German Rail Tickets

True discounted (Saving Fare or Europa Spezial) Bahn tickets have to include at least one train of the Bahn (ICE, IC, EC, IR), and the ticket is train specific for that train - it is only valid on the specified train. If you are on another train, the ticket is not valid; you could be fined. For any other regional train or S-Bahn on the ticket, you can use any similar train on the exact same route any time from midnight (morning) of the ticketed day until 10 AM the next morning. I know this applies to German trains; it says so on the ticket ("Im NV(S/RB/RE/IRE) auf eingetr. Strecke vor/nach den geb. Zügen am 1. Tag u. Folgetag bis 10 Uhr"). Swiss trains could be different.

I never recommend people use a discounted ticket immediately after arrival for this reason. Buy a full fare (flexible) ticket or stay overnight and use the discounted ticket the next day, when you know you will be able to make the designated train.

It depends what type of train you're getting from Zurich Airport to the Hbf. The serious restrictions are on long-distance express trains. If you are taking a suburban train from the airport to the HBf, I don't think any ticket checker will be concerned that you aren't on the exact train on your ticket. If you're doing a short trip on a long-distance train, then yes, you need to get that exact one.

I did this in January with a savings fare ticket to St Anton. I asked the ticket agent and he told me no problem to take an earlier S-bahn to the Hbf.

The rules for the Savings Fare are clearly described when you check out. I believe that changes are allowed up until a day or two before the scheduled departure, with a 15 euro fee, but there's no coverage if you miss the train. It is a risk to choose the Savings Fare if you can't be sure or your departure time from Zurich HB. If you want or need to buy a separate, earlier ticket between Zurich airport and Zurich HB, you can buy it there for under $10.

I assume you are taking the EC train from Zurich Hbf to Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany for a 19 euro Savings Fare. Yes, if you miss the train at Zurich Hbf, you'll just have to suck it up and buy a new ticket for 49.90 and toss the savings fare. But my answer stands for getting an earlier S-bahn at the airport if you get there earlier. You can ask a ticket agent to confirm this when you are there. Worse comes to worse, you can buy the S-bahn ticket for 6.60 chf ($7.50). The S-bahn tracks are underground of the mainline tracks, and the recently completed escalators will now take you right up to your departure platform.

The 7 minute change you have now is not that big a problem if you stick to your schedule. You arrive on track 15, walk to the end of the platform, hang a right and walk about 30 feet and you are at track 12 for your departing train.

I roll the dice on this sort of thing all the time. If your plane arrives before 1 1/2 hour before your train, you should not have a problem. If you are late, you're only out 19 euro.

Thank you all very much. Very helpfull.

If you are using the IC connection to Zürich HB, you might not be able to substitute an earlier train, but if you use the stopover function with Zuerich HB as the stopover and uncheck all the express trains from Modes of Transport for the first segment, you'll get a ticket that specifies the S-Bahn from the airport to the HB. Then you should be able to take any S-Bahn (there are four per hour) to the Hauptbahnhof.