Staff Travel: Switzerland & Italy

[Fred26]

Hello, I'm after a bit of advice please.

In mid-September I'm spending two weeks in Italy. I'm flying into Zurich and will be taking the train on from there. The plan is Zurich - Venice - Florence - Rome - Naples.
I'm staff and I've applied for a FIP card which I have received and also for the coupons, which I believe I receive nearer the time (?).

My questions are; how do I go about using my FIP? Is travel completely free, or do I buy tickets?
And, what are the options for Zurich to Venice? I originally wanted to see the Alps, which is why I'm starting in Zurich, but I have heard the scenic route is quite long-winded.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Aictos]

Hello, I'm after a bit of advice please.

In mid-September I'm spending two weeks in Italy. I'm flying into Zurich and will be taking the train on from there. The plan is Zurich - Venice - Florence - Rome - Naples.
I'm staff and I've applied for a FIP card which I have received and also for the coupons, which I believe I receive nearer the time (?).

My questions are; how do I go about using my FIP? Is travel completely free, or do I buy tickets?
And, what are the options for Zurich to Venice? I originally wanted to see the Alps, which is why I'm starting in Zurich, but I have heard the scenic route is quite long-winded.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Seat 61 is what you need

London to Italy via the Gotthard Pass through the Swiss Alps...

http://www.seat61.com/Italy.htm#Option 4: London to Venice by City Night Line sleeper train

http://www.seat61.com/BerninaExpress.htm#.U6XGCvldWSo

What is the Venice Simplon Orient Express & where does it run?

Oh and to answer your FIP questions > click here for Seat 61 explanation

And here as well > click here

Bon Voyage *Waves you off*

 

[Marklund]

I'm staff and I've applied for a FIP card which I have received and also for the coupons, which I believe I receive nearer the time (?).

Yes, the coupons will arrive a few weeks before you said the date of travel was.

My questions are; how do I go about using my FIP?

The free coupons? Pretty much the same as the UK boxes. Date them, and they're valid that day, and the next. You'll get 4 boxes per country/operator.
The FIP card gives you the reduced rate (50% except 75% for France/Belgium/NI/RoI)

Is travel completely free, or do I buy tickets?

Yes, and no. Switzerland is generally free on SBB/CFF/FFS and BLS. You can pay for reservations on services if you want to.

And, what are the options for Zurich to Venice? I originally wanted to see the Alps, which is why I'm starting in Zurich, but I have heard the scenic route is quite long-winded.

Can't help you on that one, it's not a route I'm familiar with.

Any help will be appreciated.

Have a look at the ATOC Staff Travel website, they've got some good information for European travel there.
Where can I go?

Also The Man in Seat 61 is a good website for travel from the UK to Europe.


Have a great trip.

Ahh, as HLE13 said!

 

[G136GREYHOUND]

I did it through Spain, Portugal, France this year, brilliant, worked like clockwork, European Rail staff were just like UK rail staff. got us on one train that was fully booked for example when I showed that I was a UK driver, went from " Tough mate ", to " we'll sort it for you mate "

coupons arrived 2 weeks before, didn't use a single box, just handed over FIP cards and the coupons, got them handed straight back


Due to post being removed by moderators, I will now only answer questions posed by Rail Staff

 

[30907]

Hello, I'm after a bit of advice please.

And, what are the options for Zurich to Venice? I originally wanted to see the Alps, which is why I'm starting in Zurich, but I have heard the scenic route is quite long-winded.

Options are:
the main line via the Gotthard tunnel to Milan - pretty scenic and impressive engineering all the way to Chiasso. Milan to Venice is pleasant but flat. A reasonable day's travel.
via Luzern, the Bruenig pass, Interlaken, Spiez, (use the old Loetschberg route - BLS), Brig and Domodossola. Without checking, do-able in a day, but not SO much more spectacular.
the Albula/Bernina route via Chur and Tirano, and local train to Milan.
A pretty long day but an incredibly spectacular route, SBB+RhB (which I assume is covered by a SP coupon - I haven't been "staff" for over 30 years), Trenord and FS.
And for the sake of completeness, you could get an OeBB coupon and go via the Arlberg pass, Innsbruck and the Brenner into Italy.

 

[306024]

Check which trains you are booked on in Italy. Free passes are not valid on trains marked 'Eurostar Italia', which operate most of the intercity routes. Read the ATOC website closely.

Do date your boxes, you don't want to run into any problems. Like our railway most staff are more that helpful to other staff but you don't want to get the one that isn't.

From Zurich the Gotthard route to Milan is a classic. Do it now before the base tunnel is completed.

 

[Oscar]

Options are:
the main line via the Gotthard tunnel to Milan - pretty scenic and impressive engineering all the way to Chiasso. Milan to Venice is pleasant but flat. A reasonable day's travel.
via Luzern, the Bruenig pass, Interlaken, Spiez, (use the old Loetschberg route - BLS), Brig and Domodossola. Without checking, do-able in a day, but not SO much more spectacular.
the Albula/Bernina route via Chur and Tirano, and local train to Milan.
A pretty long day but an incredibly spectacular route, SBB+RhB (which I assume is covered by a SP coupon - I haven't been "staff" for over 30 years), Trenord and FS.
And for the sake of completeness, you could get an OeBB coupon and go via the Arlberg pass, Innsbruck and the Brenner into Italy.

Another very scenic option, taking about 10 hours, about 3 hours longer than the Gotthard route:
Zürich to Landquart (along two lakes)
Landquart to Zernez, up through the mountains using the narrow gauge Rhätische Bahn
Zernez to Mals by Swiss PostAuto bus across a spectacular mountain pass reaching about 2500 m above sea level (around 1h30)
Mals to Bolzano/Bozen via Meran - the Mals to Meran line was very run down by FS in the 1980s/1990s, now it's run by a local company with new FLIRT trains, it passes through an almost 100% German-speaking part of Italy annexed from Austria after the First World War
Bolzano/Bozen to Verona on the northern plain of Italy and then along to Venezia S. Lucia

You'll still be able to travel on the old Gotthard route from December 2016 onwards, but only on stopping trains. The spirals around Wassen are spectacular.

 

[30907]

Another very scenic option, taking about 10 hours, about 3 hours longer than the Gotthard route:
Zürich to Landquart (along two lakes)
Landquart to Zernez, up through the mountains using the narrow gauge Rhätische Bahn.

If you can spare the extra hour, go via Chur and the Albula pass to Samedan and on to Zernez, rather than through the long Vereina tunnel.

 

[Fred26]

Thank you all. I shall keep you updated with what I end up doing.

 

[G136GREYHOUND]

please do, I'd be most interested as to how you get on and what you manage to do

Thanks in advance

 

[ac6000cw]

And, what are the options for Zurich to Venice? I originally wanted to see the Alps, which is why I'm starting in Zurich, but I have heard the scenic route is quite long-winded.

Just to back up what others have said - unless you really can't spare the time, go for the 'maximum mountain passes' routes. The journey will be slower, but it's proper travelling, not just getting from A to B....