Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)
-   Europe (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/)
-   -   Train from geneva to milan (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/train-from-geneva-to-milan-921803/)

malloryo1 Jan 29th, 2012 07:13 AM

Train from geneva to milan
 
I need to travel from Geneve Airport to Milano Centrale on April 8. I want to book the 1342 train but the trenitalia site will not let me choose any option but home delivery for the tickets, then won't accept my home address. Any suggestions?

Dukey1 Jan 29th, 2012 07:41 AM

Yes, book it through www.sbb.com the Swiss railsite and use the EN version

PalenQ Jan 29th, 2012 08:10 AM

And unless you can get a discount by buying ahead you can definitely buy these tickets without any problem upon landing at Geneva's airport for the same price (unless you can get a discount and I think www.sbb.com, Swiss Railways site does not routinely offer discounts online. And by waiting you can hop the next possible train if plane is late, etc. If you cannot book online then I'd suggest, if you are the type that wants a ticket and seat reservation all taken care of and you need just head to the train, as a last resort buy in U.s. thru RailEurope - and for any RE product I would definitely suggest calling Byron at www.budgeteuropetravel.com - I have bought passes from him for years and can attest to great personal service - works with RailEurope so same price, etc. But really you can easily book this ticket upon landing in Geneva.

PalenQ Jan 29th, 2012 11:12 AM

There are rail links about every hour to Milan Centrale from Geneva Airport (sometimes have to change in Geneva itself and on some links in Brig - so try to find yes the direct ones with no changes - and you do not need seat reservations for travel on those trains within Switzerland - only on the Italian part - meaning if you have to change at Brig - no problem - small station - you can just with a ticket hop on any train from Geneva airport to Brig, etc.

But point is there are plenty of alternatives to the direct trains if they do not comport to your time schedule. No need to wait four hours for the next link, just hop a train to Brig and change there - making necessary seat reservation for Italian train at station there.

malloryo1 Jan 29th, 2012 02:27 PM

thank you both very much! Since it is easter i booked it vs waiting and hoping it wasn't overbooked! I used the swiss rail site with NO problems! whew! So grateful for the help!!

kybourbon Jan 29th, 2012 07:37 PM

>>>I want to book the 1342 train but the trenitalia site will not let me choose any option but home delivery for the tickets, then won't accept my home address. Any suggestions?<<<

International tickets sold on Trenitalia must be picked up at a self-service kiosk in one of the main stations in Italy. You only want to book on Trenitalia if you are departing from Italy or will be in Italy at some point before your train that you can retrieve your tickets.

PalenQ Jan 30th, 2012 11:26 AM

malloryo1 - how do you pick up the Swiss tickets - at the airport or do they mail them to your house and if so is there a fee for that?

thanks for the info!

kybourbon Jan 30th, 2012 12:51 PM

I've booked Swiss tickets to Italy online before and you have to retrieve them at the train station in Switzerland (you pick the station you want). That was two years ago so it might be now you can print them yourself. There was no fee. I paid 25chf for Zurich/Milan for the EC train(saver fare).

malloryo1 Jan 30th, 2012 02:10 PM

i had the option of them being mailed, no fee was added. The ONLY glitch was i had to call my credit card and listen to all the choices and finally approve this overseas charge. then the train tickets went thru. It was marvellous!

PalenQ Jan 30th, 2012 04:38 PM

malloryo1 - thanks for the response!

kybourbon Jan 31st, 2012 05:50 AM

FYI - Mailing fee to the US is 45chf. Picking up at the station is free.

SBB: Terms of delivery and charges

For delivery of articles to addresses outside Switzerland, the following periods and charges apply:
Delivery Courier service Delivery period Charge (CHF)

within Europe
order value less than CHF 500.– preferential mail
14 days
8.chf

within Europe order value CHF 500.– and more DHL 4 days
45.chf

in Mexico, USA, Canada DHL 4 days
45.chf

to addresses worldwide DHL 4 days
90.chf


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:07 PM.