Rome to Gimmelwald

Preeti, it doesn't make any sense to go to Geneva to get to Gimmelwald. As Michael S. points out, the daytime train is fine. Rome to Milan is 3 hours, and according to the Trenitalia website the fare is 98 euro in 2d class. From Milan to Lauterbrunnen (where you catch the bus to the Gimmelwald cablecar) takes 4 hours. If you buy advance tickets on the sbb.ch website you may be able to get this part for a discounted fare as low as 46 CHF. Normal fare for that portio is 97 CHF so that's not bad either.

Swiss Rail doesn't allow you to print out tickets for trains originating in Italy. So, unless you're willing to pay Swiss Rail 45chf to ship the tickets to the US, you'll have to stick with the standard fare you'll to pay once you arrive in Italy. It's possible the the advance discount fares might be still available when you arrive in Italy, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Paying 45 CHF for postage for 3 tickets that save them 153 CHF isn't bad. But I would suggest e-mailing SBB and asking if the confirmation letter they e-mail to the purchaser (which can be printed out) could be used to pick up the tickets in Milan.

The Swiss Rail site specifically says tickets can only be picked up at stations in Switzerland.

Well that's good to know. I didn't see that part when I bought our tickets. Post is still a viable option.

If you want a private sleeper instead bed of a couchette bunk type arrangement, then $200pp is in the ballpark of what it should cost. But the fastest way from Rome to Interlaken is via daytime train. Take the 8am departure from Rome to Milan, then 11:20am train to Spiez, at Spiez the quick train to Interlaken at 2:05pm arrive at Interlaken Ost at 2:28pm. Total travel time is 6.5 hours. According to the Swiss Rail site the standard fare is 228CHF. Check schedules at the Swiss Rail site: rail.ch

The other option would be a Swiss transfer Ticket which would take them from Domodossola to Gimmelwald for $59 (half the $118 cost of the Transfer Ticket). The other half would be used for their trip out of Switzerland, either to the border or to the airport.

Hi, thanks for your answers. The night train was attractive because you are making progress while sleeping :) Cant beat that. Also if I consider that that saves me acco for 1 night, then I can justify paying a lil more. What is the couchette type seat? Is it like a reclining seat or as you mention is it a bunk? We are used to travelling in bunk type trains back home so that would wok fine if that is the case.

For information about couchettes in general, don't know if it would be your exact train, look at what the Man in Seat 61 has to say at http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#Couchettes ..... and remember that he is not generally happy with Italian night trains at the moment for a variety of reasons. .... for those reasons my wife and I have eliminated night trains from our travel methods and now use day trains for long distance. ..... YMMV .... also I thought part of the reason for the trip is to see the scenery. If you travel at night you miss most of that...

HI I am definitely interested in seeing the alpine scenery. However I figured doing Rome to Milan in the night was OK. Then I would see Milan to the Bernese Oberland in the day.

Well it is only 3 hours from Rome to Milano but you can take a couchette on E1910 leaving Roma Termini, after arriving from Napoli, at 2304 arriving Milano Centrale at 0700. You could then travel via Brig and Spietz leaving 0810, I think, for something over 3 hours. That route has excellent scenery but not the best. Or leave Milano at 0910 via Arth-Goldau and Luzern for nearly 6 hours but you get an excellent part of the Golden Pass route over Brunig pass on the narrow gauge cog railway and flying through the Gottard Pass valleys.

The night train that leaves Rome at 23:04 and arrives in Milan at 07:00 has four-bunk couchettes. If you don't want to share the couchette with anyone, you could book a three-bed sleeper.

so to make sure I understand, it is possible to book tickets on the spot to go from Rome to Milan and onto Gimmelwald. It might cost a little more. But in that case I cannot take the EuroStar since that requires advance booking. Is that correct?

Preeti, as mentioned above, the Italians will not sell you a ticket from Rome to Gimmelwald. However, they will sell you a ticket to Interlaken Ost. The reason is that the Jungfraubahn and Schilthornbahn railway systems, which are private parts of the Swiss rail system serving the Lauterbrunnen Valley, want to be paid in Swiss Francs and not in Euros. Thus, the Italians can't do it. My wife and I have been through this and this is what the Swiss agents told us. What you do is book your trip from Rome to Interlaken Ost. Once in Interlaken Ost, you go into the small train station and buy your tickets to Gimmelwald. You can use Swiss Francs or your credit card at this point if you choose. My favorite way to get Swiss Francs as you come north from Italy is to use the ATM at the Spiez train station. You usually have about 12 minutes to change trains (and you will change trains at Spiez) but its enough time to run around the backside of the small train station. There used to be an ATM there. Swiss Francs on the fly.