Getting around Switzerland by train is quite easy.
Want to go to the town down the road? If you hop in a car you’ll find the
parking expensive and often difficult. But if you take the train, most often it’s
going to be a pleasant commute.
Phil and I have now traveled back and forth from Zurich to St. Moritz , Brig,
Zermatt, Montreux, and Lausanne .
Here are a few reasons take trains in Switzerland :
| Typical Swiss Train (Wikipedia) |
- If you buy an Swiss Saver Flexipass, you’ll have the option of always using first class cars and buying future tickets at half price. (You choose the duration for which you can use the pass). If you use the train a lot, or for a longer distances, this is a very wise choice.
- Know that the cars are well maintained and clean.
- Most, but not all, of the trains I've been in have accommodating wheelchair-size WCs (although I have no idea how a wheelchair gets up the stairs of a train).
- Snacks, coffee, and meals are often available.
- Sometimes you’ll meet interesting people. Not everyone rides the train to chat, but there are a lot of foreign travelers willing to connect with others.
- While the trains run in a timely fashion, there can be delays of 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you have a credit card with a chip, you’ll be able to use the automated ticket machines rather than stand in line waiting at the ticket counter. Our experience in using credit cards at machines in various countries have been unpredictable as to whether it's accepted to buy a ticket.
- Easy ticket access makes it possible to decide at the last minute which train you’ll take.
- Trains run often, so it’s been like hopping on a bus that runs every 20 minutes for us.
