Swiss Train

There is a train, whenever you need one, already at the airport. A bus, to take you farther, or another train. And a boat, if you wish to enjoy the beauty of one of the lakes. Or a little red train to bring you up to the mountains. A whole system of it, working like a Swiss watch. And so many places to see, in that beautiful little country! That’s the Swiss Travel System: To have it all, with one pass. There is no other form of transportation that brings you closer to the charm of Switzerland, both affordable and easy. Trains are synonymous with the spirit of going places, and nowhere is this more true than in Switzerland. Travel in style!

Swiss Train Times

Many travelers don't realize just how compact Switzerland is, or how easy it is to see by train. To drive those points home, I've put together a few sample train schedules based on volume 1 of the Swiss Official Timetable.

NOTE: On major routes, you'll typically find intercity trains leaving every hour from morning through late evening, with additional departures at other times. To look up departure times online, use the Swiss Federal Railways

Book A Train

Train Travel in Switzerland - Travel in Style!If you are visiting from the US or Canada and would like to book any of the above train tickets, including the Glacier Express and the Panoramic Express, click here to start. The booking engine of RailEurope lets you order and pay online and your Swiss train tickets will be sent to your address.

For UK and Scandinavian residents, please click here for the booking engine of Swiss Travel System. Here you can purchase various Swiss rail tickets which then will be sent to your address.

For all other travelers including the rest of Europe and Switzerland, please start here to access the booking engine of Swiss Railways. Here you can purchase all Swiss rail tickets and they will be sent to your address.

The Best Train Trips

The Glacier Express: It's advertised as the slowest express train in the world, requiring more than 7 1/2 hours to pass through southeastern Switzerland. Despite that, its 274km (170 miles) of track are an awesome triumph of engineering (of which Switzerland is justifiably proud). Beginning every day in Zermatt, in southwest Switzerland, and ending in St. Moritz, in Switzerland's east, it crosses more than 291 bridges and goes through 91 tunnels, traversing some of the country's most inaccessible mountains with an ease that medieval pilgrims would have considered an act of God. You can also take the train from St. Moritz to Zermatt. Naturally, the scenery is breathtaking. The windows are large enough to allow clear views, and a dining car serves lunch with civilized efficiency. Advance reservations are required; for more information, call Rail Europe (tel. 877/272-RAIL [272-7245]).

The Palm Express: This 2-day itinerary of bus and rail routes takes travelers from St. Moritz (in the rugged Engadine district, near Switzerland's eastern frontier) to either Brig or (for a supplemental fee) Zermatt, in Switzerland's southwest. More leisurely than either of the two rail routes described here, it includes a hotel night en route. The scenery is spectacular. For more information, call Rail Europe (tel. 877/272-RAIL [272-7245]).

The Bernina Express: Like the Glacier Express, this railway excursion offers sweeping views of otherwise inaccessible alpine landscapes. A 4-hour trip (each way), it begins in the German-speaking capital of Zurich, traverses isolated regions where the native tongue is the ancient Romansh language, and ends in Italian-speaking Lugano. The rugged, high-altitude landscapes near Chur give way to the verdant, palm-lined lake districts near Tirano. It's the only train route in Switzerland that crosses the Alps without the benefit of tunnels en route. (It also travels some of the steepest railway lines in the world, negotiated without the benefit of racks and pinions.) Consider extending this trip with bus connections from Tirano -- the end of the rail line -- to the resort town of Lugano. For more information, call Rail Europe (tel. 877/272-RAIL [272-7245]).