Hi all! I open this post is not to ask questions, just to contribute as a traveler who have just came back from Switzerland.
If you are carrying large luggage (26 inches and above), it is a hassle to travel on train as there is limited space in train to put large luggage.
Prior to travel to Swiss, I found out about the express luggage door to door service on the SBB website (please google "sbb door to door luggage", I can't include the link here to post this). Frankly speaking, there is almost no user reviews nor further information on this service found from the other websites, hence I thought it is quite risky to use this service.
Even when I have asked about this service in the SBB luggage service in Geneva train station, the staff said that they cannot book for me the express same day luggage door to door service. So I have proceeded to book the service online.
I have used this express luggage twice during this journey:
- Zermatt to St. Moritz: I used this service on the day which I traveled on the Glacier Express. Unfortunately, while I leave the hotel at 0850am, my luggage is still with the hotel receptionist. While I board on the train around 0900am, the hotel reception has informed me that the luggage was still uncollected, and the hotel has sent the luggage to the Zermatt train station. So I had made 2 calls to SBB service call center; first one was to tell them my luggage was not collected, second was to confirm whether my luggage was collected or not. After the second call with SBB, I received a confirmation call from the luggage courier service agent confirming our luggage was collected.For our relief, we received our luggage by 2000pm on the same day in the hotel we stayed in St. Moritz.
- Lugano to Lucerne: I had booked this service as we were traveling on Gotthard Panaroma Express, which include a transfer to steamboat in Fluelen. Similar case happened, that our luggage was not collected when we leave the hotel around 0850am. Luckily when I called the hotel reception again around 0930am, they confirmed that our luggage had been picked up. And when we arrived our hotel in Lucerne around 1530pm, our luggage had arrived.
My comments / things to note when you book this service:
- If you wish to use this service, please book at least 2 days in advance. Bookings later than 2 days of the desired delivery date cannot be processed in the website.
- the luggage collection time is 0600 - 0900am (based on my experience, they do not actually come sharp at 0600am, the hotel receptionist shares the same comments as well)
- in view of the luggage collection time, please consider booking a hotel which has receptionist available at least from 0700am to help you to look after the luggage till someone came to collect the luggage, as not all hotel has a 24-hour reception.
- The hotels that I stayed in Zermatt and Lugano are very close to train station (within 400m walking distance). Based on what the hotel reception in Lugano told me, the hotels nearest to the train station tend to be the last stop where the luggage courier drop by to collect the luggage, I guess what he said is true seeing the fact that my luggage was collected later than the stated time frame.
- While you click “buy” on the service page, you will proceed to the page where you will need to enter the address/hotel name at the “From” and “To” column. You may find some hotels in the list, but if your hotel is not, no worries you can just select the postcode and city where your hotel is situated. You will get to enter the detailed address in the next page. I have called SBB personally to clarify on this, they said that as long as the address is reachable by car, then the luggage can be sent by this service, and I had tested that by sending my luggage to a hotel which is not in the list.
- After the payment confirmation, you will receive order confirmation email, which will tell you that you will receive notification on the exact collection/delivery time frame the day before the collection date.
- For my Zermatt order, I received only one SMS on the delivery time, which the SMS text was in German/French (?). I got help from the receptionist to translate the text for me
- For my Lugano order, I received two SMS from AKS on behalf of SBB, regarding the collection and delivery time in English
- the luggage delivery time is 1800 - 2300pm (but it can be earlier based on the delivery location)
- Please collect the transparent luggage tag and luggage tag label from the SBB luggage service office and write the delivery details on the luggage tag label. Otherwise you can edit and print at home using the template at the "download" section of the "Luggage door to door" page; print in A6 size will do.
- You should communicate with your hotel reception that you are using this service before arriving the hotel, so that they will help you to receive the luggage. This is also to make sure that the hotel can help you to look after the luggage during the early collection time. Also please communicate on what to do in case of the courier agent did not come on time to collect the luggage, I personally think that it is better if the hotel can keep the luggage with them till collection, rather than sending the luggage to the train station which is not the original collection point as stated in the order.
- Sending more luggage is more worthwhile compared to sending less luggage. Sending one luggage from Zermatt to St. Moritz costs CHF 115, but sending 4 luggage costs CHF 151, meaning you spend for another CHF 36 only to send additional 3 luggage.
- If you do not need to have the luggage delivered on the same day, you may opt for the cheaper alternative which you can received the luggage 2 days later or the door-to-station service.
- If you are very concerned with the luggage not being collected on time, I would recommend that you can arrange your itinerary so that you can stay in the hotel till the luggage is collected, but of course this may not be possible for most of us who have arranged our journey in Swiss packed with bucket list. If you can stay till the luggage is collected, in case if your luggage was not collected at the designated time frame, you can ask the hotel receptionist to help to call SBB
- Otherwise if you need to call yourself, please make sure that you have subscribed a roaming pass to make roaming calls, it takes at least 10 minutes to reach a SBB service agent by phone.
Hope this review will help anyone who is looking to use this service.
