Railtour Suisse offers individual travel arrangements with accommodation at recommended hotels (see Packages). We strongly recommend that individual travelers take advantage of this service. Bookings can be made at any Railtour Suisse sales point.Railtour suisse sa
P. O. Box
CH – 3052 Zollikofen bei Bern
Tel. +41 31 378 00 04
erlebniszuege@railtour.ch
www.erlebniszuege.ch
www.venice-stmoritz.com
Bookings can also be made at the ticket counters of most of the SBB and private railway stations.
St. Moritz - Zernez: Rhaetian Railway RhB
Zernez - Malles: PostBus
Malles - Merano: Vinschg Railway
Merano - Venice: Italian National Railway
Some useful information for travelers who prefer to handle their own travel arrangements:
You can buy tickets for the travel sectors from Switzerland to Malles (Italy) and Merano to Venezia-Santa Lucia at any railway ticket counter in Switzerland.
Day passes for the Vinschg Railway (for the sector Malles-Merano) can be purchased at Zernez railway station or from the PostBus driver. Single fares can also be purchased at the sales points of the South Tyrol's Travel Network at Malles and Merano railway stations. Day passes or prepaid cards for the train journey from Malles to Merano can also be bought directly on the Vinschg Railway train. On weekdays, the Vinschg Railway and Trenitalia alternate to assure a half-hourly service from Merano. On Saturdays and Sundays, Trenitalia runs an hourly service from Merano to Bolzano. Buying a prepaid card will entitle you to travel on South Tyrol's bus and train services at reduced prices. For longer stays in South Tyrol, the Mobilcard is a valid alternative.
In contrast to Switzerland's user-friendly public transportation, visitors to Italy will find that using the train service and buying tickets has become more difficult. For this reason, we recommend you opt for the Railtour Suisse package arrangement that includes all tickets and train reservations for the Tour. It is sold at any railway station counter in Switzerland or online at www.erlebniszuege.ch. With the exception of the South Tyrol Transportation Network SAD that sells day and zone passes valid on the full SAD network, you will not be able to buy tickets for travel on different railway and bus lines in Italy.
When taking Trenitalia trains, you should be aware of the following: Regional trains: “Treni Regionali” is used to designate both local services stopping at every station of a line, and regional trains that only stop at its main stations - thus you must read the timetable carefully. Tickets can be purchased at SBB counters in Switzerland or at railway stations in Italy and are valid for two months. Tickets bought in Italy must be stamped at the yellow machines by the platforms before you board the train, and expire after a few hours. Remember to check the validity before planning a longer stop. To avoid the lengthy ticket counter queues at larger railway stations such as Verona or Venice, you can use the automatic ticket machines that take both currency and credit cards.
Long-distance trains: There are 6 categories of long-distance trains: Eurocity, Eurostar, EurostarCity, IntercityPlus, Intercity and Cisalpino. Apart from the Intercity, seat reservations are necessary and best made well in advance. Tip: even if you don't have a reservation, you are likely to find a seat in the Cisalpino dining car between Venice and Verona (you will of course be expected to order something). Reserved seats are not necessarily marked as such, and you may find yourself standing in an Intercity despite your reservation. If you have a credit card, you can register your personal data on www.trenitalia.it and purchase tickets and reservations via the online portal, printing them out yourself.
Sector Malles-Meran-Bolzano on the Vinschg Railway SAD: SAD day passes that are valid through to Bolzano can be purchased from the Swiss PostBus driver. At Malles railway station, you will find a ticket machine that takes only Euro notes. The local tourist office operates a counter at the railway station that sells day and zone passes - however as they also run a bicycle rental service, your transfer time may be too short to allow you to buy your passes there. Day and zone passes must be stamped at the green machines in the train (or bus). If the machine doesn't work, don't worry - just inform the conductor when you see him.
