FIP

Alek

Hello everyone!

Im planning on travelling from Milano Centrale to Spiez (Interlaken) by EuroCity train. I have 50% FIP discount card and the person im travelling with has FIP coupons for SBB and FS. Cannot really wrap my head around the border-crossing related stuff. My current understanding is that I can purchase a ticket from the SBB website with a 50% discount and seat reservation included and im fine for the ride.

Is the so called „supplement” a seat reservation which is included or another unrelated thing i have to pay before or during the ride? If so, how can i do it?

And more importantly, how does it work for the person in travelling with? If im not mistaken, SBB FIP coupons are valid after crossing Swiss border, so what about the early part of the ride, still in Italy? Is using FS coupons or buying Trenord ticket until the border necessary? Do FS and SBB cooperate on every ITALY/SWISS EC train?

How to pay a supplement in case you are using FIP coupons, can you pay it to the person that checks tickets?

Secondly, if id want to go from Lucern via Lugano to Milano Centrale, Lugano - Milano part is done with RE 80, which seems to be italian carrier that belongs/cooperates with SBB. Does it accept FIP coupons? Or are they accepted before crossing the Swiss border point and another italian ticket is necessary (not related to SBB)?

I’ve read so much about it and it is as confusing as it gets…I assume the answer is simple and i made a whole mess microanalysing every scenario, but if someone could shed a light id be so so grateful 🙂 Sooner the better!

Danhiel

Hello Alek

FIP is an internal discount and, in my opinion, should not be discussed in a public community with other customers paying the full price.

Kind regards
Danhiel

RolandP

Hello Alek

Provided you have FIP reduction valid for FS/SBB:

Either purchase a through-ticket Milan-Spiez with FIP from Trenitalia. This is valid for the travel form Milan to Spiez. It includes a seat reservation.

Or, you split the tickets: Milan-Domodossola / Domodossola -Spiez. When doing so, for the Swiss part, you can purchase a ½ fare ticket Domodossola - Interlaken. It does not include a seat reservation, as regular and international trains do not need a seat reservation in Switzerland. You simply continue on the EC to Spiez.

No matter if the companies do cooperate (and yes, they do), the tickets are independent from their cooperation and have to be valid on the respective network and carrier.

The RE80 is operated by Trenord on the Italian network (not FS), thus your FIP would need to be valid for Trenord, too. And even there: you need a ticket for the Swiss part that is accepted by SBB, and you need a ticket for the Italian part, accepted by Trenord. Whether this is one single direct ticket or two tickets is secondary, depending on the offer available.

Sometimes it is easier to book a regular (or saver) ticket rather than using FIP.

For example, to Austria, I never use FIP. A supersaver ticket is less costly and I even do not have to bother with FIP, discounts, acceptance, and so on.

Kind regards,
Roland