We thought we could get some nice views of Switzerland while traveling by regular train via part of the golden pass in our one day trip across Switzerland - starting at Chamonix and ending in Munich. Many sites tell us this is possible but SBB will find these routes, but then not sell tickets to them. We gent an "alternate routes available" screen once we get all the way to buy.
Is there some reason it keeps removing the golden pass section when trying to price these?
Is it worth it to even try this on such a long train travel day (at least 9 hours)?
Is it pretty from Geneva to Bern to Zurich to Munich?
Go through Lausanne and Montreux for a quick view?
Any advice on how to do this would be helpful.
Do we need to buy tickets in advance? Seat61 has conflicting info on Swiss trains.
Thanks.
Posted by
Wengen
1800 posts
The fastest route is Chamonix - Martigny - Visp o Lausanne - Zurich - Munich. That is a auite scenic route.
The problem you are encountering is that the SBB site is absolutely rubbish where it comes to informing you why it didn't manage to find a price for you. It just defaults to a meaningless boilerplate error message...
When is your trip? I may be able to help.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
June 9th! Any help would be greatly appreciated. We also thought of buying 2 separate tickets - one on the omnio site (easy to use) from Martigny to Munich - and only use SBB for the regional trains Chamonix to Martigny - what do you think?
Posted by
Green Bay
20256 posts
SBB will give you price from Vallorcine, the France-Switzerland border station to Zurich. Zurich to Munich is an EC train that goes every 2 hours.
SBB will show the route from Vallorcine to Zurich if you put in via Zweisimmen. Do you want to do the full Golden Pass through Interlaken and Luzern? Then put in another via Brienz.
Here is what I get. Start at Chamonix Mont Blanc at 7:28 to Vallorcine. This is a French TER and is probably not yet officially scheduled for summer, But it is 10.90 EUR, unreserved, anytime ticket you can buy at the station. Arrives at 8:01, change to Swiss train at 8:08.
Then Swiss train to Martigny, Montreux, Zweisimmen (Belle Epoque), Spiez, Interlaken Ost, Luzern, Zurich HB, arriving at 16:50. SBB suggests buying a Saver Day Pass now for 52 CHF.
The next EC train to Munich is at 17.33, arriving Munich at 21:04. With the Saver Day Pass, the full fare ticket is 59 CHF and includes a seat reservation and a City Ticket for continuing transport on Munich transit to your hotel location.
This is actually a 13 1/2 hour hour journey.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Fantastic detail! Thank you for your expertise!
Posted by
Wengen
1800 posts
SBB will actually sell you a ticket Chamonix - Munich, and will even split for you in a Europa Special for the Martigny - Munich part, and tickets for the Chamonix - border - Martigny part.
However June 9th is ages away. It is very well possible that for some parts you can't buy tickets yet.
So you could try to buy Martigny - Munich on bahn.com, and the Chamonix - Martigny part you just buy at the station in Chamonix. No need to get a third party like Omio involved for what is essentially a subway ticket.