freetoroam

It's been awhile since I traveled by train, so when purchasing individual point to point tickets for travel within Switzerland, do you specify -
a] date and time ?
b] date only ?
c] no date and have ticket stamped/validated on day of travel ?
d] ??

If the answer is not [c], does the ticket have to be stamped/validated before boarding the train?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.

neckervd

Standard fare tickets:
Buy them at the ticket machine; enter itinerary, class and day of validity
Standard tickets purchased at a ticket office or machine are valid for one day or ten days, depending on the distance of the journey they are intended for:
Distance One way Return
Up to 115 km 1 day 1 day
From 116 km 1 day 10 days
1 day means from midnight (0.01am)until 2am of the following day

Local traffic communities (like Zuercher Verkehrsverbund, Bernmobil, etc.) sell often machine tickets for certain zones. these tickets show the date at which they were bought and are valid 1 or a few hours only.
Other tickets for commuter and regional trains have to be stamped before boarding the train.
Tickets bought in the web (standard fare and supersaver) are usually valid for a specific train only.
http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and...itzerland.html

Dukey1

Tickets bought on the web and within thirty days of the travel date are good for a SPECIFIC ROUTE and have a SPECIFIC DATE and they also have your name and your date of birth. They can be used on about any trains that travel on the route.

For example, last week I used tickets purchased on the web to travel between Brig and Grindelwald; Grindelwald and Fribourg; Fribourg and Basel. The general route was specified on the ticket such as for the Brig-Grindelwald segment: "via Spiez and Interlaken Ost"

You do not have to validate them in the machines on the platforms. You may very well be asked to show some sort of ID such as a passport to verify that you are the person whose name is printed on the ticket.

freetoroam

Thanks for the info. Good to know that we can plan our itinerary without having to worry about adhering to a specific train schedule.

swandav2000

Hi freetoroan,

It's also good to know that you can hop on and off the trains at any place along your route within the day. So, you can stop once or twice at towns that intrigue you, store your bags in a locker at the station, and enjoy the town. Have a bite to eat at an outdoor café and soak up more of the ambiance. Then back to the train station, pick up your bags, and continue your journey.

Have fun as you plan!

s

freetoroam

swandav2000 - thanks for the travel tip

PalenQ

How much are you traveling by train, boat, bus, etc - investigate if much at all the Half-Fare Card; Swiss Card (everything the Half-Fare Card offers but also two train rides to start and end your trip from border stations or airport which means it could be cheaper overall than just the Half-Fare Card alone for some folks as some have shown recently and the Swiss Pass, which of course negates any standing in line - just hop on hop off - lots of great info on Swiss trains - it does not take much travel to make one of those cards/passes pay off! For lots of great info on Swiss trains, passes, etc I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sources:
www.swisstravelsystem.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html; www.roicksteves.com; www.seat61.com,

PalenQ

Dukey - were those discounted tickets? If full fare I wonder why they had your name on them or you may be required to show your name in passport, etc.

NancyPatricia

If I buy tickets over the Internet for October how do I get or receive them?

Many thanks,
Nancy

michelhuebeli

Nancy, I see no reason to buy tickets on the web for October. In Switzerland you are not required to have reserved seats (in Italy and France for example, on fast trains each ticket comes with a seat reservation - you must take that particular seat in that particular carriage).

Wait until you get to Switzerland, buy your ticket and hop on a train, it's usually that simple. on arrival at the Zürich or Geneva airports you can buy tickets and passes, and both airport have a train station right there.

What you want to watch out for is the route you take - for example from Bern to Lucerne you can take a direct train, or go via Olten, or through the Emmental via Langnau - and those routes al cost different fares. Also use the ticket o the dates for which it is valid. If you go buy a ticket a day or two before you plan to use it, tell the agent and the date will be adjusted forward.

If however you're looking to reserve seats on one of the specialty tourit trains like he Glacier Express or Bernina Express and the like, then do it on the websites of those individual trains.

PalenQ

Plus there is a hefty mailing fee for tickets send from Switzerland I do believe - yes just buy them once there but also scour www.sbb.ch for some rather limited special fares that come and go - those you need to book early as they are in limited numbers - and unlike France or Italy such discounts are not usually viable for the average traveler.

Yes if just buying regular tickets do it as you go along - no reason to do otherwise as michelhuebeli explains.

PalenQ

how many trains are you taking - it don't take much for a Swiss Pass or Swiss Card or Half-Fare Card to pay off.