Gotthard Panorama Express Tickets via Official Website

Put in "GA 1st class" for the kids, then will be shown as free.

You could do similar on your own without 1st class or seat reservation fees. You would have to change trains at Bellinzona to get to Lugano. Take the boat from Luzern to Fluelen, then take the hourly Treno Gottardo, which travels the same tracks as the Gotthard Panorama Express, to Bellinzona, then change to a train to Lugano.

Thank you Sam. What does “GA 1st Class” mean and is it appropriate given our Swiss Half Fare Card + Swiss Family Plan tickets we have purchased? The second part of your comments seems to indicate a Lucerne to Lugano route whereas we are traveling from Lugano to Lucerne. Does that matter at all?

Update: By selecting the “GA/1st Class” discount for the kids, it did effectively zero out the cost of the ticket for the kids. Each adult and child (4 total) has a seat reservations cost of CHF 24 which was to be expected. There are now 3 ticket options: Saver Day Pass for CHF 74 per adult, Point-to-point Ticket: Lugano-Luzern - via Gotthard - Fluelen - Boat for CHF 82 per adult, and Day Pass for the Half Fare Travel Card for CHF 128 per adult. I’m guessing that I should pick the cheaper option as we will arrive in Lucerne around 5:30 PM local time and likely just check into the hotel and eat dinner.I don’t expect to do much else.

Sorry missed that. but it remains true as you can do the same thing in reverse. Lugano to Bellinzona, Bellinzona to Fluelen on the Treno Gottardo, then boat to Luzern.

A 1st class GA Travel Card is a pass. It is just a way to show that they are free, as Swiss ticketing does not bother with having an option for the free Family Card. The sites are set up with Swiss passengers in mind and the free Family Card is only available to visitors.

Thanks Sam. Let me know if you have thoughts on the 3 ticket options I listed in the “update,” but other than that this has been immensely helpful!

You ticket price should be 260 CHF, assuming you want 1st class on the boat as well. 4 X 24 = 96 Plus 2 X 41 = 82 for 1st class tickets from Lugano to Fluelen, plus 2 X 41 = 82 for 1st class tickets on the boat to Luzern.

Another thing to try is simply buy the seat reservations on the GPE site. Then buy 2 1st class tickets from the SBB site for Lugano to Fluelen with the HFC, then 2 1st class tickets on the boat from Fluelen to Luzern with the HFC.

Also look at buying 1st class Saver Day Passes with the HFC for your travel date. If you can get them for less than 82 CHF per person, then that is the way to go.

PS I see you can get 1st class Saver Day Pass for 74 CHF pp for Aug 4. That is what you should do.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/offers/saver-day-pass?validFromDate=2026-08-04

Thank you Sam for all your help. I ended up purchasing Super Saver tickets through the official website. I didn’t feel as comfortable trying to piecemeal the tickets. CHF 244 or $311.38. I did have to get on the phone with my credit card company after 4 or 5 declines due to fraud-related issues. I haven’t had any issues with other train purchases via Trenatalia or SBB. Folks at the CC company were nice and said they are seeing more and more declines ahead of travel. Glad it’s all done. Happy Travels!

Yes, 244 CHF is the deal.

A 1st class GA Travel Card is a pass. It is just a way to show that
they are free, as Swiss ticketing does not bother with having an
option for the free Family Card. The sites are set up with Swiss
passengers in mind and the free Family Card is only available to
visitors.

Actually the domestic equivalent of the Family Card is the Junior Card. That is the reduction you should choose for your children if you have the Family Card.

However on reservation sites like that for the GPE there is also the option "only reservation" amongst the reductions. You can choose that for the children as well. In fact, I would choose that for all passengers, and then just proceed to buy 2 saver day passes for the adults.