I just purchased a Lucern to Paris train ticket on the SBB website. The Basel to Paris segment has details on it regarding Train #, times etc while the Lucern to Basel only has the date on it and is called a "Add-on" ticket. I'm assuming this means that this portion is open to me for use anytime on the day. It does say it is only valid with global price offer which I take means it's valid with the other ticket only. Can someone confirm this?
Thanks
Your understanding is correct. The Swiss trains don't encourage reservations. They're leaving it up to you to make your way to Basel in time.
Warren, you are correct.
SBB (Swiss Railways) and SNCF (French Railways) have radically different policies on ticket validity and reservations.
SNCF requires that you must have a reservation for a TGV. Therefore for Basel to Paris your ticket has a date, time train number, coach number and seat number on it and your ticket is only valid on that train.
When you buy an SBB ticket, it is valid on any train on the date on the ticket, no reservations need or usually possible. So you can get any train from Luzern that day so long as it gets to Basel in time to catch your train to Paris. There are 3 trains per hour from Luzern to Basel (2 direct, one involves a change), so you can get an earlier train and spend a few hours in Basel.
thanks for the info
