I have booked tickets from Trenitalia on a Eurocity train from Milan Rho to Montreux. Do the charges include the entire trip or just the Italian portion? The tickets are for a trip with no train changes. We have Swiss Half-fare cards if we have to buy tickets for the Swiss portion, but how does that work? Buy on the train as we cross the border? Confusion reigns.
If you bought a ticket to Montreux, it is good to Montreux. How much did you spend? If you bought a Europa Special that is nonrefundable, the discount probably trumps the Half Fare Card.
No confusion. If you bought a ticket to Montreux, you have a ticket to Montreux. All the national rails sell tickets to other country destinations.
You may have a ticket, but check to see if you also need seat reservations which cost extra.
Seat reservations are only necessary for the Italian portion of the journey (up to Domodossola). They normally come automatically when you buy a ticket for an Italian train that requires reservations.
On your ticket, does it say a train number, coach number and seat number? If yes, you have a reservation.
We do have seat numbers assigned on the tickets, so that's not a problem. It's good to know the ticket is for the entire journey. The cost was 33 euros each from Rho to Montreux. I didn't check with sbb.ch before I bought them for their price, but 33 each is fine with me. Thanks for all your help. You folks are a great resource.
Yes, that is a pretty good price. The Half Fare card gives you 50% off of full fare (Swiss portion), and it looks like you are already paying about half the full the fare price for the entire journey.