Switzerland is one of the few countries where the train infrastructure is so good that the train itself becomes the destination rather than the way to reach it. The Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, and the GoldenPass Line are three of the most spectacular scenic rail journeys in the world — and, unlike the luxury cruise trains of Japan or North America, they are genuinely accessible. You buy a ticket, reserve a panoramic seat, board in any of several cities, and experience world-class scenic rail without a multi-day booking. The luxury upgrade is straightforward and the experience is among the best value in luxury European travel.
The most famous Swiss scenic train, and the one most international travellers book first. Around eight hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, over the Oberalp Pass (2,033m, the route's high point) and the Rhine Gorge, and past the celebrated Landwasser Viaduct on the UNESCO-listed Albula line. The train moves slowly enough — it bills itself as "the world's slowest express" — that the scenery is the entire point.
The luxury upgrade is Excellence Class, which adds a guaranteed window seat in a dedicated coach, a five-course meal with wine pairings, a welcome glass of champagne, and concierge service. It is significantly more expensive than standard 1st class, and — with just one table per window per coach — it sells out well ahead. Most travellers who do it are glad they did; those who cannot stretch to it still get the same route and the same floor-to-ceiling windows in standard 1st class.
The most scenically dramatic of the three. Around four hours from St. Moritz (or Chur) across the Bernina Pass to Tirano in Italy, reaching the Ospizio Bernina at 2,253m — the highest adhesion (non-cog) rail crossing in the Alps — then descending through the Brusio spiral viaduct into Italian-speaking valleys and the palm trees of Tirano. The Albula and Bernina lines together form a UNESCO World Heritage site for their engineering, and the panoramic carriages have large curved windows.
The Bernina Express is the route most rail enthusiasts rate as the single most spectacular scenic train journey in Europe. It is also the easiest to pair with the Glacier Express — many travellers do both, with St. Moritz as the connecting point, an itinerary sometimes called the "Alpine sandwich."
The most varied of the three, combining several rail experiences: the historic Brünig section (Lucerne to Interlaken), and the GoldenPass Express direct service (Interlaken to Montreux), launched in December 2022 with variable-gauge bogies that let it run across both standard- and metre-gauge sections without a change of train. It ends in the Lake Geneva wine country around Montreux.
The GoldenPass Express is one of the most innovative pieces of modern rail engineering — the direct Interlaken–Montreux service was technically impossible before the variable-gauge system was developed. Its Prestige Class is the comfortable upgrade, with reclining, rotating seats raised for the best views, and table service.
| Glacier Express | Bernina Express | GoldenPass Line | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | ~8 hours | ~4 hours | 5+ hours via segments |
| Route | Zermatt–St. Moritz | Chur/St. Moritz–Tirano | Lucerne–Interlaken–Montreux |
| Signature scenery | Oberalp Pass, Landwasser | Bernina Pass, Brusio spiral | Brünig, Lake Geneva |
| Best upgrade | Excellence Class | Panoramic 1st class | GoldenPass Express Prestige |
| Best for | The classic Swiss train experience | The most spectacular scenery | Combining with wine country |
The natural multi-train itinerary runs roughly: Lucerne → GoldenPass to Interlaken → time in the Jungfrau region → onward to Zermatt → ascend towards the Matterhorn → Glacier Express to St. Moritz → Bernina Express to Tirano. Eight to ten days at a comfortable pace, with stops at the major destinations. Each train takes a half to a full day; the rest is for the alpine towns themselves.
Switzerland is also where a rail pass tends to pay off. The Swiss Travel Pass covers most trains, gives free or reduced access to many mountain railways (the Gornergrat above Zermatt, reductions towards the Jungfraujoch), and includes most city public transit — though note that the panoramic trains still require a separate seat reservation on top of the pass. Whether it beats individual tickets depends on how much ground you cover, so it is worth doing the sums against your own itinerary.
The Swiss alpine grand hotels are part of the trip:
Late June through September is the peak summer window, with the most reliable weather and the longest daylight. December through March is the winter window for the snow-covered alpine scenery and ski-resort access. May and October are the shoulder months, with lighter crowds but more variable conditions. All three routes run year-round, and each is dramatically different in summer versus winter — the same track, two entirely different journeys.
Tickets and seat reservations should be booked in advance — panoramic and Excellence Class seats sell out for peak summer weeks and around Christmas. The official Swiss rail system (SBB) handles individual tickets and reservations cleanly, and GetYourGuide carries packaged Swiss scenic-train experiences with English-language confirmation if you would rather book the seat, transfer, and add-ons in one place.
Most international travellers fly into Zurich, from where the Swiss train system runs directly to most major destinations and is often the simplest choice. For door-to-door arrivals, Welcome Pickups handles Zurich Airport transfers, and GetTransfer is useful for remote alpine resorts that are not directly connected by rail.
Swiss mobile coverage is excellent on all carriers and works reliably even in alpine valleys; an Airalo Switzerland or European regional eSIM covers data without roaming charges. For the mountain activities — hiking, skiing, the high railways — it is worth carrying travel insurance that includes alpine rescue, which is meaningfully expensive otherwise; SafetyWing is one option.
For travellers committing to the train at all, it is the version of the experience the marketing is selling. Excellence Class includes a guaranteed window seat in a dedicated coach, a five-course meal with wine pairings, a welcome glass of champagne, and concierge service. It is significantly more expensive than standard 1st class, and seats are limited — one table per side, booked well ahead. Most travellers who do it are glad they did; if the budget does not stretch, standard 1st class panoramic seats still deliver the same route and the same windows.
Many rail enthusiasts rate the Bernina Express as the single most spectacular scenic train journey in Europe. Its Albula and Bernina lines form a UNESCO World Heritage site for their engineering, and the route reaches the Ospizio Bernina at 2,253 metres — the highest adhesion (non-cog) rail crossing in the Alps — before descending to palm-lined Tirano in Italy. The journey takes around four hours in panoramic carriages with large windows.
Yes, comfortably in eight to ten days. A natural routing is Lucerne to Interlaken and Montreux on the GoldenPass, the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz, and the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano. Each train takes roughly a half to a full day, leaving the rest of the time for the alpine destinations themselves.
For multi-train Swiss trips, generally yes. The Swiss Travel Pass covers most trains (including the scenic routes, though panoramic trains still require a separate seat reservation), gives free or discounted access to many mountain railways such as the Gornergrat and reductions on excursions like the Jungfraujoch, and includes most public transit in Swiss cities. Whether it beats individual tickets depends on how much ground you cover, so it is worth doing the sums against your specific itinerary.
Late June through September for the peak summer experience with reliable weather and long daylight. December through March for the snow-covered winter experience and ski-resort access. May and October are the shoulder months with smaller crowds but more variable weather. Each season produces a dramatically different experience on the same routes.
Most travellers arrive via Zurich and the train. But for a group arriving from outside Europe on a tight schedule, it can be worth pricing a private charter into the regional fields — Sion near Zermatt, Samedan near St. Moritz, or Bern — which bypass the Zurich-and-transfer combination entirely.
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