Railway in Switzerland. Railways and trains in Switzerland. Switzerland. Railway Passion

) - perhaps the most reliable and comfortable in the world. Trains between the main cities run at intervals of at least every half hour. Most fast trains– IC, ICN, EC, IR, Schnellzug. All of them differ slightly in speed. Local trains are designated R and RX, in the suburbs big cities There are S-Bahn trains. Night domestic trains No.

The price for all types of trains is standard, surcharges for regular trains during internal communication there aren't any. Simple one-time tickets are very expensive, a round-trip ticket gives a small discount of 10%:

Fines for ticketless travel

Penalties for traveling without a ticket vary in Switzerland depending on the type of train and type of violation.

It is forbidden to board regional trains (R, SN, S and some RE) without a ticket. Such trains are also marked with a special sign: a black "eye" on a yellow background. A passenger without a ticket will be required to pay a minimum of 80 CHF. A trip in a 1st class carriage with a 2nd class ticket is also classified by the conductor as a stowaway.

The personal data of a passenger caught without a ticket is recorded and stored for two years. The first time the fine is CHF 80, the second time CHF 120 and subsequent times CHF 150.

On long-distance trains, tickets can be purchased from the conductor. This service costs an additional 5 CHF. If for some reason you cannot pay for the ticket while on the train, the conductor will issue an invoice, the amount of which will be equal to the cost of the ticket + a service fee of 30 CHF.

If the passenger has a valid ticket, but did not take it with him for the trip, the conductor issues a fine, which will be canceled if the passenger presents his travel card within 10 days and fills out a special Travel Without a Valid Ticket form at any railway ticket office in Switzerland. This service costs 5 CHF.

There are also the following penalties:

Travelers' personal experience

Andrew | November 2009

Pavel Maximov | August 2007

Switzerland is a railway country. Almost any locality can be reached by train, S-Bahn, rack railway or rail funiculars. I will not talk about the federal railways, since I did not have to use them during the trip, but we used the most interesting local railway routes.

1. Introduction to railway infrastructure began with the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn narrow-gauge railway, or rather with its section on the Furka Tunnel at an altitude of 1,564 m above sea level, 15.34 km long. The peculiarity of this section is that special platforms transport cars, and with passengers.

2. Buy a ticket, enter the platform and in 25 minutes you are on the other side of the pass. Fast, convenient, safe. Getting out of the car while driving is prohibited!

3. And now the steepest railway in the world Pilatusbahn with a maximum gradient of 48% and an average gradient of 35%. The line runs from Lake Lucerne to the final stop near the top of Pilatus at an altitude of 2,073 m. The first steam locomotive lifted passengers on June 4, 1889, and on May 15, 1937, electric trains appeared on the route.

4. Ascent and descent along the route Alpnachstad - Pilatus Kulm and back costs 72 Swiss francs, and you can also go down to the city of Kriens using the funicular. A trip with a dog will cost you an additional 14 francs.

5. We plan to spend the night at an altitude of 2132 meters, so our "chumodans" are loaded into the unused rear driver's cab.

6. Let's go! I will show the views from the window in another report, but now only transport photos.

7. The road is single-track, in the middle of the route there is a place for passing with oncoming trains.

8. Pilatusbahn car at the entrance to the summit.

9. Station, aka Hotel Bellevue, aka a restaurant for tourists. Of course, all these establishments are located on different floors :).

10. Our next route starts in the municipality of Lauterbrunnen, canton of Bern. The Wengernalpbahn rack railway, opened in 1893, will take us to the village of Wengen, so that from there we will take a trip on the highest railway in Europe, the Jungfraubahn.

11. It is not visible in the photographs, but it is already dark, it is pouring light rain, nothing was visible from the train window at all. Therefore, I will return to this road later, after a trip along the Jungfraubahn.

12. "Retro trains" are also still working, but we'll go on this one, which is on the right.

13. Clean and modern Wengernalpbahn trains.

14. A train at the Eismeer intermediate station of the Jungfraubahn railway. The train stop is 5 minutes, so you can get out and admire eternal ice and the majesty of the rocks. Interestingly, Guyer received a building permit subject to proof that the rarefied air of the highlands would not harm the health of the workers, and later the passengers of the railway. Therefore, on September 15, 1894, at three o'clock in the morning, a group of subjects set off from Zermatt to Breithorn in the Pennine Alps (Valais canton). Seven people aged 10 to 70 years were carried on a stretcher to a high plateau at a height of 3750 m, the result of a second examination did not find a negative effect of walking on their health, after which a permit was issued.

15. Elevation difference 1400 meters, length 9 km. For those who like to vomit, there are bags.

16. And again Wengernalpbahn.

17. The ticket is inexpensive, within 5 francs, trains are used not only by tourists, but also by local residents.

18. The views are mesmerizing.

20. We meet a retro train that runs 2 times a day.

21. Beautiful?

22. And here we are again at the Lauterbrunnen station.

23. Berner Oberland Bahn rack railway train.

24. And finally, the Montreux Vevey Riviera (MVR) railway.

25. The peculiarity of the road is that the train must be stopped using a button on a special column. If this is not done, then it passes by. The same button is in the car.

26. I can’t say the cost of a ticket for this train, since all hotels in most cities in Switzerland issue transport cards to guests, which include travel on city trains and funiculars. And in the canton of Geneva, even an express train to the airport.

27. Part of the car is allocated for first-class passengers.

28. Having risen on the Territet - Glion funicular, we see the trains of the Montreux-Glion-Rochers de Naye (MGN) railway. Cool, behind the train there is also a cargo trolley.

29. And here is such an unusual device.

30. Train of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB-CFF-FFS at the station in Vevey.

31. By the way, on the sections of the railways I came across sooo old rails. Here is a rail report. There will be many more interesting things from Switzerland, stay tuned!

All the most operational can be viewed in my

"You're so beautiful!" That's what guys say to their girls. They smile shyly. Or they laugh out loud, like me, for example. So, I want to say that the Swiss railway is beautiful! Probably, you will decide that this is not quite an appropriate epithet to describe trains and rails. Ah, if you watched the beautiful panoramas of mountains, meadows and waterfalls opening from the train window, you would agree that such a trip is not just moving from point A to point B. It is a portion of real aesthetic pleasure.

Swiss railway - general information

The bulk of transportation is carried out by the state-owned company SBB-CFF-FFS. Switzerland, compared to its European neighbors, is a rather miniature country. But passengers are transported by about 4,000 wagons, and the length of the railway tracks is 13,000 kilometers. As I said, SBB is a monopoly, but there are several other companies, both private and international, that make transportation. And this variety of trains and companies can sometimes confuse a tourist at the station. You don't immediately know which train to take.

Swiss Railways is known for its panoramic routes. I can sing odes to them for a long time, but it will be a little later. First, I’ll tell you about the main types of trains in Switzerland.

Swiss trains

As I said above, there are many different categories of trains in Switzerland. All without exception are very comfortable. There is no reason to warn against traveling on any type of train. But first, I’ll tell you the basic information about the compositions, it will help to form a first opinion about them.

As the theater begins with a hanger, so the Swiss train begins with the entrance to the carriage. To get there, you need to press the button located on the door. When exiting, proceed in the same way.

Trains in Switzerland are single-decker and double-decker. Most often, it is assumed that the first floor should be quiet (without loud conversations of passengers), there are even special badges on the doors, but this rule is not strict. By the way! In a double-decker train, the transition between cars takes place on the second floor. The cart with food is transported there. However, on the first floor, special sensors light up and passengers can go upstairs to buy snacks and drinks.

The carriages are divided into first and second classes. In the first tickets are much more expensive. However, in my opinion, there is no point in overpaying for a class. The main difference of the second class is that there can be one seat more in a row. The seating arrangement will be "2 + 2" across the aisle. There may be tables between some of the seats.

In the first class, the arrangement passenger seats carried out according to the "2 + 1" scheme. Well, they are a little more comfortable. One tourist once joked that the only difference between classes is the colored stripe on the seats in the first class.

Some trains have dining cars. You can always find out about their availability in the schedule. A visit to such a restaurant is a very tempting idea, I tell you. Drinking wine and staring dreamily at the landscapes flickering outside the window is just great!

If you don’t want to stomp into the dining car, then a train employee will come to your rescue, delivering drinks and snacks on a cart.

Oh, I can’t help but tell you the story of why I love European trains so much and am still afraid to wander in search of a restaurant car, a buffet or a working domestic outlet. It was about 15 years ago. The scene of action is an intercity train that has seen more best years Khrushchev. For my important children's business, for some reason I needed to go to the next car. Having asked my mother for leave, I set off on such a long journey with my head held high. She went out into the vestibule without incident. Further, with grief in half, she opened the doors to go to another car. She took a step, closing her eyes and trying not to look at the gap between the cars, through which the rails could be seen. And then the doors treacherously slam behind me, and the next ones do not open. And I find myself blocked in this "accordion". Pulling on the handles of one or the other door did nothing. I already imagined how one car would disconnect from the other and ... At that moment, a man opens the door to the vestibule of my car. Saved!

The years have passed, but some fear remains. She was also afraid, when leaving the train, to fall into the gap between it and the platform. But the European squads do not hide such dangers. The transition between cars, which is called the sweet word "soufflé", is completely safe and does not cause any negative emotions. And there are convenient steps to exit the train. All for the people!

Such a strategically important object as a toilet is located in each carriage. There are special buttons on the floor, on the faucet or on the wall, by pressing which you can turn on the flush, water and soap. And he even works at stations. Oh, I immediately remember moments from mine rail travel at home, where toilets could be closed for an hour before and after stops. And for lovers of tea and coffee, this is almost a tragedy.

There are sockets near the seats. Wi-Fi too, but not on all trains. You need to specify this moment in the schedule. If you are bike lovers like me, then some trains have special cars for them. But again, you need to look at the schedule. There such trains are marked with a special badge.

Swiss carriages are also adapted for people with disabilities - the platforms are located on the same level as the carriage, there are retractable steps, more spacious toilets. Summing up, I want to say that Swiss trains are one of the most comfortable in the world.

Train categories

Now let's move on to the main categories of compositions. In order not to repeat ten times what each category of train looks like (and they are very similar), I will attach photos. However, I would like to point out that inner world» of the car may differ from route to route, and also depend on the date of release of the train and the manufacturer.

In Russia, the railway is used exclusively as a means of transportation. But Switzerland is a completely different matter. Sometimes a train ride turns into a real adventure! The main thing is not to die of delight! :) Just kidding, of course. I want to tell you about some of the most popular panoramic routes.

Panoramic routes

What is it all about? You will ride in a comfortable train with huge windows. And mountains, valleys, bridges, passes will flash behind the glass ... Headphones and a brochure are attached to each seat in the car, so you will not only enjoy the views, but also learn a lot of interesting things. And, of course, not without food and drinks.

Eh, hold me three, I want to jump on the train, but that's not all ...

Well, okay, thoughts materialize. Go!

Glacier Express

He is Glacier Express. Drive almost 300 bridges and almost 100 tunnels in 8 hours? Yes Easy! This route connects the St. Moritz express and. You can, of course, leave somewhere earlier, but it’s better not to. Seriously. Miss a lot of beautiful things. During the trip, you can see the Grand Swiss Canyon, the Oberalp Pass, the Matterhorn mountain, the nature reserves of the Graubünden canton, alpine meadows.

By the way:

golden pass

Known as Golden Pass. Such a small life. Why is that? Yes, because during the trip you can see a lot of things, so many different pictures will flash before your eyes. A train travels from Lucerne through the Brünig Pass, passes Interlaken and Zweisiemen and ends its journey in Montreux (). The journey will take five and a half hours. A stop is planned in Rosinier, during which you can see the magnificent Grand Chalet. Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, wooden houses - a dream trip, in a word.

Adviсe:

Bernina Express

Such a journey from winter to summer. You can drive from Switzerland to Italy and back. The route connects the cities of Chur and Tirano. This trip is not for the faint of heart, as the train will make some climbs at a 70-degree incline! It's almost like a right angle! Scary? But for the entire existence of the express, not a single accident has happened, passengers come to end point alive, healthy and without nervous shocks, which is the most important thing. :) During this trip you will pass almost 200 bridges and cross more than 50 tunnels. The train covers the distance in one direction in 2 hours 30 minutes. In summer, you can get from Tirano to Lugano by bus.

Life hacks:

• All strategically important information you can find out about the trip. There is also an opportunity to book places for travel, and this must be done without fail.

Voralpen Express

From Lucerne, the train leaves for Romanshorn, passing Lake Lucerne, the Pilatus Mountains, the Sattel swamps, Lake Zurich, Rapperswil Castle along the way. And this is not all that you can see on the road! The journey takes about three hours, and trains run every hour.

Important:

chocolate train

This route is designed specifically for the sweet tooth. There are two options here: ride in a first-class Pullman car or choose a modern panoramic car for a trip. Personally, I prefer the first option. I am a connoisseur of all antiques. There is a train from Montreux to Broc, and then to Gruyères and back. Trip to Swiss Chocolate Train- not a passive pastime. You will visit the castle and the Gruyère cheese factory, the Nestle factory and taste delicious chocolate there. The duration of this trip will be nine hours.

Note:

These are not all panoramic routes in Switzerland! To list them would take forever. The Lavaux Line, the Jungfrau Railway, the Wilhelm Tell Express, the Palm Express… Dreams, dreams!

I told you the basic information about panoramic routes. I did not dwell on the cost of tickets, since you can find the most up-to-date information on the pages of the sites, links to which I gave you.

Swiss Travel System - travel card system

You know, the standard cost of a train ticket in Switzerland is quite high. I drove to one city, swept to the second, drove to eat chocolate in the third and that's it - the budget is over! "Today I eat alms" - as the head of my group at the university used to say. :) So, in order to eat fully while traveling and travel the whole country up and down, you need to take advantage of swiss system travel.

What kind of "beast" is this Swiss Travel System? This is the name of a special preferential travel system for tourists. Not just a system, a system, I would say! This is as much as 29 thousand kilometers of tracks (and not only railways). Tourists can take advantage of the STS when traveling by bus and aquatic activities transport.

The main advantages of the Swiss Travel System:

• Travel "all in one". As I said, one pass is suitable for travel by train, bus and ship.
• You can use public transport for free in 75 cities.
• And visit hundreds of museums for free.
• Also get 50% off on many mountain routes.
• Bonuses. Who doesn't love bonuses? You can get good discounts on excursions, hotel accommodation, city tours.

With the benefits, everything is clear. Now I turn to the main types of travel STS.

Swiss Travel Pass

Get yourself this pass and enjoy life! After all, having it in your pocket, you can ride for free by train, bus, and enjoy invigorating boat trips.

Features of the Swiss Travel Pass:

Swiss Travel Pass Flex

It also includes free travel across the country on three modes of transport, visits to museums and so on. But it has several features:

Swiss Transfer Ticket

This type of ticket is suitable for those who want to experience all the delights ski holidays or relaxing in a resort. With this pass you can from the border railway station or airport to get to the desired resort and back.

There are several features of this pass:

Swiss Half Fare Card

If you came to Switzerland for more than a few days, then you need this type of travel card. With it, you will receive a 50% discount on all types of transport within a month. Peculiarities:

• 50% discount on trips to public transport 75 cities.
• The ticket price is only 112 EUR for a first class carriage.

Swiss Family Card

If you are traveling to Switzerland with your family, then you must definitely remember to apply for this card. It is provided free of charge to all four categories of travel cards that I have listed above.

Ticket features:

• Children under 16 traveling in the company of at least one of the parents of Swiss Family Card holders travel free of charge.
• If children travel by public transport on their own, they receive a 50% discount.
• This card is absolutely free. It can be obtained along with other categories of tickets.

Important information regarding STS passes

Tickets

Having dealt with the world of Swiss Passes, I suggest moving on to tickets that are available as local residents as well as tourists. And which you will definitely encounter. To begin with, I’ll tell you what the ticket looks like and decipher all the symbols on it. At the time of my trip, tickets were in the form of pink and blue cards.

Ticket features:

• At the top of the ticket is the expiration date. The ticket can only be used for one specific day.
• Further capital letters the route, stations of departure and arrival are indicated.
• Also, the ticket may indicate which city your train goes through. And you need to go through this city. For example: you are traveling from Zurich to Interlaken, and the ticket says that the train goes through Lucerne. But you looked at the schedule and saw that there is a train to Interlaken via, which will cover this distance faster. You might think that there is no difference in which cities the train passes through. The main thing is that the points of departure and arrival coincide. And here it is not. Lucerne is indicated on the ticket, so you need to get through Lucerne. If you go through, you will be considered a free rider and receive such a hefty fine.
• The arrows on the ticket indicate whether it is valid in one or two directions.
• A large number 1 or 2 indicates the class of the wagon.
• The price of the ticket is indicated in the lower right corner.

Ticket prices depend on the number of kilometers you travel by train. In order to save money, you can buy tickets at special rates.

Click&Rail

This type of ticket can be purchased much cheaper, but they start selling two days before the trip, and their number is limited.

Click&Rail has the following features:

The ticket is not available on all routes. The trains on which Click&Rail operates are indicated on the ticket.

Sparbillette

These discounted tickets go on sale two weeks before the train's departure. And they also only apply to certain routes and trains. You can search for Sparbillette here.

I have given you the basic information regarding the tickets. I have not described all of their types, because if you do this, you can compose a whole book. And this book will need constant updating, because the information tends to become outdated. So, go to the official website of the Swiss Railways and find out the most up-to-date information there.

Travel features

Tickets are tickets, but there's also a train car and a little cart that you need to know before you travel. In this section, I will tell you about the schedule, delays, fines, luggage storage and baggage.

Schedule

The schedule is built in such a way that you can leave in any direction every 30-60 minutes. It is best to plan your trip using the SBB website. The timetable is up-to-date and the prices are for tickets.

If there is no access to the network, then, for example, several computers are installed at the Zurich train station, with which you can find out the necessary information and print it out. Also near the ticket offices there are brochures with the schedule. The station board shows the train schedule for about 30 minutes ahead.

being late

Train delays are quite rare in Switzerland. But possible. Serious delays are only possible due to accidents or emergencies. Closer to 6 pm there may be small errors in the arrival of trains (literally by 5 minutes). If the direction is touristic (for example, in the mountains), then the next regional train can also be delayed so that tourists have time to board it.

By the way, I approve of this practice. Once my train was 10 minutes late, and the time to connect was negligible. You should have seen my satisfied face when I saw that the next train was waiting for its passengers. “Oh, yes, these trains are constantly late, you can get off ten minutes late,” - if in the CIS countries passengers often say something like that, then in Switzerland, forget to even think about stopping somewhere on the way to the station. And then you will remain a white handkerchief after the train to wave.

fines

This is a nightmare, comrades! The Swiss railway is merciless to all free riders. Too much, and now I'll tell you why. “And it was better before!” I never liked this phrase. I thought that saying such things was the lot of whiners. Yes, and now I think so, except for the moment with the purchase of a train ticket. A few years ago, tickets could be bought on the train, but now this is no longer possible. All tickets must be purchased before the door slams behind the passenger. Now imagine the situation: the ticket offices are closed (or they are not), the ticket machine is not working, and the desired train is about to leave. And you need to leave! you hop on the train and the controller comes up. You try to explain the situation, but he is unshakable, unshakable, because there are no exceptions in the rules for reasons why a ticket was not purchased.

Have you heard the horror story about British tourist who got on the Swiss train and never returned home? Just kidding, he returned home, but in a very bad mood. And it was like that. The passenger bought the ticket through mobile app SBB a few minutes before the train departure. Payment confirmation came to the mobile application a few minutes after the train left. And the stubborn controller refused to accept such a ticket, and also issued a fine, since the ticket, in his opinion, was bought after the passenger entered the car.

For greater persuasiveness, I will give you a table with the amounts of fines:

And, of course, you also need to pay the cost of the ticket.

In general, my advice to you - do not enter the train without tickets. However, it would be unfair to say that such harsh measures are always applied to tourists. It is not uncommon for supervisors to be more lenient towards foreign travelers. Well, it is understandable: it is difficult to delve into all these railway intricacies. But it is better to travel with a ticket in your pocket on the right train than to count on a pardon from the controller.

Ticket composting

During my trips, inspectors passed through the train car and did it themselves. If there is no exact travel time on the ticket, it is still better to validate it in special machines.

I look at the ticket, and if I see that it can be driven again (for example, along the same route during the day), then for me this is always a signal for composting. Otherwise, the conductors will think that I was going to ride five times on one ticket.

Luggage storage

They are available at all stations. major cities. In villages, of course, this can be a problem. The cells vary in size: the smaller it is, the cheaper it will be to store luggage. The cells are arranged in several rows. You need:

• approach;
• choose the appropriate box size;
• throw a coin, the denomination of which is displayed near the lock in the receiver;
• fold your luggage;
• close the door and turn the key.

The chamber will be closed within 24 hours.

Baggage

If you don't want to walk around skewed from the weight of your suitcases, they can be sent to the desired train station or airport using the Schnelles Reisegepaeck service. If you send luggage before 9 am, then after 6 pm it will be delivered to its destination. By the way, bicycles cannot be transported using this service. The cost of transportation is 21 EUR.

If you want to transport a bicycle in a train carriage, you need to buy a Velo-Tageskarte pass, which costs about 18 EUR. For short distances, such a ticket is cheaper and must be bought together with the ticket for the passenger. Also, the bike can be sent as unaccompanied baggage.

Ticket booking

Most itineraries do not require a mandatory reservation. However, when traveling panoramic, international, and some domestic flights You still need to reserve your ticket.

Buying tickets

We sorted out all the nuances regarding trains, tariffs, travel features. And so my story comes to an end. And in parting, I will tell you about several options for buying tickets.

At the register

Since I “do not speak languages,” I always write notes to cashiers with directions, travel dates, and tariffs. In Switzerland, it is quite possible to do without it. Cashiers speak several languages, including English. And even if you do not shine with knowledge, cashiers will still understand you. That's how smart they are! They look at something on their computers, select flights, give a schedule, draw diagrams so that tourists understand where to go. In general, you will not be left without a ticket. You will be selected the most profitable travel option and provided with all necessary information.

In the machine

Personally, I do not like to buy tickets through various machines. Childhood trauma, so to speak. More than ten years ago, I opened some junior card in a bank, and on the same day it was swallowed by an ATM. I decided to fill the grief and buy hot chocolate from the vending machine. This miracle of robotics took money from me, but somehow it didn’t work out with the issuance of a drink. Since then, I have a biased attitude towards all such machines. But if necessary, I can quite get along with them. I'll tell you how you can buy tickets at SBB machines.

The first step is to choose the most convenient language. Welcome and let's move on!

A screen appears with the most popular stations and ticket types. If the desired station is in the list, click on the corresponding button.

If it is not there, you need to click on Alternstive connections. A keyboard will appear, and you need to start typing the desired name on it. When the desired station name appears, the available route is displayed. As you can see, in my example, this is Bern-Zurich.

On the right, there are possible transfer options.

When did you choose convenient option transfers, you still need to decide whether you need a one-way or round-trip ticket.

And decide with the choice of the class of the car. Well, there is nothing to think about, we take the second one. We save.

Now you need to choose a discount and the number of seats. The options on the left, labeled 1/2, are half price. They are suitable for children, dogs and owners of various discount cards. On the right are options without discounts for adult passengers.

And your last step is to verify the data you entered and pay for the ticket.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated. But now you are sitting at home, comfortably seated on an armchair, tea, you see, drinking. And there, at the station, the conditions are far from being so comfortable, and from surprise or even fright, you can forget everything that I told you here. To prevent this from happening, knowledge must be consolidated in practice. Here is a simulator that will help you practice buying a ticket so that you are already fully equipped at the station and get it in 60 seconds!

Through the SBB website

Well, I don't like their website. And by the way, objective reasons for that no. Probably I was so captivated by the cashiers that I absolutely do not want to bother shopping over the Internet. But some ticket options are not available at the box office, so you still have to master the Swiss railway website.

On the main page, enter information about the route and departure time. Next, you need to click Search connection.

Now we have a list of flights. No, not just a list of flights! And all the information about them, up to which platform the train leaves from. It’s really convenient, respect to the railway workers, you don’t need to spend time thinking about whether to make cheese sandwiches on the road or you can go to dinner in the dining car. For more information, you need to click on the plus sign, which I marked with an arrow. When pressed, the icon turns into a minus, and all the necessary information appears in front of the buyer. Having decided on the flight, you need to click on Fare / Buy.

Next, a page appears on which you need to select your preferred class of carriage and type of ticket - one way or both at once. It is also necessary to indicate the first and last name, date of birth. At this step, you can add other passengers. Pay attention to the column Reduction. If you have a fare discount or you are traveling with a child, you can select the desired discount option from the drop-down list. Click on Next.

On this page you are offered to buy additional tickets, for example, to move around the city. If needed, add to cart. Go ahead.

Here you need to register, log in or continue without registration. Select the latest option and click Next.

Now they are prompted to enter the number of the discount voucher. I wish there was one more... If it is not there, then just skip this block and click on Continue shopping.

You choose the most convenient option for making a payment transaction and transfer required amount. The ticket will be sent to your email and you need to print it. By the way, you can also make a purchase through a mobile application. But just what will you show the controller on the train if your smartphone runs out of power? Don't forget to take this into account.

***

Enjoy! What else can I tell you? Traveling to Switzerland will be one of the most colorful moments of your life! And the railway, as you already understood, only contributes to a wonderful holiday.

The train schedule is thought out in such a way that you can go to any city about once every half an hour - an hour (although sometimes transfers are required).

Swiss railway website: www.sbb.ch

Use it when planning trips anywhere. Just type in the initial and final destination(you can even just the exact address) and the estimated time of departure. The site will automatically calculate the most optimal route and give you full information, including departure time, departure platform, travel time, transfer points, train and bus numbers.

If you do not have internet, you can use the free computers near the ticket offices at the Zurich main station (Zurich Hauptbahnhof). You can also print the received information there.

Train schedule - you can look at the scoreboard at the station (about half an hour ahead), or take a small brochure in the form of a book about 5 * 10 cm near the ticket office with the train schedule from Zurich and back to most major cities.
It should be borne in mind that at any station all information about trains is necessarily present in the form of such information brochures. In Zurich, of course, you will not find information on paper about regional trains from Bellinzona, for example. But you will learn how to get to Bellinzona, and in Bellinzona you can already find out about the train schedule.

Upon arrival in any city, it is worth looking into the tourist office - there you can sometimes find a map of the city with marked sights. However, you should be prepared for the fact that most of tourist information will be in local languages.

Tickets in Switzerland

You can buy online, through vending machines or at ticket offices. Recently, the ability to buy tickets on long-distance trains has been canceled, but it has become possible to buy tickets online on a smartphone through the SBB application.

There is practically no chance to pass a hare - control on high-speed trains is very frequent. The fine for traveling without a ticket is 100 francs.

The ticket says:

• Ticket validity (above): usually the date of purchase. The ticket is valid for one selected day.
• In large letters: point of departure and point of destination.
• For alternative routes, you may be asked to select waypoints. In this case, they are also printed on the ticket. Therefore, you can travel from Zurich to Interlaken on a ticket via Bern only via Bern, while on the route via Lucerne with the same ticket you will be considered a free rider.
• Large number at the bottom: ticket class. There are 1st and 2nd.
• The arrows on a black background indicate whether the ticket is valid one way or round trip.
• Bottom right is the ticket price.

Internet tickets are purchased through www.sbb.ch (subject to their terms and conditions).

If the route is in doubt, it is better to contact the box office directly. The staff is usually fluent in 4 languages ​​(French, Italian, German and English), they can also print out full information on the route for you, including transfers and departure times. At the Zurich station, for more information, and not just buying a ticket, you can go to Reisburo, a travel agency located next to the ticket offices. There you can also buy Swiss Pass, Halbtax series tickets, as well as book seats on panoramic trains and clarify your questions.

Ticket machines - accept both francs and credit cards. The machines support 4 languages ​​- English, German, French. and it. The bills put into the machine should not greatly exceed the cost of the ticket (the difference should be no more than 10-20 francs so that the machine can give you change in coins).

Train tickets are not registered and are valid for the whole day of purchase for any train in this direction(except in cases where special reservations are made). They can be in one or both directions. On the train, you can take any seat in the corresponding class, unless a reservation applies to this seat (usually a notice hangs on the wall with seat numbers in this case).

The cost of tickets depends on the route, and not on the type of train. High-speed train and regional tickets will cost the same.

The cost of tickets for trains from the cities of Switzerland:

Trains in Switzerland

To enter the train, do not forget to press the button to open the doors. Also on exit.

There are two types of trains: double-decker and single-decker. It is usually assumed that the first floor should be quiet (the icons for the prohibition of conversations on mobile phone and so on.). However, this ban is not strict. IN double-decker trains the passage between the cars is carried out on the second floor.

The carriages are divided into first and second class. If you board a first class ticket with a second class ticket, you will be fined. If the planned trip falls during rush hour (including on Sunday evenings from places popular for hiking and skiing), then it makes sense to take first class tickets (the price of which is 50% higher) - first class is always freer and quieter, and during the second you may simply not have enough space. But, in principle, there are practically no situations so that you cannot enter the car. In the worst case, you will have to spend some time standing up.

An alternative to a noisy car can be a dining car. Its presence is indicated by a special icon in the schedule. Behind acceptable price you can brighten up the road with a cup of coffee or a glass of beer.

There are special cars for bicycles, which are not available on all trains - you need to look at the icons for a particular train in the schedule.

Most modern trains in Switzerland are adapted for the disabled - a single level with a platform, a retractable step, a flat floor, and now even special extended toilets that can fit a wheelchair without any problems.

In any car there is always a toilet, which can also be used at the stations. Flush, liquid soap and water are switched on with buttons (on the floor, on the wall or above the faucet with marked symbols).

Many trains have a coffee-and-snack service: a man with a trolley walks through the cars, offering tea, juices, coffee, sandwiches, and some pastries. If the train is double-decker, then it must be taken into account that they will pass only on the second floor. At this time, the corresponding symbol lights up at the entrance on the first floor, and you can go upstairs yourself and buy a snack.

being late

Swiss trains are almost never late. However, due to disruptions, or when there are large crowds that delay departures, small delays can occur, although extremely rarely. Most likely during peak hours (about 18 pm on weekdays) there may be delays of up to 5 minutes. Serious train delays here practically do not happen, only if there is some kind of force majeure, an accident on the line.

In the case of tourist destinations, such as mountain towns, the next regional train may also be delayed, as its movement is synchronized with the rest.
However, when traveling to the airport, it is better to play it safe a little.

Most often problems arise with trains in Bern. To know the situation better, download the SBB app on your smartphone, where you can see the schedule. Lateness is also indicated there if there is some problem or delay with the flight, or the flight is canceled. Be careful on snowy days - this usually causes a literally transport collapse, mainly urban transport, but leapfrog begins with trains.

International trains

In addition to the local Swiss railway network SBB, French TGV and Italian CIS Alpino also operate here. Tickets for such trains can only be bought at ticket offices, and usually they involve a seat reservation. The furthest time for buying tickets is about 3 months (depending on the destination). Tickets can vary significantly in price, usually there are so-called SPAR tickets - a special offer at a reduced price. They are the cheapest, but there are very few of them and there is practically no chance to buy them at a convenient time (Friday evening, for example). But on the usual weekdays - it is quite possible to have time.

Majority international trains not much different from ordinary Swiss ones - the distances are insignificant and the trip rarely exceeds 7 hours. However, there are also night trains. In them, the ticket price is determined by the type of compartment: there are seats (the cheapest), compartments for 6th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd. The more people in the compartment, the cheaper ticket. The compartment for 6 (and for three) is a standard compartment with three shelves on each side (one for a triple). There is no usual table by the window, but a ladder is made there, which makes it easy to climb onto the shelf. Sitting in such a compartment, of course, will not work until the middle shelf is folded down.
Coupes are divided into women's, men's and mixed. The ticket price includes bed linen (usually a sheet - to wrap yourself up, a pillow with a pillowcase, a mattress and a blanket) and a light breakfast (coffee or tea and a bun with butter and jam). The travel time is calculated so that you arrive at your destination around 8 am.

If desired, tickets to Germany and Austria can be ordered on the website of the German railway www.dbahn.de.

The schedule of international trains can be viewed on the same website www.sbb.ch, however, prices can only be found at ticket offices.

Directions of international trains from Zurich station:

• CNL– Zürich – Basel – Amsterdam / Hannover / Hamburg / Kopenhagen / Berlin / Leipzig / Dresden / Praha
• EU– Zürich – Zug – Arth-Goldau – Bellinzona – Lugano – Milano
• EU- (Chur -) Zürich - Basel - Freiburg im Breisgau - Mainz - Köln - Dortmund - Bremen - Hamburg
• EU- (Chur -) Zürich - Basel - Strasbourg - Luxembourg - Bruxelles
• EU– Zurich – Sargans – Innsbruck – Wien / Salzburg
• EU Zurich-Winterthur-St. Gallen - Bregenz - Lindau - Munich
• EN– Zurich – Bern – Geneve – Perpignan – Barcelona
• EN– Zürich – Sargans – Innsbruck – Graz / – Zagreb – Belgrad
• EN– Zürich – Sargans – Innsbruck – Linz – Wien – Budapest / Praha
• ICE– Zürich – Basel – Freiburg im Breisgau – Frankfurt am Main – Hannover – Hamburg (– Kiel) / Berlin
• ICE– Zurich – Schaffhausen – Stuttgart (– Frankfurt am Main)
• TGV- (Chur -) Zürich - Basel - Strasbourg - Paris

Ticket discounts in Switzerland

From time to time, promotions are made in Switzerland for tickets in some directions. We publish all the most "delicious" offers on social media pages: V

But in fact, this is my most interesting experience of moving around the country on ordinary passenger trains, where almost every train is panoramic cinema where green meadows are shown, snow-capped peaks, dazzling glaciers and dense forests. Streams and lakes, roads and paths, suspension bridges and multi-level overpasses of autobahns rush past. And most importantly, you absolutely do not have time to get tired! The country is quite small and traveling by train takes only a few hours, but emotions remain in memory for many years.

Let's take a look with you at a small piece of what you can see from the train window in Switzerland. I didn’t ride tourist panoramic express trains, I just traveled around the country on trains and electric trains, but what I saw exceeded my expectations so much that I can say for sure - Switzerland is not a country where you need to rent a car, you only need a railway pass here pass!

Swiss Federal Railways, SBB-CFF-FFS is the state-owned railway company.
These are more than 1600 locomotives, more than 4000 passenger cars, more than 13,000 freight wagons!
And all this in such a small Switzerland, a country that does not even have access to the sea.

The legendary watch of the Swiss Railways. This design could not be surpassed even by Apple, which released iOS7, which had a copy of this watch in its interface. This ended in a lawsuit in which Apple lost to the railroad company!

Only 30-40 minutes from Zurich towards St. Moritz. It is impossible to look at this calmly! This is just a picture from the train window:

A cool advertisement for a national park that turns 100 years old.
By the way, interesting fact, which surprised me very much - it turns out that there is only one (!) national park, which is called Swiss National Prak. Two more have the status of a candidate for a national park, the procedure for their transformation into national parks stretches for 5-10 years, everything is very democratic and with a voting procedure in several stages. Against - local fishermen and hunters :)

It always surprises me how conveniently all modes of transport are interconnected and combined into one transport system.

In civilized countries, I can no longer live without mobile internet, I even started using buses in a new and completely unfamiliar city, thanks to google maps and hiking trails To bus stop that the application builds. I used to only use the subway, because to delve into a paper map bus routes boring and long.

A very handy app for iPhone at the Swiss Railways, it is convenient to create a route and automatically export it to the calendar:

All passengers should have a good view of the mountains!

On the table (which is the lid of the urn) is a map of the route:

I traveled by train, part of the route is also included in the Bernina Express itinerary. Throughout its length (67 km) there are 42 tunnels and covered galleries, 144 viaducts and bridges.
And all these 67 km are a UNESCO site!

Of course, it’s better to photograph the red photogenic composition against the background of green foliage in summer or white snow in winter from the side, but it’s very cool to be inside!

This is a Glacier Express carriage, unfortunately the windows do not open here. I rode it in the evening, when the train was distilled and it was built into the schedule like a regular train.

This is a high-speed intercity train:

Toilet in a double-decker train:

IN common words here are superfluous... It's worth a look and a must try! And there is no need to hurry. Take a rail pass and just ride through the most interesting parts of the country.

Practical information:

If you love railroads, Seat61 should be your number one information site. For all countries, the most detailed information, very practically applicable, with all "appearances and passwords" and all on one page for each country.