Hi all,

I have seen some good train tickets + hotel booking offers in sbb.ch site but since I don't have a credit card, I can't book the same. Can the same be booked from stations or is there some other way in which I can buy these packages?

Yes you can. Best is to take a print-out of what you want and just go to the SBB travel office.

Have a good trip

Hi all, I don't know if this is the right forum to post this question. Sorry if this is not - but it has something to do with credit cards.

I am an India Passport holder. I am working in Switzerland on a 1 year 'L' Permit. I need to book tickets for flights / hotels / trains for my various travels in Schengen countries. The problem is almost all the websites accept only credit cards and I don't have any. I don't have any India credit card either. I can pay by cash but since Vevey is a very small place, there are not many options for travel-related bookings. In India, I used to book using online banking.

So can please anyone answer the following questions?
1. What would be the best option for me if I need to do any travel-related booking? Will I have to get one credit card? If yes, is it easy to obtain one?
2. Are there are websites which accept online bank transfer? In such a case I would open a bank account.
3. Also please suggest which bank / credit card option would be best for me as I am here only for a year.

Thanks to all in advance.

I am sorry but without a credit card is gonna be impossible to do an online booking. I have been in the same possition. I was asking som collegues or frineds to pay online with their credit card, and I give the money back to them in cash.
After a whileI got annoying to ask favours all the tima and I ask for a credit card in the bank. Probably the only good thing of the economical crisis is that now is easier to get a card from your bank in Switzerland.

xx

seyon

Swiss airlines will let you pay by postcard from an online booking. I've not tried it, but have seen it advertised on their site several times.

The only other thing to do is to get a prepaid credit card and pay for your tickets that way.

All my life I too managed without a card, I hate complexities of modern life, but because of some conference ralated travel which requires using the card many times, I decided to go for my own card rather than ask my bro this time.

I applied for it around a week back, and got my Swiss post credit card in my mail box today . Quite straightforward if you have an account, you just fill the form and post it alongwith a copy of your Permit. The website gives you all the details. In short, I think it costs about 50 chf per year, waived if you do more than some 50 transactions in a year. I think you have the options of "auto-payment" wherein the bank moves money from your bank account to settle the amount as and when you use the card, without bothering you.

Ge the prepaid credit card from SBB..You will get it easily..and will get 25 CHF off on your half-fare card as well....I prefer pre-paid credit card because there is more control while spending the money..

I doubt if they give a credit card to an 'L' permit holder. I may be wrong but thats what I have heard, you need atleast a B permit to be able to apply for a credit card.

Pre-Paid Credit Card they will issue for sure..

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

I went through many threads and it seems that it will be difficult to get a credit card as a 'L' permit holder

It seems that the SBB prepaid card will take care of my train bookings.
But is there any card which I can be eligible for and use for online bookings through websites like ebookers, etc.

Hi all,
I went through many threads and it seems that it will be difficult to get a credit card as a 'L' permit holder

But is there any card which I can be eligible for and use for online bookings through websites like ebookers, etc.

Alternately, is there any website which lets you book flights/hotels using bank online payments or some other means (except using a credit card)?

Oops, sorry about my earlier incorrect response. Yes, I now recollect, the application specifically asks for a copy of "B" permit, so I presume L won't do.

I think paypal should work for you? it supports payment thru' bank account, but haven't tried it myself.

On ebookers: https://faq-en.ebookers.ch/cgi-bin/e...J6hAj&search=1

On SBB: http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/faqs.htm#bu4

SBB cards are as good as any VISA credit card and you can use it for all online booking purpose..

Just want to mention that I did the same at the SBB travel agency - but was in for a shock. I came to know that the ones which can be booked at the counter is very different from the ones which can be booked online

I went with around 5 - 6 options and they said that they could book none of them as they were all online options. I then asked if they had similar packages for which I could pay by cash. They said no. Finally, I had to settle for an entirely different hotel and rate

A solution for those people without a credit card and need to purchase / book things on the Internet.

SBB has a special "Internet Cash" pre-pay credit card (via MasterCard) that can be used ONLY for on-line purchases. It is not associated with the half price train pass.

Some details:

• Can get it from any SBB change/travel office and use it immediately.
• You need a piece of ID (i.e. passport) to get the card and each time you fill it up.
• No annual fee.
• Charge of 2% (minimum CHF 10) each time to fill it up with cash.
• Each transaction also costs CHF 3.
• They will give you a code so you can consult your balance on-line

The website for more info is www.internetcash.ch

The Swiss Bankers InternetCash has been around for a while now:

http://www.swissbankers.ch/index.php?id=802&L=3