“Do not underestimate the value of checking your bags directly through to the train station in St. Moritz when you check-in at the airport, regardless if you are traveling on Swiss Airlines or another carrier. Traveling to St. Moritz requires changing trains twice, which is very difficult to do with skis and baggage. For a nominal additional fee of $15/bag, your bags will be shipped all the way to St.Moritz, and you will not have to handle them either at baggage claim, at customs in the airport, or on the train.

You can purchase these tickets online 2 weeks before you leave at site above under “Fly Rail Baggage”. In three business days you will receive baggage tags and a customs declaration form that you will need to fill out and attach to each piece of luggage. On your outbound trip, you will effectively check your bags at the departure terminal, and pick them up at the train station in St.Moritz. A representative will carry your bags from the plane in Zurich through customs and onto the train without your even having to point them out to him. Just tell your concierge upon arrival at your hotel that you’re expecting bags, and give him your claim checks. The hotel will usually send a taxi down to the train station to fetch them when they arrive a few hours later on the next train. I’d carry a small bag with a toothbrush, a fresh shirt and a bathing suit to hold you over until your bags do in fact arrive.

When coming home you will need to check your bags at the train station by 5:30pm the night before your departure. You can either ask your hotel to arrange this for you, or you can go to the train station yourself where you see the sign for “Gepack”. Because of security issues, you cannot check your bags directly to the U.S.A. from St.Moritz, but that is a small inconvenience. When you arrive at Zurich Airport, simply go to the reclaim desk that is part of the Swiss train office (SBB CCF) to retrieve your luggage and then proceed to airport check-in nearby.

As a reminder, you must, DROP OFF YOUR BAGS AT THE TRAIN STATION BY 5:30PM THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR TRAIN DEPARTURE. Your bags must precede you on the return trip in order to ensure that they arrive at the airport on time. Nevertheless, it is well worth the expense of paying for roundtrip baggage transportation in both directions.”

From a long-time regular visitor from N.Y.

“For those who will combine business with pleasure but do not want to schlep equipment and clothing across Europe, Fed Ex will ship your skis and luggage to St. Moritz. Simply call 800-GO-FEDEX, and they will pick up your luggage at your apartment. You will need a special landing bill from them, so be sure to ask for it when you call, and know the approximate weight of your luggage using your bathroom scale. FedEx charges approximately $110 for the first 10 lbs., and $5 for each additional pound.”

For more on FedEx shipping, see News & Resources.

From a longtime regular visitor from N.Y.