Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Swiss railways "hack"

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
In January next year I'm planning from travelling Lucerne - St Anton, then a week later St Anton - Zermatt.

Swiss Railways offers a Saver Day pass valid for all Switzerland for 52CHF is bought about 60 days in advance.

Looking on SBB.ch a ticket St Anton - Zermatt 60 days from now is 96CHF
A ticket St Anton - Buchs (first stop over the border) is 23 CHF

So a ticket St Anton - Buchs + Saver Day Pass is cheaper than buying a ticket St Anton - Zermatt. Not by much, but also a similar thing going the other way, and also in first class.

So my question is can I stay on the same train, using the St Anton-Buchs ticket to cross the border, then from there use the Saver Day Pass?

And the second question is why wouldn't the SBB ticket shop take this sort of thing into account?

This may be moot, because for the trips I have planned an Eurail pass 2nd class works out almost exactly the same price as individual tickets for the days I'm travelling while being more flexible (no booking 60 days in advance, not having to nominate the exact train so far in advance). A first class Eurail ticket works out about sunstantially cheaper than individual tickets.

And I have to do all the checking, but it looks as if the same tickets bought from the Austrian Railways (oebb.at) are unbelieveably cheaper than from sbb.ch.
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rdk wrote:
Swiss Railways offers a Saver Day pass valid for all Switzerland for 52CHF is bought about 60 days in advance.

Looking on SBB.ch a ticket St Anton - Zermatt 60 days from now is 96CHF
A ticket St Anton - Buchs (first stop over the border) is 23 CHF

So a ticket St Anton - Buchs + Saver Day Pass is cheaper than buying a ticket St Anton - Zermatt. Not by much, but also a similar thing going the other way, and also in first class.

So my question is can I stay on the same train, using the St Anton-Buchs ticket to cross the border, then from there use the Saver Day Pass?

And the second question is why wouldn't the SBB ticket shop take this sort of thing into account?

This may be moot, because for the trips I have planned an Eurail pass 2nd class works out almost exactly the same price as individual tickets for the days I'm travelling while being more flexible (no booking 60 days in advance, not having to nominate the exact train so far in advance).


As regards your first question I can see no reason why you can't stay on the same train and use the two tickets for the two sections of the journey.

As regards your comment about "...not having to nominate the exact train so far in advance" that isn't a condition of the Saver Day Pass which is valid from 00:00 on the chosen day until 05:00 the following day. Perhaps you'e getting confused with the Supersaver ticket which is only valid for a particular time train?
snow report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Alastair Pink wrote:


As regards your comment about "...not having to nominate the exact train so far in advance" that isn't a condition of the Saver Day Pass which is valid from 00:00 on the chosen day until 05:00 the following day.


More for the international part of the trip, and also there are other trips planned where the price comes in below the Saver Day Pass with a Supersaver ticket, but will be easier using a day of the Eurail pass.

This planning and pricing out is quite fun, but oebb.at for the trip into and out of Austria does seem cheaper.
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@rdk, first class really doesn't mean much on the swiss side so if theres a good saving for 2nd take it. Also seat reservations for 2nd are worth it.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks @nadenoodlee
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Nadenoodlee wrote:
@rdk, first class really doesn't mean much on the swiss side so if theres a good saving for 2nd take it. Also seat reservations for 2nd are worth it.


Good to know. I couldn’t see much apart for slightly bigger seats and food service direct to your seat.

Do you not get seats reserved automatically in 2nd on longer trips?
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@ster, at the moment not always food service to seat, in fact not once in my last 8 trips, and bistro cars are getting cancelled a bit too often.

And i’ve never had a seat reservation made automatically when i book on SBB app. I think its a 5chf fee
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@rdk, If it works for you there is a great train ride from Zurich every morning:

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/zurich-to-innsbruck-via-the-arlberg-railway.htm
What is particularly good is to book 1st class and then for a couple of Chfs more you can book in the observation car ... Its a fabulous ride.

You've probably found this already.
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Nadenoodlee, I see. Not really worth the extra cost for 1st class then.

I saw the seat reservation you can make for the restaurant car at 5chf but hadn’t seen that it also applied to any 2nd class seat reservation. Good to know otherwise might have missed it. Cheers!
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
rdk wrote:

So a ticket St Anton - Buchs + Saver Day Pass is cheaper than buying a ticket St Anton - Zermatt. Not by much, but also a similar thing going the other way, and also in first class.

So my question is can I stay on the same train, using the St Anton-Buchs ticket to cross the border, then from there use the Saver Day Pass?

And the second question is why wouldn't the SBB ticket shop take this sort of thing into account?


Be aware that you can only do this if the train you're using actually stops at the intermediate station. Simply passing through without stopping means that you need a valid ticket for the minimum actual journey you could make on that service.
latest report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Chaletbeauroc wrote:

Be aware that you can only do this if the train you're using actually stops at the intermediate station. Simply passing through without stopping means that you need a valid ticket for the minimum actual journey you could make on that service.


Unless you use the Rushton-Reverse in which case you can use any train that stops at Mornington Crescent.
snow conditions



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy