|
|
|
|
One great advantage of having a valid tourist pass or card is that no other ticket is needed (unless a seat reservation is needed - these may be made hours, or even days, in advance). Instead of joining a queue for tickets, the traveler simply finds the right platform and train, and boards it, then finds a seat. If by some mischance he finds he has boarded the wrong train, he can simply get off at the next stop and go back, having wasted nothing except time. With the tourist pass or card, the journey may be broken at any intermediate stop, and a later train (or bus) taken after the traveler has had a look at the town or village. It is wise to reserve seats on long-distance expresses, especially those going into another country. The books contain extended details on the wide variety of passes offered to visitors in Europe, the Swiss versions of which are summarized on this website at Rail Passes. Railway and Bus
Stations Major railway stations usually have somewhere to get food, to change money, to store luggage and to get a shower or shave. At many major stations there are pamphlets containing timetables of one-day train trips from that center, some of which may appeal to the traveler. Most will have a tourist information center, where English and other languages are spoken. All the services at major railway stations are conveniently labeled in international sign language. Bus stations are usually, but not always, close to the railway stations, or if not, the buses will call at the railway station en route. Bus stations tend to be less sophisticated than railway stations, but will provide necessary services including tourist information. Being able to speak nothing but English is usually no problem. How to find the
train or bus. At stations with more than one platform, a list of arrivals and departures, hour by hour, is shown in the main concourse, in subways and overpasses, and on each platform. The list will show the expected departure time, and whether it is an express or a local train, stopping at all stations, as well as which platform the train will depart from. At major stations, there may be a further aid. This is a table showing the usual composition of all express trains, indicating where the first- and second-class carriages will be, and the restaurant car, if any. This train-composition listing is often on each platform for the trains that will use it. Over the platform itself there are numbers indicating where to stand for which car number. However, if the traveler is not at the right spot when the train pulls up, one should simply board the train and walk through until finding the correct car, whether first- or second-class, and then find a vacant seat. Note that first class cars are identified by a "1" at either end often a yellow stripe above the windows. Quite often on routes running from Zürich the outbound trains will have the FC car(s) on the rear, and inbound to Zürich they'll be found on the front. Smoking and no-smoking cars are denoted by "lit cigarette" symbols at either end of the car, with the strike-through denoting the no-smoking cars. If the train is not crowded many smokers may prefer to sit in no-smoking as the smoking cars often get pretty cloudy in Europe. Then just move to a smoking car when one feels the need for a cigarette. The departure platform for the private railways is usually quite close to the main-line platforms. It must be remembered that it may be necessary to pay a fare, usually at a reduced rate, on mountain railways and cable transport. Consult the Swiss Pass map and, if necessary, go to the ticket office to pay what is owed, before boarding. Luggage At many railway stations and at some bus stations, heavy baggage may be left for a few hours, or for a day or two, at the luggage office, for a small charge. At most stations there are also small baggage lockers with keys. Refreshments Reading
Published Timetables The first point to mention is that times of departure and arrival are always expressed in local time zones, and seasonal (e.g. summer time). Fortunately, all the surrounding countries use the same time zone. Note that all European timetables use a 24-hour notation - e.g. 3.00 p.m. is 15.00 hours. All official timetables have a simplified 'synoptic' map, with numbered routes, usually shown as straight lines, between major cities or towns. These maps may show bus routes as well as train routes. If uncertain where to find the departure point or destination on the map, the traveler must look up the index of stations in order to find the route number - then turn to the appropriate page(s) for detailed times. In addition, the type of train - e.g. EC (EuroCity), IC (InterCity), or more simply, Exp., Rap., Fast, or just a local train - will be shown. Different abbreviations are used in different countries. Timetables also show, by signs or symbols, whether a train runs daily or otherwise, whether seasonal and so on. If there is no special indication, the train (or bus) runs daily. Some run daily except Sundays and public holidays (which will be listed somewhere in the book); some run only on Sundays or other specified days - and so on. There are symbols for all variations, so careful study is advisable - unless there is a fairly frequent service. There is always a page where the symbols are all summarized - but not always in English. In practice, a dictionary may be needed by the traveler who has no knowledge of German, Italian or French, although the Thomas Cook's "European Timetable" is in English and the Swiss "Kursbuchs" have text in English as well as German, French and Italian. Sample
Day and Extended Trips Copyright © 2000-2001 E.S.
Stuckey Dr. Stuckey and his wife toured Switzerland for periods of several months while visiting relatives based there. Like Ed and Julie, the Stuckeys became fans of Swiss public transport. As a result of their enthusiasm Dr. Stuckey published the book from which this article is extracted. The book is no longer available, but you'll use the rails and cables like a pro thanks to the brief notes above and the even greater detail you can find in the books cited at the beginning of this article. Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Traveling
|
