Direct trains to Brig leave often at :25 after the hour from Milan - but there are some gaps of a fe

site shows a train direct from Milan to Brig. Described as an International Train. It's an EC (Eurocity) train. If I had a Swiss Pass could I use it for this journey? I would have a spare day on Swiss Pass. Seems unlikely but thought I would ask. I think I saw somewhere on this forum that someone validated their Swiss Pass in Milan and caught a train to Brig and beyond. This fascinated rental cars maui me at the time because I didn't understand rental cars maui why this would be possible.
site shows a train Milan to Brig. What are SMART fares? If I select ADULT/STANDARD I get a price. If I select SMART I get "ND". Also it seems it is not possible to get ticketless. Must be self-service machine or Home Delivery. And I must register. If I had a Swiss Pass could I select Global Pass on Trenitalia site for this journey?
No, I don't think you can use your Swiss pass in Italy. The person that said they did just might not have gotten caught. Tickets are not checked when boarding. They are checked after the train is enroute. You can start using your Swiss pass after you enter Switzerland. rental cars maui If this isn't accurate, I'm sure someone else will respond, but AFAIK, Swiss passes are only good on Swiss railways.
Trenitalia doesn't list how far out you can buy Smart Fares, but I recall there being a max of about 2 months and must purchase at least 2 weeks in advance (if still available). Here's the page on Smart Fares for Italy/Switzerland on Trenitalia.
Forgot to add, you do want the EC train as there are no changes and they run about every two hours. Smart Fares are 2nd class only which is fine on the EC trains. It's not as nice as 2nd on the Trentalia rental cars maui AV trains rental cars maui as the EC trains are older, but essentially the layout is the same (with tables at most seats). You will have to select the self service option on Trenitalia for ticket delivery. You can use one of the ticket kiosks in the Milan station to retrieve your ticket.
Thanks so much for info. Travel date is 2nd June Milan to Brig. Smart Fare sounds good value and as you say simply may not be available to book that far ahead and even then there would be limited tickets. What is interesting to me is that it appears to be second class only. I have some disability and on that day will need to handle rental cars maui luggage myself whilst on the train so 2nd class may not be for me. I think I may stand more chance of managing luggage on the train in 1st class(will be 57x38x23cm).
I don't know why you think there would be a difference managing luggage because of class. This train will be in the station for awhile rental cars maui before boarding and the only problem with luggage really is getting it up the steps. When you are getting off in Brig, you should already be by the door with your luggage to get off as the train will not stop long on the way to it's main destination (Zurich?). The last time I rode this EC train (2nd class), I put my luggage by my seat.
If your destination is Spiez, not Brig, then just book the Smart Fare to Spiez as the price will be the same (19 ). I think the EC train from Milan that stops in Spiez is the Milan/Basel train. Just know that the train is only scheduled for a 1 minute stop.
First may be less crowded than Second but the size of the exits are the same and people will line up in BOTH classes to get off the train. rental cars maui Simply be prepared for your exit and given that it Brig you'll have PLENTY of time.
I don't believe his exit is Brig. It was later stated as Spiez and thought the pass would need to be validated at Brig. If it's Brig, I think the train stops for 3 minutes. If it's Spiez, no need to stop and validate the pass until the OP gets off the train as the OP will have a valid ticket from Milan.
With pass if coming from outside Switzerland on a train that continues say to Spiez the passholder need not get off the train in Brig to activate the pass as a caveat in this case is that the conductor will then activate the pass on the train so the passholder need not get off a train that goes thru Brig.
Unless they can get a really cheap discounted fare they may want to just buy a ticket to Brig from Milan and then use the pass to Spiez from Brig and then say if it is a nice day and they get to Spiez early in afternoon they could use the pass to take a lake boat trip on Lake Thun - oh what a sweet relaxing rental cars maui thing to do on a nice day - just do a round trip boat float - so those factors could say whether they should start using pass from Brig or not.
It is very likely that you will find fellow English speaking passengers on the same train with you, in the same car. Ask someone younger than yourself if he or she would mind helping you off the train in Spiez. Even if they aren't getting off in Spiez themselves, most people will readily say yes.
You should let the proceed before you with your luggage and they should stand at the door and help you down. to the platform. The train conductor stands rental cars maui on the platform where he or she can see the entire train (often there is more than one conductor). The train does not shut its door and move until all passengers appear to have moved away from the doors.
ah yeh in practice it is but the real frontier point is Iselle, a few k's north of Domodossola - but since most trains don't stop at Iselle rental cars maui Domodossola is in effect the last Italian station and from there on a Swiss Pass should indeed pass.
thanks rental cars maui for the correcto Ingo - that makes sense since when I took the Swiss postal bus up and over the Simplon Pass, on top of the Simplon Tunnel the pass was valid on the bus the whole way to the Domodossola rental cars maui train station.
and yes trenitalia.com lists 20 euros as the regular fare Milan to Domodossola - just show up and buy it - no locking yourself into long ahead of time to hard-to-change train, etc - then from Domodossola use your Swiss Pass to go onto to Spiez - saving 5 euros because OP I believe says are buying 22 days pass and will only be in Switzerland rental cars maui 22 days - if train keeps going onto Spiez simply stay on the train and have the conductor activate the pass for you on the train, since you are coming from outside Switzerland rental cars maui you can do this.
I check several random dates and failed to find any 25 euro fares to Spiez from Milano - I believe bourbon did but it seems they may be far and few between rental cars maui and also possible that I am not doing it right?
I check several rental cars maui random dates and failed to find any 25 euro fares to Spiez from Milano - I believe rental cars maui bourbon did but it seems they may be far and few between and also possible that I am not doing it right?
Have just gotten back to listening rental cars maui in to the discussion between kybourbon and palenq. Listening and learning. Thanks for your fruitful discussions. Was not aware that I could board Swiss train with unvalidated consecutive rental cars maui Swiss Pass and have it validated by conductor. Been too busy to look for minis the last few days. The perils of 92 year old mother! Thanks again
the 19 euro fares come with perils of having to be on that train or lose your ticket - yet you can just show up at Milan and buy a regular 20 euro fare to Domodossola from where your Swiss Pass, activated on the train kicks in and again you may well want to use the pass later in the day for a relaxing boat ride on Lake Thun or for free entry to Spiez castle (Probably part of the 400+ museums/sights the pass gives you free entry to) - and this scenario involves no pre-planning at all - just show up in Milan. No brainer to me - given that you have a 22-day pass and will be in Suisse only 22 days.
another reason OP may want to take the 20 euro regular fare to Domodossola and onto Brig, using Swiss Pass from Domodossola is that there are two routes Brig to Spiez - the new line that is practically all in tunnels - but there is still the old classic Lotschberg Tunnel route that goes up and over the mountains and a line that I consider to be one of the most dramatically scenic lines in Europe - from Brig the train climbs several miles along a ledge overlooking the Rhone Valley far below - almost like being in an airplane. And then it goes thru the old Lotschberg Tunnel to emerge with scintillating views of the bucolic Kandersteg Valley before heading to Spiez.
So using the Swiss Pass allows the OP to take a dramatically scenic rail line - taking yes about an hour longer - over the direct route of the 19 euro discounted fare where you see tunnels - and nothing else until the train emerges almost in Spiez.
FYI - If you arrive Milan and just book the next train to Domodossola, you might have to make an extra train change as not all trains to Domodossola continue on to Brig/Spiez. There are many more trains (slow R trains) to Domodossola that don't go on to Brig or Speiz and I don't think you want an extra change.
FYI - There was a warning listed for this portion of the line for construction so some trains between these towns will be canceled (more likely the R/IC trains) or have delays. Perhaps it will be completed by the time you travel.
Direct trains to Brig leave often at :25 after the hour from Milan - but there are some gaps of a few hours so plan accordingly - between 9am and 7pm I counted on a week day seven direct rental cars maui trains to Brig.
Now about validating a Swiss Pass on a train that terminates at Brig - even though your pass will pass from Domodossola rental cars maui IME with that short of time before Brig either you will not see a conductor or he/she will not have time to activate the pass and may not even have the proper rental cars maui stamp, etc and will tell you to do it yourself when you get off the train and this in Brig should be no problem at all - a few minutes at most IME of lingering around rental cars maui the Brig station many times.
Only the EC trains and there seems to be a big gap in these in the afternoon. Any other type of train seem to require 1-2 connections to reach Brig. I don't think the OP wants extra changes as there are some mobility issues.
Lots of time - even if notoriously late Italian trains are a bit late - the train for Zermatt will be out front of the station itself - no seat reservations required except on th