Taking luggage on the trains
If you can carry your bags in one go, then you can take along your luggage yourself. You can put your luggage in the designated space over the seats, between the backrests, or at the end of the coach. Keep an eye on your luggage at all times. Theft is not common but does occur, mostly at larger crowded stations.
If you have more luggage than you can carry, or if you want to travel more comfortably, then a luggage transport service might be useful.
Storing luggage at the station: lockers
All larger Swiss rail stations have lockers. You can access them nearly 24 hours a day. There are 2 types:
- The new grey lockers, which can be rented for a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 96 hours. Payment can be done by credit card, payment apps such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, and Swiss coins.
- The old blue lockers, which can be rented for a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 72 hours. Payment must be made with Swiss coins.
Locker sizes and prices range from:
- S (about 35 cm wide, 45 cm high and 55 cm deep) at CHF 5 for the first 6 hours, to
- XXL (about 52 cm wide, 94 cm high and 85 cm deep) at CHF 12 for the first 6 hours.
Storing luggage at the station: at the SBB Travel Centre
Larger Swiss rail stations offer luggage storage at the SBB Travel Centre. This is suitable if your luggage doesn't fit in lockers, and/or if you want to store it for a period longer than 96 hours.
You can access your luggage during the opening hours of the concerning counters. This is typically between 7-8 am and 6-7 pm.
Costs are CHF 12 per item per day. Each item can weigh no more than 25 kg. Long-term serviced luggage storage is possible too. For example: 1-month storage costs CHF 120 per item.
Bike transportation
You can take along your bike in most trains. Exceptions:
- In some trains it's not possible.
- Some trains require a reservation. This goes for specific IC (InterCity) trains if you're traveling between March 21 and October 21 for example.
If there are such limitations, the timetable will show them for your route with these symbols:
- A bike between the brackets ( ) indicates that limited bike storage is available.
- A bike crossed by a dash means you can't take along your bike at all;
- A bike in a rectangular indicates you need to make reservations.
As for pricing:
- You need to buy a bike point-to-point ticket or a bike day pass.
- Some types of bikes can be transported for free as hand luggage. Examples are packed folding bikes and bikes for children under 6 years old.