Frequently Asked Questions

1. General Information

Who operates the websites: hotels.myswitzerland.com, hotels.stc.ch, sbb.ch/travel (the online travel portal of SBB Swiss Railway), swiss-hotels.com and many others?

Those sites are all operated by STC Switzerland Travel Centre AG, a subsidiary of SBB and Schweiz Tourismus. STC is a member of Garantiefonds der Schweizerischen Reisebranche. The sites stc.co.uk is operated by Switzerland Travel Centre in London STC London is ABTA and ATOL bonded. Please have a look about this on http://www.stc.co.uk

.......................................................................................................................................................... Is booking through www.sbb.ch/travel secure? Yes. Your personal data and payment information are encrypted during booking (using proven technology) and cannot be read by any unauthorised persons. .......................................................................................................................................................... Why don’t I see any Security-icon in the browser? The secure lock indicator shows that you are viewing a secure website. In some occasions this indicator may not be shown. This doesn't mean that you are using an insecure connection. This behaviour can occur if you are viewing the secure web page inside a frame. To determine the security of a Web page within a frame: Internet Explorer:

• Right-click inside the frame
• Click "Properties" on the shortcut menu
• Check the Web page security beside "Connection"

Firefox:

• Right-click inside the frame
• Click "current frame" on the shortcut menu
• Select "Current frame" and "Frame in a new window"
• Select "Security"

.......................................................................................................................................................... Where can I find out more about the www.sbb.ch/travel booking conditions? Please read the STC General Travel and Contract Conditions. You must agree to the terms and conditions of the individual suppliers. (STC, HRS, e-domizil, SBB, Europcar, ebookers, Kuoni, railtour) before the finalising any bookings.

.......................................................................................................................................................... Can I visit an SBB office in the case of any questions and problems? No, www.sbb.ch/travel is purely an online travel agency. For questions regarding timetables, group travel and lost property, please contact the rail service desk of SBB on the following number: 0900 300 300 (CHF 1.19/Minute)

Our agents are always happy to help with any questions you might have regarding your booking and can be reached on: Calls within Switzerland: 043 210 55 00 Calls from outside Switzerland: +41 43 210 55 00

..........................................................................................................................................................

2. Offer search

Why are offers displayed in the search results and then suddenly not available during booking?</< />

Availability of the offers may change at any moment. The desired offer may sell out in the time between the search and actual booking. This applies to flights as well as for hotels and car rentals.

..........................................................................................................................................................

I saw a good deal on your website, but a higher price was shown during booking. Why is this? The “from” prices displayed in our advertisements are the cheapest possible prices are currently or were previously available for a particular offer, depending on the time of travel. We constantly update our advertisements. Nevertheless, it is possible that a particular offer may cease to be available at the given price immediately after the update. .......................................................................................................................................................... Why are some hotels shown twice? The hotel descriptions on sbb.ch/travel are provided by different suppliers, and spellings in their databases may differ slightly. If one supplier specifies “hotel” before the name, whilst another only gives the hotel name, that is enough for an establishment to be recognised as two separate hotels. Of course, each supplier also has its own prices. We aim to show you the widest possible range so that you can select the price that best suits you. ......................................................................................................................................................... Why are some hotel descriptions in English even if another language has been selected? Certain suppliers have head offices based in English speaking countries and some hotel texts are therefore only available in English. However, since we aim to offer you as much choice as possible, we still include these establishments in our listings.Discussions are in progress with individual partners to request hotel descriptions in the relevant language in the long term. .......................................................................................................................................................... Why do I have to enter my date of birth for certain offers? In certain cases, we require the traveller’s date of birth in order to determine the correct price. For train travel, the date of birth on your ticket is compared to the entry in your identification papers (passport, identity card etc.). Entering the wrong date of birth will invalidate your train ticket. .......................................................................................................................................................... How can I book a trip for more than six people? Bookings for up to a maximum of 6 people travelling together can be made through our online travel office. If you wish to make a booking for more than 6 people, you can split the travellers into several groups, each with a maximum of 6. However, we cannot guarantee the availability of the offers during the booking of the further groups. Cancellation may not be possible, or may incur cancellation fees. You could also call or email us with information on your place of departure and destination, the number of passengers, hotel standards and any other special requirements. We would be pleased to receive your request and will respond as fast as possible. Calls within Switzerland: 043 210 55 00 Calls from outside Switzerland: +41 43 210 55 00

..........................................................................................................................................................

3. Payment

How can I pay at www.sbb.ch/travel? In most cases you will pay your holiday/stay directly to the supplier concerned (STC, HRS, e-domizil, ebookers, Kuoni, railtour, SBB, Europcar).

..........................................................................................................................................................

Is payment by credit card safe on www.sbb.ch/travel? Yes, www.sbb.ch/travel uses a powerful and secure SSL technology (Secure Sockets Layer) for the transmission of your personal data, which protects the transaction from any unauthorised access. SSL encrypts credit card numbers, names, telephone numbers, etc. prior to their transmission over the internet, and is supported by all current browsers. After transmission, the data is stored on a secure server and is not accessible to any unauthorised persons. Why in some instances you will not see a ‚security lock symbol’ in the browser is explained in point 1 under ‚security’.

..........................................................................................................................................................

4. Booking

Will I be informed that the booking was successful?  Completion of the booking will be displayed on the monitor in the form of a booking confirmation. This confirmation will simultaneously be sent to the specified email address. Should you not receive an email within 1 hour, please contact the individual supplier directly. (STC, HRS, e-domizil, SBB, Europcar, ebookers, Kuoni, railtour).

..........................................................................................................................................................

I have not received a booking confirmation by email. What should I do? The completion of a booking will definitely be confirmed by email. If you did not receive a confirmation email, check your email account’s spam filter. Your internet provider or your personal spam filter software may have mistaken the booking confirmation as “unwanted advertising” and filed it in a separate folder. Please contact the individual suppliers. (STC, HRS, e-domizil, SBB, Europcar, ebookers, Kuoni, railtour) directly if you still cannot find the booking confirmation. .......................................................................................................................................................... Why did the price change during the booking process? We have direct access to the systems of our suppliers, and in rare cases the price can change while you are booking, even though a lower or higher price was displayed a moment before. In such cases, we cannot guarantee you the lowest price. .......................................................................................................................................................... Can I transfer my air or train tickets to another person? Train and air tickets cannot be transferred to another person. Tickets must first be cancelled and then booked anew under the name of the other person. This will incur a fee. Please read the STC General Travel and Contract Conditions. Here you will find information regarding the online-ticketing of SBB. .......................................................................................................................................................... I wish to change or cancel my booking. What should I do? In many cases you can cancel your hotel bookings.The cancellation deadlines are shown on the closing page of the booking process. .......................................................................................................................................................... Are there any fees to cancel or change a booking? Amendments to a holiday or cancellation are only possible as per the terms and conditions of the individual suppliers and can carry amendment or cancellation fees. ..........................................................................................................................................................

5. Travel Documents

How will I receive my travel documents? You will typically receive all documents in electronic form. You can easily download the travel documents as PDF files (‘Adobe Reader’ software is required) by clicking on the appropriate links in the email booking confirmation. These can then be printed. Please display these printouts when you make use of the respective services. Should your booking contain services for which the travel documents cannot be delivered electronically, the individual suppliers will send all documents per post. Please note the respective delivery times and fees. .......................................................................................................................................................... How will I be informed if my travel documents are to be delivered electronically? Before completion of the booking, you will see if all travel documents can be delivered electronically (via email) or not. If electronic delivery is not possible, we will send all your travel documents per post. .......................................................................................................................................................... What do I need in order to view and print travel documents? “Adobe Reader” must be installed in your computer in order to view and print electronic travel documents. You can download Adobe Reader free of charge here. .......................................................................................................................................................... The electronic travel documents were not displayed after clicking on the link in the confirmation email. What should I do? Adobe Reader is required to display and print the electronic travel documents. Please verify that Adobe Reader is installed in your computer (under Windows: Start - Control Panel - Add or Remove Programs). You can download Adobe Reader free of charge here. .......................................................................................................................................................... Are there any extra costs for delivery by post? Yes, fees will arise if delivery takes place by post (because electronic delivery was not possible). The delivery fee and the exact delivery dates will be displayed before completion of the booking. .......................................................................................................................................................... What should I know about online tickets for train trips? Please note that online tickets for train travel are only valid if printed on A4 Paper, in 100% print size and in black. Smudged or incomplete printouts are usually not recognized. You must have identification (passport, identification card) with you when during the ticket check on the train. .......................................................................................................................................................... My flight was booked as an e-ticket. What is an e-ticket? Electronic tickets or e-tickets are offered by more and more airline companies. Verification of your flight booking is saved directly on the airline company’s computer system. You will receive a booking confirmation and a booking number instead of paper tickets. Take this with you when you check in. .......................................................................................................................................................... What should I do when checking in with an e-ticket? Have the following documents with you when checking in with an e-ticket:

• Personal official identification (Passport, identification card)
• Printed e-ticket confirmation (with a printed e-ticket number)
• If necessary, the credit card used to book the e-ticket (if you want to check in with the self-service e-ticket machine)* 
• Frequent flier card, if available

* If you did not pay your e-ticket using you own credit card, please go to the airline’s check in counter and identify yourself with your personal identification (passport, identity card)

..........................................................................................................................................................

6. During the trip

When can I check in for my booked flight? Please inquire about the exact check in times for your flight at your departing airport. This varies depending on the airport and/or the airline. Remember to account for extra time in case of any incidents. .......................................................................................................................................................... Do I have to confirm my return flight booked through www.sbb.ch/travel? Charter flights: If you booked a chartered flight, then you usually need to confirm your return flight at the local office 48 hours prior to departure. We are not liable for any consequences of late arrival at the airport. Scheduled flights: Some airlines require confirmation at least 72 hours prior to departure. Please contact the airline well in advance. Please get information from the airline company about the current rules concerning confirmation. .......................................................................................................................................................... What is maximum permissible weight for my travel luggage? Maximum weight may vary depending on the airline or the flight distance. You can find the maximum permissible weight on the ticket or contact the airline directly. The following rules usually apply for European trips: Business class: Maximum permissible weight of 30 kg per passenger. Economy class: Maximum permissible weight of 20 kg per passenger. Prices are subject to surcharges. Especially with Low Cost Carriers  where charges can be applied for luggage. .......................................................................................................................................................... What is maximum permissible weight for my travel luggage at rail?

• The luggage to be transported must not weigh more than 25 kilograms per item or be larger than 100 × 60 × 30 cm (suitcases, bags, rucksacks, etc.).
• Skis must be packed in pairs.

.......................................................................................................................................................... Can I show the email confirmation instead of the electronic travel documents? No. You must download and print the travel documents by clicking on the appropriate links in the email confirmation. The email confirmation is not a valid travel document.