Will be going from Grindelwald to Lucerne - and would like to have lunch in Interlaken on the way. Can I get off the train but "check" my bags thru to Lucerne and then pick them up at the train station in Lucerne later that day?

I suspect you cannot. What you may have to do is check the bags into either a locker, or if there is one, the "left luggage" room. I cannot remember if there is one at either Interlaken main or west but someone here probably does. I know that both stations have lockers.

Hi orangetravelcat,

Yes, I've done this a number of times. Just take your case(s) to the window with a picture of a suitcase and a scale.

I think I remember that you're using a rail pass, right? I've always had a train ticket when I checked my bags, and the counter agent always asked to see it -- I think it's cheaper if you're actually travelling (rather than using the SBB as a package service). So be sure to get the pass validated for that day or tell the agent that you're travelling.

The cost is about 10-13 chf per bag (sorry can't remember right now).

Have fun!

s

Thanks, Swandav2000. You are a great source of information. Yes, we will be traveling with a railpass. By the way, we've changed our "routing" for our Swiss trip. With the dollar falling, I opted for hotels that I could get a better deal at, so will now be doing Zurich-Grindelwald-Lucerne. Will just have to plan another trip to switzerland to see the Lake Geneva region.

Dear "cat"
I've been reading the various postings of your trip and it sounds just heavenly. I think you'll particularly enjoy the Grindelwald area--so "typically Swiss", if there is such a thing. One thing you might want to do is pack a picnic lunch and either hike up or take a ski lift into the moutains (they usually run even if it's not ski season) to have a picnic. Have a wonderful time!!

orange-t-cat,

(just love that name! -- my own non-travelling cat is snoring next to my computer right now . . .)

Happy to help! Yes, I've been following your posts but had no real input for you -- there are advantages & disadvantages for either plan. Personally, I like the location of the Marriott in Zurich (I assume you've mapped it out; if not, let me know and I'll give you the address & a mapping site) and in fact have almost stayed there a few times.

If you're still looking for a few things to do close to Zurich, may I suggest you include some of the towns & villages around the lake? I especially liked Rapperswil the afternoon I was there, and I've stayed in Kuessnacht a few times. They're all quiet and pretty. You may want to venture out to these suburbs for dinners, returning to Zurich very easily by S-Bahn.

The bottom line is that (in my opinion), you can't have a bad time anywhere in Switzerland -- or you'd have to try hard at it.

Let me know if I can help further!

s

Swiss Rail does offer this great option. The only caveat is that your bags may lag behind you and arrive a few hours later. Otherwise, the system works great. You can insure them for a few extra francs.

If you are flying a non-US airline to and from the US, you can even check your bags in at the US airport and have them put directly onto a train at Geneva or Zurich airport, and taken to your destination where you collect them at the nearest train station. On the return, you check your bags in at a train station and they will make their way to the airport, be put onto your flight and you pick them up at the airport at home. Really a great system.

Good morning, as others have said yes, I can only repeat tht have done that a number of times in checking luggage on Swiss Railways. Have check
luggage here in Chicago on SWISS with
the final destinatioin of Grindelwald
and followed the bag when first sighted
in Bern, changing trains and arrived in
Grindelwald on the same train as we rode. Have sent bags with hiking gear
from Grindelwald to Zurich HB for baggage check while we went south to IT for at least a weei. and have sent
bags ahead in CH by checking them the
afternoon before out trip to Zermatt
Lugano and etc. Only place would check
luggage in this manner... Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..With only an overnite pack to carry, rail even with a lot of rail changes is a breeze...
rjv

I am bringing this post up to the top because I am interested in knowing if any recent travellers to Zurich have stored luggage at the rail station for a few hours before their departure. We arrive at 8:10am via Swiss Airlines at Zurich and plan on spending a few hours in the city before leaving on 1:30 train to Salzburg. Are there lockers at the rail station? In the alternative, can we check our bags 4-5 hours before departure? Has the security concerning left luggage changed post-Madrid?

I live in Switzerland and the information below is current to the best of my knowledge.


First off, as you are flying Swiss I would recommend that you use the Fly/Rail Baaggage program which will allow you to check your bags in in the US and pick them up in Lucerne later in the day of your arrival. A great service as you won't have to lug bags on and off the trains (there are stairs on virually all trains, either to board or to get up or down on two-storey trains.) Costs about CH10. Worth every penny. Take a look at the Swiss Rail website ar rail.ch, click on "SWiss TRavel System" at the red arrow, then "Sercies" in blue on the side margin, then "Chekc in at the railstation and fly/rail baggage."

If you don't want to check them through from your departure ariport, you can have Swiss Rail transport yoru bags from the Zurich airport train station to Lucerne. The luggage office is on the same level as the ticket office at the airport rail station. For info, look at the Swiss Rail site mentioned above.

If you can't or don't want to use Fly/Rail, there are luggage lockers in the main train staion in Zuirch (the Hautbanhof), they are one level below the ground level. They have various size lockers. You will need change in Swiss coins (they may also take Euro coins), but most any shop in the area would be happy to make change for you whether you buy something or not. (Welcome to Switzerland.) I believe you can also store luggage at the luggage office on the ground level, look for a small blue sign with a white suitcase.

And I wonder, can this same checking through system be done out of Switzerland? Zurich to Copenhagen?

Hi padbrasher & monb,

I don't know if the luggage lockers' availability has changed since the Madrid bombing. I'm going to Switzerland in a few days, and I'll check to see. Post the question again after 1 June, and I'll answer it.

And, no, you can't check cases out of Switzerland. It only works within the country.

In both cases, you can get up to date information by e-mailing or phoning the SBB system.

Let me know if I can help further --

s

Just one point of correction, the baggage service IS available to or from certain European countires. You can currently use this service for train travel to and from Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg. Not to Denmark (yet). It also takes several days for your baggage to reach you.

Thanks to all for the great advice. Cicerone, can we use the Fly/Rail luggage option if our overseas travel commences with American Airlines? We are connecting to Swiss in Chicago and had planned on checking our bags all the way through from St. Louis (origin) to Zurich. Will we need to check the bags directly with Swiss at O'Hare to be able to utilize the luggage option? One other question: Is there a way to confirm that our luggage has arrived at Zurich or would we not see it again before arrival at our rail destination, Salzburg?

Hi Cicerone,

Thanks for the correction! But is the service as timely as the Swiss in-country? I tried to check my bags in Austria once, and they said it would take about a week -- ??

s

I think it will work, but can't say for sure, you may want to call Swiss. US carriers cannot participate in this program, but as AA is only taking you for the domestic portion, this should not be a problem. I would not call AA, as most US carriers are not even aware that this program exists and you will not get correct information from them.

The way the program works is that you attach special green luggage tags to each bag. That is all you do, no special papers or declarations are needed. When the bags arrive in Zurich, the Swiss customs people look for the green tags, take the bags (which they may or may not inspect) and put them onto the next Swiss train. You walk out bagless from the airport and hop on the train. The green tags will be meaningless to AA and so there should not be a problem with their being on the bags. I wouldn?t even mention them to AA when checking in. You need to buy the tags in the US, you should be able to do it through Swiss Air now, you can also buy them through RailEurope. You pay CH20 (sorry my pervious posts said CH10) and they send you the green tags. I believe you can also buy insurance for a slight extra fee (you can for the rail portion so I assume you can for the air portion).

The only way this might not work is if your "Swiss" flight is a code share with AA or another US carrier and the plane used is actually aircraft of AA or another US carrier. It appears from your post that this is a Swiss flight oiperated with Swiss aircraft. You might want to confirm this with Swiss, or check your ticket, I believe codeshare flights are clearly indicated, even on e-tickets.

In my experience, the bags generally are either on your train or one train behind. They will hold them at the station for you. Your hotel can go and collect them, you just need to give them the receipt (which is a carbon of the green luggage tag).

On your return trip, the process is not so easy, as you have to give the railroad your bags at least 17 hours before your flight, or order to make sure they make it onto your flight. Most people aren't willing to do this, so they end up carrying their own bags with them. HOwever, to have this burden lifted just for one leg is worth it IMO>

Ok I see it now, Cicerone, "takes several days . . ." Yup, that's what I found too, outside of Switzerland.

The process you describe -- the green tag, etc -- works with any carrier when you go through Rail Europe. I've done it twice using Delta. But Rail Europe only sends it to stations in Switzerland . . . I believe!

padbasher, because your destination is Salzburg, I think you should call Swiss, as Cicerone suggests.

s

Just a short post to emphasize that the service TO Switzerland works with ANY airline from anywhere, including the US. I am 100% sure of this as friends used it in March when they joined me for skiing in Zermatt. They flew CO from EWR to GVA as well as DL from MCO via ATL to ZRH. In the US, just purchase the tags from RailEurope (one of the only instances in which they come in handy)
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/pa...il_baggage.htm

HOWEVER, it can take quite a while for the luggage to arrive... For those who landed in Geneva, it took close to 24 hours after landing for the bags to show up in Zermatt! Needless to say the atmosphere on the first evening was rather tense

Here's a link to the expected pickup times for each station, as well as the cutoff for dropping your bags for the outbound service:
http://www.rail.ch/pv/flybhf_e.htm

For the OUTBOUND service (flights DEPARTING from Switzerland), you CANNOT use this service if you are flying to the US. Several, but not all airlines offer it - here's a link to the detailed list, only the airlines highlighted in green offer the service, sometimes with restrictions. Some stations are also able to issue your boarding passes as well.
http://www.rail.ch/pv/files/airlines.pdf

Finally, here's a general introduction to the entire service:
http://www.rail.ch/pv/fly_e.htm

There was also a question regarding lockers at Zurich airport train station - yes they are available. They're located just behind the train ticketing area in the lower level of the train station.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Interesting Andre, as it was Swiss who told me that non-US carriers can't particpate, glad to here that is not the case. Swiss also told me that they accept fly/rail baggage for their own flights to the US, but this was last February and maybe that has changed.

I have had friends use this service twice when arriving by air from EWR into Geneva and going by train to Zermatt. Both times the baggage arrived about 4 hours behind us. So it seems Andre's experience was indeed unfortunate.

Again, thank you very much for all the expert advice. I really don't know how non-Fodorites travel!