Train from Interlaken to Venice
 

Hi,

I will be travelling from Interlaken to Venice on 6/12, Sunday.
As for now, i check the sbb.ch website, the fares is CHF126.
It is very expensive.
1. The fares will be getting higher or still maintain the same even i purchase on the day of travel?
2. Should i buy now?
3. Any other way to get cheaper fare?

Pls advise. Many thanks

Very expensive compared to what? Do you know of a cheaper mode of transport? if you do then I suggest you use it.
The fare you have quoted id for an adult, one way, in second class. I am not sure there would be any cheaper fare available unless you had some sort of pass or railcard and those aren't free.

I have this feeling the prices may rise as the date approaches but since that fare is good for 30 days after purchase I would go ahead and buy it.

Perhaps someone else can suggest a cheaper mode of transport.

I can't imagine it will get any cheaper. Long distance train tickets are cheaper the earlier you buy them, not the later. Looking at a random Sunday in February, you could buy a non-refundable ticket for 74 CHF, or a refundable one for 119 CHF, but you are buying less than two weeks out. That's for the best routing, only two changes, I didn't look at prices for the others.

Looks like the train is your only option, unless you want to take it to somewhere like Zurich and fly or bus from there.

Dear Thursdaysd,
May i know where to ge the CHD 74?

SBB ticket shop offers a ticket starting at 9pm (Interlaken Ost)
for CHF 78. Regarding prices in Switzerland, this is a good bargain.

Oops ... it's 10am:

https://www.sbb.ch/ticketshop/b2c/ipsSchritt_1_0.do

I take a train direct from Geneva to Venezia Santa Lucia about once a year. For this I book 3 months in advance and get about CHF45 oneway/2nd class. This is the lowest price you can get and of course non refundable. I did not see such heavily discounted tickets in 1st class before but for my latest trip to Venice from which I returned last night, I got 1st class ticket for CHF 65.00 one way on SBB site. Considering a looong 7hour train, paying only 20.00 more for 1st class ( for a solo seat) is really worth. Normal full price, refundable, is CHF 195.00.

When you take 08h00 train at Interlaken Ost, and change at Spiez and Brig, the train you take at Brig is the direct train I take from Geneva, which will arrive at 14:40 at Venezia Santa Lucia.

You need to start looking for prices of tickets 3 months out from your travel date and be aware that the least expensive tickets are non-refundable. Just be sure you are happy with the time of that train since once you have bought tickets you must take that specific train - or you will have to repurchase tickets at a much higher fare.

@sla019 - the OP is traveling on Dec 12. I am seeing 101 CHF for that train on that date. Although that is certainly cheaper than 126 CHF, it is also a much worse routing, taking longer and requiring four changes instead of two.

iamcaren - you cannot get 74 CHF if you are traveling on Dec 12th, at least not for the 7:29 or 8:00 am trains, which have only two connections. You could check all the other possible connections it you like. The way to get the 74 CHF fare is to book a non-refundable fare three months out, as I said in my post.

@Peter - go to sbb.ch. And/or learn about European trains at seat61.com.

I often find www.Trenitalia.com still has cheap fares available for the Switzerland-Italy trains when the Swiss at www.sbb.ch show the train as full-fare-only.

Also, by booking the whole trip with the Swiss Railways at sbb.ch (who can't access Trenitalia's cheap fares) you'll pay full whack full-flex €60 for the domestic Italian Milan-Venice sector when a €19 or €29 fare may be available from the Italians.

So.....

1) Go to www.trenitalia.com and try booking Spiez to Venezia Santa Lucia.

Why don't we book from Interlaken? Because the Italian Railways can't sell a Swiss domestic element, i.e. in this case the Interlaken to Spiez local connection.

2) Then buy an Interlaken Ost to Spiez local ticket at the station or at www.sbb.ch

OR

1) Go to www.sbb.ch and book Interlaken Ost to Milan Centrale

2) Book Milano Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia at www.trenitalia.com to get a cheap price.

What are your travel plans in Switzerland - if enough to warrant a Swiss Pass then that will take you to the Italian border where you can use the cheap discounted tickets Man in Seat 61 talks about above. Or the Swiss Transfer Ticket may be better if only going to the Interlaken area - along with it you can buy a 50% off Half-Fare Card to use for 50% off anything that moves in Switzerland (except cows!) and it gives you two train tickets -

one from any airport or border station to any point in Switzerland and then a ticket from that place to any airport or border station (like Domodossola, Italy) to get out - then again use from Italian border the deep discount Trenitalia ticket Man in Seat 61 talks about.

For lots of great info on Swiss trains check not only Man in Seat 61's commercial site - www.seat61.com but also these informative sites: www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Swiss Transfer Tickets cannot be bought in Switzerland I believe but only other countries - like in U.S. from Rail Europe or its agents.

I think the Swiss Transfer Ticket plus 1/2 off Half-Price Card is about $235 p.p. - to see if it is a good deal for you research what tickets from and to Interlaken/Grindelwald cost - depends on where you land perhaps.