cigalechanta

Hey Pal, that email doesn't work?
My friend Abby, sent this, nd I thought of you.

http://downloads.raileurope.com/holi...tmas_card.html

cigalechanta

click on a destination at the bottom.

PalenQ

cigale - as i said on the other thread, thanks again and i'll view this at the library this weekend. thanks for thinking of moi!

PalenQ

Swiss Pass prices are due to rise between 5-10% Jan 1, 2008 - as i mention above you can save bucks if using a Swiss Pass in the next 7 months by buying at the old rate.

Not sure of the actual price increase but i'm sure BETS 800-441-2387 would know old vs new and whether it's worth it for your price of pass.

enzian

Rick Steves also has the new prices on the "Railpass" section of his website:

http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/rail_menu.htm

Click on the "2008 passes" to see the new prices.

A 3-day FlexiPass, Saver, goes from $156 to $165. An 8-day Swiss Pass, Saver, goes from $235 to $247.

PalenQ

thanks enzian - ricksteves.com also has a lot of good info on Swiss trains

personally with those low price increases unless traveling in next month or so it may not be worth buying very early - thought for sure it would be more

as this still leaves Swiss Pass prices in $ in U.S. way cheaper than same pass bought at station.

why? mystery for me

enzian

Hi PalenQ---yes, it appears they didn't bring the prices totally in line with the currency exchange rates, at least for the Swiss passes. I didn't check on the passes for other countries.

tara3056

Bookmarking - thank you for this wonderful thread!

PalenQ

enzian

yes price increases were modest compared to what i thought they would be

leaving Swiss Passes still significantly cheaper here than there

why - a mystery

other passes are priced radically different

only Swiss and British railpasses seem to have prices set for the calendar year anymore

all other passes during the past year have yo-yo'ed up and down - mainly up as they are now priced in euros and prices are adjusted as per fluctuating exchange rates

All Eurailpass products for instance will show a slight decrease 1/10/08 - after showing an increase 1/01/08

and prices on these are not set for the year

Swiss Passes are in general a great bargain - esp consecutive day passes IMO for most travelers but of course not all and U.S. prices are even better bargains

ciao

PalenQ

SCENIC SWISS TRAINS - A thread i've been working on for a few years about Scenic Swiss Trains:

cache:http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=PalenQ

PalenQ

Oops mixed up my threads - stupid post above was meant for another thread i've been working on - European Trains for the Clueless:

cache:http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=PalenQ

PalenQ

EURAILPASSES VALID IN SWITZERLAND GET NEW BENEFITS

And there are good changes vis-a-vis Switzerland and the Eurailpasses that are valid in Switzerland:

Now the new Eurail Travelers Guide says trains between Zermatt and Disentis, Andermatt-Goschenen (a short few mile shuttle connecting the Glacier Express route with the Gotthard mainline) and also that cable cars Zermatt-Gornergrat would all get 25% discounts with a Eurailpass - and of course on flexipasses not have to use a day of travel.

Thus the Glacier Express route, previously which gave Eurails no discounts Zermatt-disentis now at least give 25% off and don't entail using a day on a flexipass

Swiss Passes of course have always covered the Zermatt-disentis portion of Glacier Express route in full - and as they give 50% off virtually everything in the country in terms of lifts, cableways, etc. that they don't cover in full still have much more benefits than Eurailpasses for folks doing indepth Swiss travels - most intercity buses, city transport, lake boats, etc. also being 100% covered.

But for folks transiting the country a Eurailpass has more benefits now than previously.

PalenQ

EURAILPASS 50% DISCOUNTS INCREASE IN SWITZERLAND

Mountain conveyances up Mt Titlis and Mt Pilatus near Lucerne also are now 50% off with a Eurailpass - same as a Swiss Pass

this includes:

funicular Alpnachstad to summit of Pilatus (Eurail Travelers Guide says funicular but i believe it's a cog railway more and one of the most dramatic in the world)

and cable car from Kriens to Pilatus - thus the whole excursion Alpnachstad-Pilatus-Kriens would be 50% off www.pilatus.ch

Titlis - 50% off titlis Rotair Cableway from engleberg up to Mt Titlis www.titlis.ch

and Vitznau/Rigi - 50% on mountain railway up Mt Rigi www.rigi.ch

So again a Eurail Flexipass or eurail Select pass would not entail a day of useage to get the discount

PalenQ

Well i suspose the new Lotschberg Tunnels are done and folks are speeding between Fruitigen and Visp but seeing nothing as it's basically all in new tunnels

Thus folks on this major north-south mainline route route will miss out on what to me was one of Europe's most dramatic and scenic Alpine rail routes.

Though it would take an hour or so longer to get off the new higher-speed route and take the classic old line consider doing it if possible

As rather than just a tunnel on the old route, still offering regional trains it seems, you glimpse things like the serene Kandersteg Valley and the dramatic descent, several miles, down into Brig, near Visp where the new tunnel route comes out

To me this dramatic descent, especially for a mainline with normal wide gauge tracks not narrow-gauge is really like being in an airplane as the Rhone River Valley lies thousands of feet below and the train rolls along an all-too-narrow ledge as it slides down to the valley.

Supposedly the world's most powerful train locomotives are employed on this prodigiously up and down route

So if you have time get off the mainline at Spiez or Fruitigen and hop local trains over the slower but more far more scenic route

(seen one tunnel seen them all)

PalenQ

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...&tid=/35110625

A Fodors thread on Swiss trains and selecting the right ticket or pass

PalenQ

SWISS RAIL BAGS & PLANE SCHEME

Relevant question and answer i copied from another thread:
Q
<has anyone used Swiss Rails luggage service where they ship your luggage from the airport to your first Swiss location? Has anyone ever had problems with it?>

And an answer from swandav2000, who has shown many times to be a Swiss train and travel savant (Search for her name on Fodor's and see!)

Answer
<Yes, I've used the luggage service a lot. There are two options.

One option is to ship it from your US airport using tags & documents you buy from Raileurope. You fill out the customs forms, put them in the clear green plastic tags, and attach the tags to your bags. Then just check your bags as usual. In Zürich, the airport personnel pull the cases with the green tags and route them directly to the trains. When you get to your destination, give the receipt to the hotel staff, and they'll pick up your bag for you.

The other option is to pick up your bags as usual at the luggage carousel. Pile them onto a luggage cart and wheel it all the way to the train station in the basement. At the train station, look for the long row of counters and for the counter with the pictogram of the suitcase. They'll ship your bag for 20 chf per bag for 24 hour service (I think they'll get it there that day if you check it before 9 am).

You can ship luggage from most train stations to other stations in Switzerland; I've done it numerous times.>

PalenQ

Re: Discounts with Swiss Pass, Swiss Card and Swiss Transfer Tickets update

Swiss Passes do get 50% discounts on virtually everything that moves in Switzerland if it's not covered 100% but the Jungfraujoch railway above Wengen and Grindelwald the discount is 25% (a change midway in 2007)

But the Swiss Card, which gives a round trip from any border point or airport to anyplace in Switzerland and back (though does not have to be round trip - basically from any border point or any airport to one local by the most direct route and then to any other border point or airport (come into Geneva, go to Interlaken, fly out of Zurich say; or from Germany to Interlaken say and then Interlaken to Italian border points - Swiss Card also gives 50% off everything in between like the Swiss Pass except it does give 50% of the Jungfraujoch trains where Swiss Pass the discount is only 25%

And that could be a key planning tool as to which you may want to buy as the Jungfraujoch train full price is about $130 or so, maybe more since the Swiss Franc is now at par with the dollar!

Swiss Transfer tickets only give the airport/border to anyplace and then to any border/airport and no other discounts anytime

Half-Fare Passes i assume give 50% off the Jungfraujoch but not 100% sure about that

PalenQ

VIP SEATS CORRECTION & GOLDEN PASS

Somewhere up above i recommended being sure to advance reserve way in advance the vaunted VIP seats on the Golden Pass Swiss train (Montreux-Zweissimen with connections to Interlaken and Lucerne)

I normally advise making such reservations in Switzerland because it's a bit cheaper and usually easily done (except Glacier Express which can always be booked up with tour groups IME) and i advised doing in in the U.S. thru BETS or RailEurope, etc.

But now RE says these seats can only be reserved locally and not thru them (or any other agent since RE is the Swiss Railways outlet here)

So for info go to www.swisstravelsystem.com and click on the Golden Pass link - or just Google Golden Pass official site - and see what they say

The VIP seats are next and above the driver and it lets you simulate driving the train. They are usually 8 such seats in the front and 8 in the back (in case you want to visualize being a caboose)

PalenQ

Apparently you can go into the Golden Pass web site (thru swisstravelsystem.com site) and then be able to reserve VIP or other types of seats if you have or will have a pass - just reserve the seats and get you ticket or pass later.

VIP seats are worth all the effort IME

mariebut

Fantastic information Bob, we have a two night stay at Interlaken planned for early Oct, what would be your recommendation for a scenic day out. We would be happy to do some light walking, trains or buses and lake cruises. Thanks