Carefee Travelling with Swiss Travel System. Specialist Module 2. MySwitzerland.com Rhaetische Bahn

1 Carefree travelling with Swiss Travel Harmonised timetable – guaranteed System. connections. Exploring Switzerland by public transport, well known for The very moment they arrive in Switzerland, your clients its reliable services, turns into a real treat. Regardless benefit from the Swiss public transport network. Atall of where your clients wish to go, Swiss public transport border railway stations and airports, trains and buses are takes them there comfortably and hassle-free. Also, what- available for incoming guests to speed them on the way ever your clients’ specific requirements, a wide range of towards their city, rural or Alpine vacation destinations. tickets and passes, as well as additional services, are Connections are guaranteed in all places. Where no rail available to meet any need. service is available, the journey continues by bus, boat or ...... even mountain railway...... Public transport network. Switzerland is home to the densest public transport Coach classes. network worldwide. It includes over 26,000 km of rail, Almost all trains in Switzerland offer first and second road and waterway class coaches. First class coaches provide additional routes, making the remotest places of the country acces- sible. Public trans- port operates as accurately and effi- ciently as the finely balanced wheels of a Swiss watch Lunch on train – whether for fast inter-city connec- tions, relaxed jour- amenities like wider seats, more legroom and electrical neys across Switzerland’s captivating countryside or ex- power outlets. Furthermore, first class passengers ben- citing excursions to Alpine altitudes of up to 3,500 mtr. efit from quiet zones on the train......

Regular-interval timetable. Surcharge. One of the key attributes visitors from all over the world No surcharge applies on international, InterCity or Inter- associate with Switzerland is punctuality – an expecta- Regio trains within Switzerland. Panorama trains like the tion admirably met by the Swiss public transport system: Glacier Express or the , as well as some Its precision is legendary, its coordination perfect. Trains PostBus lines (Palm Express), are usually subject to sur- operate according to a regular-interval timetable, mean- charge and/or require seat reservations. ing that a train always leaves at the same minute after ...... each full hour. Main inter-city connections run at half- hour intervals. At major hubs, trains arrive every full and Seat reservations. half hour. Post-bus and boat connections are perfectly - In Switzerland, the majority of trains do not require seat coordinated with these regular interval timetables. reservations. Trains offering seat reservations are indi- cated with an «R» in the timetable on www.sbb.ch. You can research the timetable of Swiss trains online on - For trains with mandatory seat reservations, such as www.sbb.ch/en. All the information is available in Eng- the Glacier Express, reservations should be made at the lish. earliest convenience...... - Group reservations can be done via Rail Europe or GSAs ......

2 Schynige Platte

The Swiss Travel Pass experience – Get the Family friendly. most out of Switzerland. - Children under 6 years of age accompanied by an adult A national transport network of rail, road & waterway holding a valid ticket, travel free of charge. - unlimited use of all major railway and PostBus routes - With the Swiss - unlimited use of all public waterway lines Family Card, chil- - unlimited use of all public transport services in more dren between 6 and than 75 cities 16 years of age, accompanied by Value for money at least one par- - Panaramic train journeys such as Glacier Express, the ent holding a valid GoldenPass Line and all other panoramic routes are in- Swiss Travel Sys- cluded. However a surcharge and/or seat reservation fee tem ticket, travel might apply. free of charge. - Additionally, travellers receive a 50% discount on most - Children between mountain railway tickets (Jungfraujoch: 25 %). 6 and 16 years of - Moreover, guests benefit from free of charge travel age travelling alone receive a 50% discount on the entire to selected Swiss Alpinepeaks – for example: the Rigi Swiss Travel System ticket range. «Queen of the Mountains» or Schynige Platte. But wait, there is more. You also receive free admis- Freedom of choice. sion to more than 490 museums nationwide e.g. Chillon

- All Swiss Travel System tickets are available for first Abbey Library St Gallen and second class. - We offer the ideal ticket for any travel requirement and budget; for example, the Swiss Travel Pass Flex or the Swiss Travel Pass Youth, which both include all the ben- efits and perks of a regular Swiss Travel Pass. - The Swiss Transfer Ticket is our most affordable op- tion for a smooth, direct transfer by train, bus and/or boat from any Swiss border railway station or arrival airport to your clients’ vacation destination in Switzerland – and back again.

3 Castle, Open Air Museum Ballenberg, Glacier Garden in Swiss Transfer Ticket. Lucerne and the Abbey Library in St. Gallen, a UNESCO Coverage: Free transfer from any Swiss border railway World Heritage Site, to name, but a few. station or arrival airport to the guest’s vacation destina- ...... tion in Switzerland and back. Transfers to/from the travel- ler’s destination must be via direct route, but not neces- Swiss Travel System STS tickets and sarily to/from the same destination. Validity: two transfers passes. within one month. Border railway stations: Basel Bad Sta- tion / Basel SBB / EuroAirport Basel, Berne (SBB/BLS), Our attractive Swiss Travel System ticket range provides Berne Belp, Buchs SG, Chamonix-Mont Blanc, Chiasso, ideal access to Switzerland’s public transport network. Domodossola, Geneva / Geneva Airport, Koblenz (CH), Thanks to Swiss Travel Pass & Co., your clients enjoy al- Konstanz (D), Lausanne, Lugano /Lugano Airport (Agno), most limitless mobility, using railways, buses and boats. Romanshorn, Schaffhausen, St. Margrethen, Tirano (I), Here is an overview of our product range: Visp / Brig, Zurich Main Station / Zurich Airport...... Swiss Half Fare Card. Swiss Travel Pass. Coverage: Up to 50 % discount off regular public trans- Coverage: Unlimited travel by rail, road and waterway, port fares all over Switzerland whether by train, bus, boat including premium panorama trains and public transport or mountain railway. Validity: 1 month. in more than 75 cities. Validity: 3, 4, 8

Lake Lucerne paddle steamer

Post bus Reichenbach Swiss Half Fare Card Combi. Coverage: Up to 50% discount on regular public or 15 consecutive days. Additional benefits: 50 % transport fares all over Switzerland whether by train, bus, discount on most mountain railway tickets and free ad- boat or mountain railway. Swiss Half Fare Card Combi mission to more than 490 museums nationwide. is only available in combination with a Swiss Transfer Reductions: Young travellers under the age of 26 receive Ticket or a Swiss Travel Pass Flex and offers additional a 15 % discount off the regular Swiss Travel Pass fare. mobility in-between travel days. Validity: from first to last validated travel day, with maxi- Swiss Travel Pass Flex. mum validity of 1 month. Coverage: Unlimited travel by rail, road and waterway, including premium panorama trains and public transport Swiss Family Card. in more than 75 cities. Validity: 3, 4, 8 Coverage: The complimentary Family Card offers free or 15 individually selectable days within one month. Ad- travel for children under 16 years of age accompanied by ditional benefits: 50% discount on most mountain railway at least one parent holding a Swiss Travel System ticket. tickets and free admission to more than 490 museums Children travelling alone receive a 50 % discount on nationwide. the entire Swiss Travel System ticket range. Reductions: Young travellers under the age of 26 receive ...... a 15 % discount off the regular Swiss Travel Pass fare.

4 Glacier Express

Panoramic Train Journeys. and information channel Switzerland’s premium panorama trains are world fa- - One wheelchair-accessible seat and one toilet facility for mous, captivating passengers with their large panoramic handicapped persons in the first class of each train; seat windows with views of breathtaking sceneries. They are reservations: seat no 11, reservation at a ticket counter surely one of the most beautiful ways to experience Swit- or travel agency no later than 24 hours prior to start of zerland. Here are three journeys you must know of: the journey ...... - Animals not permitted on the train - Does not operate between end of October and mid De- Glacier Express. cember The Glacier Express is probably the words most famous Sales information. panorama train. Within roughly 8 unforgettable hours, it - All Swiss Travel System tickets are valid. takes you from to St. Moritz – a delightful day’s - Valid ticket and seat reservations are required. Seat journey across pristine Alpine landscapes and deep ra- reservations are subject to a surcharge. vines, through quaint villages and gentle valleys. You - Surcharges apply. Please check with your point of will pass through no less than 91 tunnels and cross 291 sale. stately bridges. Comfortable panorama coaches offer - Meal reservations: Rhätia Werte AG, Gürtelstrasse 14, passengers the most spectacular views – to be savoured CH-7001 , Tel. +41 (0)81 300 15 15, Fax +41 (0)81 at leisure in what has been dubbed «the world’s slowest 300 15 16, [email protected] express train»...... Route: Zermatt > Brig > > Chur > St. Moritz Duration: app. 8h Bernina Express. The ’s spectacular and Bernina Good to know. lines most deservedly enjoy UNESCO World Heritage - All trains equipped with passenger information system in status. Operating on the world’s highest-altitude railroad, multiple languages (D/E/F/I/J/C) via audio headphones, the Bernina Express traverses the Alps, thereby linking two music channels the north of Europe to the south. In summer, the jour- - Food served at your seat. Indian food is available (res- ney can be extended on board the Bernina Express bus ervation required) along beautiful Lake Como and through the picturesque - Three-course menu: CHF 43 villages between Lugano and Tirano (I). - Dish of the day: CHF 30 - Panorama coaches for first and second class, open- Route: Chur//St. Moritz > Poschiavo > Tirano > plan coaches with central isle and tables, air conditioning Lugano

5 Bernina Express

Duration: 2h 30 min (St. Moritz-Tirano), 3h 40 min (Da- with open view of the route in front, or in the sumptuous vos-Tirano), 4h 13 min (Chur-Tirano,) 3h (Bus Lugano- seats of the GoldenPass Classic, your clients truly feel Tirano) like they’re on top of the world.

Good to know. Route: Luzern > In- - Passport or Identity Card required for the border cross- terlaken > Zweisim- ing into men > Montreux - No dining cars on Bernina Express trains; snacks, bev- Duration: app. 5h erages and souvenirs available on all trains; lunchtime in Poschiavo, Le Prese or in the small Italian town of Ti- Good to know. rano - Change of train - Bernina Express bus: operates between Tirano and Lu- necessary in In- gano fromMarch to October terlaken East and Zweisimmen due to Sales information. differ- - All Swiss Travel System tickets are valid. ences - Valid ticket and seat reservations are required. Seat - GoldenPass Classic trains: «Belle Époque» reservations are subject to a surcharge. coaches in the first and second class, special wine cellar - Surcharges apply. Please check with your point of coaches in the second class. Optional: seat reservations sales. including «dining at the seat» - In winter, additional panorama coaches are integrated - Zweisimmen-Montreux, optional: you can reserve an into regional train compositions serving the routes St. appetizer platter with regional produce Moritz – Tirano and Chur – St. Moritz. - Bistro coach available on the route Lucerne-Interlaken ...... East Sales information. GoldenPass Line. - All Swiss Travel System tickets are valid. - A valid ticket is required and seat reservations are rec- 8 lakes – 6 cantons – 3 mountain passes – 2 language re- ommended for individual passengers. For groups, seat gions: The GoldenPass line spans Switzerland from Lake reservations are required. Lucerne in to the gentle vineyards on - Reservation fees apply. Please check with your point the shores of Lake Geneva. Travelling in style, either in of sales. the VIP front seats of the GoldenPass Panoramic train - The various route stages have to be booked separately

6 For more information about panoramic train journeys established from Hamburg to Interlaken via the Ruhr click here. area. More than 35 times a day, the DB fleet sets direct ...... course for its neighbouring Alpine nation...... For a relaxed arrival in Switzerland. Travelling by train from . Arriving by air. The briefer the journey the better – or is that always so? Switzerland’s main airports link perfectly to the country’s Speed, precision, competence, a warm welcome, excel- outstanding public transport network. In Geneva and Zu- lent catering and first-class service: The high-speed train rich, a railway station is located right inside the airport. service TGV Lyria combines the very best of French and Trains leave for the city centre every few minutes, taking Swiss cultures. Beware, however: The journey is such a passengers there within roughly 10 minutes. Additionally, great experience that passengers might uncharacteristi- comfortable InterCity trains operate to most other Swiss cally wish it to last longer. cities at half-hour intervals. Basel and Bern airports offer a regular and excellently functioning bus service between ...... their airports and city centres. Basel, Zurich and Geneva all provide a rail ticket counter right at the airport to facili- Travelling by train from . tate ticket purchases for the clients. The fleet of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) transports ...... passengers to Switzerland in a swift and most comfortable manner. Night trains link the old imperial city of Vienna, as Travelling by train from . well as Graz and Villach, to Zurich, which allows passengers to arrive the next morning in a completely rested state. Also, The highly comfortable ICE trains of the ÖBB’s premium rail service «» takes travellers from (DB) take travellers quickly straight to all major Swiss cit- Vienna, Salzburg or Innsbruck to Zurich in 2-hour-intervals ies. Berne, Thun, Interlaken, Zurich and now Chur as well on a daily basis. As usual, perfect connections from Zurich are served on the Rhein axis via Basel. The high stan- hub to the rest of Switzerland are guaranteed. dard InterCity and EuroCity trains operate direct services between , Stuttgart and Hamburg to Zurich. In ad- ...... dition, a new direct EuroCity connection has now been

7 Lake Murten

Travelling by train from Italy. Kesari Tours www.kesari.in Wanderlust or just taking a break from everyday routine? Make My Trip www.makemytrip.com From neighbouring Italy, many of the most scenic Swiss Ottila International www.ottila.net cities are only a comfortable train ride away. Enjoying SOTC www.sotc.in the amenities of state-of-the-art, technically refined tilting Swisstours www.swisstours.com trains, passengers travel through curvy Alpine sections Thomas Cook www.thomascook.in not only more smoothly, but also at high speed. This sig- Travel Tours www.traveltours.in nificantly reduces travel time while increasing passenger TUI www.tui.in comfort......

The recently opened Gotthard Base Tunnel is with a In order to become a certified Switzerland Specialist, length of 57.09 km the world’s longest and deepest traffic you must complete all four modules. To get started, tunnel. Train services will begin in December 2016 and REGISTER HERE and download the study material to once fully functional, the tunnel will slice 45 minutes off get acquainted with Switzerland. the travel time between Milano and Zurich. If you have already registered yourself and would like to Purchasing Swiss Travel System tickets. test your Knowledge about Switzerland as elaborated in Rail Europe is the distributor of Swiss Travel System tick- this study material, please LOGIN your details here to ets in . You can purchase passes and find additional take test. information on their B2B website: http://agents.raileurope.co.in To successfully complete the test, please note below: • You must answer all the questions in each module. In case you need you wish to contact them you can reach • There is only one correct answer per question. Executive Director, Kunal Kothari on e-mail: kkothari@ • Click the submit button to move on to the next mod- raileuropeindia.com ule. • You must qualify for each Module in chronological In addition, you can purchase through the following 10 order with min. 80% (Module-1 >> Module-2 >> Mod- appointed GSAs in India: ule-3 >> Module-4) before you can proceed to the next module. Amigo Travels www.amigotravels.com ...... Cox & Kings www.coxandkings.com

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