We don't know the exact day or time that we'll arrive at Zurich Airport, so it's not an option for us to purchase tickets in advance. But if we DID get on a plane May 1, we'd arrive in Zurich May 2.
Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase train tickets at the Zurich airport train station on the same day that we will travel to Como? Neither train operator, Swiss Railways or Bahn, are clear about this on their website.
Still haven't gotten email responses from either, and we're rolling closer to May 1, when we'll depart the US to Zurich.
Thanks
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Yes, you can buy tickets at Zurich airport train station and there is no deadline to do so. Swiss tickets don't require reservations, so any number of people can board the train. The international leg of the trip does require seat assignments, so it is possible for the train to sell out. If your flight arrives in the morning, then several possible departures could work for you and we wouldn't worry.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for your helpful reply, Laura. Much appreciated.
We will primarily be in Italy and Switzerland, but I noticed that Eurail's Regional Pass doesn't include an option for those two neighboring countries -- or did I miss something? http://www.eurail.com/eurail-passes/regional-pass.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
bubba,
As Laura mentioned, you won't have any trouble with tickets at Zürich airport regardless of what time you arrive (the Swiss have a very efficient rail system). Once you have some idea of your arrival time, you can check either the bahn.de or sbb.ch website for information on the trains that will be departing at about that time.
Are you planning to travel with a Railpass? If that's the case, be very careful with the aspect of reservations in Italy as if you're caught without a valid reservation, you may face hefty fines which will be collected on the spot! If you're riding on one of the "premium" trains such as the Freccia high speed versions, you can NOT just board any train with your Railpass. You MUST have reservations which are specific to that train, date and departure time.
If you haven't yet purchased your Railpass, note that you can also buy them from THIS website.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Yes, you can purchase the tickets from Zurich Flughafen (airport) to Como S. Giovanni upon arrival. The train station is just below the airport complex. Here's a snapshot of what part of the schedule looks like for May 1.
http://gyazo.com/9fb67d2cd4361db15db178c9f3551849 Fare is 86CHF (about $100). To just get through Switzerland, you don't need any kind of Eurail pass. You aren't traveling enough by rail to justify one. You really don't need one in Italy either. Everything you are doing is a simple point-to-point ticket purchase. No seat reservations. However, you haven't indicated how you intend to exit Europe to come home. That could change the situation a bit.