstaad, for example, walk the town, and get something to eat in one of the outdoor cafes.

I'm sorry; though I've been on this train dozens of times (I've spent weeks in Chateau d'Oex and Gstaad), I've never really paid much attention to which side is better.

The 4-star Eden Palace au Lac is right on the lake; right now they are running a special for 185 chf per night. I can't see if that is per person or per room, or if it also extends to August. It would be worthwhile to check out. I just did a dummy booking for random rates in August, and it was 280 chf per night. The Eden is located right next to the Forum and the Casino in the center of town.

Another good option would be the L'Ermitage, which is a small place, basically a renown restaurant with rooms. It is rated as a 4-star, and a superior lakeside room is 340 chf per night while a lakeside room with balcony is 410 chf. The Hermitage is in a more quiet location in the suburb of Clarens.

Both of these are easy to get to from the train station; the Eden would be about a 10-minute walk, and the Ermitage would be maybe 15 or 20 minutes. But you could use a cab when you first arrive.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Which side is better?
Impossible to answer, because it changes all the time. But don't worry: the windows are so large that you will see both sides. If you want to know it in detail (better side):

Interlaken Ost - Erlenbach im Simmental: right side
Erlenbach im Simmental - Zweisimmen: left side
Zweisimmen - Gstaad: right side
Gstaad - La Tine: left side
La Tine - Les Sciernes: right side
Les Sciernes - Chamby: left side
Chamby - Sonzier: right side
Sonzier - Fontanivent: left side
Fontanivent - Montreux: right side

Gstaad: most people don't realize that Gstaad is just about 1 hr away from the tremendous Diablerets Glacier. with fine views to dozens of glaciers and more than 13000 ft high mountains (Bernese Oberland, Valais and Mont Blanc chain).
So, it's perfectly possible to arrive at Gstaad at 10.51 (Interlaken Ost dp 9.08), to have lunch at Diablerets Glacier and to be back at Gstaad towards 3pm in order to board the Panoramic Express reaching Montreux at 16.13 (or 2 hrs later with the Golden Pass Classic Express if you prefer to stay a little longer in snow and ice).
http://glacier3000.ch/en/Summer/Acti...Dog-Sled-Ride/
http://www.gstaad.ch/en/page.cfm/Cab...ns/Glacier3000
http://uk.leman-sans-frontiere.org/p...ts-gstaad.html

Palenq - "get one in an observation panoramic car"- How do we do that. sbb.ch didn't show anything different on availability.(it shows coach numbers)

swandav - Eden Palace au Lac is availale for 289CHF and booked.

neckervd - We all are fascinated by Gstadd, (specifically my DW).

Given up on the sides,better views are a plenty.

As Swandav suggested would like a stop over , just to explore quickly. How ever what will happen to seat reservations.

Should I get the reservations only up to Gstaad and then take next local to Montreux.


Finally would like to get some suggestions for Lucerne for final 2 days- B&B if possible.

Hi again,

Glad the Eden Palace will work for you!

As for the stop in Gstaad -- you can make reservations for two separate trains, one from Interlaken to Gstaad, then one from Gstaad to Montreux for later in the day. I think the portion from Gstaad to Montreux is stunning, as you descend from the hills into the gorgeous blue waters of the lake and the string of mountains on the opposite shore. So, if you were to make reservations for the VIP seats in the glass dome, then make them for the portion going into Montreux.

If you have an hour you can spend, I can highly recommend the walk between Saanen and Gstaad, which takes about 40 minutes. It's all flat. It doesn't really matter which direction you take the walk, but there are more restaurants in Gstaad -- so you may want to get off the train in Saanen, explore the village, walk to Gstaad, have lunch, then continue your trip.

Have fun!

s

Palenq - "get one in an observation panoramic car"- How do we do that. sbb.ch didn't show anything different on availability.(it shows coach numbers)>

Well it used to be that only some cars were panoramic observation cars with glass roofs - maybe now on that portion all cars have them? I have not been on for a few years but on other portions of Golden Pass like Interlaken to Lucerne there are only some panoramic cars - others are regular cars.