SBB Mobile/Train Questions

1. You just take the next available train after you clear immigration, get your luggage and and get to the airport train station. A ticket is good on any train that day. That's the way it works in Switzerland. There are 4 direct trains every hour from Geneva airport to Lausanne.
2. They are showing the train's ultimate destination, where Lausanne is an intermediate stop.
3. You mean travel times? Some make more or fewer intermediate stops between Geneva airport and Lausanne, some have longer or shorter hold times at Geneva main station.

1. You will have to pass through Customs. Figure that with baggage (if checked) I would say 90 minutes to be safe.
2. That is just the track routing. Makes no difference.
3. This could be due to any number of factors, but probably due to the track routing (see your question on "direction").

1. Without rushing, by a ticket from the machine and catch whatever the next one is at the time you reach the train platform at the airport station.

2. The direction is just the last stop for a particular train that stops at Lausanne. A particular that stops at Lausanne may not stop at other stops in between. For example a Intercity (IC) may not make the same stops as a Regional (RE) on the way to Lausanne.

3. Same as answer 2. Regional trains make more stops in a region than and Intercity for example.

Thanks, Sam - other questions, though.

Are there any savings by purchasing a ticket in advance rather than when I arrive at the station? And is there any risk of a train being at capacity? My exact arrival date is August 28.

With 4 trains per hour, I would say there is a 0% chance of the train being full, especially as the train originates at Geneva airport, There is something called a Super Saver ticket, which is nonrefundable and train specific. A full fare ticket is only 27 CHF, so coming off a flight, the discount is not worth the risk, IMHO.

I did my first trip one day using just Super Savers. Those are only good in advance if you know for certain that you are going to be on time for the one specific train that it is good for. I found those only available a month in advance and sell out as residents with half fare cards get 50%off the already discounted price. For example a Super Saver Geneva to Lausanne would be 13.50 CHF with a half fare card.

GVA is a smaller airport too so that is to your advantage. The lines at immigration should move.

If you will have luggage and are concerned about train capacity, you can purchase a 1st class ticket. I’ve traveled 1st and 2nd class in Switzerland and much prefer 1st class. More room and less crowds. For me, the extra expense is worth it.

Our first trip to Switzerland we traveled 2nd class and encountered some very crowded trains. One was so crowded we got off and waited for the next one.

Super Saver Geneva to Lausanne would be 13.50 CHF with a half fare card.

No, that is the straight half fare price. full fare is 27 CHF 2nd class. It is a short trip, I would not waste money on 1st class. If you take one of the express trains that take 45 to 46 minutes, the train will stop at Geneva main station and the next stop is Lausanne. The express trains are at 1 and 32 past the hour.

Looking a month from now, A Super Saver ticket is 17.80 CHF (no half fare card). Miss your train and throw it away and buy a new full fare ticket.

Will you be using other trains in Switzerland? Perhaps one of the various Swiss train passes would work for you? Safe Travels!

The question about "a train being at capacity" comes up a lot when especially non European inquire about trains in Switzerland.

Trains in Switzerland are mass transit. The railway does not sell seats, does not know who is on which train (nor do they care) and will sell tickets for any origin -destination pair in unlimited quantities. And tickets are by default flexible, valid on any train on a route. Trains cannot sell out. Just like the New York Subway never sells out either.

It is possible that more people board a train then there are free seats. Then some people need to stand. You will actually see that a lot of people will even choose to stand if they are using the train just to get to the city centre. In practice there are almost always enough free seats for everyone.

Hi there. I live not far from Lausanne and used to take the train to Geneva in back a lot since I moved here. The SBB app is the best source to be informed as they update the schedule real time. You'll see even the delays if any which is not happening too often and not more than a few minutes.
1. The moment you land you can check the SBB app and have a clear idea what trains depart for Lausanne.
2. There are tons of trains from Geneva that pass through Lausanne as these 2 cities are a sort of railway hub for getting people from the Western part of Switzerland to the rest of the country. So it doesn't matter the direction as long it stops in Lausanne. Knowing the end stop will help before boarding so that you won't end up in France for example.
3. The Geneva Zurich train, for example, will arrive faster in Lausanne because it's like an express train with fewer stops. Brig train is a regional one, if I remember right, and have more stops between Geneva and Lausanne. However, it won't be a huge difference in terms of time so I would just pick the first train I can get to after passing through customs.

Extra piece of advice: be aware of the departure time and give yourself a few minutes in advance to get to the platform as Swiss trains and buses are right on time. 30 seconds later and you'll miss it. The train cars have the class written and sometimes they have both 1st and 2nd class on the same wagon. The IC trains, like Geneva-Zurich, have special places for the big pieces of luggage at the ends of the wagons. If not, you'll have to squize it between the row of seats especially if it is rush hour for the commuters. But I don't think it will be the case for you based on your late arrival on Geneva airport.

Very grateful for everyone's responses as I feel much better prepared and informed.

Thank you!