We are traveling to Switzerland in early June. The Bernina Express panorama cars are already booked, which I found out from you guys is probably for the best (thank you!). We will book a regional train from Chur to Tirano. I have two questions:
1) How early should I book? We don't want to miss out.
2) Should we book seats on the Bernina Express train, or will any regional train offer pretty much the same experience?
Posted by
San Diego, California
6925 posts
The regional trains don't sell out, and are usually pretty empty. Will you have any type of Swiss rail pass? If you had the STP, for example, you would just board and show your pass when asked- no tickets to purchase. The recommended rail pass will depend on what other travel you'll be doing on Swiss trains. Many folks do well with the half fare card, but you do need to purchase tickets with this latter card.
You will have an incredibly beautiful adventure! Enjoy.
Posted by
Wengen
3770 posts
Normal tickets in Switzerland are for a route, and are always available. You just must make sure you have your ticket before you board the train. So no need to be afraid of missing out.
However, the regional trains are far from empty nowadays. The Bernina Railway is a victim of its success, and RhB is planning to increase service on the line substantially. However getting new trains takes time...
Because of this Regional trains now tend to suffer from crowding too. And RhB now even offers reservations there as well:
https://www.rhb.ch/en/tickets/bernina-line-reservations/
However, because these reservations are not targeted by tour operators you do not need to get them months in advance.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks. These are very helpful. The first part of our travels is with a choir group, so this will be our only day of travel on Swiss trains. We will get a day saver pass and will need a ticket. We’ll book the trip a month or so out to make sure we get a ticket. Thanks for your help.
Posted by
Washington DC
30413 posts
Saver Day Passes go on sale 6 months out, I think, and the cost ratchets upward as the travel date approaches. Check the current price for your pass to see whether you can get it at a reasonable price. If so, consider buying now. You can take a look at SDPs for dates in March to see what happens if you wait.
Posted by
Wengen
3770 posts
We will get a day saver pass and will need a ticket. We’ll book the trip a month or so out to make sure we get a ticket.
You do not need a ticket if you get a Saver Day Pass, as the pass is the ticket. A Saver Day Pass gives you unlimited use of all public transit (and yes, that really means all) for a whole day.
If you however decide not to get the Saver Day Pass you can indeed just get a ticket for the route. And that you do not need to "secure" in advance. This is mass transit. Locals use this train to go about their daily business. Buying tickets at the time of travel is the norm, and how trains are supposed to work.