2 minute connections at Spiez. Feasible?

[peteb]

I'm planning to travel via the Golden Pass route Montreux-Spiez en-route to Zurich Flughafen.

It'll be just after Switzerland implements the new Entry/Exit System at ZRH, so I'll need to be at the airport in plenty of time to have photo done and fingerprints taken.

The journey I'm planning involves a 2 minute connection at Spiez (shown on planners) from the Golden Pass Express onto a Germany-bound ICE.

I know Swiss trains are usually on time, but they also tend to leave on the dot, so is the 2 minute cross platform change actually possible? Has anyone done this at Spiez?

In the past I've always allowed 5 mins connections minimum.

A later departure from Spiez will jeopardise my EES process at ZRH!

 

[185143]

I wouldn't even consider risking that given a flight is involved!

 

[zero]

But you would presumably be departing Schengen at ZRH so what EES process are you referring to?

 

[rvdborgt]

This connection exists every hour and is designed to work.

 

[The exile]

It'll be just after Switzerland implements the new Entry/Exit System at ZRH, so I'll need to be at the airport in plenty of time to have photo done and fingerprints taken.

Surely EES is done on entry, not exit? That apart, I would never risk an airport arrival depending on a 2 minute connection.
Incidentally, has Switzerland announced exact dates when particular airports will introduce EES? AFAIK the introduction is a flexible process starting in October but taking several months depending on capacity /readiness .

 

[mad_rich]

Like all connections: if it’s offered, it’s doable. The engine won’t offer it if it isn’t.

That said, it’s not a guarantee.

The ICE might wait a minute or two for later connections, but even so I would never aim for a train that gives me no backup options before a flight. What’s your plan B?

 

[peteb]

Like all connections: if it’s offered, it’s doable. The engine won’t offer it if it isn’t.

That said, it’s not a guarantee.

The ICE might wait a minute or two for later connections, but even so I would never aim for a train that gives me no backup options before a flight. What’s your plan B?

Oh I have a backup plan, it's just the EES process is an unknown quantity in terms of time it'll take to be finger printed and photographed, so missing the train at Spiez means more tight timescale at ZRH.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==

Surely EES is done on entry, not exit? That apart, I would never risk an airport arrival depending on a 2 minute connection.
Incidentally, has Switzerland announced exact dates when particular airports will introduce EES? AFAIK the introduction is a flexible process starting in October but taking several months depending on capacity /readiness .

From what I've read on the Swiss site:

Page not available – Home | CERN

home.cern

I interpret it as follows: ZRH will implement entry and exit controls from 12/10/2025. The exit control appears to be designed to prevent overstays in Schengen. Thus anyone already in Schengen and leaving Schengen on or after 12/10/2025 will be required to register. The system is designed to record those leaving, without the need for an exit stamp in their passport.

 

[30907]

The service from Spiez is half-hourly so even if the connection fails it's not a big issue.

 

[The exile]

Oh I have a backup plan, it's just the EES process is an unknown quantity in terms of time it'll take to be finger printed and photographed, so missing the train at Spiez means more tight timescale at ZRH.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==


From what I've read on the Swiss site:

Page not available – Home | CERN

home.cern

I interpret it as follows: ZRH will implement entry and exit controls from 12/10/2025. The exit control appears to be designed to prevent overstays in Schengen. Thus anyone already in Schengen and leaving Schengen on or after 12/10/2025 will be required to register. The system is designed to record those leaving, without the need for an exit stamp in their passport.

I suspect that those leaving having arrived via somewhere that has not yet implemented the scheme will just be exit-stamped as now (the text in the link suggests that passport stamping will continue till April 2026).Departure areas won’t be set up to fingerprint etc as that bit will normally be done on arrival.

 

[dutchflyer]

As for this EES-from what I got from what in my country, NL was posted about it:
EXIT also means-thats why the photo+fingers are- that the same person as entered is the one who exits. Reason should be straightforward for anyone to comprehend. Borrowing passports to close friends etc-is not an unknown thing.
BUT as I visit since some 30+ years Thailand regularly they have a very same system there also since last year:and it did not lead to any longer processing time on exit-you just walk by and system approves. Over there they even also use it for boarding/passes for the plane-privacy and all that is not taken that Euro severe.
Entry does indeed slightly longer-fingerprints were not done before-but that over there just means one has to wait 4 mins shorter for luggage to arrive on belt.
What is missing in above is planned arrival time and departure time. One does not need 2+ hrs or longer as the flight itself in general.

 

[peteb]

I suspect that those leaving having arrived via somewhere that has not yet implemented the scheme will just be exit-stamped as now (the text in the link suggests that passport stamping will continue till April 2026).Departure areas won’t be set up to fingerprint etc as that bit will normally be done on arrival.

That sounds logical, maybe there'll be passport gates at departure for those already registered when they entered Schengen, and good old manned passport control with date-stamp for the rest of us!

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Oh I have a backup plan, it's just the EES process is an unknown quantity in terms of time it'll take to be finger printed and photographed, so missing the train at Spiez means more tight timescale at ZRH.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==


From what I've read on the Swiss site:

Page not available – Home | CERN

home.cern

I interpret it as follows: ZRH will implement entry and exit controls from 12/10/2025. The exit control appears to be designed to prevent overstays in Schengen. Thus anyone already in Schengen and leaving Schengen on or after 12/10/2025 will be required to register. The system is designed to record those leaving, without the need for an exit stamp in their passport.

Are you leaving the UK and entering Schengen before 12/10 then - if so your passport will just be stamped as now on leaving. If you are are leaving the UK after 12/10 then the finger printing will be done at Heathrow or wherever you are flying from.

I'm not sure I would rely on a DB ICE - it may be curtailed in Switzerland although SBB may provide a substitute.

 

[Mike99]

What do we think will be the system in place by March/April 2026, leaving via Harwich on the ferry returning a few weeks later via Eurostar from Paris to London?

 

[peteb]

Are you leaving the UK and entering Schengen before 12/10 then - if so your passport will just be stamped as now on leaving. If you are are leaving the UK after 12/10 then the finger printing will be done at Heathrow or wherever you are flying from.

I'm not sure I would rely on a DB ICE - it may be curtailed in Switzerland although SBB may provide a substitute.

The plan is to leave before 12/10, returning after!

I know the DB ICEs are somewhat unreliable, my son just got stuck at Cologne tonight for a couple of hours when the coupling broke on the Frankfurt to Amsterdam ICE !

 

[mathstrains19]

Are you leaving the UK and entering Schengen before 12/10 then - if so your passport will just be stamped as now on leaving. If you are are leaving the UK after 12/10 then the finger printing will be done at Heathrow or wherever you are flying from.

I'm not sure I would rely on a DB ICE - it may be curtailed in Switzerland although SBB may provide a substitute.

Fingerprinting will not happen at Heathrow - it will happen at locations with Schengen border control, which in almost all cases is on Schengen soil. The only exceptions to this are where juxtaposed controls exist - at St Pancras, Dover and Folkestone - where the fingerprinting takes place on British soil (but still at the same location as Schengen border control, just in cases it's not necessarily in exactly the same part of the building/complex)

 

[Gordon]

The journey I'm planning involves a 2 minute connection at Spiez (shown on planners) from the Golden Pass Express onto a Germany-bound ICE.

This is indeed an advertised connection so it should be made. It is unlikely that the Interlaken - Bern train will run late as it will only just have departed from its starting point. The normal min connecting time at Spiez is 4 minutes, but the 10.21 arrival to 10.23 departures are cross platform hence the 2 minutes derogation.

 

[peteb]

This is indeed an advertised connection so it should be made. It is unlikely that the Interlaken - Bern train will run late as it will only just have departed from its starting point. The normal min connecting time at Spiez is 4 minutes, but the 10.21 arrival to 10.23 departures are cross platform hence the 2 minutes derogation.

Thanks for this. I'll try to do this connection but as has been pointed out up-thread there's a fall back plan........!

 

[AdamWW]

I don't think they offer connections in Switzerland if they aren't intended to be made.

But you have to be aware of the tight ones and not hang about!

I nearly a cross-platform one in Spietz because I stopped to take a photo and hadn't realised how little time I had.

 

[nwales58]

The plan is to leave before 12/10, returning after!

Düsseldorf pier A outbound have the biometric capturing machines switched on and useable by the general public if anyone wishes.

I didn’t look to see whether biometrics were captured to the production LISA system already or this is still some national test.

I assume capturing the entry/exit to EES can’t happen until 12/10 onwards.