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Traveling with snowboard bag?

Posted by on

Hi, I am planning to spend a week in Switzerland after a ski trip in Chamonix.

My Switzerland itinerary is: Geneva, Lauterbrunnen, potentially Bern or Lucerne, and then flying out of Zurich. I won't be renting a car and planning to take trains everywhere.

I am debating what to do with my bags. Seems like I can either:
1. Ship my skis back to the US from Chamonix (this would be around $400 so not ideal)
2. Carry my skis with my around with my as a travel
3. Find a way to get my skis from Geneva to Zurich so I can pick them up at the end of my Switzerland trip

Wondering if people have any experience traveling with large bags on public transit or know of any ski couriers that can drop my bags in Zurich while I travel.

Posted by
17417 posts

The Swiss train company will transport your snowboard bag from Geneva to Zurich, and you pick it up there from 2 to 6 days later. It costs 12 CHF plus an extra fee of 5 CHF for extra days of storage.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/reservation-luggage/luggage-registration/station-to-station.html

Note this section:

The shipping of luggage is only possible with a valid ticket for the entire transport route or with a valid annual travelcard (GA Travelcard, Half Fare Travelcard, Point-to-Point Travelcard, Regional Travelcard, GA Travelcard for SBB employees, Night GA Travelcard, Modular Travelcard) and is not possible if it involves commercial consignments and private consignments unrelated to travel (e.g. shipping of goods sold/ordered, merchandise, removals, etc.).

This may mean you have to show tickets for your route (Geneva to Lauterbrunnen to Bern (or Lucerne) to Zurich, but it is possible to buy these in advance to show when you drop the bag. Or perhaps a tourist Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass will be accepted instead of the annual Travelcard listed. You can email SBB and ask—-try the “Help and Contact” area at the bottom of the page for the address. I know them to be very responsive to questions—-once you find the address!

Hopefully forum member Sam will see this and be able to provide more definite information.

Posted by
21140 posts

This is the reason I generally rent skis when I go to Europe. They are a burden for any non skiing travel before or after. I do take my boots, helmet, and one set of ski clothes in a carry-on back pack. Now I know I can ski the next day after renting skis even if my luggage gets misdirected. Another checked bag with wheels, containing remaining ski clothes and street clothes. When the skiing portion of the trip is done, the boots, helmet, all ski clothes, dirty street clothes go in that, and remaining clean street clothes go in the back pack.

Even a fairly heavy wheeled suitcase (40 lb) is manageable on Swiss trains. Of course you can always rent boots and helmets as well to save weight. I just prefer the devil I know on my feet, and boot fitting takes some time in the rental shop. Skis can be rented in 5 minutes, your weight (in kg please), release preference, and one boot is all that is needed to set the boot sole length and release settings. Before you can say Bob's your uncle, you're out door and ready to hit the slopes.

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