Switzerland by train
- swedeshouse
- Mar 14
- 7 min read
A Scenic Rail Adventure Through the Alps
After a few days in Berlin celebrating Oktoberfest with some of our safari group, it was time for the next adventure.
Pam and I hopped a flight from Berlin to Zurich, Switzerland, where we would begin a train-based journey through the Swiss Alps.
While planning our Berlin trip, I had been looking for something interesting to add on afterward. During my search I stumbled across a company called Railbookers. They specialize in rail vacations all over the world—from simple three- or four-day itineraries to lavish multi-week adventures on some of the most exotic rail lines anywhere.
As I narrowed the search, Switzerland quickly rose to the top. After a little back-and-forth with a Railbookers representative, we landed on a trip from Zurich to Basel featuring two legendary rail routes: the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express.
That sounded like something worth seeing.
Zurich – A Rainy Welcome
Our trip began with two nights in Zurich—actually three, since we added an extra night so we could explore a bit.
After a short train ride from the airport, we arrived at the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich, a beautiful hotel directly across from the main train station. The location couldn’t have been more convenient.
The weather greeted us with classic European fall conditions: gray skies and rain.
We spent the afternoon wandering through the city, crossing the Limmat River several times before eventually reaching the shores of Lake Zurich. We also spent some time in the local museum.
That evening we found a small café with an outdoor table tucked under a canvas awning, protected from the rain. There we enjoyed fondue and wine while watching the world wander by, which felt like exactly the right way to start a Swiss trip.
Breakfast the next morning was far fancier than what I’m usually accustomed to, but I managed to survive the experience. The hotel was elegant, the room was comfortable, and the cool Swiss air made for excellent sleeping weather.
Swiss Train Travel 101
When it was time to hit the rails, we packed up and walked across the street to the Zurich train station—which is impressive enough to be an attraction all by itself.
I couldn’t help thinking:
I wish we had a train system half this nice in the United States.
We found our platform, grabbed some coffee, and waited to board.
Pro tip: Train travel is incredibly easy—but preparation matters.If you bring a suitcase too big to carry onto an airplane, you’ve already made a mistake.
Pam and I pack as light as possible:
one small roll-aboard suitcase
one backpack
That’s it.
Most trains have luggage storage areas, overhead racks, and space behind seats, so managing bags is simple.
We had reserved seats, which is always the way to go. Your ticket tells you exactly which car and seat number you have. If you do your homework ahead of time, you can even figure out which side of the train has the best views.
Not that there’s really a bad seat in Switzerland.
And one more thing:
Swiss trains run on time. Not “close to on time.”Not “sometime this morning.”
They leave exactly on time.
St. Moritz – Mountain Views and Sunset Trains
Our train carried us toward St. Moritz, and the scenery only improved the farther we went into the Alps.
Upon arrival at the small train station at the base of town, we were greeted by the hotel shuttle driver, who whisked us up the hill in about five minutes to the Hotel Schweizerhof St. Moritz.
Once again, we had landed in a fantastic location.
Our room offered a stunning view across the valley, over the lake, and toward the mountains stretching to the south and east. Not a bad place to spend a couple nights.
At the front desk, the clerk helped us maximize our afternoon. She handed us local transit passes that worked for buses, trams, and funiculars and then outlined a mini adventure for the afternoon.
First stop: Piz Nair, accessible by a series of lifts and transit connections that deliver spectacular views across the entire region.
Next stop: Muottas Muragl, reached by funicular.
From there we enjoyed sunset overlooking the valley, followed by dinner and wine at the Scatla – pronto manger restaurant.
The transit pass tip turned out to be a winner—we packed a ton of sightseeing into one afternoon before heading back for an early night.
The next day would be our ride on the Bernina Express.
The Bernina Express – Switzerland to Italy
After another excellent hotel breakfast, we returned to the station.
Today’s adventure: an out-and-back journey on the Bernina Express, traveling over the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy, before returning to St. Moritz.
The Bernina Express is one of the world’s most famous panoramic train routes. It begins in Chur, Switzerland, winds through the Alps, and eventually reaches Italy while passing:
glaciers
mountain valleys
dramatic bridges
UNESCO World Heritage rail structures
including the famous Landwasser Viaduct and Brusio Circular Viaduct.
The weather that day was stormy with snow at higher elevations, which meant some of the summit views were hidden in clouds. But the journey was still spectacular.
The engineering alone—tunnels, bridges, and tight curves through the mountains—was fascinating.
That evening back in St. Moritz, we wandered through the village shops, including a very cool hunting store called “Haus des Jägers.”
Dinner took us to a mostly quiet local restaurant called Bobby’s Pub.
The food was good, but the real entertainment came from a very intoxicated gentleman attempting to engage a quiet man who was clearly doing everything possible to ignore him.
It was painfully obvious the quiet guy was not someone you’d want to pick a fight with—especially if you can’t stand up straight.
Watching the interaction from a safe distance turned out to be quite entertaining.
The Glacier Express – The World’s Slowest Express Train
The next morning we boarded the Glacier Express, often referred to as “the world’s slowest express train.”
The trip crosses the Alps in about eight hours, traveling through:
91 tunnels
291 bridges
We had booked first class seats, and I had pre-ordered lunch to be served at our seats.
For the next eight hours we simply relaxed as the train carried us through some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth:
waterfalls, tunnels, alpine villages, farms, grazing cows, towering mountains, and endless scenic valleys.
It was almost too much scenery to absorb.
Eventually we transferred trains for the final leg to Zermatt.
Zermatt – At the Foot of the Matterhorn
Zermatt is a car-free alpine village sitting in the shadow of the famous Matterhorn.
From the station we walked a couple of blocks to our final stop: Hotel Schweizerhof Zermatt.
Once again, a fantastic boutique hotel with a cozy dining area and an excellent bar.
I had intentionally booked a “Matterhorn view” room.
Naturally, the day we arrived the mountain was completely hidden in clouds.
You couldn’t see the Matterhorn.
You couldn’t see any mountain.
But the village itself was wonderful to explore. We wandered through the shops and eventually made our way to Hinterdorfstrasse, where some of the oldest wooden houses in town—dating back to the 1600s—still stand.
A Perfect Morning View
The next morning I peeked out the window early.
Bluebird skies.
And there it was—the Matterhorn glowing orange in the sunrise, perfectly framed outside our window.
We drank coffee in bed just staring at it.
Absolutely stunning.
The Gornergrat Adventure
After breakfast, we checked in with the front desk and told the clerk we had tickets for the Gornergrat railway to view the Matterhorn.
She immediately grabbed a map and laid out a strategy.
Her advice:
Ride the train all the way to the top.
Take photos and explore the glacier views.
Ride down one stop to Rotenboden and walk to Riffelsee Lake for the famous Matterhorn reflection photo.
Ride down to Riffelberg for lunch.
Then take the “easy blue hiking trail” "The Mark Twain Trail" downhill to the next station—about a 45-minute walk.
Seemed simple enough.
The “Easy” Hike
After lunch, Pam returned from the cafeteria with two mini bottles of Jägermeister.
“For the hike,” she said.
Which seemed perfectly reasonable.
Now it should be noted that we were dressed in casual travel clothes:
Dockers
polos
light jackets
Olukai shoes
Pam was dressed similarly.
We had no hiking poles, no traction cleats, and no real hiking gear.
But hey—it was a blue trail.
How hard could it be?
About 500 yards down the trail we encountered a serious mountain woman wearing proper hiking boots, shorts, and trekking poles.
She asked,“Do you know this trail?”
“No.”
She asked again.
“No.”
Then she said:
“You’re not dressed for this trail. It gets icy and very steep below.”
Well… thanks for the concern, but I’m an experienced outdoorsman who is clearly in peak physical condition resembling Chris Farley, so we pressed on.
Also, I had already walked 500 yards downhill.
There was no way I was hiking back up.
The Descent
Soon the trail became steeper.
Then steeper.
Then very steep.
At one point it felt like if you slipped you would simply slide all the way to the valley floor.
Eventually the trail doubled back—directly into deep shade.
Which is where the snow and ice began.
For the next hour we slipped, slid, shuffled, and occasionally sat down to scoot our way downhill like two reluctant sledders.
It was less hiking and more controlled falling.
Eventually we reached dry ground and finally arrived at the train station without injury.
Two lessons learned:
Olukai shoes are beach, pool, and bar shoes—not hiking shoes.
Trekking poles would have been awesome.
Naturally, we celebrated survival with those Jägermeister shots.
Claiming the Victory
That night we enjoyed dinner at the fondue restaurant below the hotel, sharing a bottle of wine while laughing about our near-death experience.
At this point we felt fully justified in saying:
“We hiked the Matterhorn.”
Technically speaking.
Heading Home
The next day we packed up and boarded our final train.
Destination: Basel, where we caught a flight to Amsterdam for one last overnight stay before returning home.
Another incredible adventure completed.
Final Thoughts
This trip through Switzerland was absolutely spectacular, and we recommend Railbookers to friends all the time.
They handled:
hotels
train tickets
rail passes
schedules
transfers
Everything was organized and seamless, leaving us free to simply enjoy the journey.
And Switzerland by train?
Highly recommended.
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