I am on Raileurope searching for a ticket from Munich to Lucerne. The one i want is departs 7:17am arriving Lucerne via Zurich at 12:49pm (which I found through Bahn.com) so I can take the 1:05 Glacial Express to Interlaken. When I attempt to find it on Raileurope and put I am traveling with a German Rail Pass it only allows later trains that do not allow me to catch the glacial express train on time. Is there a way to make the reservation I want using the pass? Thank you for any advice. Also, I will have the Swiss Travel Pass and there does not seem to be a way to show that you have both passes so as to maximize your pass value. Any words of wisdom on this front is also appreciated.
Posted by
Green Bay
20238 posts
There is no "Glacial" Express between Luzern and Interlaken. There is just the hourly "Luzern-Interlaken Express" which as you say leaves Luzern at 1:05 pm. And also at 2:05 pm. 3:05 pm, etc until 6:05 pm. Yes, it is scenic.
At www.bahn.com, I put in for a random week day, leave Munich at 7 am going to interlaken Ost with a stopover in Luzern and I get depart Munich at 7:17 am, arrive Zurich at 11:53 am, then depart Zurich at 12:04 pm arrive Luzern at 12:49 pm, then depart Luzern at 1.05 pm arrive Interlaken Ost at 2:55 pm.
If you had a German Rail Pass and a Swiss Travel Pass, the only section you would have to pay for is the short section between Lindau and St Margrethen that passes through Austria.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
You don't need to reserve the German section, but you can if you wish to.
You can't reserve the Swiss section, Swiss trains generally don't do reservations. And there is no such thing as the "glacial express". it is an hourly service from Luzern it Interlaken Ost. If you want to stop off in Luzern to stretch your legs, and get the train an hour later you can.
But, as Sam says, your two passes (German and Swiss) leave a gap where you pass through Austria. You will need to buy a ticket from Lindau to St Margrethen.
The stops on your Munich to Zürich train are:
München Hbf 07:17
Buchloe 07:56
Kempten(Allgäu)Hbf
Lindau Hbf 09:46 <-- Last stop in Germany, train changes direction. Your German pass is valid to here.
Bregenz 10:04 <-- Austria
St. Margrethen 10:18 <-- First stop in Switzerland, your Swiss pass is valid from here.
St. Gallen(CH) 10:43
Gossau SG 10:52
Wil(CH) 11:06
Winterthur 11:26
Zürich Flughafen 11:41
Zürich HB 11:53
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16894 posts
The German Rail Pass needs to be activated in a train station, so you might as well buy both the seat assignment (if you want one) and the small Austrian ticket at the same time. At Munich Hbf Reisezentrum, the Euraide staff at desk number one are Americans and know all the ins and outs of passes, though any desk can handle it.