Subscribing to Swiss railways

Another morning whiled away avoiding the heat, then a trip down to the huge Balexert shopping mall where the CFF (Swiss Railways) have a travel booth (for want of a better word) where you can buy tickets pick up timetables, and make enquiries of pleasant, well informed staff. 

After considering our travel plans for the next couple of weeks, an on-line enquiry confirmed that even as non residents we could buy a CFF annual rail card, and have all our Swiss travel at half price. Our first two long distance trips would cost 600Fr (approx £380) with or without a rail card. From the third trip, everything is half price, and the card is valid for the next time we return. Also for £35 with a rail card, you can go anywhere you want in Switzerland for the day, from Lac Léman to the Bodensee, through the Simplon tunnel to Domodossola, and then on a narrow gague alpine railway to Locarno, on to Lugano on the Italian border for lunch and a stroll before heading home to Geneva via Zurich. I could go on and on. This is a train fancier's paradise, whether you like the vintage stuff or the hi tech inter city expresses.

Whilst it's horrid paying out such a lot of cash in one fell swoop, it gave us both a great sense of excitement to own a rail card once more, as we did throughout our eight years as Geneva residents. To be able to travel anywhere on one of the world's greatest networks through one of the earth's most beautiful countries, at a reasonably affordable cost is a great pleasure, and feels like a privilege. All this holiday's extra travel is possible due to the kindness and generosity of St John's people towards us as we left the Parish. 

Our first outing tomorrow is to Bienne/Biel, a franco-german bi-lingual town at the east end of Lake Neuchâtel, a hub of the watchmaking industry, home to the now famous Swatch brand, which salvaged Swiss clock and watchmaking enterprise when new digital timekeeping mechanisms from the east overwhelmed the traditional market for time pieces 25 years ago. It's 85 minutes away by Inter City Express. Our friend Laura has just moved there to live, and wants us to see their new house, but she is being quite mysterious about it and says "Just wait and see."