Logistics: Zurich-to-Como Train Ticket Purchase (for Sept.)
 

I'd be grateful for any advice - DH and I tentatively arrive in ZRH at 8:30 am on a Wednesday morning mid-September (USAir). Trains to Como leave at 8:47, 9:47, 10:47 etc. My question: can I wait until we arrive to purchase tickets, or should I do it in advance? If it's like Eurostar, I don't want to pay too much extra to get a changeable ticket if possible.

We are staying that night in Bellagio, so I also saw a suggestion that one could take the bus from Lugano to Menaggio and then take the ferry across, rather than taking the hydrofoil up from Como. Would that be adding complications (transporting luggage or anything I haven't considered)?

Again, thanks for any suggestions...

You can wait until the day to buy the tickets.

I see no real reason to go from the train to a bus to a ferry just to get to Como, but that is just me. Way too much added complexity for pretty much no benefit that I can think of.

Thanks - it feels less complicated already!
-JB

We did this June 25th (ZRH to Lake Como). I see very little chance of your clearing customs and baggage in time for the 8:47.

We took the train from Zurich to Como and took a boat back up to Menaggio. This basically takes tha same amount of time as the bus alternative.

go to sbb.ch - Swiss Railways site and look at fares and see if there is some special fare online - then you may save money but as tgourmet says i believe it will likely be the same as at the station - so just leisurely clear customs and hop on the next train - reservations are not mandatory on any Swiss trains - at least inside Switereland and Como is just over the border (if going onto Milan then you may need a reservation - but any case if you want reserved seats you can pay a bit extra for them when you buy the tickets. But IME you will rarely not find empty seats on Swiss trains, even in 2nd class. also check www.cisalpino.com for fares and possible deals.

Thank you for the added comments Red and Palenque.

Sbb.ch quoted me fares last week (maybe 187 CHF for 2?), but it looks like the Swiss train changes at Lugano to an Italian train for the Lugano-to-Como poriton of the trip, and I couldn't tell whether reservations were necessary or not.

Red, any comment on that?

Then I read something about "tilting trains" and how the Swiss have leased cars because the original Italian-made trains had all kinds of problems and they are awaiting new ones that haven't yet arrived.

What's up with that?

Again, thanks for the update!
J.

If you were to wait to take the 10:47 timing you would change to a Cisalpino service (the tilting trains).

No worries..take the first convenient timing...you'll have to go into Zurich itself from the airport (by rail) to change for the trip south.

IF you DO change to the Cisalpino service it usually requires a seat reservation. If you wait to but the tickets at the Zurich airport station they'll take care of all of that for you.

Thanks, Dukey.

We'll take whatever train comes first after we gather our bags. Is there any advantage to the Cisalpino service that might persuade us to wait an hour, assuming we arrive on time and could catch the 9:47?

J.

not enough to wait an hour IMO

the problem with the italian Pendolinos was a maintenance problem i think - the trains were or are very comfy as trains go - but so are domestic Swiss trains - if you do take a train to Lugano where you change then no seat reservation is required - only continuing on to Italian on Cisalpino services is a seat then required. Cisalpino is owned by both the Italian and Swiss railways and operates most services between Switzerland and Italy. www.cisalpino.com

The Cisalpino has smaller windows and it does have a leaning motion. Some people feel it, others don't.

Cisalpinos are notorious for being late but I've read they've been more punctual lately. Within Switzerland, no reservations are required. You need them as soon as you cross the border.

Check the sbb.ch website before arriving to see what your options are.

There's a trick to getting cheaper rates with the Cisalpino when traveling from Switzerland to Italy.

- Book from Zürich to Lugano and then from Lugano to Italian destination. Fares can be surprising cheaper. Booking it as one package can lead to higher rates. The SBB personnel don't like doing splitting up tickets but you might find someone who'll do it for you.

There is a change of trains at Lugano. When you add the change of trains at the main Zurich Station, you end up changing trains twice on a relatively short trip. (But that is no big deal).

The way that I remember it, we paid Swiss Franc 50ish per person for the trip.

Thanks again, Big_Red.

The two train changes will definitely influence the amount of luggage we take in September!

IF you happen to see this again, what time of day did you make this trip in June? I'm still a bit nervous about the "no reservations until we actually get there" factor. mostly since it is at the beginning of a 3-week vacation (all in northern Italy).

I do appreciate your comments!
J.

The Lugano station just has a few tracks so the change there would not be as daunting perhaps as in Zurich Hbf with dozens and dozens of tracks. sbb.ch will i think tell you which platforms for each train - or at least www.bahn.de will for Swiss trains i think.

We landed in Zurich a little bit after breakfast.

Mid-September is not high season so you shouldn't have a problem getting a train down to Como.

Changing trains in Lugano is a cinch. Changing trains in Zürich can be a bit tricky depending on where your train comes in. Make sure when booking your ticket which Gleis (platform) you'll be arriving on in Züirch Hauptbahnhof and which Gleis you'll be leaving on. It usually helps to be prepared.

Once again I'm amazed at the kind, detailed responses to my questions on this board. Thank you so much!

We will definitely make sure we understand which platform we'll arrive on at Zurich HBH before we leave the airport station (I vaguely remember how huge it is from a few years back).

J.

Station/Stop Date Time Platform Products
Zürich Flughafen Fr, 21.08.09 dep 09:47 4 IR 2325 Interregio

Zürich HB Fr, 21.08.09 arr 09:59 5
Zürich HB Fr, 21.08.09 dep 10:09 4 IR 2267 Interregio
Observation coach
Bellinzona Fr, 21.08.09 arr 12:53 2
Bellinzona Fr, 21.08.09 dep 12:57 3 S S10 S-Bahn Direction: Albate-Camerlata
Partially 2nd class only
Como S. Giovanni Fr, 21.08.09 arr 14:03

As you can see for the 9:47 airport departure - the first train i would think you normally could catch - you only change from platform 4 to platform 5 in the behemoth Zurich main station (Hbf) - simple change

Excellent! You can't beat simple! Let's hope the flight's on time - or early enough to allow us time to pick up some picnic food!

Thanks, Palenque!

Note there is an observation coach on the Zurich to Bellinzona portion - this is a glass-domed observation car - you may ask when buying tickets about a reservation in these cars - but they may only be in first class perhaps - in which case the large windows of the regular train cars will be just fine in 2nd class and a whole lot cheaper. But some of these are also in 2nd class so ask if interested.

and you will find the schedule i gave will probably repeat exactly every hour from then on during the day

Jespere: By now you're in the middle of your trip and I hope you will report as soon as you get back.

DH and I are now ticketed to Zurich next June, and will return from Milan three weeks later.

Looking for ways to get to Italy: either Train from Zurich or rent a car.

Your experience will be very valuable, so I hope you see this and report.

Hope you're having a super time.

For a tremendous way to traverse the Alps high ridge that runs thru Central Switzerland i would recommend you look at the Bernina Pass Route, either by train or car - the Bernina Pass rail route, the only train line to traverse the Alps north to south without the use of long tunnels - actually going up and over it is to me one of the top scenic trains in Europe - it takes a bit longer but if you have a day to spare it is so so memorable. I can tell you more if interested. On the Bernina Route it is easy to stop by Lake Como (Bellagio, etc.) on your way to Milan. Swiss trains are fantastic - for lots of great info on Swiss trains, scenic trains like the Bernina Pass route, etc. here are some great sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.ricksteves.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html - this latter site has some details on the Bernina Pass route.

cheers

Wow, Palenque - thanks for the tip! We've done the Glacier Express, maybe 15 years ago, and I went part way on the Bernina Express on a trip with my college roommate,up to Alp Grum., but never went all the way.

I presume you can go from Zurich to Chur, then Chur down to Milan? Is that correct?

That site has a lot of possibilities, and I'm definitely looking in to them.

Have you ever done the William Tell trip? that looks good too. Oh, how I love those Swiss boats that connect so well to Swiss trains.

ttraveler - Yup mainline trains to Chur where you must switch because the next train is narrow-gauge, geared for mountain climbing - then via the fantastic Albula Loops up to St Moritz/Pontresina (sp?) from where the Bernina Pass route begins - yup to Alp Grum and Bernina Ospiz - these are two stations at the summit and there is a sweet Alpine lake from which glaciers stretch up - it's popular to walk around the lake and between the two stations. Thus i would recommend staying in either Pontresina (which many people seem to love - smaller and more rural than glitzy San Moritz) and do the Bernina as a leisurely day trip - theree is the ubiquitous mountain hotel with sun terrace at i think the Bernina Ospiz station so you can have lunch and soak up the intoxicating views.

And when you want to go to Italy you take the Bernina Pass train to its terminus at Tirano, Italy and leave the Swiss station there and walk across the plaza to the Italian station, cater-corner from the Swiss one - then trains take you to Milan via Varenna-Esino, where you can get off and walk the short distance downhill to the boat dock for boats to Bellagio and or Como, etc. Or from Tirano you can also hop the Bernina Pass bus that takes you to Lugano and trains to Como and Milan. during the summer there are open-air platform cars on some of the Bernina trains and thus to me was such an exhilarating experience in such wondrous scenery.

http://www.bernina-sud.info/En/bernina.html

Oh, Palenque, this sounds so great! I hope I have the courage and the smarts to put this all together.

Maybe we could go back to the wonderful little Lake Como town of Lenno, to the San Giorgio, a hotel that time seems to have forgotten. I hope I'm not dreaming too much but it would be so great to re-visit some places we've been and find some new adventures also.

Have you ever done the William Tell trip? that looks good too. Oh, how I love those Swiss boats that connect so well to Swiss trains.>

Yes i have done the William Tell a few times and it is a novel way to go between Zurich/Lucerne and Milan, on the Gotthard Tunnel route, which is also one of Europe's most scenic mainline railways - that is until the new super-long Simplon base tunnel is completed in several years that will burrow under most of today's scenic route - the boat ride from Lucerne to Fluelen is spectacular IMO - on the fjord-like Lake Lucerne - then the Fluelen train station is just steps from the boat dock - and trains that tie in with the Golden Pass have observations cars as well - if the Bernina Pass route is too far out of your way for your time - and it is a major detour off the main Zurich-Milan route that goes via the Simplon Tunnel - then the Gotthard route has great scenery, if not so dramatic Top of Europe vistas that the Bernina route has. You can't go wrong IMO - the Gotthard Route also goes by Lake Como, with Como being the hopping off point.