Billy

Hi All,
I am planning to make a trip on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to
Zermatt in mid-September.
I would appreciate if someone can answer the following queries for me.

1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?

2. Does the Swiss rail travel pass cover a trip on the Glacier express
or do we have to pay separately for this?

3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?

Regards,
V.

Tobias B K?Hler

Billy schrieb:

    > 1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
    > Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?

You must reserve, but you can do it up to one day before departure
(perhaps even on the same day?) at any swiss station that sells tickets.

    > 2. Does the Swiss rail travel pass cover a trip on the Glacier express

Yes, but you have to pay reservation/supplement extra as far as I know.

Some of the Glacier Express have only 1st class (this means panorama
cars with airconditioning, windows can't be opened); for those you will
need a first class Swiss Pass.

    > 3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    > trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?

Sure - if they go when you like to go. They have the same scenery and no
supplement, and you will have to change trains usually in Brig,
Andermatt and Disentis. Often they are not as full .... they just take
longer.

See http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en? for timetables.

Pierre Keller

Hello !

tobias b köhler a écrit:
    >> 1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
    >> Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?
    > You must reserve, but you can do it up to one day before departure
    > (perhaps even on the same day?) at any swiss station that sells tickets.

AFAIK it is not mandatory to make a reservation. But if you don't,
there is the risk that there is no place for you in the train.

But yes you have to pay a supplement.

If you make a reservation, the supplement is included.

See http://www.sbb.ch/pv/sts-offer_e.htm
and http://www.sbb.ch/pv/files/sts-map.pdf (area of validity)

-- P. Keller

JohnT

"Billy" <> wrote in message
news:...
    > Hi All,
    > I am planning to make a trip on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to
    > Zermatt in mid-September.
    > I would appreciate if someone can answer the following queries for me.
    > 1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
    > Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?

You need seat reservations. In which Country do you live? (For example, if in
the UK you can make a booking with Switzerland Travel in London).
    > 2. Does the Swiss rail travel pass cover a trip on the Glacier express
    > or do we have to pay separately for this?

Yes, but you need seat reservations which cost a few Francs extra.

    > 3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    > trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?

Not if you want to go without changing trains.

JohnT

Martin Stock

http://www.glacierexpress.ch/

"Billy" <> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:...
    > Hi All,
    > I am planning to make a trip on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to
    > Zermatt in mid-September.
    > I would appreciate if someone can answer the following queries for me.
    > 1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
    > Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?
e.g. Swiss railway stations
But I would do it online through the above link.
The capacity of this train is limited and mid-September is high season.

    > 2. Does the Swiss rail travel pass cover a trip on the Glacier express
    > or do we have to pay separately for this?
Yes. But you have to pay a supplement (which includes seat reservation).
CHF 9,- or 12,- price depends on your travel date.

A leaflet what is covered by the Swiss Pass:
http://www.sbb.ch/pv/files/sts-map.pdf


    > 3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    > trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?
The Glacier Express has its own special route.
With other trains you need to change quite some times.
This is something else for some other scenic trains in Switzerland, where
the same route is served by others trains as well - just without panoramic
cars.

My opinion: if you cannot use one of the scenic trains for whatever reason,
the second best choice is to use a normal train.

    > Regards,
    > V.

Pierre Keller

Martin Stock a écrit:
    >>3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    >>trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?
    >
    > The Glacier Express has its own special route.

No. Definitely not. The routes are the same.

    > With other trains you need to change quite some times.

This is true.

-- P. Keller

Tobias B K?Hler

Pierre Keller schrieb:

    > Martin Stock a écrit:

    >> The Glacier Express has its own special route.

    > No. Definitely not. The routes are the same.

Perhaps Martin thinks of the Furka-Bergstrecke?

http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/

Before the Furka tunnel was built, this section was open only in summer,
and used by the Glacier Express then (which at that time was operated
only in summer). Since the opening of the tunnel (1982) the line can be
fully used during the whole year by Glacier-Express and regional trains.
The mountain line has steam trains in summer.

    >> With other trains you need to change quite some times.

    > This is true.

Some regional trains go Brig - Disentis direct (but mostly you change in
Andermatt). Of course with a lot of stops ....

Brig was the changeover from BVZ to FO (nowadays it's both mgb), and
includes a change of direction. In Disentis you change into a RhB train
(unless you are taking one of the Glacier-Expresses).

Martin Stock

"Pierre Keller" <> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:411dc1b0$0$4874$...
    > Martin Stock a écrit:
    > >>3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    > >>trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?
    > >
    > > The Glacier Express has its own special route.
    > No. Definitely not. The routes are the same.
It's the onliest direct train which runs on the route Zermatt - St. Moritz.
There are no other direct trains on the same route.
I did not write that the Glacier Express has it's own tracks.
And I also wrote that you can do it with other trains and some changes:

    > > With other trains you need to change quite some times.
    > This is true.
    > -- P. Keller

Peter Fox

"tobias b köhler" <> wrote in message
news:cr4Tc.19718$...
    > Billy schrieb:
    > > 1. Is it necessary to make reservations well in advance for the trip.
    > > Other than online where can I make the reservation for this?
    > You must reserve, but you can do it up to one day before departure
    > (perhaps even on the same day?) at any swiss station that sells tickets.
    > > 2. Does the Swiss rail travel pass cover a trip on the Glacier express
    > Yes, but you have to pay reservation/supplement extra as far as I know.
    > Some of the Glacier Express have only 1st class (this means panorama
    > cars with airconditioning, windows can't be opened); for those you will
    > need a first class Swiss Pass.
    > > 3. Apart from the Glacier Express I have read that there are other
    > > trains which follow the same route. Is it advisable to take these?
    > Sure - if they go when you like to go. They have the same scenery and no
    > supplement, and you will have to change trains usually in Brig,
    > Andermatt and Disentis. Often they are not as full .... they just take
    > longer.
And you can open the windows!

Peter Fox

Tobias B K?Hler

Peter Fox schrieb:

    > And you can open the windows!

Also on 2nd class cars of the Glacier-Express.