We are flying to Zurich and taking the train to Lucerne, where we will spend a couple of days before taking the train to Basel, where our river cruise begins. Do I need to make advance reservations for either of these short train trips? Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Wengen
3641 posts
You do not need to buy tickets in advance, and non most trains you cannot reserve seats anyway.
Trains are mass transit, used by people to go about their every day business. in North American terms; This is a commuter railway basically. You will see that trains run as a rule every half hour, and most people just buy their ticket a few minutes before travel.
Notes:
Ticket is not the same as reservation. A ticket permits you to travel. A reservation gives you a seat. On all trains in Switzerland you need a ticket, on some you can also get reservations, and on a handful reservations are compulsory.
SBB sells different types of tickets. On these routes you will find:
- Normal tickets: Good for a single trip on a train of your choice during a whole day.
- Supersaver tickets: Discounted tickets, but good for only the train you selected.
For your arrival date I would not buy a supersaver ticket, buy a normal flexible ticket, That way you can just hop on the next train to Luzern once you've picked up your luggage. The train station is at the airport.
For your Luzern - Basel trip you may want to look in to buying a saver ticket in advance, to save you some money. But that will commit you to a particular departure from Luzern.
Posted by
OP
Quilcene, WA, USA
201 posts
Very helpful, thank you!