The popular ski resort area of Crans-Montana has particularly easy access by train from Geneve, thanks to the connecting funicular railway, which is adjacent to Sierre station.
These trains on IR route 90 commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station; it takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off towards Sierre
Final Destination: Brig
2 x trains per hour
Booking Tickets:
Tickets can be booked online up to 60 days ahead for both a journey to Sierre/Siders and and end-to-end journey to Montana encompassing both the train and the funicular.
‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any journey on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.
'Supersaver tickets' are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific.
If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.
Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s)of the Saver Day Passes there's a possibility they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.
Using Saver Day Passes:
A Saver Day Pass could save you money, particularly if you will be making a day return trip between Geneve and Montana.
They can be used on;
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, so if you will be travelling back on another date, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey.
However, they need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
They're also (much) cheaper the further ahead that you book.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
SBB | * |
In Sierre the base station of the funicular which leads up to the centre of Montana is a 3 - 5 min walk from the railway station.
The trains on the funicular railway depart every 30 mins, with one service per hour being non-stop to Montana in 12 minutes, while the other makes multiple intermediate stops, so has a journey time of 20 mins.
A plus of the fact that seat reservations aren't available on these trains between Geneve and Sierre is that when boarding, you can choose your seat(s).
Those facing forwards on the right (when facing the direction of travel) have the best views.
The highlight of the journey is between Lausanne and Villeneuve (to the south of Montreux), when the train travels on or near the shores of Lake Geneva.
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