With cell phone roaming charges even a hotel phone is cheaper..

I've just been to a hotel on the Thunersee. I was not roaming and I have no desire to pay a per-hour charge for wireless network access. I even don't like to let my SMU roam onto the Swisscom wireless networks as I believe I get hit per time period and not on a traffic basis.

If I am not roaming, my calls on my cellphone are free.

But this is about trains - and trains in Switzerland. Let's look at the potential charging model:

6 francs per hour

Compare this to the Sunrise offer - T@KE AWAY. Sign up for 24 months and pay 1 franc for the USB 3G modem with 10 francs per month charge.

3,50 francs per DAY

So, for TWO HOURS on the SBB rate, you can have internet everywhere with the Sunrise offer.

It's a no-brainer in my opinion.

Where did you get the figure 6 chf. per hour from..? It's Swisscom that's installing the hotpoints on the trains which will be charged according to their Take-n-Surf service. 4.50 chf. per day.

Swisscom Take-n-Surf prices

Do Sunrise not charge for data transferred? you can't seriously get an unlimited offer for 10chf a month can you?

from the questionnaire I filled out on the train two days ago

for the 10 francs/month, the daily charge is unlimited