Going through a tunnel might _look_ boring for a video but the concept itself of blasting through the base of a mountain at 200 kph is absolutely blowing my mind.

Small detail I'm sure you'll love: In german speaking countries, the musical notes are named slightly differently compared to english. The note 'B' in english is known as 'H' in german, and the name 'B' is used for a B-flat instead. Also, an E-flat is known as 'Es'. The abreviations for the company, as you mentioned, are SBB (german), CFF (french) and FFS (italian). So the chimes you hear at the stations before announcements reflect this, by being "E-flat, B-flat, B-flat" (Es-B-B) in the german speaking parts of the country, "C-F-F" in the french speaking part, and "F, F, E-flat" (F-F-Es) in the italian part. In the trains, the chime will change accordingly when the train crosses into a different language region.

It should be remembered that the Swiss locals use public transport far more than any other nation, and for regular travel, they use pre-paid time tickets, which are infinitely cheaper than individual tickets. There is a unique product in Switzerland called the General Abonement, which is a subscription ticket for all public transport in the country. Of course, there are a few exceptions, such as the Jungfrajoch Bahn or some shipping lines. But these exceptions are all so tourist-oriented that they can hardly be considered public transport. The cost of an annual GA is around half of the monthly median wage.

11:04 It does provide level boarding on 76 cm platforms, Switzerland just uses 55 cm. There are however two sets of doors per side which are level with 55 cm and thus provide full accessibility. The 76 cm design was a lot easier to pull off and lead to a more convenient interior layout with less ramps. I actually really appreciate that choice, because it means that this train is fully interoperable even in terms of accessibility, providing level boarding pretty much everywhere. Certainly a lot better than ÖBB‘s second generation Railjet or DB’s ICE L.

As a swiss guy, i can confirm, the new trains are amazing

For sure there is level-boarding on the Giruno. each of both cars next to the restaurant (1x first and 1x second class) have one level-boarding door for swiss/italian/austrian 55cm plattforms and one for german 76cm. So both classes are accesible for wheelchairs without any step.

It ought to be mentioned that both "train" and "Zug" predate the iron horse, and both terms come from the meaning "to pull". Which makes sense. Lake Lucerne has an absolutely epic name in German: Vierwaldstättersee, which translates to "lake of the four forested settlements". But "Lucerne" is a bit shorter.

For trains driving through the Gotthard tunnel, the number of passengers is limited to the number of seats. This is for safety reasons in case of an evacuation inside the tunnel. Therefore this is probably one of the very few instances I would strongly suggest making a seat reservation. In fact, it did happen a few times that people (with a valid ticket but without reserved seat) were forced to deboard the train because the capacity had been exceeded.

Nice to hear that Stadler made a great first attempt at building their first high-speed train for SBB, and I would love to see how their future 350 km/h trainsets will be like with their distinctive low-floor design and Jacobs bogies. Stadler also has wacky names for its family of trains but, surprisingly, the word you said for the Swiss local train in question is actually the name for Stadler's high-speed trains: SMILE! 😃 My personal favourite is the double-decker K-I-S-S trainsets. 😘

Working as a train conductor on this line, I wish to thank you for this excellent video.

3:20 Regarding operations in Germany: It‘s planned to run the EC(E) service Frankfurt Milano with Girunos from the next timetable change in December 2023!

I don't even care about trains and I'm swiss, so I'm familiar with a lot of this, but something about this content is really fascinating to me, haha.

3:26 It’s unlikely that SBB will operate Girunos to Munich since they need tilting trains to be able to stick to the tight schedule (3h 30min Zurich to Munich). Currently Astoros are used on this route.

3:53 Since there are only 26 cantons, the three remaining trains sets are named after rail tunnels / mountain passes: San Gottardo, Monte Ceneri and Sempione

it's so funny, someone explains one something we are so used to. very refreshing.

While the Gotthard Base Tunnel is an engineering marvel, but I prefer the scenery of the old Gotthard mountain line. I actually took the TILO regional train from Milan to Bellinzona before change for SOB Treno Gottardo service to Zurich just to enjoy the scenery of the Gotthard pass.

I love stadler trains best design trains around

The passenger trains Giruno SMILE (Schneller Mehrsystemfähiger Innovativer Leichter Expresszug), SBB, RABe 501 Stadler Rail run mainly on the north-south axis and form the backbone of traffic between Switzerland and Italy via the 15 km Ceneri Base Tunnel and the 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel. Thank you very much for this superb video, greetings from Lorient, Frédéric

I think some of the wagons on this train do have level boarding since SBB is legally required to provid level boarding with the "Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz". At least at stations with the platform hight of Zürich HB there should be some level boarding for wheelchair users.

Most important thing to note on the price is that most people will not use first class…. It’s way more expensive and you just get a little bigger seats. And for commuter trains it’s easier to find a free seat ig…. But most (even some with high salaries) will just use 2nd class. (And since in most trains there are lots of 4-configurations with seats facing each other legroom usually isn’t a big issue)

Top video! Swiss trains are so great to travel with! Beautiful, comfortabel, and best of all. They are clean!!!!! I love swiss trains! And the landscapes are so beautiful! It's an absolute pleasure travelling in swiss (also postauto is top😊).

Love the wood work on the seats, also Switzerland is a lovely place to travel through by the look out of the windows. Great video

Great video, thanks. We used the Giruno units while on holiday in Switzerland in Sept 2022. Together with the Base tunnel, they’re a real game changer for travel between the north and south of Switzerland. We loved them - far less cramped than the Pendolinos. If one is holidaying in Switzerland and wish to do some sightseeing by public transport🎉, it is well worth buying a Swiss Pass to reduce travel costs. You can use it on all train services (except some mountain routes), buses (including post buses), trams and even most lake steamer services. In the past Swiss train tickets were expensive compared to UK prices but, to be honest, there’s not much of a difference now for turn up and ride prices. Plus Switzerland has far less discriminatory pricing and you’ll often pay the same to travel in the City rush hour as off-peak.

Lovely train in Switzerland and stunning views as well. Wonderful stuff.

I don't know why I'm watching this. I live in Switzerland and travel this route regularly. Well made video!

I really love these Giruno trains. The Traverso (bronze trains that you passed) are also great. Thanks for this nice video

My first trip under the Gotthard Massif was traveling north from Milan to Luzern, with a stop in Lugano for lunch and Bellizona, by motorcoach in '77 with my HS group from America. We toured the Italian, Swiss, Austrian and German Alps including Liechtenstein, and because of heavy snow our motorcoach was put on a train and went thru the older, much shorter Gotthard tunnel. Out of that tunnel we stopped in the lovely village of Wassen, known for a small church with a beautiful altar, a town bypassed by the new 'super tunnel' most alpine trains now use. I have also traveled thru the Gotthard Massif by road tunnel, in '84, which I found impressive, as I was on my way to Venice on another motorcoach. Like you, a rail fan, I Eurailed solo thru Europe in '87, '89 and '91 covering a lot of western Europe. In '95, I had to work in Bologna, asked to implement a new business system for its Holiday Inn. Just married, I flew in from the US but my blushing bride, applying for a US green card, could not come with me. But my next client in San Diego allowed her to fly out to be with me, since I had to fly there the day after I returned from Bologna, and since my client was 'connected', they literally gave her "keys to the city'. While I worked hard for my client, she had a great vacation, lol. My last trip to Europe was in '17 on a tour, but I broke from the tour to take a train from Luzern, via Interlaken, to Lauterbrunnen, a highly recommended, bucket list type of ride for anyone who loves trains. In the late 80's, a Eurail pass (1st class) cost less than $500 and all trains, and most Swiss busses and other local busses, were included for a two week travel window. Tour vs' Eurail pass? I found back then, Eurailing was cheaper, but as I was much older in '17, a tour was better suited for my tastes. Most of all, there are people like you, with a great speaking voice, who share your train experiences and give such great tips on routes, or just let us tour with you, a great guide. As a tourism systems teacher, all I can say is thank you soooo much for the time you spend and go with God our friend--you are a cultural and technological ambassador for those of us folks interested or who have done 'hops across the pond'.

The Giruno is the most comfortable train I've ever been on. It does not shake. The Wifi is perfect. Toilets are roomy. The entire train is broken up into smaller compartments you never feel how crowded the train can be. It's basically a FLIRT on steroids. But it's not so much a technological advance - since 1994, we have the Re 460 locomotive that pulls the 1980ies Einheitswagen IV through the same tunnels at 200 kph.

As someone who has been riding such SBB trains daily for 1.5 decades, I can say things have gotten a lot shittier. Until recently the fast (called IC) trains had superb seats and lighting. It was truly a relaxing pleasure to ride the old double-deckers. The seats were soft yet not too soft, so you could do anything from chill-out to work perfectly well. The lights were dim enough that you could take a nap and they were a nice warm color, so overall it really felt cozy and amazing, especially at night. The new Bombardier train-wrecks arrived two years ago or so, and it all changed. Seats were rock hard, so better bring your hemorrhoid cream even if you bought a first-class ticket. The lighting is now a horrendous bright white radiation that will drill into your skull and trigger migraines within minutes. It boggles my mind that anyone thought "yeah lets de it like this" and no one in the whole chain of command went like "uhm wait a minute". To make matters worse, they started "renovating" the old nice trains and putting in that horrid interior of the new ones. So they are spending endless money to make it shittier. Oh and lets not even talk about the increase in delays and wobble-motion of the new trains. Don't get me wrong, apart from Japan Swiss trains are still the most reliable, cleanest and most well-connected, but thats just because most railway systems overall are a catastrophe. It used ti be much better...

£90 is fantastic value if you remember that London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly costs £72 for an off-peak single in standard class. The comparable first class ticket is £180!!! And we don't have a 50% discount card nor Swiss wages either. Heck, the first class Swiss GA doesn't cost much more than what many London commuters pay for an annual season ticket that only lets you go on that one route.

I always look forward to riding the Giruno on the Gotthard route, and I prefer it to the Astoro on the Lötschberg route. However, I feel like the Flirt in its latest edition (the SOB Gottardo and the BLS Mika) come pretty close at a much lower price, and they even surpass it in some aspects (nicer panoramic windows), so it's not surprising that the Smile does not sell like hot buns, unlike the Flirt: I wonder if it will sell at all other than with the SBB. Stadler might have to up the ante with an upgraded version of it. Its concept of a low floor high speed train is actually pretty good and has few rivals so far, but I agree that there's room for improvement.

I love the Giruno train!

That train looks beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed your time in Lugano. I lived there for a few years, and my heart never left.

I like where i live but damn Switzerland gives me transit envy. And mountain envy

Given that the half-price card is only 185 (soon 190) Swiss Franks it is almost a necessity when living in Switzerland. I'd even recommend it for people who live abroad if they come to Switzerland often. Or if you have vacation plans that include a lot of rail travel

Great video !!

Have taken a Giruno from Lugano to Zurich HB, love the train love the trip love the views!

This is Switzerland❤

Cool ending shot with High Speed trains from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany right next to each other!

Lovely looking train! I had a feeling this was going to be a good one. I love how in Switzerland, everything just....works (usually). SBB's livery and interiors are so classy. Definitely my favourite country for trains (with the Netherlands coming in close behind). Albie, have you been on an Astoro yet? I'd love to see a video of those!

“Giruno” is used for the SBB version- Stadler themselves named it “SMILE” - Schneller Mehrsystemfähiger Innovativer Leichter Expresszug ! 4:59 Fun fact ; the clocks at the stations show a minute in 59 seconds with a one second stop at the end of the minute, this is the second for departure… 14:00 3 minutes behind schedule is considered as “late” in Switzerland while in other countries this is still considered as “on time”… 14:15 Please don’t blame SBB for Bombardier’s faults…

Nice video! Thank you❤

It looks a great line to go on especially the 35 mile long tunnel which is something to behold.

Your Quality of Videos has really improved a lot, very nice!

The literal meaning of breaking ground of a mountain to get through it 👍

It’s always funny to see you in places I’ve been. Lugano’s lovely. One night I did Lugano -> Zurich on a non-high-speed train. The same route, but an excellent dining car.

Greetings from Canada thanks for sharing this video I really enjoyed it

I rode the Giruno Zürich-Basel SBB and it was truly amazing. The 2 hour route felt almost instant. The ride was incredibly smoothe and comfortable with a massive tray table as well as power plugs. Will ride again hopefully.

This Video was a joy to watch! The Giruno is one of my top 3 most favourite trains in Switzerland!

Stadler Rail AG indeed builds some of the finest trainsets in the world and the SBB Giruno is a good example of that.

Thanks you for the attention to detail!

nice bro! im happy i found your chanel

You have to do the Gotthard Panorama Route. It goes up the mountain and through the old Gotthard tunnel. It is amazing. View wise and engineering wise

Stadler EC250 trains should be bought by more operators in Europe.

Great trip.

Sadly now the tunnel is out of use for some time due to a derailment. I travelled twice through that tunnel, once in 2022 between Basel and Milan via Lucerne onboard a Trenitalia ETR 600 and last June onboard a Giruno between Zurich HBF and Bologna. The first journey was quite crammed but the Giruno was great, save for a customs control just after departing Lugano

Great train ride.

Great video 📹

Nice trip. Next time sit on the left hand side, especially between Arth-Goldau and Zug, the most beautiful part, especially on sunset. 😉

Such a same we can't have trains like this in the UK.

Very nice and Very Beautifull presentation 👏👏❤

Enjoyed this presentation 😉. And, as an added bonus for me, my Sister and Brother-in-Law live in Zug which reminds me I owe them a telephone call 😉👍🏻

Can't wait to get it as a model

5:06 those wooden seatbacks are absolutely divine

Excellent video and amazing representation of Swiss facts - even including very recent updates! Thank you for taking time to review this terrific trip. Lugano is the 9th largest city and considered rather small - even in Switzerland. SBB calls itself SFR (Swiss Federal Railways) in English. Uri might be pronounced "ooree". Unfortunately Italy and Germany can't keep up and run late often why SBB began to only provide services to the border which is not ideal for travellers but the only way to keep up the tight and reliable timetables in Switzerland. Again, great video and highly recommended to watch or even better: try it yourself once!

nice!

I love this train's first class. Because of this class, this train is my favorite train in the world. Granted, I haven't visited Japan yet...

The family area is best in the Swiss doubledeck intercity trains that actually have a "playground" with a slide ... The boarding level is a compromise because of different platform levels in European countries. Two accessible cars per set have two sets of doors at different heights to deal with this, allowing level boarding from platforms around 55 and 76 cm height. Anything else will need a wheelchair lift on the platform (that way they spared themselves the trouble of installing one on the train). It was also a requirement by wheelchair users that they could use the train without having to arrange for staff to help them boarding beforehand.

Nice

Hi👋very good vidéo! If you want to have a luxurious expérience i recommand you to test the ir90 one decker between geneva airport and brig. The 2decker are not as good as the 1 decker. The seats and the scenery are just, wow.

nice video ☀️ 👍🏻 13:04 if you talk about the price, you should tell the price for first AND second class. because most people use second class and if you use first class you have the money to pay the higher price 😂🙈

This train DOES have level boarding. You were just super unlucky to catch an old train station where THE PLATFORM HAD THE WRONG HEIGHT. (You can even see that there is construction work going on.) The Giruno in fact has two different entrance heights, to provide level boarding for both: Swiss and Italian platform standards.

there are also sbb tourist tickets that are valid for most train, bus, trams, ships in switzerland.

Love how you used an adapter for your charger anyways, instead using the swiss one haha

GROUNDBREAKING - ein schönes Wortspiel. 🙂

Boa tarde lindo trem boa viagem

11:05 the platform looks to be old and built according to the older norm. Once it's rebuilt, it will fit all the newer trains for level boarding.

As a Swiss Person, I can approve, that we indeed have a Groundbreaking High-Speed Train and a little bit pricy shops

normal people to switzerland: how much do you wanna flex the fact that you have the world's longest rail tunnel? switzerland: YES

FFS is easily my favourive version of the name.

I use this train regularly, as I live near Arth Goldau, they also have the copper coloured Stadler Traverso trains which I prefer.

Kiffe isch g'sund!

I often take my bike with me while travelling and I honestly prefer the new trains of the BLS (BLS RABe 515). They are two stories high and on the ground floor there's ample space for stuff like bikes, child carriages and stuff. There are foldable seats near the entrance that fold up when nobody sits on them. They are used on the S-Bahn train lines in the Canton of Bern like S1 (Freiburg-Bern-Thun).

Great Video! As you have travelled with a lot of train services so far, do you have a few favorites? most scenic or most comfy for example?

I wish the Eurostar train was like this, in every way.

Great train, but nothing beats the"ol' reliable" IR-90, gotta say

2:40 Lol quite surprised to see a train from my region of switzerland (RER Vaud) in Ticino

Hope NS bought some of those to realise the full potential of the high speed line with 250 kph instead of ICNG’s 200 kph. Stadler’s trains seem to be also more reliable

Departure on time to the second. Must be Switzerland😂😂

Dont forget these lugage racks work for skis and snowboards.

A note on pricing for those not travelling with a pass or card. I recently took a medium-distance trip and the out and back prices contrasted greatly. For the outward trip I paid CHF 26, bought in advance and valid for one train only, for the return trip this rose to CHF 66 because it wasn't booked in advance and was a fully open ticket. In conclusion, the more flexible you can be and the earlier you book will influence the price of the ticket markedly.

Me using this train daily: Ye, its just a train

Waiting video from Latvia 🤪

Kinda wish I had one of these Girunos for a trip to Milan instead of the "old" ETR 610

13:06 The CHF has got a lot stronger since your journey so it's even more expensive. It's £103/€119 now.

So sad that the GBT is closed right now.

11:57 Lauerzersee, Kanton Schwyz. By the way, you only reach Arth-Goldau shortly after driving past Lake Lauerzer and not the other Way around

Its very likely that from the revised timetable in December the Giruno will start running on the EC(E) 151/152 Frankfurt Milan, replacing the currently used ETR 610 of Trenitalia.

hello superalbs