We were trying to book tickets from Zurich to Strasbourg in October and wanted to select our own seats. The sbb.ch site does not seem to let us select this option. Is there a way? Also on the sbb site, it has trains that have a longer than 8 min. transfer in Basel. The French site has only 8 min transfers to the regional trains to Strasbourg. Since we are booking seats for several people separately, we just wanted to be sure we could all sit together.
Posted by
Chicago
7808 posts
Swiss trains are of the hop on and find a free seat variety, seat reservation not necessary or possible.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16178 posts
Trains within Switzerland do not require reservations and it is usually unnecessary to make them. We have traveled in summer with a group as large as 9 people several times and with one exception had no trouble finding seats together or in close proximity. The one exception was heading to Zurich on the day of the Zurich Street Parade (a Saturday in early August) when a million or so people show up to party. You are unlikely to encounter anything like that in October.
It is really not necessary to book tickets online in advance, but if you do the SBB website will show the expected crowding on your train. You can decide then if you want to make seat reservations; they can be made a day or two ahead at the train station, and there will be a fee.
As for the 8 minute transfer at Basel, that is on the generous side for Switzerland. The trains run “like clockwork” as they say, and as long as you are ready to leave your incoming train promptly when it stops, and know the platform you will use to board the Strasbourg, you should have no trouble.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5579 posts
The Swiss train people make it all easy, too. They print a itinerary with your arrival time, gate, and then your departure time and gate for each transfer you make. I found the Swiss train people the most helpful and friendly of any of the train people I've dealt with in Europe.
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
You say "The French site has only 8 min transfers to the regional trains to Strasbourg." - which site? I thought you were buying these tickets using the SBB site.
You can buy tickets for Basel to Strasbourg on the SNCF site, or on https://www.trainline.eu/
You don't need reservations on either train. The second train, starting at Basel, will be sitting waiting. Easy to get seats together.
8 minute transfer is too short for changing from a Swiss to a French train at Basel. I would recommend minimum 20 minutes.
Trains from Switzerland arrive in the main part of the station (platforms 1 to 17).
Trains starting in Basel to French destinations (including Strasbourg) leave from the SNCF annex (platforms 30 to 35).
Currently, due to building work, to get from the Swiss to the French part of the station you have to exit the station and walk along the street for about 200 metres. Train to train, this would take me up to 10 minutes, and I know the route. Allow at least 20 minutes between trains. And look for signs to platforms "30-35*, and don't be afraid to ask.
See station plan here: https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/bahnhofplaene/plan-basel-sbb-a4.pdf