Leaving Your Trip in BRIG

This page offers help (concrete or informational) on leaving your trip. Topics include...

1. Where you leave your trip (see immediately below)
2. What are the closest airports?
3. Our “Access Packages,” designed to help you travel onwards from your trip.
4. Suggestions on how to time your ongoing travel, whether you are having us arrange it, or doing it yourself.
5. Service information regarding train travel from your trip end location.
6. Suggested post-trip visits, especially when these are not geographically obvious, but are rendered economical and convenient by direct rail connections.
7. Hopefully helpful hints for those setting up their own travel from the trip.

If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.


1. WHERE and WHEN Do You Leave Your Trip?

Your trip disbands on Saturday at around 1p, in Brig, where we drop the bikes at the railway station after a morning ride.

If you wish to arrange your own ongoing travel (in other words, you do not want to set up any ongoing travel arrangements through us), a couple of hints regarding ongoing travel are offered at the bottom of this page. Otherwise, see our Access Packages, below.


2. What are the CLOSEST AIRPORTS?

The closest airport is Milan’s Malpensa. It is thus the cheapest to reach. If you spend the night with us in Domodossola, Italy (see our Access Package), there is a Sunday morning shuttle bus straight to the airport (see “Service Information,” below, for details).

Geneva’s and Zurich’s airports are almost as close in terms of travel time, and are just as convenient, since trains run straight into the airport terminals. However, tickets to reach them cost more.

Otherwise, the other Milan airports, Linate, Bergamo and Verona / Brescia (served by interior European flights, and the latter two by Ryanair) all work, via a bus or train connection in central Milan. Allow two hours by train to downtown Milan, plus the local bus or train to reach the airport.


3. Our ACCESS PACKAGES
as of January 1, 2008

If you are catching an intercontinental flight, you will not be able to do so on the Saturday on which the trip ends, as it does so too late in the day. You thus need to spend the night somewhere, for a Sunday flight. You could do this in Brig, but it is fun to go across the border into Italy for a night, and if you book a flight from Milan, it is on the way.

Plus, Domodossola is an interesting town, lively and animated on a Saturday night, and home to a lovely eliptical town piazza that is one of our favorite urban spaces anywhere....

Our “Access Package” thus includes train tickets to Domodossola (on the Italian side of Swiss / Italian border), a hotel night there, and breakfast (if you have time for it). An airport shuttle bus operates direct from Domodossola to Malpensa Airport, costing circa 15€. Trains to downtown Milan (for transport to other Milan airports) cost about the same.

Other options are available at extra cost. Our London “Access Package” includes a train from Brig to London.

Base (Starting) Access Package Price: 109€ (July), 119€ (August).
If you are a North American traveller, the $ price (US or Canadian) on your price chart applies until 35 days prior to trip departure. Otherwise euro prices are transcribed to your invoice in its currency, converted at the exchange rate of the day on which the package is requested (rounded to the nearest whole dollar). Current “mid-market” rates can be consulted from the site we use for conversion. We use the mid-market rate on the day of conversion, and add 2% to cover currency broker exchange commissions (our conversion rates are thus as good as, or better than, any you could obtain, including via your credit card, unless you are a professional currency trader).

Availability is normally guaranteed until 35 days prior to trip start (payment received by us). Within 35 days, availability must be confirmed, and costs may be slightly higher. Some extra-cost options also have higher prices if ordered w/in 35 days.

Included:

• Train tickets from Brig to Domodossola, Italy.
• A hotel night in Domodossola, based on shared occupancy (rate guaranteed to singles willing to share). Typically, at least some of your past weeks’ travelling companions will also be staying over.
• Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant in Domodossola (a 3-course meal with three choices at each course).
• Breakfast, if you have time / get up for it.
• The services of a Blue Marble Coordinator, who can help you reserve the airport limo, if appropriate.

Options Offered at an Extra Cost (subject to availability)
Prices are in addition to the “Base” Access Package Price. For a general discussion of train upgrades, see here. Topics include the relative comfort of first versus second class, and different types of accommodation available on overnight trains.

• Other ongoing trains from Domodossola. Sample prices follow. Seat reservations are included where required (France, Italy other than some trains to Milan). Otherwise, they are available for an additional 10€, but are not required.
• • Downtown Milan (for Linate airport): 16€ 2nd cl, 23€ in 1st class.
  • Nice: 49€ 2nd class (39€ discount rate, not refundable or changeable). 79€ 1st class, 59€ 1st class discount rate (not refundable or changeable.
  • Zurich (city or airport): 59€ 2nd class. 89€ 1st class. 69€ 1st class discount rate.
  • Geneva (city or airport): 48€ 2nd class. 79€ 1st class. 59€ 1st class discount rate
  • Paris. 79€ 2nd class, not refundable / exchangeable. Add 30€ for exchangeable tickets. 149€ 1st class, 109€ 1st cl. discount rate (not refundable, exchangeable). Prices include TGV seat reservations between Lausanne or Geneva and Paris.
  • Venice or Florence: 55€ 2nd class, 85€ 1st class, 69€ 1st class discount rate.
  • Rome: 65€ 2nd cl., 95€ 1st cl., 75€ 1st cl. discount rate.
• First class train tickets from Brig to Domodossola (in lieu of 2nd class): 5€. But this is a short trip, and everyone else will be in 2nd... why not just slum it?
• Single room in Domodossola hotel: +24€.
  

Alternate Arrangements, in lieu of our usual packages (subject to availability)
Prices are complete (in other words, they are not in addition to the "Base" Access Package Price)

• Saturday afternoon tickets to London. 155€ if you are also purchasing tickets from London at the start of your trip, 195€ if not, or if you prefer a changeable ticket (in 1st cl., add 199€ or 239€; 1st class tickets include meal service between Paris and London). A Paris stop-over is available at no extra charge.
• Other trains from Brig on Saturday: please refer to the prices from Domodossola, above. Tickets to all points in Italy, and to Nice, cost an additional 5€. Tickets to all points in Switzerland, to Paris, or to London, cost 5€ less.
• Saturday overnight train to Austria, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Rome... 99€ to Rome, 139€ to all other points, including a couchette. Sleeping car upgrades available. Special upgrade prices of 55€ to “Comfort Couchette,” 59€ to private double sleeper cabin, or 99€ to a private single cabin, are generally available.
• Saturday hotels in Brig or Geneva are available: see our chapter on hotels.

4. TIMING Your Trip

If we may influence your thinking on the topic of timing... Most people take us up on our “Access Package” offer, which takes you over the border to Italy for a night. A final evening in an oh-so-different setting, just the other side of the mountain. This is especially fun in July, when many other Blue Marbles typically join you.


5. Service Information
Schedules are approximate – exact timetables can be consulted at http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm.
Best trains (or buses, in the case of Malpensa) are mentioned. Others are slower or have multiple connections. These are times from Domodossola (the place where the “Access Package” spends the night). For times from Brig, subtract 1 hour going north or west, add 1 hour going south.

• To Milan Malpensa airport. Travel time 1’20”, direct Sunday morning buses at 6a, 9:30a, 1p... Schedules at http://www.vcoinbus.it/unico/home.html.
  Frequent trains (with equivalent travel times) are also available, via a taxi or shuttle bus connection in Gallarate. Rail service starts at 5a.
  Saturday afternoon service from Brig takes 1'45", and trains run every hour.
• To downtown Milan. Travel time is 2 hours from domodossola, a half hour more from Brig, service is hourly.
• To Geneva or Zurich, downtown or airport. Travel time 3.5 hours from Domodossola, service is every 2 hours. Travel time is an hour shorter from Brig, and service is every 30 minutes to Geneva, hourly to Zurich.
• To Paris. 1:30p, 3:30p, 4:30p or 5:30p from Brig on Saturday, a 6-hour trip. Sunday from Domodossola: trains at 6a, 10a or 4p, 7-hour trip. Other times are available with an additional connection or a slower schedule.
• To Nice. Travel time 7 hours: departures from Domodossola at 5a, 9a or 1p.
• To Venice, Florence or Rome. Travel time is 5 hours to Venice or Florence, 7 to Rome. Trains run every 2 hours via a connection in Milan. Reservation required.
  Direct “Cisalpino” service to Venice at 10a, arrive 2:30p, no connection in Milan.
• To London. Last Saturday afternoon train from Brig is at 1:30p, with two connections, arrive London at 10:30p. Best Sunday service from Domodossola departs at 10a, arrives 7:30p.

6. Suggested POST-TRIP VISITS

We suggest our Glacier Experience, a trip on the famous “Glacier Express” narrow gauge train, which follows the spine of the Alps over the Furka pass. Available from Brig on Saturday, but rushes your morning ride, or from Domodossola on Sunday, which lets you spend a night in Italy. A package price of 179€ / person double occupancy, or 199€ single includes

• Train back to Brig from Domodossola, if necessary.
• A ride in the “Glacier Express” all-1st class panoramic car to Disentis, an Alpine resort at the headwaters of the Rhine.
• A hotel night in Disentis.
• Breakfast the next morning if you have time / get up for it.
• An ongoing train to Zurich or Zurich airport (3 hours, service from 5:45a). Ongoing travel from Disentis is available to other points at additional cost (travel to London or Paris is at the same cost as travel from Brig to London).

7. Hints on TRAVELLING INDEPENDENTLY After the Trip
Guests subscribing to an “Access Package” need not read this section.

See also “Timing Your Trip” and “Service Information,” above, as either of these may additionally help.

We gladly provide travel consulting (schedule or routing information) concerning post-trip individual travel. In particular, we have invested a great deal to become railway experts. Our service fees are reasonable: a 20€ charge for all but the most complex projects – or the most simple (for instance, only a 10€ charge applies if the service is limited to the preparation of a routine rail ticket). You will generally find them well-justified by the time they will save you in research, standing on line, overpaying for your tickets, or all three.

But, for some, this type of research is fun. So, here are some hints, intended to start off hardened “do-it-yourselfers.”

Trains. Schedules for all routes can be consulted on this web site:
http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/fares_schedules/index.htm

Brig is a massive railway junction. You can go anywhere.



If you wish to arrange some or all of your travel through us, please tell us what by means of this response questionnaire, designed to collect all the information we need to be able to book your travel.