In most countries, the train is how you get to the view. In Switzerland, the train is the view. The country’s rail network climbs mountain passes, spirals through tunnels, crosses dizzying viaducts and runs along the shores of turquoise lakes — all on time, and connected seamlessly to boats, buses and cable cars.

The great scenic routes

Glacier Express

Often called the slowest express train in the world, the Glacier Express links Zermatt and St. Moritz in about eight hours, crossing the Oberalp Pass and some 290 bridges. Panoramic carriages with windows curving into the roof make the most of the Alps. Seat reservations are compulsory and sell out in summer.

Bernina Express

From Chur or St. Moritz over the Bernina Pass down to Tirano in Italy, this route passes glaciers, the spiralling Brusio viaduct and palm trees by the end of the day. The Albula and Bernina lines it follows are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GoldenPass Line

Linking Lucerne, Interlaken and Montreux, the GoldenPass route travels from Lake Lucerne through the Bernese Oberland to the vineyards above Lake Geneva — a journey from German-speaking to French-speaking Switzerland in a single day.

Up into the mountains

Some of Switzerland’s best rail experiences are short and steep. Cogwheel railways and cable cars climb to viewpoints such as the Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat above Zermatt with its view of the Matterhorn, Pilatus — reached by the world’s steepest cogwheel railway — and the revolving cable car up Titlis.

Passes and tickets

The Swiss Travel Pass covers unlimited travel on most trains, buses and lake boats, entry to many museums, and discounts on most mountain railways. Scenic trains such as the Glacier Express are included, but their compulsory seat reservations cost extra. Whether a pass is worth it depends on how much you travel, so compare it with point-to-point tickets for your itinerary.

Travel light: Swiss railways can forward your suitcase to your next station, so you are free to hop off at a viewpoint or lakeside village along the way.

When to go

Summer brings wildflower meadows, lake swims and every mountain railway running. Winter turns the same routes into snow-globe scenery, with Christmas markets in the cities. Spring and autumn are quieter, but check for seasonal closures of high-altitude lines.

Leave the logistics to us

Our Swiss tours combine the scenic trains with mountain excursions and lakeside stays, with seat reservations and luggage transfers arranged — so you can keep your eyes on the window.