Climb every mountain – the unforgettable Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
Switzerland’s picturesque railway is unrivalled, so climb aboard with us for a truly grand journey around the country’s most scenic railways
Zürich – Lucerne – Interlaken
Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux
Montreux – Visp – Zermatt
Zermatt – St Moritz
St Moritz – Tirano – Lugano
Lugano – Bellinzona – Flüelen – Lucerne
Lucerne – St Gallen
St Gallen – Schaffhausen – Zürich
By Rachel Truman
The wonders of Switzerland require your undivided attention, and they’re best seen from its ultra-reliable and incredibly scenic network, criss-crossing the country and encompassing several scenic wonders that together form the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.
Covering just over 795 miles, these eight routes loop around the country and connect historic cities with remote villages, skirt past lakes and valleys, cross vertiginous viaducts over deep gorges and edge up mountains topped by glaciers.
Not only is the scenery swoon-worthy but the Swiss also have some of Europe’s most comfortable, efficient and high-spec trains. Think panoramic windows, wide chairs, flawless service and, on some trains, high-end catering with fine Swiss wines and cuisine.
Switzerland was a pioneer in the electrification of railway lines – you’ll be as dazzled by the century-old railway engineering as you are by the landscapes. These great feats made the country’s mountainous terrain reachable, even in winter. Trains remain the best – and most sustainable – way to explore landscapes otherwise cut off from other modes of transport.
So, book a Swiss Travel Pass, choose a window seat and settle back to ride the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. You could do the full circuit in a week but take your time. Hop off and on to explore en route and embrace the ethos of slow travel.
Watch Roger Federer's train journey with Trevor Noah
Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux
73 miles, 3¼ or 3¾ hours
For classic alpine views, valleys and vineyards
Step aboard the scenic GoldenPass Line in Interlaken Ost and prepare to be wowed all the way to Montreux. This line is full of drama from the get-go, passing up and under the Bernese Alps, laying eyes on its three most prominent peaks: the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. You’ll trundle east along the shores of Lake Thun and climb up through the Simmen Valley, passing rural stations and thick forests before you reach Zweisimmen in the Saanenland Valley.
You can step aboard the sleek new GoldenPass Express trains at this station, as well as the GoldenPass Panoramic train and the gorgeous GoldenPass Belle Époque train. The express trains’ new technology allows them to switch from standard gauge to narrow gauge so they can run non-stop between Interlaken and Montreux, but for the time being they are only running between Zweisimmen and Montreux.
Soon after Zweisimmen, the track curves around, giving an elevated view of upmarket Gstaad with its carved wooden chalets
The track curves through the Gruyère region, entering the Jaman Tunnel, before meandering down to the Mediterranean-like scenery of Montreux. Sit on the left side for the most arresting lookout over the palm-tree-lined city on Lake Geneva. Known as the Swiss Riviera, fairytale-esque Chillon Castle and the vineyards of Lavaux that grow on steep south-facing inclines above the glimmering water can be visited.
Did you know?
All Swiss trains offer a comfortable trip but Prestige class on the new GoldenPass Express takes it to the next level. It has heated seats that can recline and be rotated on request, to avoid head-swivelling. The Prestige area is also raised by 16in to immerse passengers fully in the landscapes.
Zürich – Lucerne – Interlaken
81 miles, 2¾ hours
For: sun-dappled lakes and lively cities
Step aboard at Zürich Hauptbahnhof for the first leg of your Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. You’re travelling to Lucerne in the central area. Rolling west of the financial centre, you’ll pass Zug, a pretty mountain-backed town by Lake Zug. Look out for its 13th-century clock tower. Let the passing landscape of gentle hills and little towns lap over you before arriving in Lucerne, another lakeside beauty.
Explore Lucerne’s elegant promenades, well-preserved old town and its 14th-century Chapel Bridge (thought to be Europe’s oldest covered bridge). Staying the night? Take on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway on the 30-minute ride up to Mount Pilatus before coming back down to catch the Luzern-Interlaken Express, part of the scenic GoldenPass Line.
Thanks to huge glass windows you’re guaranteed a good vantage point at every turn of the 98km route’s big-hitting display of gleaming lakes, gushing waterfalls, green meadows and snow-capped peaks. You’ll feel the train shift in cogwheel mode before it begins its winding ascent to the Brünig Pass, a mountain crossing connecting central Switzerland with the Bernese Oberland.
After that it’s down a steep-sided valley to Meiringen, where you’ll glide alongside the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz to your final stop.
Sitting pretty between Brienz and Lake Thun, there’s plenty to see and do in Interlaken. Ride the country’s oldest steam rack railway up the Brienzer Rothorn for dizzying views of the jagged Bernese Alps. Or switch up your mode of transport on a steamboat cruise around the lake.
Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the largest train station in Switzerland. Nip to the Bahnhofplatz hall on the lower level to pick up some local treats for a train picnic.
Did you know?
Montreux – Visp – Zermatt
58 miles, 2½ hours
For deep valleys and iconic mountains
After a day (or more) spent meandering the streets of Montreux, riding the funicular up Mont Pèlerin through the terraced vines and cruising Lake Geneva, board the train bound for Visp.
The route cuts a path south along the lake, passing Chillon Castle, before heading east through the Upper Valais, said to be the country’s sunniest spot. You’ll slide through Sion with its two crag-top castles, wedged between vineyard-cloaked mountains that are etched with bisses (ancient irrigation channels).
At Visp, huddled at the foot of Europe’s highest vineyard, you’ll change onto the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. The train shifts into cogwheel technology as it traverses the Nikolai Valley, the deepest-carved valley in Switzerland, to Zermatt. The charming car-free village sits beneath the Matterhorn.
On arrival at Zermatt, switch to the Gornergrat Bahn cog train. Sit on the left side for prime Matterhorn views on the 33-minute trip up the mountain. Then head to the viewing platform to take in its iconic summit. Stretch your legs by following hiking trails back down the massif to wander around Zermatt.
The Gornergrat Railway celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. When it opened in 1898, it was the world’s first fully electrified cog railway. Today it is the highest open-air railway station in Europe at 10,171ft above sea level and is open 365 days a year.
Did you know?
Zermatt – St Moritz
181 miles, 7¾ hours
For peak excitement
The Glacier Express is a hot ticket on the scenic railway circuit, so book well in advance. Rolling between Zermatt and St Moritz, it whisks passengers across three cantons (Valais, Uri and Graubünden), through some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery via some of its most impressive (and historic) engineering. Billing itself as the slowest express train in the world, this really is all about the journey rather than the destination – although you’ll definitely be smitten with St Moritz and the Engadin Valley.
Depending on the time of year, you’ll either be plunged into picture-book Narnia (dusted fir forests, snowbound villages and ice-encased peaks) or roll past lush valleys, flower-speckled meadows and blue-green rivers under clear skies. Both are utterly enchanting.
The dramatic ascent of the Oberalp Pass (the highest point at 6,670ft) after Andermatt and the route along the steep white cliffs by the Rhine Gorge will get your heart racing before you reach Chur, the oldest Swiss city. Onwards, you’ll rattle along the Unesco World Heritage-listed Rhaetian Railway's Albula Line with its spiral tunnels and viaducts.
Enjoy lofty views as you curve along the six-arched Landwasser Viaduct, a single-track limestone railway bridge near Filisur, shortly before you pull into St Moritz.
Whether you travel Second, First or Excellence class, everything is designed for maximum comfort and window watching, thanks to panoramic side windows and skylights. It’s a treat for all the senses, with fabulous food prepared on board – all regional and seasonal. Go for Excellence Class to enjoy a five-course menu with aperitif and accompanying wines as you travel.
There are 291 bridges and 91 tunnels on the 291km route of the Glacier Express.
It travels at an average speed of 24 mph.
Did you know?
Follow Michael Portillo’s winter journey in Excellence Class onboard the iconic locomotive
Read more
St Moritz – Tirano – Lugano
96 miles, 6¾ hours
For glaciers and Med-like landscapes
Another contender for “most dramatic rail route” is the Bernina Express, the highest rail crossing of the Alps. Step aboard for a bendy, breathtaking route that whisks you from St Moritz to Tirano in Italy. Once again, you’ll need to make prior seat reservations.
Leaving St Moritz, the train edges along the Upper Engadin Valley, past pretty Pontresina and up to the Bernina Pass. Panoramic windows in both First and Second class allow for excellent views of the Morteratsch Glacier and Lago Bianco – its white glacier waters are right by the station at Ospizio Bernina, the highest point of the route at 7,392ft.
The train stops here for a while – allowing for pictures – before pressing forward to Alp Grüm station, where you can catch sight of the Palü Glacier before entering a zig-zag descent from the Romansh-speaking Engadin to the Italian-speaking Poschiavo Valley in Grisons.
Two standout features of the line are the Montebello Curve (a horseshoe bend with incredible views of the Morteratsch Glacier) and the Brusio Spiral Viaduct just before Tirano in Italy, where the train takes a 360-degree turn.
It’s worth stopping for lunch in a trattoria before hopping on the red Bernina Express Bus to continue your journey through the vineyards of the Valtellina and along Lake Como to Lugano. On the shores of Lake Lugano in the Ticino canton, the town enjoys a Mediterranean climate and mountainous backdrop – an intoxicating blend of Swiss and Italian landscapes and cultures.
Completed in 1910, the Bernina Line is the highest transalpine railway link and one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.
Did you know?
Lugano – Bellinzona – Flüelen – Lucerne
113 miles, 5½ hours
For magical lakes and mountain passes
The next leg on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland takes you back north over the Alps from the sunny lakeside promenades of Lugano to Lake Lucerne. From April to October the Gotthard Panorama Express serves up a heady brew of Swiss scenery en route, which involves a bonus boat trip too.
Look out for Lake Maggiore and Bellinzona with its three imposing, late-medieval castles. A Unesco World Heritage Site, the castles were built by the Dukes of Milan to protect the strategic St Gotthard Pass, an important north-to-south trade route. Tracking on, you’ll pass pretty villages Giornico and Airolo where you plunge into darkness to cross from one side of the mighty massif to the other through the Gotthard tunnel, built in 1882.
Then you’re in the German-speaking canton of Uri, where the route follows the narrow Reuss Valley to Göschenen via a series of spiral loops and horseshoe tunnels, galleries and bridges carved into rock.
At Flüelen you’ll board either a restored paddle steamer or motor cruiser for an unhurried journey across Lake Lucerne.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel – which is used by fast trains from north to south Switzerland – opened in 2016 at a depth of around 6,562ft. Running for 35 miles, it is the world’s longest rail tunnel.
Did you know?
Lucerne – St Gallen
78 miles, 2¼ hours
For moors, meadows and medieval gems
This bite-sized journey on the Voralpen-Express sees passengers roll east out of Lucerne towards historic St Gallen, just south of Lake Constance. Sweeping views unfold in every direction as the train shifts course from the snow-dusted peaks of central Switzerland to the green hills, orchards and charming villages of the east.
There are plenty of opportunities to hop off to explore around the stations you pull into, such as Rothenthurm in the Schwyz canton at the foot of the Alps. From here Switzerland’s largest upland moor stretches to Biberbrugg and promises splendid hiking.
Next you’ll cross upper Lake Zürich past picturesque Rapperswil, known as the City of Roses. Spend some time exploring its rose-filled gardens, medieval old town, long wooden bridge and castle.
You’ll traverse the pastoral hillscapes of the Toggenburg region and Appenzell before soaring across Switzerland’s highest railway bridge, the Sitter Viaduct. Arriving at St Gallen, disembark to explore the Unesco-listed Abbey District with its beautiful cathedral and impressive library.
Switzerland has the densest rail network in Europe – it’s also among the best in terms
of punctuality.
Did you know?
St Gallen – Schaffhausen – Zürich
83 miles, 2½ hours
For rivers, waterfall falls and historic centres
Explore the car-free streets of St Gallen’s old town and take a detour to delve into the deep-rooted rural traditions of the Appenzell region before you board the Thurbo lake line. Taking a semi-circular route across the northeast to Zurich, it’ll see you complete the full length of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.
Water is the overarching theme of this final leg that leads along Lake Constance for around 25 miles until it becomes the Rhine River. Eke out your return by stopping to snoop about sleepy riverside communities such as Stein am Rhein with its half-timbered houses, medieval monastery and museums. The route follows the Rhine downstream past Diessenhofen with its historic wooden covered bridge that leads over to Gailingen in Germany. Pressing on you’ll reach Schaffhausen. Be sure to disembark here to marvel at its hilltop Munot Fortress and walk to the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe.
From here your extraordinary rail route around Switzerland ends with a flourish – you’ll cross the single-track 19th-century Eglisau railway bridge into Zürich. Toast your travels in the city where your journey began with a glass of wine from the Zürichsee region before catching your flight home.
Grand Train Tour
Packages
You don’t, of course, have to ride the whole length of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, or indeed journey in the directions that we’ve set out – although we recommend you do the complete circuit at least once in your lifetime. Various tour packages allow you to combine some or all of these scenic rail routes with added excursions, depending on how long you have and when you’re travelling.
The Top Attractions Tour, for example, covers three sections – Luzern-Interlaken Express, GoldenPass trains and Glacier Express – over five days with key landmarks and optional mountain excursions. Or combine alpine wonders with Mediterranean living on the four-day Glaciers and Palm Trees Tour, which includes the Bernina Express and the Gotthard Panorama Express.
Swiss Travel Pass
The all-in-one Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited travel by train, bus and boat. It also includes free admission to over 500 museums and a 50 per cent discount on most mountain railways, including those on the Gornergrat, Pilatus and Jungfrau.
For the panoramic trains – including the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Golden Pass Express and Gotthard Panorama Express – an additional seat reservation and supplement is required. Buy your Swiss Travel Pass today.
Win a ride on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
You could win an all-expenses-paid trip aboard the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. Simply watch the film about Roger Federer’s train adventures and answer a question to be in for a chance to win a seat on this spectacular Swiss journey.
Words
Rachel Truman
Design
Matthew Brant
Picture Editor
Cat Costelloe
Commissioning Editor
Jim Bruce-Ball
Web Producer
Jasmine Maidment
Project Manager
Michelle Birbeck
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Embark on a journey of a lifetime with the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, which covers over 1,280 kilometers of breathtaking landscapes and cultural wonders.
Viewing platform, Interlaken
The Interlaken Express on its way to Lucerne
Chapel Bridge, Lucerne
View from the Brienzer Rothorn
Crocus Meadow, Zweisimmen
The Golden Pass Express train passes through Rougemont
Mauritius Church, Gstaad
Matterhorn as seen from the famous Riffelsee Lake
Panoramic view from Sion
The train makes its way through Valais
Hiking in Zermatt
The Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct
Oberalp Pass
Traditional ski chalet in Engadin
Rhine Gorge
Aerial view of the Bernina Express going through the Swiss National Park
Alp-Gruem train station
The Bernina Express goes through Morteratsch
Rapperswil, City of Roses
Göeschenen mountains
Hiking in Toggenburg
St Gallen Abbey, St Gallen
Hiking in Toggenburg
Rapperswil, City of Roses
St Gallen Abbey, St Gallen
Journeying through Santis in Eastern Switzerland
Hohenklingen Castle overlooking Stein-am-Rhein
Aerial view of the Rhine, Stein-am-Rhein
Historic covered bridge in Diessenhofen
Embark on a journey of a lifetime with the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, which covers over 1,280 kilometers of breathtaking landscapes and cultural wonders.
Göeschenen mountains
A paddle steamer on Lake Lucerne
Giornico village
The Panorama Express on its way to Gotthard