Zurich to Liechtenstein

[paddington]

Prompted by a recent thread on here, I want to take the train through Liechtenstein.

I will be in Zurich later this month, so I thought I might do a day trip.

Since my German is pretty lousy I wanted to check that I'm getting the correct tickets. The SBB website is a bit confusing and I want to be able to take any train. Also I wish to buy all my tickets on the day from ticket machines, even if it costs more.

I also need unlimited travel within several ZVV zones on that day (not sure how many yet).

Would the ZVV-OSTWIND All Zones day pass for CHF 55.60 be valid?
http://www.zpass.ch/zpass/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets/ostwind-zvv/day-pass.tab-tab.html It looks like I would still need to buy another ticket for Nendeln-Feldkirch though. Can I get that at Buchs SG (paying in CHF)?

Does the day pass let me use trains labelled IC / RE / REX as well as the Zurich and St Gallen S-Bahns?

 

[in_luzern]

As far as I can see from the ZVV zone plan (http://www.zpass.ch/dam/zpass/Zonenpläne/2016/1661_ZPass_A3_Gesamtplan_16_ohne.pdf), the ZVV-Ostwind overlap would only cover you as far as Ziegelbrücke (or Mühlehorn if you used a stopping train), so you would need a separate ticket from there to your destination in Liechtenstein.

There is a whole section of the Ostwind zone system that is outside of the ZVV area - see also http://www.ostwind.ch/zonenplan.

You can buy all your tickets from the machines in Zürich HB, they let you enter any station as a start point, and also let you switch the user interface language to English. And yes, you can use day passes and other zone-based tickets on any train, including IC.

 

[Groningen]

Pfäffikon ZH is the last station in the ZVV area; 6 zones 110, 150, 151, 152, 153 and 181.

http://www.zvv.ch/zvv-assets/abos-und-tickets/zonen/tarifzonen_d_e_16.pdf

 

[Gordon]

Prompted by a recent thread on here, I want to take the train through Liechtenstein.

Would the ZVV-OSTWIND All Zones day pass for CHF 55.60 be valid?
http://www.zpass.ch/zpass/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets/ostwind-zvv/day-pass.tab-tab.html It looks like I would still need to buy another ticket for Nendeln-Feldkirch though.

I think you have misunderstood the system. However I dislike the unclear nature of the websites and the way the ticket prices are laid out.

ZVV is the Zurich tariff region and Ostwind is north East Switzerland.

(all prices below in CHF)

As far as I can work out (its complex even with my good grasp of German), the all zones pass for 55.60 is 'Z-Pass' only, ie it is only for the ZVV area, but the Z-Pass variant does at least reach outside the main ZVV area into some Ostwind 900 series zones, as far as Mühlehorn in zone 990.
Ostwind then has a Day Pass for 61.20 which overlaps into ZVV territory, but not to any main stations on the fast route from Zürich to Sargans.

Therefore, in practical terms the stations at the limit of each ticket are too local and using them would slow you down too much IMO. Therefore, the best solution appears to be to break the journey at Ziegelbrücke.

So,
to get to Nendeln on 'all zones' day passes, you would need a ZVV 55.60 ticket as above but also an Ostwind day pass for 61. That makes over 100 The return normal ticket Zürich - Feldkirch is 88.

The other thing I will say is that (a purely personal opinion, other will probably totally disagree) I actually find the line through Liechtenstein somewhat unremarkable.


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[Capybara]

The other thing I will say is that (a purely personal opinion, other will probably totally disagree) I actually find the line through Liechtenstein somewhat unremarkable.

I'd agree with that. Unless you are specifically looking out for it you'll probably miss it. Unless, as I did once, you catch one of the infrequent stoppers. And it breaks down, as mine did.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Well, you can get an international ticket from Zurich through to Feldkirch for CHF44.00. This is valid on IC and RJ trains, as well as the 2-hourly local trains from Buchs SG to Feldkirch but can only be obtained from ticket offices or via print-at-home on the SBB website. There are advanced fares from Zurich to Buchs SG for c. CHF31.50. Unlike the UK, advanced fares can sometimes be bought on the day; they are always tied to a particular train however. They can be bought via the SBB website but (like the UK this time!) cannot be bought via machines.

If you do go to Liechtenstein, I would suggest getting the local bus from Schans to Vaduz (actually, you can walk it in c.45mins) and then to Sargans. Vaduz is different enough to feel different from both CH and AT...

 

[steple]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum!

I'm living in Switzerland, so I might be able to help a little.

I would suggest to have a look at the newly introduced Saver Day Pass, which you have to buy online in advance for a fixed date. It covers all routes in the GA area, i.e. very much all of Switzerland. In contrast to the standard day pass, it is available without the Half-Fare card. As of now, you should be able to find prices as low as 52.00 CHF from 15 October on, before that it's either 70, 88 or 106 CHF (max.), depending on the day of purchase/travel.

Local buses to and within Liechtenstein (i.e. Buchs SG to Schaan or Sargans to Vaduz) is also included, even as far as Feldkirch in Austria. However, for international trains beyond Buchs SG you will have to buy an additional ticket from the ÖBB machine at Buchs station for 4.40 €.

Link to Saver Day Pass page: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass/saver-day-pass.html

Validity Map (pdf):https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/abos-billette/abonnemente/ga/karte-geltungsbereich-ga-halbtax-stand-dezember2016_d_barrierefrei.pdf

Terms and Conditions:

Saver Day Passes
•are subject to certain conditions;
•can be purchased for 1st and 2nd class, depending on availability;
•are available with or without a Half-Fare travelcard;
•are only available when booking in advance: from 30 days in advance up to the day before travel. They cannot be purchased on the day of travel;
•are available in different price bands with different advance booking periods and availabilities: the earlier you buy, the cheaper you travel;
•are available online;
•are valid on the selected day up until 5 a.m. the following day on routes in the GA travelcard area.

Special terms and conditions.
•Half-Fare travelcard customers with a 2nd class Saver Day Pass can buy 1-day class upgrades or class upgrades from 9 a.m. to travel in 1st class, as well as discounted route-specific class upgrades. Customers without a Half-Fare travelcard will have to pay the full price for a route-specific class upgrade.
•Half-Fare travelcard customers can buy tickets at a reduced price for journeys with numerous mountain railways and connecting trains. Customers without a Half-Fare travelcard will have to pay the full price for extension tickets.
•The Saver Day Pass can be used together with the Junior travelcard, Children's Co-travelcard and Grandchild travelcard.
•Saver Day Passes cannot be refunded or exchanged. A refund is only possible in the following exceptional cases for a reduced administration fee of CHF 10 at a staffed sales point:
•multiple identical Saver Day Passes purchased;
•ticket purchased for the wrong customer group;
•inability to travel (illness, accident). Only with a medical certificate;
•e-tickets with obviously incorrect personal details;
•tickets with the wrong date: a refund is only possible before the Saver Day Pass travel date. The purchase of a new ticket must be able to be proven;
•refund after subsequent purchase of personal travelcards;
•in the event of death (refund without an administration fee).

 

[Gordon]

I would suggest to have a look at the newly introduced Saver Day Pass, which you have to buy online in advance for a fixed date. It covers all routes in the GA area, i.e. very much all of Switzerland. In contrast to the standard day pass, it is available without the Half-Fare card. As of now, you should be able to find prices as low as 52.00 CHF from 15 October on, before that it's either 70, 88 or 106 CHF (max.), depending on the day of purchase/travel.

I thought you'd just made my day, but then I tried to book one for next week, it quoted CHF49 but then when I went to 'buy' it had jumped to 70, so for the two days next week, it is now more expensive than the normal 9 o'clock travelpass, so as a Half Fare card holder I've been given a poorer service than someone who has not invested in one!


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[LNW-GW Joint]

https://tickets.oebb.at/en/ticket/timetable will sell you Zürich-Feldkirch and vv as low as €14 each way.
Including on the Transalpin trains (EC163/4), with €29 in the 1st class panorama car.
However, you would be tied to particular trains.
Liechtenstein Bus runs from Feldkirch station.
All I remember from the transit across Liechtenstein is a sports stadium just after crossing the Rhine bridge.
The best Liechtenstein scenery viewed from the train is across the Rhine from CH between Sargans and Buchs.

 

[paddington]

Thanks for everyone's input.

I did read about the Saver Day Pass and will investigate it later.

I would want to take the Zurich S25 to Ziegelbruecke, then the St Gallen S4 to Buchs, then the local stopping train to Feldkirch in one direction and a non-stop train (EC/IC) in the other direction. Then I would take the bus into Vaduz to have a look around. So not sure whether an "advance" ticket would be suitable.

Yes, I think in_luzern in post #2 is right, as I remember using that "overlap" zone map when I did a day trip from Zurich to Schaffhausen, Singen and the Hohentwiel, so it would be a lot more expensive than I thought if I wanted to do it that way.

Looking at the timetables, it would actually be quite tight to fit this into my other plans in Zurich, and it looks like the Liechtenstein stopping train is much easier to catch when approaching from Innsbruck and Feldkirch. Plus at this time of the year it gets dark at 1800 and there is no point if I can't see outside. So I think I will plan a trip to western Austria and do it at some other time. I can finish bashing the rest of the Zurich S-bahn instead

 

[Groningen]

Problem for Liechtenstein that from a certain point trains do not stop in Liechtenstein. Buchs is on walking distance (2500 meters) to Liechtenstein and the is a busconnection with Feldkirch.

Bus: http://www.liemobil.li/