Milan to Zurich train ticket

I cannot believe that they would be sold out. Trains rarely sell out. You would need to leave Milan around noon. I will see what I can find.

There are tickets available on the EC 114 which departs at 9:10. If you arrive at 8:50 am, you should be able to make that. I'll look on SBB and see if I can figure out why no other trains are available. that is very strange.

I guess I should have specified. I get to Milan Airport at 8:50, which isn't close to the train station.

Buy a ticket to Bellinzona from trenitlia. Depart Milano Centrale 14:10. Gets you there at 15:49. Then get a ticket from there to Zurich from SBB. There are at least 5 trains after 16:00 that get to Zurich that evening.

While it's true that trains rarely sell out, the Trenitalia site shows that on 12 May the 11:10, 15:10, 17:10, and 19:10 trains all are sold out. Unless you're willing to pay top dollar for a non-stop flight on Swissair, it looks like you'll need to spend the night in Milan and take the 07:10 train in the morning. It would be wise to book a ticket ASAP at trenitalia.com. You don't need to register on the site to book a ticket, but things go more smoothly if you do. You will receive a temporary password. Be sure to change it right away.

Sam has the right idea. You can still buy a ticket on the EC 158 which departs Milano Centrale at 14:10. You can buy a ticket as far as Bellinzona, which is in Switzerland. Once you are in Switzerland, you do not need reservations, just a ticket. Buy the onward ticket on SBB. You can actually stay on the EC 158, but it ends at Luzern. You could transfer there for Zurich. Or get off the EC 158 in Bellinzona and catch a train that goes to Zurich. The trains may be very crowded, but you can get there. We have ridden standing-room-only trains into Zurich on days when thee was a big festival going on, like the Street Parade. As far as I can tell, the only big thing going on in Zurich that day/night is an Eros Ramazzoti concert. Is that a big deal? Edit: see my post below. You can buy a ticket on Trenitalia as far as Arth-Goldau on the EC 158. That is your best option.

Actually, you can stay on the EC 158 as far as Arth-Goldau on a ticket bought on Trenitalia. Then change there for Zurich. I am guessing this trainis not sold out like the Zurich trains because its destination is Luzern rather than Zurich. but it will work to get you there.

AC Milano vs Roma?

Thanks for all the great advice! I ended up finding a plane ticket with airline miles for a reasonable price, so I went for that. Now I know to book early for trains that aren't regional.

Actually, this is very unusual; I have not see a situation lie this before. I checked the other route to Zurich, via Brig, and those trains are all sole out too. Sam, is that game in Zurich? Last time we flew into Zurich, inn2010, we arrived the day Switzerland won a game in the World Cup. MIT was crazy!

Lola - I had not gotten around to checking. We are packing for Italy on Thursday so time is liimited. Is that the same for first class? Not sure I would want to be on those trains if full of soccer fans from Milan.

The soccer game is actually in Milan on Sunday night, so that does not account for full trains leaving Milan for Zurich that day. I checked Saturday and Monday,on either side of May 12, and there are tickets available on all the trains. So maybe it is that concert,or maybe something else? And I agree, I would not want to be on a train full of soccer fans. We arrived in Munich a day they were hosting one of the UK teams, maybe Manchester United but I'm not sure. The Munich police were ready for the soccer hooligans, in full riot gear. Have a great trip, Frank! We still have four months to go before ours.

@Lola "The soccer game is actually in Milan on Sunday night, so that does not account for full trains leaving Milan for Zurich that day. I checked Saturday and Monday,on either side of May 12, and there are tickets available on all the trains. So maybe it is that concert,or maybe something else?" This Thursday is Ascension and a public holiday in may European countries and when a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday over here we usually make a long weekend of it. People from northern Europe will go south for the weekend, so there will be a lot of demand for tickets.

Good point. So the May 12 northbound trains from Milan to Zurich are full of Swiss returning from a long weekend in Italy?