1

What's yout hurry?

Nothing is scemic, if youb don't want to take the time to enjoy it.

Ggeneva could have impact on daughter's education wishes. Very important place.

Talk with locals.

2

Three possible itineraries:

Milan dp by train 6.07 (Porta Garibaldi) or 11.18 (Centrale) - Chambery (France) ar 10.15 or 15.39, dp by bus 12.15 or 16.30 - Geneva airport (GVA) ar 13.30 or 17.45

Milan Lampugnano bus station dp 7.15 - Courmayeur 10.45 - Chamonix ar 11.30, dp by train 13.11 - St-Gervais 13.54/14.03 - St-julien ar 15.29, dp by bus 15.39 - Geneve Bel Air 16.13/16.15 - Geneva airport (GVA) ar 16.40

Milan C dp by train 7.25, 8.25, 11.25, 12.25 - GVA ar 12.06, 12.38, 16.06, 16.40

My proposal: if the weather is fine, take one of the above mentioned Milan - GVA trains, stop over at Sierre (luggage lockers in the railway station) and go from there to a nice panoramic place like Montana-Crans

Sierre ar from Milan: 9.54, 10.54, dp 10.15, 11.15 - Montana ar 10.35, 11.35, dp 14.45, 15.15 - GVA ar 17.36, 18.13.

if you want to sit the whole day in a train, you may leave Milan at 7.25 or 8.25, change at Brig to the scenic Loetschberger train via Kandersteg to Spiez, go on from there to Zweisimmen ar 11.57 or 12.59 and board there the Golden Pass Panoramic Express dp 12.25 or 14.25 to Montreux ar 14.13 or 16.13 and to continue from there to GVA (1 hr 20 min, trains at least every 30 min).

3

Dear Neckervd,

First tnankk you so much for your response,

I really like the idea to travel all the way in Switzerland. And I hope that my daughter will be able to see snow for the first time.

I love both of your ideas and I wouldn’t mind to be in train almost all day seeing all these marvelous Swiss views that I see on the pictures.

Which of the 02 would you take? Milan – Sierre or Milan – Brig

How do we buy tickets? One single ticket from Milan to GVA or do I need to buy various tickets?

Can we get off from GVA train and get back on a later train?

Would you buy your tickets now?
Thank you so much for taking your time on this.

4

Unfortunately the time is short but we would love to know more about all

5

With a standard fare Milan - Brig - Sierre - Geneva ticket (75 EUR/adult), you can hop off/hop on as many times as you like. Seat reservation is compulsory (and included in the fare) for the Italian leg (Milano - Domodossola) only.
If you buy a reduced smart2 web ticket for 29 EUR (http://www.fsitaliane.it/homepage_en.html), you cannot change trains.

I would go to Sierre - Montana, because the Alpine panorama from Montana is much better than from the Loetschberg - Golden Pass itinerary (only if the weather is fine, of course).

Have a look at the following links and decide:
Montana:
http://www.crans-montana.ch/hiver/en/
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/crans-montana.html (check the video too)
Loetschberger-Golden Pass:
http://homepage.hispeed.ch/~hpoberlin/bahnwandern/wanderungen/loetschberg-sued.html
http://www.swisswebcams.ch/webcam/1011516521-Kandersteg%2C-Hotel-Bernerhof-%283718-Kandersteg%29_Wetter
http://www.goldenpass.ch/modules/video//default.asp?D=VideosGoldenPassLine&F=GPL_MOB_080924_web.swf

Half fare for children: Italy up to 12 years, Switzerland up to 16 years
Family card for Swiss domestic traffic (Domodossola - Geneva airport, any itinerary):
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/swiss-family-card-en.html

6

Hello Neckervd,

Great I will make a stop in Sierra.

But according to the website https://www.sbb.ch/ if I take the train from Milan C at 8:25 (Train Ec 32) I do not see stopping at Sierra, and shows that I will need to catch my next train (Ir 11718) in Lausanne.

Sorry for asking again, but how do I get off in Sierre?

Also should I buy these tickets in advance?

Thank you so much,

7

Open http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html
enter from Milano Centrale to Montana, the date and the time (7.00).
You get 4 solutions.
Click then on "show all details"
You get:
Solution 1:
Milano C dp 7.25 - Visp ar 9.26, change the train, dp from the same platform at 9.36 (train IR 1414) - Sierre ar 9.54. Deposit your luggage in the lockers and walk to the SMC cablecar station (about 5 min). Departure 10.15 - Montana ar 10.35 (seats with panoramic view if you enter the cablecar through the first door and go a little down, to the left).
Solution 2:
Milano C dp 8.25 - Brig ar 10.16, change the train, dp from platform 3 at 10.28 (train IR 1418) - Sierre ar 10.54. Deposit your luggage in the lockers and walk to the SMC cablecar station (about 5 min). Departure 11.15 - Montana ar 11.35 (seats with panoramic view if you enter the cablecar through the first door and go a little down, to the left).
Connections Brig - Sierre - Montana about every 30 min (Brig dp ..05 and ...28, Sierre dp ...15 and ...45
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2012/100.pdf
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/fileadmin/fap_pdf_fields/2012/2225.pdf

Tickets: only standard fare ticket gives you the right to use different trains. The total ticket price depends on the age of your daughter. For fares, click on http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html, enter from Milano Centrale to GVA, click on "fare/buy" and go on by entering the requested datas. You should get the ticket for the same price at Milano Centrale railway station.

The Sierre - Montana round trip ticket costs CHF 24.40 for an adult and CHF 12.20 for a child from 6 up to 16 years; it can be bought at the cableway station.

8

Dear Neckervd,

Wiould you take this route and do you think that is safe for my schedule time?

Milano Centrale TO: Genève-Aéroport VIA: Andermatt and it will come up with a very scenic route. Departure is 9.10 am, changes in Bellinzona, Göschenen and Brig. Arrival is 5:36 pm at the airport.

Thanks,

9

It's feasible. But in my eyes, this itinerary is certainly interesiting (many bridges and tunnels), but rather less scenic than the 2 others we spoke about last week.
In the case you cannot afford to arrive at GVA after 6.30pm (walking time between airport railway station and flight check is less than 10 minutes), I would rather start at Milan 1 1/2 hours earlier because the time for the train change at Goeschenen is only 5 minutes and the Brig bound train doesn't wait more than 5 other minutes if the train from Bellinzona is late.
If you miss the 12.12 train at Goeschenen, you may eat something in a restaurant close to the railway station (the village itself is rather shady, cold und not very scenic) and continue exactly one hour later (13.12); arrival at Geneva airport railway station at 18.36.
Timetable:
Milano Centrale dp 7.35 - Goeschenen dp 11.12 - Brig ar 13.33, change at Chiasso, may be Lugano, Bellinzona and Goeschenen.

Tickets: May be you cannot get a ticket for this itinerary at Milano. In this case, buy a ticket up to Chiasso and buy the tickets for Switzerland (128 CHF/adult) there.

10

Dear Neckervd,

I can see that you are one of the person(s) with most knowlege on this forum.

I really would like you to chose of the 2 routes for me:

1- Leave Milan at 7.25 or 8.25, change at Brig to the scenic Loetschberger train via Kandersteg to Spiez, go on from there to Zweisimmen ar 11.57 or 12.59 and board there the Golden Pass Panoramic Express dp 12.25 or 14.25 to Montreux ar 14.13 or 16.13 and to continue from there to GVA (1 hr 20 min, trains at least every 30 min).

or

2- Milano Centrale TO: Genève-Aéroport VIA: Andermatt and it will come up with a very scenic route. Departure is 9.10 am, changes in Bellinzona, Göschenen and Brig. Arrival is 5:36 pm at the airport.

And lets say that you chose the first option:
How is the purchase made?
Do I purchase 01 ticket from Milan to Gva and another one from Zweisimmen to Montreux?

Thanks again,

11

Les gouts sont differents (gostos são diferentes). Personally, I prefer itinerary 1.
Tickets: I don't know whether you can get a ticket for the whole trip at Milano Centrale station. If not, buy a ticket to Brig only. You will have a 20 min layover there anyway (between train from Milan and Loetschberger train to Kandersteg - Spiez). That's more than enough time for the purchase of the Brig - Spiez - Zweisimmen - Gstaad - Montreux - Geneva airport ticket (89 CHF/adult) at the Brig ticket counter.

12

Muitissimo obrigado!

It is greatly appreciated your tips.

I will defiantly do the itinerary 1.

And I will post before Christmas when I am back from this trip how everything went.

Thank you so much,

God bless you,