question about Swiss trains
 

I have purchased a Swiss Flex Pass. I will arrive at Geneva airport in a few weeks and immediately go on by train to Zermatt. Do I need to/can I make a reservation for that trip?

Elaine
The short answer is no. Once your pass is vaidated you just buy your ticket and get on the train, show your pass at the ticket window and the cletk will sell you the right ticket. There is no need to reserve a seat on trains, in many cases you cannot make a reservation. If the train is too crowded for you the next one will an hour later.

Well with a pass you need not buy any ticket - the pass is the ticket. You just need to validate your pass before boarding the train - then just show it to the conductor on this and all subsequent trains.

you do not ever buy any ticket except on the few Glacier Express type trains - and though some of the Brig to Zermatt trains are Glacier Express trains between Brig and Zermatt they also carry local traffic like any other train - just hop on cars marked so - but there are hourly non GE trains as well.

Again you do not need to make any reservations and i think in fact you could not if you wanted to - Geneva airport direct to Brig and then Brig to Zermatt.

For lots on Swiss trains and using passes, etc. i always highlight these super sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; wwwseat61.com.

And I validate my pass, how? A stamping "composter" machine at the station? Some other way?
thanks

No you must have it validated by a railway official - at a ticket window - you show your passports to match names on your pass - clerk stamps it for the overall validity period and writes in the dates.

then you are get to go - then never have to go to ticket window but just hop on the train, bus, boat, etc - with the exception of the few special scenic tourist trains like the Glacier Express that demands reservations and a supplement

but all regular trains, buses (including city transports), boats just hop on - you are supposed to write in the date for that day on a flexipass pass before the conductor comes around for the pass to be valid.

thanks again

Sit on the right hand side of the train for the best view of Lake Geneva as you go towards Zermatt. You'll have to change in Visp, no stress changing trains, it's all timed to perfection. Once in Zermatt, make sure you go to the highest point "Klien Matterhorn" and go to the viewing deck, it's awsome. You can ski there in the summer too if it takes your fancy. Zermatt has one of Europes best glaciers. I run a snowsport school there so if you need a lesson get in touch. Also make sure you visit the Hotel Omnia and the Vernisage Cinema, both very cool modern developments by a local designer. Enjoy.

And don't miss the last gondola down like we did (4:40 pm or so). It's a long hike.

be carefel about the "change in Visp" recommendation..WHY? Because all the trains which leave Geneva and head toward BRIG do not stop in Visp...no need to panic.

Brig is where they will ALL stop no matter the type including the Cisalpino services.

Generally, except for certain so-called "scenic" trains you cannot make a seat reservation for trips which occur WHOLLY WITHIN Switzerland and you rarely, if ever, even need one.

I agree, sit on the right hand side of the train facing forward for the best lake views.

If your train does NOT stop in Visp but goes on to Brig and you need to change to the Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn railway here is what you do:

go out the FRONT DOOR of the train station in Brig.

Look across the street and slightly to your RIGHT (just in front of the Hotel Victoria); you'll see the Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn platforms...piece of cake.

In Visp, if your train does stop there, the M-G station is across the street behind the SBB (federal railways) station..again, piece of cake.

Enjoy your trip.

Wonderful information.
If my train does stop in Visp, is there an advantage/disadvantage of changing at Visp vs changing at Brig?

The only advantage of boarding at Brig is that the train to Zermatt begins there or usually does so it will be sitting there for a while and if you want choice seats you can more easily get them before the train fills up by the time it reaches Visp - perhaps!

What Dukey wrote :
> In Visp, if your train does stop there, the M-G station is across the street behind the SBB (federal railways) station..again, piece of cake.

Not anymore. Visp station looks completely new and bigger. In order to take the train for Zermatt, you don't need to go out of the station. The platforms for all the strains are inside Visp SBB station. I don't know since but it was like this at least in May 2009 when I changed trains there. So changing train is easier at Visp than in Brig. Also something I like about Visp station : they have a Coop Pront supermarket that's open from about 6h00am to 11h00pm. You can buy usual coop food products + ready to eat food you can buy by grams and you weigh it yourself, different kinds of salad and desserts. I often pick up some müsseli to eat on the train.

Elaine, if you have not looked at sbb.ch site for time table, you should do it to have ideas of, how often the trains stop at Visp. For example, I looked at it for 9h00 to 15h00 and if I'm not mistaken, all the trains stops at Visp, connection time about 20 minutes (that's more than enough) or more and paltform numbers (leaves Genenva airport on no.3, arrive Visp on no.6/7, leaves Visp on no.3).
http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm

With the opening of the new Lotschberg Tunnel, which emerges on the south end at Visp i think Visp may have become a more major station than even Brig - a station on the old Lotschberg Tunnel route but still the main gateway, along with Visp, to Italy.

this is amazing information, puts any guidebook to shame

Yes, all the trains I'm likely to take from Geneva airport (through early afternoon) seem to stop at Visp. I'm not seeing platform numbers but will take your words for it. Also, not seeing connection lag times for Brig vs Visp.

But the idea of possibly better seating if I change earlier, at Brig, intrigues me, even if I do have to go outside to a different station. Is there any food service on these trains or is there non-junk food available at the Brig station? (yes, I did see the food co-op info for the Visp station).
After arriving at Geneva from overseas flight, may get hungry before Zermatt. I can always pack a power bar or something.

You could also pick up a sandwich or something in the Geneva airport to take with you on the train.

On this route (GVA-BRIG)there is usually no dining car except the trains that go farther to Italy. There is mini-bar cart service that sells drinks, snacks and sanwiches. Geneva Airport station has more choice with Migros supermarket at the end of the station that has lots ofb ready-made sandwiches and salads (personally I don't find them so appetising though). In Brig station there is a half bakery, half convenience store, there you can buy sandwich/cake sorts, smaller than Coop Pronto Visp so much more limited chice. If you go all the way to Brig to change train, and if you want a sit-down lunch, you can do that at the station's café/resto. Then probably you will have to let the immediate correspondence train go and take the next one.

elaine,

There is also a disadvantage of changing trains at Brig: The journey will take close to half an hour longer. The reason is that from Brig you will have to backtrack to Visp. So on your way from Visp to Brig, you will be able to see the oncoming connecting train you would take at Visp on its way to Zermatt.

And yes, since the opening of the new Lötschberg Tunnel, Visp has taken over from Brig as the main rail hub of that region in many aspects.

Hope this helps, enjoy your trip.

Phil.

Yup i'd change at Visp - what i like to do is stand in the middle of the platform and eyeball train cars as they go by before stopping - looking for cars with the most empty seats, etc. If ones in front are rather full then i walk back towards the end of the train.