Gotthard panoramic train

If you want the panoramic train, make sure it is on the following schedule, Departing Arth-Goldau at 13:40.
The train is 1st class only and requires a seat reservation. You can book here.
https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/trains-trips/rail-travel-specialtrains/panoramareisen/gotthard-panorama-express/timetable.html

We are on a 13:49 departure from arth that says treno gottardo but I don’t think it is the panoramic one - what is the difference?

That is just a regular IC train. See my edit to previous reply for booking info. Panoramic Express is all 1st class and has panoramic windows. Otherwise, same train tracks, same scenery.

We already bought the local IC train - what will we be missing? Not sure I can get a refund..

If you want to change, you will have to buy a seat reservation for 16 CHF per person. If you already have a 2nd class ticket, you have to pay an additional 40 CHF per person to upgrade to 1st class for Arth-Goldau to Lugano.

If it is a regular, nondiscounted point-to-point ticket, you do not need a refund, just the seat reservation fee and class upgrade if needed.

We have a supersaver ticket to Locarno from Lauterbrunnen.. Is it worth it to upgrade to the panoramic?

No, I do not think it is worth it, and I do not think you can buy an upgrade with a Supersaver ticket anyway. The regular trains have big windows already, "panoramic" does not add much!

A Supersaver is train-specific, so you can't upgrade. I would go with what you got. Some people actually prefer nonpanoramic trains because you can open windows for better photographs. Like I said, same tracks, same scenery.

Thanks for the info - what are we missing on the panoramic? It takes longer, so is it a different route or just goes slower? Looks like we have to stick with what we have. Is it worth buying supersaver tickets ahead of time for our other trips?

Oops, you're right! The IC train you are on uses the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a 50 km tunnel completely under the mountains. No scenery for you, unfortunately. Sorry.

The "Treno Gottardo" to/ from Locarno is a new service that uses the old line, not the base tunnel, so it has the exact same scenery as the Panoramic train.
To double-check, if the trip from Arth-G to Locarno takes 2.5 hours then it uses the old, scenic line. If it is significantly shorter, then it uses the new tunnel.

The train number is IC873 from arth at 13:49 gets to Locarno at 15:14. Does this one use the scenic route?
Appreciate all the help as we have already purchased this ticket.

Unfortunately not, and you need to change trains in Bellinzona for Locarno.
The 13:54, 5 minutes later, does use the scenic track, and is direct, but you would need a new ticket. Not sure it is worth it; after all you have no guarantee of good weather and if it is rainy / very cloudy, you won't see that much. Also, with the train you booked, you get the chance to travel in the longest railway tunnel in the world ;-)

Any idea how much the new ticket would be for just that section?

A full-fare is 51 Swiss francs for the Arth-G. to Locarno section, if you do not have any pass or half-fare card

What is your travel date? You may be able to get a Supersaver ticket for the direct train to Locarno that uses the scenic route.

Travel date is June 22nd and we have the half fare card. We need lauterbrunnen to Locarno. Do I think we can get a refund of the other ticket or use it to get us to Arth-g?

Yes, you can use the original Supersaver ticket as far as Arth-Goldau. Now you just need to buy a Supersaver ticket from Arth-Goldau to Locarno on the direct train, which for the 13:54 departure will be 10.20 CHF per person on June 22 with the Half Fare Card. That is train IR2323.

Interesting, but if you check your current ticket, I believe it will show you that you are on IR2323 now from Luzern to Arth-Goldau and transferring to the IC train with a connection in Bellinzona. Thus, you will already be on the train you want when you depart Luzern. You don't have to get off the train, just stay seated and switch to your new Supersaver ticket if the ticket inspector comes by. Put away the old ticket. Now you have one less connection to make since you will go direct from Luzern to Locarno.

The SBB app and website will always show you the fastest way to get to your destination, thus they have you changing to the train that uses the Base Tunnel because it saves an hour getting to your final destination. In order to take a slower route, you must include an intermediate station in the "Via" box. Goeschenen is an intermediate station on this more scenic routing, so when you add that, it will show you the slower train.

U are very helpful! Do I also need to pay for a seat assignment?

No, a seat assignment is not necessary at all.

Do you have seat assignments now? Generally, Swiss trains do not require seat assignments. The only ones that do are touristic excursion trains like the Bernina Express, Glacier Express, and yes, the Gotthard Panoramic Express. This train is not one of those but travels the same route as the Gotthard Panoramic Express. Very few people bother buying seat assignments since trains are frequent and normally not very full. Within 30 days of your trip, the Swiss app and website will show expected occupancy in 1st and 2nd class. For 4 weeks from today, it is showing low expected occupancy.

The 13:49 from Arth-Goldau is the regular IC train that goes through the deep Gotthard Basistunnel and you will see very little scenery between the entrance to the tunnel at Altdorf and Bellinzona. There are no stops between those two.

The Gotthard Panorama Express is a special train that uses the old route over the Gotthard Pass instead of using the tunnel. It makes stops at Flüelen on the lake, Goschinenen and Airolo after leaving Arth-Goldau and before Bellinzona.

There is still a tunnel, but it is high up in the mountains and you still see most of the scenery, including hanging glaciers. The tracks make some spirals on the way down to lose elevation.

You can see the difference on this map of the Swiss railway. Tunnels are shown with dashed lines.

https://cdn-doc.myswissalps.com/docs/default-source/rail-network-maps/swisstravelpass.pdf?sfvrsn=7788603a_56

Is your goal to arrive at Locarno as quickly as possible, or to avoid the deep tunnel and use the special train that goes on the high Gotthard Pass route?

I booked the 2323 train from arth-g to Locarno so we can see the scenery. Thanks to everyone for the advice. Does this train have the glass top windows?

I do not believes so. Regular rail cars. With low occupancy, you should be able to sit by the windows and switch sides to see the scenery as you wish.