Geneva Airport to Zürich with SBB InterCity

It is the first time that the channel has been to Switzerland and this is the start of a week riding around on their wonderful trains.
I flew into Geneva from Bristol in the morning and now I must get across to Zürich on one if SBB's Twindexx EMUs. These have a rather chequered past, as they've had problems with the tilting technology. So many problems in fact, that they have decided to decommission the tilting software because of a poor ride experience. How is the ride now? Well, there's only one way to find out!
Departure: Geneva Airport, Switzerland
Destination: Zürich, Switzerland
Distance: 285 km / 177 miles
Duration: 2 hrs 56 mins
Average speed: 97 km/h 60 mph
Example cost: Adult single
1st Class: €103 / £88
2nd Class: €57 / £49
Date of Travel: March 2024
Operator: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS)
Motive power: RABe 502 IR200 double deck "Twindexx" EMU
Manufacturer: Bombardier
Entered service: 2017-2022
Thank you to everyone that supports the channel by subscribing, liking, commenting or just watching these videos. I really appreciate it!

[@simonpilk]

The 502 units are utterly horrendous and very unpopular with travellers who rightly demand the best. They ride like a sack of potatoes compared to other Swiss offerings and are really not good. Switzerland is a beautiful country and I hope you manage to do Bern - Thun - Interlaken and remember with Interrail the ships on Lake Thun are free!!

[@sgritheall163]

Board this train with a healthy, complete set of teeth and you'll have lost them before you have arrived. This is the Shaking Stevens of European Trains. I've seen people - including staff - hurt themselves very badly when riding this thing. It's an absolute disgrace.

[@paulrb894]

Switzerland is so Beautiful, I hope you get to visit Interlaken too . Too good to miss

[@cehaem2]

Unlike Biel/Bienne, the town of Fribourg/Freiburg is officially French-speaking, unlike the whole canton which is designated fully bilingual. Historically, Fr. was German-speaking but French gained prevalence in the 18th century.

[@stevecooksley]

"You can canton it" - I see what you did there...

[@MikeS29]

I'm saving some money for Switzerland 😅 Thanks, Johnny, appreciate those stunning views and your take on everything. Your channel is my favorite of the rail-journey genre.

[@horsehollerer]

For the most authentic viewing experience, I saved this video for my trip today. I watched it just now between Geneva and Lausanne before veering right on those tracks you pointed out that “continue to hug the lake,” after which I plan to change at Visp and eventually head to Zermatt for a couple of days. Anyway, many thanks … this was a great start to chronicling your Swiss adventures. Looking forward to those increasingly mountainous sequels!

[@jeremiahreilly9739]

Hello Johnny, thanks for your trip vlog. I like your enthusiasm for all-things-train. I live in Basel, Switzerland, and enjoy the journeys as much as the destinations. Generally I find the restaurant food more than decent and often plan my travel to enjoy lunch-and a view-en route. Looking forward to your future Switzerland videos.

[@SlavaUkraini85]

You just have to love the connectivity in Switzerland.

[@Fan652w]

I thought you would be using using a Swiss Travel Pass. The Swiss Travel Pass aimed at tourists gives free travel on all forms of Swiss public transport (Trains, buses, trams BOATS etc.) except purely tourist lines not serving any inhabited village. Just as we British have got to learn that the Netherlands is 'Not Just Bikes', we have also got to learn that Switzerland's transport is 'not just trains'. The STP usually gives 50% reduction on purely tourist lines. But lines to villages like Wengen, Murren and Braunwald, accessible only by mountain railway or cable car, ARE FREE with the STP.

[@florianhug8069]

8:30

[@AlexanderOnFire]

0:56

[@christinehodge3608]

Good video, thank you for sharing

[@1AngryPanda]

This trains promised mutch when SBB ordered them as a step up from the IC2000. Unforrtunaly almost all promises could not be held from Bombardier and in the end SBB got like 6 full trains for free as compensation.

[@DDJIndustries]

Personal recommendation, IC5 to Rorschach from geneva, also passes through Zurich, takes a more scenic route along lake neuchatel, is faster and personally more comfortable (much more stable as it is a tilting train so smoother ride)

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

You mentioned Mant Blanc. I've actually been up there on a French electric train when I was a little kid. I don't remember much, but I do remember the views were amazing

[@ukdavepianoman]

Very nice video...the views along Lake Geneva are stunning. I've done Geneva to Bern but quite like the idea of Geneva to Zurich too. Re price...the Global Pass Interrail site says 364Euros for Senior 60+, First class 5 days in 1 month, not 10d in 2 months (which is 511Euros)...am I missing something? Either way they are good deals.

[@keithparker1346]

Lausanne Geneva used to be a regular trip for me as i worked in the former and had a girlfriend in the latter

[@TreasureBlubbi]

hey Johnny, i really liked your trip video and also the little informations scattered throughout your video which all were really interesting even though i knew most of them :) i am a traindriver stationed in Olten and i really enjoyed watching the trip from a tourists perspective, keep up with these videos, greetings :D

[@christinehodge3608]

Good video