Switzerland built railways where roads could not go. Cog wheels bite into gradients of 48 percent, tunnels spiral inside mountains to gain height, and viaducts curve across gorges no engineer would attempt with tarmac. The result is a rail network that reaches places a car simply cannot.
Some of these routes end in villages where private cars have been banned for over a century. Others climb to summits with no road at all. A few follow alignments so improbable that the line itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This guide covers ten of the best train journeys in Switzerland, with the practical detail most lists leave out: what the Swiss Travel Pass actually covers, what you still pay for, which side of the train to sit on, when to book, what it all costs, and where your phone will stop working.
The Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, the most photographed stretch of railway in Switzerland.The best scenic train routes in Switzerland: the map
Switzerland is small enough that most of these can be combined into a single trip. The Jungfrau region alone holds four of them within an hour of each other, and Lucerne gives you three more.
The ten Swiss train journeys at a glance
| Route | Journey time | Top altitude | Swiss Travel Pass | Why a car cannot get there |
| Jungfrau Railway | 50 min | 3,454 m | Discounted | No road exists. Tunnel through the Eiger. |
| Gornergrat Railway | 33 min | 3,089 m | Discounted | Zermatt is car-free and the ridge has no road. |
| Wengernalp Railway | 15 min | 2,061 m | Covered | Wengen has banned cars since 1893. |
| Pilatus Railway | 30 min | 2,073 m | Discounted | No road to the summit. 48 percent gradient. |
| Stoos Funicular | 4 min | 1,300 m | Covered | Stoos village is car-free. |
| Rigi Railways | 35 min | 1,797 m | Covered | Rigi Kaltbad is car-free. |
| Bernina Express | 4 hrs | 2,253 m | Covered, reservation extra | Alp Grüm is reachable only by train or on foot. |
| Glacier Express | 8 hrs | 2,033 m | Covered, CHF 54 reservation | Starts in car-free Zermatt. |
| Schynige Platte | 52 min | 1,967 m | Discounted | No road to the ridge. |
| Centovalli Railway | 1 hr 50 | 830 m | Covered | Crosses gorges no road follows. |
10 best train journeys in Switzerland you cannot make by car
1. Jungfrau Railway: to the Top of Europe
Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch, at 3,454 metres, the highest railway station in Europe. Most of the climb runs inside a tunnel bored through the Eiger and the Mönch, with stops where windows open directly onto the north face.
There is no road. There has never been a road. The line opened in 1912 after sixteen years of tunnelling, and it remains the only way up short of a serious mountaineering expedition. At the top you get the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, an ice palace carved into the glacier itself, and air thin enough that some visitors feel it.
Practical: allow a full day from Interlaken. The Swiss Travel Pass gives a discount rather than free travel, and the return fare is around CHF 250 at full price. Book a morning slot, because cloud builds through the afternoon.
Insider tip: check the summit webcam before you leave your hotel. On a clouded day you pay a great deal to stand in fog, and the ticket is not refundable for weather.
2. Gornergrat Railway: the Matterhorn from 3,089 metres
Zermatt is already car-free. You leave your vehicle in Täsch and take the shuttle train up the valley. From Zermatt, the Gornergrat cog railway climbs another 1,500 metres to a ridge facing the Matterhorn across the Gorner Glacier.
Opened in 1898, it was the first electric cog railway in Switzerland. Twenty-nine peaks over 4,000 metres are visible from the summit on a clear day, and the view is arguably better value than Jungfraujoch at roughly half the price.
Practical: 33 minutes each way, running year-round. Discounted rather than free on the Swiss Travel Pass. Around CHF 132 return at full fare.
Insider tip: sit on the right going up. Get off at Rotenboden on the way down and walk twenty minutes to Riffelsee, where the Matterhorn reflects in the lake on a still morning. That photograph is the one everybody wants.
The Gornergrat railway climbs to 3,089 metres, facing the Matterhorn across the Gorner Glacier.3. Wengernalp Railway: into car-free Wengen
The longest continuous cog railway in the world, running from Lauterbrunnen up to Wengen and on to Kleine Scheidegg. Wengen has been closed to private cars since the line opened in 1893, and the village at 1,274 metres has stayed roughly the size it was.
The climb out of the Lauterbrunnen valley is short and steep, past waterfalls falling from hanging valleys above. In January the line carries spectators to the Lauberhorn, the longest downhill race course in the world.
Practical: covered in full by the Swiss Travel Pass. Fifteen minutes from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen, no reservation needed.
Insider tip: most people ride up and straight back. Instead, walk the trail from Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg in summer, roughly two and a half hours, with the Eiger north face directly ahead the whole way.
4. Pilatus Railway: the steepest cog railway on earth
From Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne, this line climbs to Pilatus Kulm at a maximum gradient of 48 percent. It has held the record for the world's steepest cog railway since it opened in 1889, and the horizontal cog system it uses was invented specifically for this mountain because conventional systems would have failed.
There is no road to the summit. The classic approach is the Golden Round Trip: boat across the lake from Lucerne, cog railway up, cable car and gondola down the other side to Kriens.
Practical: the cog railway runs roughly May to November, weather permitting. The cable car side operates year-round. The Golden Round Trip is around CHF 122.
Insider tip: do it in the direction described. Going up by rail and down by cable car gives you the dramatic ascent and a gentler, wider view on the way back.
5. Stoos Funicular: the steepest funicular in the world
Opened in December 2017 after fourteen years of construction, the Stoos funicular climbs at a maximum gradient of 110 percent. Its barrel-shaped cabins rotate as the slope changes so passengers stay level throughout the ride.
At the top, the village of Stoos has around a hundred residents and no cars. The ridge walk from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock is one of the finest short hikes in central Switzerland, with Lake Lucerne visible on both sides for most of the route.
Practical: four minutes to climb 744 metres. Covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, no reservation needed.
Insider tip: this is the best of the ten for families. It is short, the rotating cabins are genuinely fun, and there is a playground and easy walking at the top.
6. Rigi Railways: where mountain railways began
The Vitznau to Rigi Kulm line opened in 1871 and was the first mountain railway in Europe. It still runs, and Rigi Kaltbad partway up remains car-free.
The summit at 1,797 metres looks out over Lake Lucerne, the Alps to the south and, on exceptional days, the Black Forest in Germany. Sunrise from Rigi Kulm was a fixture of the nineteenth-century Grand Tour, and Mark Twain wrote a chapter about oversleeping and missing it.
Practical: fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, including the lake boat from Lucerne. Two separate cog lines climb the mountain, from Vitznau and from Arth-Goldau.
Insider tip: go up one line and down the other. The Vitznau side gives you the lake crossing, the Arth-Goldau side is faster back to Lucerne or Zurich.
7. Bernina Express: a UNESCO line to a station with no road
Chur to Tirano, crossing the Bernina Pass at 2,253 metres without a rack rail, which makes it one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world. The Albula and Bernina lines together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2008.
The route crosses 196 bridges and passes through 55 tunnels. The Landwasser Viaduct, six limestone arches curving straight into a cliff-face tunnel, is the single most photographed piece of railway in Switzerland. Further south, Alp Grüm station looks directly at the Palü Glacier and can be reached only by train or on foot. Below it the line drops into the Italian-speaking Poschiavo valley and spirals down the open Brusio viaduct.
Practical: four hours. Fare covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, seat reservation extra and required. Full fare Chur to Tirano is around CHF 66 plus reservation.
Insider tip: the Bernina Express is the panoramic tourist service, but regular Rhaetian Railway trains run the same track with opening windows and no reservation. If photography matters more than comfort, take the regular train.
8. Glacier Express: the slowest express train in the world
Zermatt to St Moritz in roughly eight hours, across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels. The name is a joke that stuck: nothing about it is express, and that is the point.
Zermatt at one end is car-free, so the journey begins somewhere you could not have driven to anyway. The route crosses the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres and threads the Rhine Gorge, sometimes called the Swiss Grand Canyon, where limestone walls rise several hundred metres on both sides.
Practical: the fare is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, but a seat reservation is mandatory and costs CHF 54 regardless of how far you travel. Excellence Class reservations are CHF 540 and require a first-class ticket. Full fare without a pass is around CHF 277.
Insider tip: eight hours is a long time in one seat. Many travellers do Zermatt to Andermatt or Chur to Brig instead, which captures most of the scenery in half the time for the same reservation fee.
9. Schynige Platte Railway: 1893 carriages, unchanged
From Wilderswil near Interlaken, this line climbs to a ridge at 1,967 metres in open wooden carriages that have barely changed since the railway opened in 1893. The journey takes 52 minutes at a walking pace, and the carriages have no glass in the windows.
At the top there is an alpine botanical garden with several hundred mountain plant species, and a panorama trail with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau directly opposite. Almost nobody walks past the garden, which means the ridge itself is usually quiet.
Practical: runs roughly late May to late October only. Discounted on the Swiss Travel Pass.
Insider tip: the best-value Jungfrau view in Switzerland. You are looking at the same three peaks that people pay CHF 250 to stand on, from a ridge that costs a fraction of it.
10. Centovalli Railway: a hundred valleys, no road
Locarno to Domodossola in Italy, through the chain of gorges and side valleys the line is named after. It crosses chestnut forests and deep ravines on viaducts, past villages reachable only on foot or by cable car.
This is the least-visited route on the list and the one that feels least like a tourist product. The stone villages of the Onsernone and Verzasca valleys nearby are worth building a day around.
Practical: just under two hours. Covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, no reservation needed. Spectacular in October when the chestnut forests turn.
Insider tip: break the journey at Verdasio and take the cable car to Rasa, a village with no road access at all. Almost no visitors do this.
Which Swiss train route suits which traveller
| If you are | Take | Why |
| Short on time, one ride only | Bernina Express | Most variety in four hours, and a UNESCO line |
| Travelling with children | Stoos Funicular | Four minutes, rotating cabins, playground at the top |
| On a tight budget | Schynige Platte or Rigi | Covered or discounted, and no reservation fee |
| Chasing the famous photo | Gornergrat Railway | The Matterhorn from 3,089 m, and Riffelsee below it |
| A serious rail enthusiast | Pilatus Railway | 48 percent gradient on a cog system built for this mountain |
| Wanting somewhere quiet | Centovalli Railway | The least visited route on this list by a distance |
| Only doing one big splurge | Jungfrau Railway | Europe's highest station, but only on a clear day |
| A photographer | Regular RhB train, not the Bernina Express | Windows open. Panoramic glass reflects. |
How high these Swiss mountain railways climb
Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres is high enough that some visitors get headaches or shortness of breath. The ascent is fast, which makes it more noticeable than the altitude alone would suggest. Walk slowly at the top, drink water, and check with a doctor first if you have a heart or lung condition.
Gornergrat at 3,089 metres is only slightly lower and has the same effect on some people. Neither is dangerous for a healthy visitor, but neither is a place to run up a flight of stairs.
Which side of the train to sit on
This is the single most useful thing to know before you book a panoramic train. Once the carriage is full, you cannot move, and one side has the views while the other has a rock face.
Reserve the side, not just the seat. Most booking systems let you request a preference, and it costs nothing to ask. If you cannot choose, aisle seats on a panoramic train still see plenty because the windows curve into the roof.
Car-free villages in Switzerland reachable only by train
Car-free is not a marketing phrase in Switzerland. In these villages private vehicles are genuinely prohibited by law. You park in the valley below and finish the journey on rails or by cable car, and your luggage can be forwarded ahead by the Swiss Travel System.
| Village | Altitude | How you get there | Why go |
| Zermatt | 1,608 m | Shuttle train from Täsch | The Matterhorn on the doorstep, and the start of the Glacier Express |
| Wengen | 1,274 m | Wengernalp Railway from Lauterbrunnen | Sun terrace above the valley, gateway to Jungfraujoch |
| Mürren | 1,638 m | Cable car and mountain train from Lauterbrunnen | Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau directly opposite. Quieter than Wengen |
| Saas-Fee | 1,800 m | Postbus, then park at the village edge | Ringed by thirteen peaks over 4,000 metres |
| Stoos | 1,300 m | The world's steepest funicular | Ridge walk to Fronalpstock above Lake Lucerne |
| Bettmeralp | 1,950 m | Cable car from Betten Talstation | Gateway to the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps |
Wengen sits on a terrace above Lauterbrunnen and has been closed to private cars since 1893.Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it? What it actually covers
This is where most trip budgets go wrong. The pass covers the fare on most scenic routes. It does not cover the seat reservation, which is mandatory on the panoramic trains and can be substantial.
| Route | With a Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|
| Glacier Express | Fare covered. Seat reservation CHF 54, mandatory, same price for any distance. |
| Bernina Express | Fare covered. Seat reservation required and charged separately. |
| GoldenPass Express | Fare covered. Reservation optional but strongly recommended. |
| Gotthard Panorama Express | Fare covered. Reservation required. |
| Jungfrau Railway | Discounted, not free. The final climb to Jungfraujoch is charged. |
| Gornergrat Railway | Discounted, not free. |
| Pilatus, Schynige Platte | Discounted, not free. Both are seasonal. |
| Rigi, Stoos, Wengernalp | Fully covered, no reservation needed. |
| Also included | City trams and buses, lake boats, and entry to around 500 museums. |
When a Swiss Travel Pass pays for itself
The rough rule: three or more long intercity journeys in a week and the pass wins. Below that, individual tickets or a Saver Day Pass bought well in advance are usually cheaper.
The pass also removes friction. No queuing, no working out fares, and city transport is included the moment you step off a train. For a first visit that is worth something on its own.
A Swiss Half Fare Card is the alternative: it costs less and gives 50 percent off most fares. If your trip is mostly one region with a few big excursions, run the numbers on both.
What Swiss scenic train journeys actually cost
Two things worth noticing in those numbers. The Glacier Express reservation is the same CHF 54 whether you ride eight hours or one, which makes short segments poor value on reservation cost alone. And Jungfraujoch at around CHF 250 return is the most expensive single excursion on the list by a wide margin, which is why the Gornergrat and Schynige Platte alternatives are worth considering.
Book earlier than you think
For the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, book six to eight weeks ahead for July, August, December and January. Three to four weeks is usually enough the rest of the year. Panoramic first-class carriages sell out first, and the difference between a panoramic car and a standard one is real on these routes.
How to book Swiss scenic trains
| Step | What to do |
| 1. Reservations first | Book the Glacier Express and Bernina Express seats before anything else. They are the constraint. Everything else flexes around them. |
| 2. Then the pass or ticket | Decide between a Swiss Travel Pass, a Half Fare Card, or point-to-point tickets once you know your dates. |
| 3. Then accommodation | Car-free villages have limited beds and fill early in high season, particularly Wengen and Mürren. |
| 4. Leave mountain days flexible | Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat and Pilatus are weather-dependent. Do not book those on a fixed date if you can avoid it. |
| 5. Download everything | Save tickets and reservations to your phone before you travel, and screenshot the QR codes. |
Best time to visit Switzerland for train journeys
The panoramic trains run all year. What changes is what you can do when you get off them, and how many people are doing it with you.
| Season | What to expect |
| June and September | The sweet spots. Trails open, seasonal mountain lines fully running, and neither the July crush nor the October closures. |
| July and August | Best weather, worst crowds, highest prices. Every reservation needs booking well ahead and popular trails are busy. |
| October | Beautiful on the lower routes, especially the Centovalli when the chestnut forests turn. Seasonal lines like Schynige Platte start closing. |
| November | The quietest month and the one to avoid. Many mountain railways close for maintenance between summer and ski season. |
| December to March | Spectacular on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, with snow-covered passes and half-empty carriages. Several summit railways run reduced services. |
| April and May | Valleys are green and empty, but higher trails are still under snow and some seasonal lines have not opened yet. |
Switzerland train itinerary: one week, eight routes
Switzerland is compact enough that four bases cover almost everything on this list. Each transfer between them is itself one of the scenic routes, so you are never wasting a travel day.
Day by day
| Days | Base | What you ride |
| 1 to 2 | Lucerne | Rigi Railways with the lake boat, Pilatus Golden Round Trip, and the Stoos funicular as a half day |
| 3 to 4 | Interlaken or Wengen | Schynige Platte, the Wengernalp Railway into Wengen, and Jungfraujoch on the clearest morning |
| 5 | In transit | The full Glacier Express from Zermatt eastward, eight hours to St Moritz |
| 6 to 7 | Chur or St Moritz | Bernina Express south to Tirano, stopping at Alp Grüm for the Palü Glacier |
Two routes are missing from that week: the Centovalli and the Gornergrat. Add Gornergrat by staying a night in Zermatt before the Glacier Express, and the Centovalli by returning north from Tirano through Lugano and Locarno rather than doubling back.
The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
If you would rather follow a set route, the Grand Train Tour links the country's main scenic lines into a loop of roughly 1,280 kilometres, divided into eight flexible stages. It is fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass apart from reservations, and it takes in Lucerne, Interlaken, Montreux, Zermatt, St Moritz and Lugano.
It is an excellent framework and it deliberately favours the famous panoramic trains over the small mountain railways. Several of the ten routes here are not on it.
Common mistakes on Swiss train journeys
- Assuming a pass means you can just turn up. The Glacier Express and Bernina Express need reservations, and in summer they sell out.
- Booking Jungfraujoch on a fixed date. It is expensive and weather-dependent. Keep it flexible and go on the clearest morning of your trip.
- Doing the full eight hours of the Glacier Express. Many people find the last two hours long. A half route captures most of the scenery.
- Not checking which side to sit on. One side has the gorge, the other has a wall.
- Driving to a car-free village. You will be turned around. Park in Täsch for Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen for Wengen and Mürren.
- Arriving at the platform on time rather than early. Swiss trains leave on the stated minute, and connections are often four minutes.
- Travelling in November. Many mountain railways close for maintenance between the summer and ski seasons.
- Relying on live ticket loading. Download tickets before you board. Tunnels and gorges cut the signal.
Mobile data and connectivity on Swiss trains
Swiss network coverage is excellent by any standard. All three national operators, Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt, cover populated areas and main valleys thoroughly, and you will generally have signal in Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren, Interlaken and along the main rail corridors.
What you should not assume is signal on the mountain sections themselves. Long tunnels, deep gorges and high passes interrupt coverage on every network, because the cause is terrain rather than the operator. The Jungfrau Railway spends most of its ascent inside a tunnel. The Bernina Pass crosses open ground above 2,000 metres. Expect the connection to come and go.
Practical steps before you board
Download your tickets and reservations to your phone rather than relying on loading them live, screenshot the QR codes, and save offline maps for the areas around each station. Swiss trains are punctual to the minute and platform changes appear in the SBB app, so being online in the valleys matters more than being online on the mountain.
Getting a Switzerland eSIM before you travel
Buying a local Swiss prepaid SIM means finding a shop and going through ID registration. A travel eSIM installs before you fly and connects the moment you land.
The ETravelSim Switzerland eSIM runs on Swisscom, which has the widest reported coverage of the three Swiss networks and is generally strongest in rural and mountain areas, exactly where these railways go. Plans start at $4.00, need no documentation, and validity begins when you first use the eSIM in Switzerland rather than at purchase, so you can install it weeks ahead at no cost.
Switzerland eSIM plans and prices
| Plan | Validity | Price (USD) | Best for |
| 1 GB | 30 days | $4.00 | A single day trip from Zurich or Lucerne |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $7.50 | Long weekend on two or three routes |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $10.99 | Five to seven days of rail travel |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $19.99 | The full week itinerary above |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $24.99 | Sharing a hotspot, or heavy photo uploads |
| Unlimited | 7 days | $19.99 | One intensive week, no counting |
| Unlimited | 15 days | $39.99 | A fortnight across the country |
Prices verified on the ETravelSim product page in August 2026. Prices can change, so check before buying.
Practical quick-reference for Swiss rail travel
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Currency | Swiss franc (CHF). Not the euro. Cards accepted almost everywhere, contactless is standard. |
| Punctuality | Swiss trains leave on the minute stated. Arrive on the platform early; connections are often four minutes. |
| Luggage | The Swiss Travel System forwards luggage between stations, which is useful when your hotel is in a car-free village. |
| Reaching car-free villages | Park in the valley town below. Täsch for Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen for Wengen and Mürren, Betten for Bettmeralp. |
| Weather | Summits can be in cloud while the valley is clear. Check the webcams before committing to an expensive ascent. |
| Seasonal closures | Pilatus cog railway and Schynige Platte are summer only. Several lines close in November for maintenance. |
| Power | Type J three-pin sockets, 230V. Different from the rest of Europe, so bring the right adapter. |
| Food | Dining cars operate on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, at a price. Supermarket picnics are the standard Swiss saving. |
| Apps | SBB Mobile for timetables, tickets and live platform changes. It is genuinely reliable and worth installing before you arrive. |
| Language | German, French, Italian and Romansh depending on the region. English is widely spoken on tourist routes. |
Frequently asked questions about Swiss train journeys
Which is the best scenic train in Switzerland?
The Bernina Express offers the most variety in the shortest time, crossing a 2,253 metre pass and descending into an Italian-speaking valley in four hours, on a UNESCO-listed line. The Glacier Express is longer and more famous. If you only have time for one and want value, take the Bernina.
What is the most beautiful train ride in Switzerland?
Opinions differ, but the two most commonly named are the Glacier Express for its length and variety, and the Bernina Express for the Landwasser Viaduct and the Bernina Pass. For pure mountain drama in a short ride, the Gornergrat Railway facing the Matterhorn is hard to beat.
Do I need to book Swiss scenic trains in advance?
Yes on the Glacier Express, Bernina Express and Gotthard Panorama Express, where reservations are mandatory. Strongly recommended on the GoldenPass. Not needed on the mountain railways like Rigi, Stoos, Wengernalp or Schynige Platte.
How far in advance should I book the Glacier Express?
Six to eight weeks for July, August, December and January. Three to four weeks for the rest of the year. Panoramic first-class carriages sell out first.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it?
If you are making three or more intercity journeys, it usually pays for itself, and it also covers city trams, lake boats and around 500 museums. Remember it covers fares rather than seat reservations, so budget separately for those.
Can you really not drive to these places?
To some of them, no. Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat, Pilatus Kulm and Alp Grüm have no public road at all. Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren, Stoos, Saas-Fee and Bettmeralp ban private cars, so you park in the valley and take the train or cable car up.
Which side of the train should I sit on?
Glacier Express: right leaving Zermatt. Bernina Express: right leaving Chur. Gornergrat: right going up. GoldenPass: right leaving Montreux. Reserve the side when you book, because you cannot move once the carriage fills.
How much does the Glacier Express cost?
The fare is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, but the seat reservation is a mandatory CHF 54 in first or second class regardless of distance. Without a pass, the full Zermatt to St Moritz fare is around CHF 277 on top of that.
Is Jungfraujoch worth the price?
It is one of the most expensive excursions in Switzerland at around CHF 250 return, and it is entirely weather-dependent. On a clear day it is extraordinary. In cloud you pay a great deal to stand in fog. Check the summit webcam the morning you go, and consider Schynige Platte or Gornergrat as cheaper alternatives with comparable views of the same peaks.
Which route is best in winter?
The Glacier Express and Bernina Express are arguably better in winter, with snow-covered passes and far fewer passengers. Several summit railways reduce service or close entirely, so check before planning a trip around one.
How many of these can I do in a week?
Eight, comfortably, using the itinerary above. The Jungfrau region holds Wengernalp, Schynige Platte and the Jungfrau Railway within an hour of each other, and Lucerne gives you Pilatus, Rigi and Stoos. Adding Gornergrat and the Centovalli makes it ten but means more time in transit.
What is the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland?
A circular route of roughly 1,280 kilometres linking the main panoramic lines into eight flexible stages, starting and ending in Lucerne. It is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass apart from reservations, and it favours the famous trains over the smaller mountain railways.
Are the panoramic trains better than regular trains?
For comfort and commentary, yes. For photography, often not: the curved panoramic glass reflects and the windows do not open. Regular Rhaetian Railway trains run the same Bernina track with opening windows and no reservation fee.
Will my phone work on these trains?
In the valleys and towns, yes. On mountain sections, in long tunnels and on high passes, expect interruptions on every Swiss network. Download tickets and offline maps before you board.
Do I need a Swiss eSIM if I have a Europe plan?
Check the coverage list. Switzerland is in the Schengen Area but not the EU, so it falls outside EU roaming rules and many plans sold as Europe exclude it. If Switzerland is not named on the list, it is not covered.
Can I break my journey on the Glacier Express?
Yes with a pass or a point-to-point ticket, and Andermatt is the most popular midpoint stop. A reservation fee applies to each separate train segment, so breaking the journey costs more in reservations than riding it straight through.
Do these trains run all year?
The main panoramic trains do. Several mountain railways are seasonal: the Pilatus cog railway runs roughly May to November, and Schynige Platte late May to late October. Others close briefly in November for maintenance.
Is Switzerland expensive for rail travel?
Yes, though less than its reputation if you plan. A Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, Saver Day Passes bought well in advance, and supermarket picnics rather than dining cars are the three biggest savings available.
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Destination eSIMs you might also need
- Switzerland eSIM: on Swisscom, from $4.00
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For all ETravelSim destinations, visit etravelsim.com/collections/travelesim.
Last updated: August 2026. Timetables, seasonal operating dates, fares, reservation fees and pass coverage change. Fares quoted are approximate full adult prices for guidance only. Verify current details with the operating railway before booking.