Travel Help Needed

[Lee_Again]

Hi,

Next week I need to travel by train from Geneva airport to Neuchâtel.

Can anybody give me advice on the following;

What is the likely cost (and do Advance Tickets exist - 1st & Std)?
What type of train is it likely to be?
How long will it take?
Is it a scenic route?
Gauge?

or anything else that I might find useful.

Thank you in advance,

Lee

 

[Zamracene749]

From the SBB official website, 45 CHF 2nd class or 75 CHF 1st class single.

1 hour 15 mins on an ICN tilting train.

HTH

 

[newmilton]

Almost all Swiss tickets are walk-up tickets, valid on the day of purchase. It is very rare that there are any advance purchase promotions, and few services require (or offer) reservations. Unlike France and Italy they do not need to be validated before boarding but will be checked on the train.

The station at the airport in Geneva is effectively the terminus for all trains in and out of that end of Switzerland, so you should be able to pick up a direct train, which will then pass through the main city centre station (Genève-Cornavin) en route. Try to sit on the right-hand side of the train for views over Lac Léman.

Your ticket will also permit you to break your journey should you wish to stop off on the way, so long as you complete your journey the same day.

 

[33056]

When you decide which train(s) you wish to travel on, look up the relevant train number on this list and click the link. Will tell you the exact formation of the train including the type of loco booked to haul it, for train times, see the SBB journey planner .

 

[Gordon]

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If you have time and prefer older trains, avoid the ICN tilting train direct from Genève to Neuchatel and take the RE loco hauled train from Genève to Lausanne and change to a Lausanne - Neuchatel service. The RE Genève - Lausanne services look like this:
http://swissrailways.fotopic.net/p58724983.html

and are an example of the traditional face of CFF (the majority of Swiss trains had these coaches when I was young...) but are likely to be replaced soon by modern plastic units.

If you are interested in trolleybuses, Lausanne is a rare example of a large trolleybus network with even rarer trolleybus and trailer formations

If you are going both ways go one way via Lausanne and one way direct (The Neuchatel - Genève tilting trains avoid Lausanne on a direct north - to west chord)

Part of my family has lived near Geneva since 1949 so I visit frequently and have lots of pictures of the area on my web site:

http://swissrailways.fotopic.net/c1707423.html

http://swissrailways.fotopic.net/c1759685.html

http://swissrailways.fotopic.net/c1852577.html






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[Lee_Again]

Thank you, all, for your prompt and very useful replies.

Best regards,

Lee

 

[Gordon]

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Forgot to say that PDFs of the complete Swiss timetable are available at this web site:
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/en/welcome/

put a placename or a timetable number in the grey bar and bingo.

Genève - Lausanne is table 150 (and shows the ICNs including their arrival time at Neuchatel) for Genève - Lausanne - Neuchatel use tables 150 and 210.

The direct ICNs Genève - Neuchatel leave Genève Cornavin at xx.14. The regional loco hauleds leave Genève Cornavin xx.21 and are the only trains which do not serve Genève Aeroport.

The big benefit of the Swiss timetable is that they still go to the effort of marking through train itineraries within the train columns.


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