Ensure you board/alight at the correct train station. Some cities have multiple main train stations, such as Interlaken Ost (East) or Interlaken West. Most main stations are Centrale (e.g. Milan Centrale) or Hbf (e.g. Salzburg Hbf). Florence’s main station is Firenze S.M.N. and Rome’s is Roma Termini.

Train transfers can be very stressful — Many connecting trains give you only 7 minutes transfer time: e.g. you need to disembark at the connecting station, find your connecting train and platform on the electronic schedules, quickly walk/run to the platform and catch it; all in 7 mins. If you miss, the next train may arrive in 10 minutes, 1 hour or even longer. Worse still, trains may arrive late.

If you get lost or confused, try asking a train conductor for help. However, the underlying problem (especially in Italy) is that trains can often change schedule, reroute, or get delayed on a whim.

Some trains have a small restaurant in the middle carriage for simple meals and buying snacks. Only a few, payable trains on popular routes have free wifi onboard. That usually means there is a train conductor too.

If you are sensitive to motion and your seat is facing the opposite direction of the train movement, you may experience mild to severe motion sickness. So choose your seat wisely.

The Austrian train system is generally clean, efficient, comfortable, but expensive. Window views can be great at times. Most have random ticket inspections by train conductors.

ITALY

The Italian train system is notoriously bad, with irregular timings, unclean, and mostly uncomfortable. Window views can be decent at times.

Many Italian trains do not have aircon (or it is spoilt). Toilets are usually poorly maintained so beware too! Our first leg from Milan Centrale Station to Brig (on the way to Interlaken) was insanely horrible — We were stuck in a carriage with NO AIR-CON, SEALED WINDOWS, FULL CAPACITY, SWELTERING 35°C (95°F) HOT DAY, FOR ~2.5 HOURS. It was sweltering hot and stuffy and somebody could possibly die from heatstroke.

Italian trains mostly operate by a trust system. Tickets are only checked at major train stations (cursory glance) and seat reservation (SR) routes. These are mainly popular or high speed intercity routes and cost £5–12 per pax (see details on Railplanner app, best to check one day beforehand if non-SR rides are available). A train conductor may conduct inspections and impose a £10 penalty if you do not have a valid SR.

SLOVENIA

The Slovenian train system is generally cheap, clean, efficient but often overcrowded on popular routes (to Bled and Ljubljana) which may require you to stand on part/all of your trip. Most do not have wifi. Ticket inspections by train conductors are rare or non-existent. Most do not have wifi.

The Lesce-Bled bus system and Bled bus network is quite vague with little tourist information provided.

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss train system is generally clean, efficient, comfortable, but very expensive. Some of them have free wifi. Window views can be amazing at times too. Most have random ticket inspections by train conductors.

The Interlaken Regional Bus network utilizes a trust system, with no checks done by bus conductors. 

A 3-Day Interlaken Pass (includes Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfraujoch) costs CHF 270 per pax, which includes all public transport in that area.