tari_2401
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 8 years ago
Hi,
I am planning to go to Milan, Italy from Zurich, Switzerland on 20th of December 2015 via scenic train route. Since I am planning to leave Zurich at 10am in the morning, so I wont be able to catch Panoramic Bernina Express train. Due to this reason, I am planning to catch the local train that goes along Bernina pass route, but it gives me 2 options to choose:
Option 1/route 1: Zurich - Chur - Samedan - Pontresina - Tirano (total journey: 5.42)
Or
Option 2/route 2: Zurich - Chur - St. Moritz - Tirano (total journey: 6.23)
Would you advise which option/route gives better view please?
If I buy the ticket from rhb website for one of the above route, has that cost covers all the trains cost from Zurich to Tirano includes the region train that shows reservation is not possible?
Furthermore before completing my booking in rbh website, it gives me another options to choose:
Option 1: Vereina oder Albula route
Option 2: Rorschach - Vereina oder Albula route
Option 3: Gotthard - Lugano - Bus route
Would you advise what is the difference between these 3 options please?
Lastly, would you advise what time is the last train from Tirano to Milan on 20th of December 2015 please?
Thank you.
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi!
Have you read the blog about the Bernina route? > [u]https://rail.cc/blog/zurich-milano-albula-bernina/[/u]
Is this going to be your only train journey or are you planning other trips too?
If you want, you could catch a regional train conveying panoramic cars on both the Chur - St Moritz and St Moritz - Tirano routes; these cost extra of course and IMO you are just fine in the regualar coaches where you can also open the windows.
You wont see much more on option 2; you would be able to have a quick glance at St Moritz and of course you would be able to travel along the whole route of Bernina railway - but you are not going to miss anything important. The Samedan - Pontresina trip is just a shortcut to avoid St. Moritz.
The most stunning views are after Pontresina. :)
View from the top of the line at Ospizio Bernina towards St. Moritz:
[img:2u6yzm79]https://rail.cc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bernina-winter-1.jpg[/img:2u6yzm79]
If you buy a ticket online via RhB or SBB, all trains are covered - you are also not required to use a particular train, you can hop off and on as you please as long as you stick to your route.
The options you are offered during the booking process are different routes:
Option 1 is the regular route; coming from Zürich you can freely choose to travel on all RhB routes: a) Landquart - Chur - Filisur - Albula tunnel - Samedan or b) Landquart - Klosters - Davos - Filisur - Albula tunnel - Samedan or c) Landquart - Klosters - Vereina tunnel - Sagliains - Samedan
Have a look at the map here: [u]http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/switzerland/switzerland.gif[/u] (or own schematic maps will go online in 2016)
Option 2 would include the detour via Rorschach on Lake Constance and option 3 would take you to Tirano along the Gotthard route - a totally different route. Just stick with option 1 and you are good to go.
Updated schedules for the new timetable valid from December 13 are not available yet (for the Tirano - Milano section) but you can expect the last connection to depart from Tirano at 2008, arriving at Milano at 2240.
If anything is unclear or you need further help just ask.
Flo 8)
tari_2401
Traveller
1 comments
Hi Flo,
Thank you very much for the information.
If we purchase the train ticket from RhB for the following trip for Vereina oder Albula route and somehow if we miss the train due to the changeover time between each train is very short. Can we use our ticket to catch the next available train if we already book the seat for Chur-Samedan and Potresina-Tirano? Or do we need to buy a new ticket to catch the next available train if we missed our connection train?
Zürich HB IC Dep. 10:37 01:15 Platform 8 Reservation not possible
Chur To 11:52 Platform 9
Chur RE Dep. 11:58 01:47 Platform 10 2nd class
Samedan To 13:45 Platform 2
Samedan R Dep. 13:48 00:07 Platform 3 Reservation not possible
Pontresina To 13:55 Platform 1
Pontresina R Dep. 14:08 02:11 Platform 4 2nd class
Tirano To 16:19 Platform 3
Is there any food or drink being sold in the train for lunch?
This won’t be our only train trip. We will also be traveling from Munich to Fussen, Fussen to Zurich, Milan to Venice, Venice to Florence, and Florence to Rome during our December trip in Europe. Should we buy euro pass to save us money or should we just purchase 1 single trip train ticket for each trip?
Thank you, Flo.
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Hi!
You are buying an open ticket - you can make breaks along and can take a later train in case you miss a connection. Anyway, it is very unlikely that you will miss a connection: connection times in Switzerland are typically short but trains are on time. Regarding this particular connection:
In Chur, you just have to walk across the platform
In Samedan, the train is on the opposite platform, too. The Chur - Samedan train is likely to be a few minutes late as the Chur - Samedan line is one track only and trains often have to wait for the train from the opposite direction. In case of a delayed arrival in Samedan, the connecting train to Pontresina usually waits.
In Pontresina you have to use an underpass to get to the other platform, the connecting service usually waits too.
In case of a longer delay (+15/20 minutes) you might lose the connection but nevermind, you will be able to use the following train.
Reservations though will be lost, however if this is due to a delayed train and not your fault you will be assigned seats on the following train if needed.
Anyway - making seat reservations for regular trains is highly uncommon in Switzerland, you will normally find a free seat always.
Or do you want to make reservations for the panoramic cars? Both the 1158 from Chur and the 1408 from Pontresina carry panoramic cars.
The 1158 from Chur offers both a trolley service as well as a proper restaurant car: [u]https://www.rhb.ch/en/leisure-travel-and-excursions/relaxation-enjoyment/gourmino#info[/u] and [u]https://www.rhb.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/redaktion/Home_Marketing/Service___Souvenirs/Bahngastronomie/Angebot_Railbar_RhB_2015.pdf[/u]
On the Bernina line normally only a trolley service is offered on Bernina Express trains; I am not sure if the offer anything on board the panoramic cars attached to regular trains.
Regarding your trip; a Eurail pass could be an option if you want to stay totally flexible as it could work out cheaper compared to buying normal fare tickets on the spot. Do you want to travel 1st or 2nd class?
If you are going to buy advance fare tickets which will are sold for a specific train in Italy and Germany this normally works out cheaper than a Eurail pass.
How long are you going to stay in Zürich?
If you are not staying more than 48 hours, you could look into buying a Sparpreis Europa Ticket from Deutsche Bahn for the whole trip Füssen - Zürich - Tirano.
Go at our partner link for Deutsche Bahn: [ux]https://rail.shop/bahn[/ux] and enter Füssen to Tirano and as via stations Singen (Hohentwiel) and Zürich, adding a maximum 48 hour stopover in Zürich. You will get very good offers that way, for instance on December 18 you would get the whole trip for 49€ in 2nd class, 69€ in 1st class. Please just ask if anything is unclear. ;)
For travel in Italy, have a look at the website of Trenitalia or use our partner links to either Captrain Train (registration necessary) [ux]https://rail.shop/omio[/ux] or Italo (for trains from Venice to Florence and Rome) [u]https://rail.shop/italo[/u]
Flo 8)