Swiss pass - how does it work
 

1. I'm planning to travel fr lugano to Venice. Actually Lugano isn't in my plan but I read it's the nearest scenic stopover to Venice. Is that true
2. When I purchase my train tickets fr Lugano to Venice, will the Swiss portion be deducted seeing I have Swiss pass? The Train stops over at Milano. I'm not sure how the Swiss pass can help.
3. Is GA1 and GA2 equivalent to Swiss pass class 1 and class 2?

Thanks

1. Yes.
2. Yes. Check the time table (inlcuding the intermediate stops) and the according map and see which part is still in Switzerland. So you have to buy only the part between the last stop in Switzerland and Venice. As long as you have a Swiss Pass and not a Swiss Card or another half-fare card (then you would have to pay also 50% of the Swiss leg).
3. GA is only for Swiss residents, Swiss Passes (and Cards) are only for tourists, but the have the same meaning regarding free ride and reduction in price.

If you show your validated Swiss Pass at the ticket counter you will automaticaly get a ticket from Chiasso to Venice.
pore

Yes exactly as pore says - or if you want to save money go to www.trenitalia.com and book online discounts for travel from Chiasso, border station to Venice Santa Lucia (Venice S L, the train station across the lagoon - as opposed to Venice Mestre, the workaday station on the mainland - note those discount tickets are I believe non-changeable nor refunded so be sure of your times. Otherwise just go to station - any station in Switzerland with pass and ask for a ticket from the border to Venice - but note there are various types of trains in Italy that charge varying prices as to the level of train (high-speed, IC, local, etc) - so be specific about the rail connections you want - usually you must change in Milan meaning you may have to book two separate tickets on trenitalia.com perhaps.

Anyways for oodles of great info on Swiss trains and passes, etc I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sources - www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html and www.ricksteves.com. Swiss passes traditionally have been significantly cheaper if bought in the U S or Canada than in Europe for some reason the past several years but this is not always true so always check both sources for price comparisons for the exact same pass.

You can't buy the ticket on Trenitalia from Lugano to Venice as it would require picking it up at a self-service kiosk in Italy. You can buy the Milan/Venice ticket on Trenitalia and get the code for that ticket via e-mail.

You could buy a supplemental ticket with your Swiss Pass from Chiasso to Como, a few kms down the tracks and an Italian station and retrieve your online booked discounted ticket there from machines - but I think a normal Como/Chiasso full fare ticket to Milan ain't that much to begin with. Nor is Milan to Venice on IC trains I believe. Build a lot of time into the change in Milano Centrale - a humongous train shed with zillions of tracks and of course Italian trains can always be running late - build at least an hour in between trains IMO.

If you look at pass validity map: www.swisstravelsystem.com/files/?id=48401, see page 7, you notice that your Swisspass is valid up to Chiasso. So as mentioned above, you need at least the ticket that covers Chiasso-Venice. This poses validation issue for refundable tickets. I found that only the border station knew about the Swisspass usage across the border. When I used Swisspass to enter France, I got all sorts of incorrect answers from Bern, Lausanne, and from the ticket inspectors. Only the Martigny ticket agent knew exactly what I needed to enter France using the Swisspass.

Whether Lugano is the correct stop of not on the way to Venice depends on where you are coming from. If you are coming from the eastern part of Switzerland such as Lucerne, Bern, Zurich, you will be entering Italy via Lugano. If you are coming from Montreux, Zermatt, etc, you will probably be entering Italy via Brig, Domodossola.

Here's another way it can work. Whenever you GET to Europe you should be able to go into any rail station and get the ticket from whatever town to Venice. You can show the clerk your pass and as long as you know the route you are going to use they should sell you a ticket for the Italian portion.

If you don't want the "hassle" of trying to book it on-line, getting a booking reference, etc., for pick-up and so forth you can do it this way.

I am honestly not sure just how MUCH you will save by booking ahead since I suspect that depends on how far in advance you do book ahead.

You will only IME be able to book the Italian portion of a train coming from Switzerland in Switzerland, not at any station in Europe.

take kybourbon's advice and book a discounted Milan to Venice ticket online - you may get even one of those 9 euro fares she often hypes - saving tons of money over just buying a full fare ticket at a Swiss station.

Thanks peeps. I purchased Italian ticks fr domossola > Milan for €9 indeed. Decided to stay over Milan and check out the fashion city. I've also purchased rear of my inter city tics all the way fr Milan > Venice > Florence > Rome all for famed €9.

I've got a question though. Is there any way I can ensure that the Switzerland leg of my Interlaken > domossola > Milan route will happen as planned? Is reservation possible? I'm worried that the train I'm planning to take (embarks at 530 pm) is full then I'm gonna end up missing the Italian leg. If possible I don't wish to leave interlaken extra early as I'm still planning to still tour around until ab 4 pm or so.

Oh and I posted this q in a different topic. What is the best way for Malaysian to purchase Swiss pass. Now there's thus buy 2 for 1 promotion and I wanna get them but the delivery cost is chf 30.50. Not cheap at all. Is there any better alternative.

Thanks all

You can make seat reservations when you first arrive in Switzerland.

***You can reserve your seats on Swiss trains via Rail Service 0900 300 300 (CHF 1.19/min. from the Swiss fixed-line network) or direct at the ticket counter. It costs CHF 5 per seat to make a reservation. Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to make reservations online for seats on Swiss trains.***

You can also buy your pass upon arrival if you don't want to pay shipping.

You can also buy your pass upon arrival if you don't want to pay shipping>

well most U S agents do not have any shipping fees on those type orders and last I checked prices were significantly higher for the same pass in Switzerland than if bought in U S - why I do not know but this has been the case for much of the pass several years - but not always - currency exchange fluctuations may make it different on occasion but I have been tracking the prices here - U S and there for several years and 95% of the time you would say by buying here rather than there and again the bit about shipping charges is not accurate as many agents do not charge a shipping fee except for say overnight rush service - some may so shop around if the one you first see does. but you may save a significant amount by buying here rather than there - again today this may not be the case but most of the time it is.

What do you mean by buy upon arrival? I heard that the pass has to be purchased from outside Switzerland, no?

I saw that the website swisspasses.com allows collection of passes upon arrival. I'm not sure if the website is genuine though.

>>>last I checked prices were significantly higher for the same pass in Switzerland than if bought in U S<<

How did you check that? AFAIK, the prices listed on the Swiss website are the same as walk-up prices except for shipping. Of course currency fluctuates, but that doesn't mean the Swiss are charging more for their passes at train stations than online. You could buy a pass online today to use in the fall and the pass could turn out to be much cheaper bought in the fall if the currency fluctuates in your favor. That's a gamble you take with any advance purchase in another country whether it's a train ticket or museum ticket.

>>>well most U S agents do not have any shipping fees on those type orders <<<

Most do charge fees unless you spend $400-$500 or more. The 2 for 1 is only 226chf or $236. Rail Europe would charge an $18 mailing fee to the states for a purchase in that amount(the OP isn't in the states so it really doesn't matter what US agents would do). I don't know what they charge for Malaysia.

Hi ellinteoh,

No, the Swiss Pass does NOT have to be purchased outside of the country -- you can buy it at many places within Switzerland. You will have to show your passport to prove that you are not a resident of Switzerland.

The only Pass-type product you cannot buy in Switzerland is the Transfer Card.

s

Swiss Passes are sold at every Swiss station - at least major ones without formality but again note that it has very often been the case that the same exact pass sold there has been significantly higher than the same pass sold in America - why I do not know and it is not always true so compare prices and if little difference just wait to buy there - also though figure in any %fees your credit card may impose on foreign transactions if buying there with cc - many have none but many have up to 3%.

You could buy a pass online today to use in the fall and the pass could turn out to be much cheaper bought in the fall if the currency fluctuates in your favor>

And especially so because of the 2 for 1 special on some Swiss Passes if used for travel between Sep 1 and Nov 30 - but only on 4-day consecutive or flexipasses so those at that time could be better options than other lengths of passes. See www.seat61.com and click on the link Raileurope for more on the 2 for 1 fall special - not sure it will be offered also in Switzerland but presume so since the same offer last spring was on www.sbb.ch - Swiss Railways site. But another reason if traveling off-season not to buy far in advance - if a special pops up after you buy you cannot change your pass without a hefty cancellation fee - and for each of the past several years since I have been tracking prices of Swiss Passes there have been specials for off-season use - either an extra day on selected passes or like in 2011 - free trips to some mountain tops that are normally 50% off - do not buy a Swiss Pass for off-season travel very much in advance IMO after tracking Swiss Pass marketing for many years or you may lose out!

>>last I checked prices were significantly higher for the same pass in Switzerland than if bought in U S<<

How did you check that?>

simple.

www.sbb.ch has prices for Swiss Passes in Swiss francs (CHF) and www.raileurope.com has prices for the exact same passes in US dollars - use the conversion rate in NYTimes (a rate you will not get in practice so I knock off a cent or two for the effective rate you will get with c card or ATM cash

then voila - compare the two prices. Ain't rocket science. And I have done this for years - usually the U S dollar rate is significantly cheaper - not always and sometimes more expensive - right now the prices seem about equal (not taking into account an up to 3% fee many credit cards impose for foreign transactions.

And this is my advice to anyone buying a Swiss Pass - check prices in both U S (or Canadian) dollars and also for the same pass bought in Switzerland, converting the Swiss franc price into dollars. What is so hard about that? Then you will know which is the best and how much. Good advice IMO, right?

the Swiss government is now pegging the Swiss franc, I read in NYTimes, to the Euro and trying to keep the same rate even though Switzerland is coming under lots of pressure to let the france appreciate again, like it was before it was suddenly devalued to its current exchange rate vs the euro. But if the government cannot contain the franc it could leap in value, making anything bought in Switzerland much more expensive. So it all, about pricing, depends on exchange rates. Right now most financial experts say the franc is artificially low and many think the government cannot contain it at its current level. Buying a Swiss Pass now for use later in summer could be a smart way to hedge against any leap in the Swiss franc that many experts predict could well happen.