We are planning to travel by train from Paris to Zurich in late February and then on to Samedan / St. Mortiz.
Appreciate any guidance on best sites to book train tickets from the U.S. -- and how far out it is necessary to reserve/purchase. Thank you in advance for your help!
You can book the whole journey on the Swiss train site (SBB) as there is a direct TGV train from Paris to Zurich. Book a month or two ahead and you should get a good price, as international journeys have special pricing for advance purchase. Note that the Special Offer tickets are either inflexible/non-refundable, or semi-flexible; you have a choice.
Looking today for date in early January, for example, I see an excellent choice departing Paris at 10:22, with changes at Zurich and Chur, arriving in Samedan at 17:45. The full price for this route is 252 CHF, but the Special Offer price is 136 CHF for the non flexible option, and about 10 CHF more for the semi-flexible option.
There are other route and price options, with additional changes along the way. We always prefer fewer changes.
The SBB a website has been “glitchy” the past day or so, so rather than go to the main page at SBB.ch, use this link to the booking page:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/individual-tickets.html
Thanks so much for the detailed and helpful information! I was just looking at the SBB site and having trouble — your direct link works!
do you want the whole trip in one day or will you break it at Zurich or Chur?
Is scenery important to you? Days are short in February and you might not get much scenery after late afternoon, or earlier if the weather isn't great.
Lola ... from the link you shared how are you seeing schedules and fares?
I can't figure out for point to point tickets. It keeps sending me to the booking page which is not loading. Appreciate if you have any tips!
The SBB (Swiss railways) website has apparently been glitchy today. Check later, or use the app (it works).
Days are short in February and the best scenery is at the end: I would suggest aiming for the 7:22 departure from Paris rather than the 10:22, if you can face it (and if it is available on your date). Paris-Zurich-Chur-Samedan is prettier than the 5 min faster alternative via Landquart.
Don't worry. The we site is a bit buggy as it has just been updated. February is ages away, so still plenty of time to get your tickets. Try again in a few days.
On the first page, click on the “more info” arrow in the left hand box, marked “outward and return tickets”. On the next page, click on the red “buy” button and you will get a page where you enter starting and ending points and date. Then it works fine.
But like Balso, I expect the issues
With the website to be cleared up soon.
