Trains, buses and boats of Switzerland

A train on the GoldenPass Panoramic line. The Swiss Travel Pass covers popular panorama trains such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Panoramic and Wilhelm Tell Express.

By C P RavindranThe best and quickest way to know a country is to travel in its public transport system. The moment you step into a train or a bus in a new place, it immediately gives you a rough idea of the traits of people using them and the way they are run tells you a lot about the living conditions there.  A trip in public transport thus becomes a journey of discovery, so to speak.In Switzerland, the first impression that comes to you when you use its public transport system is that, here is a place where things go like clockwork. That is no wonder as the Swiss are the best watchmakers in the world!  They are aware of it and are, of course, proud of it too. The mountainous country has a dense public transport network, extending over 27,000 kilometres, linking cities, villages, resorts and lakes. For travellers from abroad, the Swiss Travel System offers a chance to discover the diverse delights of the scenic country by road, rail and waterway. And with a single all-in-one ticket – the Swiss Travel Pass. Whether visitors stay in the country for just a few days or for longer periods, a special ticket is available to meet all their travel requirements. The Swiss Travel Pass covers popular panorama trains such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Panoramic and Wilhelm Tell Express – spectacular trips which offer a great travel experience. The country has just launched a new attraction - the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland which links the most attractive rail routes across Switzerland and highlighting selected excursion options. The tour can be enjoyed all-year-round and passengers may start their journey of discovery from any point; there is no pre-determined direction or duration. This trip too can be availed of, using the all-in-one Swiss Travel Pass. The Swiss Travel System is a Zurich-based marketing company, co-founded in 2011 by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Switzerland Tourism and five private railway companies. The Swiss Travel System’s objectives include the worldwide marketing of public transport in the country and the range of special tickets created exclusively for travellers from outside. The Swiss Travel Pass is its flagship product.“Over many years the development of Switzerland as a dream destination for tourists and travellers has been inseparably linked with that of the country’s remarkable public transport system,” explains a Swiss Travel System official.“The railway revolution of more than 150 years ago, the construction of mountain cableways, the launching of lake steamers and the pioneering of Postbus routes – all have contributed to the enduring appeal of Switzerland and one of the finest public transport systems in the world,” the official told Gulf Times in an interview. “The Vitznau-Rigi Railway – inaugurated in 1871 with Swiss travel pioneer Niklaus Riggenbach himself driving the festive train – was the first mountain railway of any kind in Europe. It cost an unprecedented 1.25mn Swiss francs (around QR4.70mn) but has endured to this day as one of the excursion highlights of any visit to Switzerland. The Jungfraujoch, which celebrated its centenary in 2012, is still the highest-altitude railway station in Europe.” International travellers to Switzerland have always been enchanted by the country’s captivating lakes. June 1823 saw the launching of the first Swiss steamship on Lake Geneva. That was followed in 1837 by the launching of the “Stadt Luzern” (City of Lucerne) vessel on Lake Lucerne. Switzerland comprises some 550 kilometres of river routes and a total of 12 shipping lakes. Popular favourites include the lakes of Lucerne, Thun, Brienz and Geneva as well as Lake Constance. And most shipping rivers and lakes are integrated into the Swiss Travel System.To add to the pleasure of travelling in the country, the Swiss have created a novel system for baggage transportation, called “Fly Rail Baggage”. Under the system, visitors to Switzerland can hand in baggage at any departure airport worldwide – and have it delivered directly to their Swiss destination railway station. This service, operated by Swiss Federal Railways, is available to passengers flying to Zurich, Geneva or Bern Airport. On landing, baggage is automatically forwarded to the destination station without passengers having to wait in the baggage reclaim area at the airport. Depending on flight arrival time, passengers can then pick up their baggage the same day (or at the latest the following morning) from one of the 81 designated railway stations. Fly Rail Baggage is valid on all airlines worldwide and can be booked at most global points-of-sale of the Swiss Travel System and Swiss International Air Lines, including Doha. The price is 22 Swiss francs (around QR80) per luggage.  The service is available for departing passengers too.On their day of leaving (or the day before), passengers could hand in their luggage at anyone of the 57 designated railway stations in Switzerland. At the same time they will also receive their boarding card and requested seat number for the flight. Participating airlines include Swiss, Lufthansa and other selected scheduled carriers – as well as many charter carriers – flying from Bern, Geneva or Zurich. If check-in is not possible at a railway station, Swiss Federal Railways offers an alternative “Airport Baggage” service. Passengers hand in their baggage at their nearest station – and it will be delivered to their departure airport in Zurich or Geneva for pre-flight collection before they check-in in the normal way. The price per item of baggage is again comes around QR80. Sales outlets for Swiss Travel System in Qatar include Regency Holidays, Mannai Holidays, Darwish Travel and Unique Choice.