Genève / Geneva to Visp by train

How to take the wonderful journey by Lake Geneva and through beautiful Valais

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Routes

From Genève/Geneva-Cornavin to Visp

Travel Information

Final Destination: Brig

Connect at Visp for MGB trains to Zermatt.

These trains on IR route 90 commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station.

It takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off to Visp.
So these trains usually depart from the main station in Geneve 10 mins after they have departed from Geneve-Aeroport.

The first train to leave in each hour is usually faster because it makes fewer station calls, but on Monday-Friday between 16:00 and 18:15, all the departures make these fewer station calls.

Note that the EC trains that call at Brig on their route to Italy, don't also stop at Visp.

Double-deck trains now operate many of the departures on this route.

2 x trains per hour

Tickets

Online bookings usually open: up to 60 days ahead of the travel date

Book early and save: Yes, If you book Supersaver tickets, you may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons.

If you will be making a day trip to Visp from Geneva, be open to the possibility that Saver Day Passes may be a cheaper option than booking return ticketsl; particularly if you will be travelling on beyond Visp to the likes of Andermatt or Zermatt.

Seat reservations are not available on the IR trains between Geneve and  Visp.

To Saas-Fee and Saas-Grund:

SBB will sell tickets for the end2end journey which includes the train to Visp and the bus on to Saas-Fee or Saas-Grund.

Travelling with a rail pass:

Rail pass users can jump on any train, without having to make reservations.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SBB *

SBB Guide

SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.

SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.

Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.

Trainline *

Trainline Guide

Omio *

Omio Guide

Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.

The three key advantages of using Omio are

  • it offers prices in multiple currencies
  • it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
  • when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.

The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.

Happyrail *

Happyrail Guide

Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.

HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLake viewsMountain views

Good to Know

To Saas-Fee and Saas-Grund:

Also connect at Visp for the bus to Saas-Fee via Saas Grund, route 511 serves both resorts and departs from the forecourt outside the Sud (main) exit at Visp station.

Route 511 departs every 30 mins during the day and the connecting time between the arrival of the train and departure of the bus is usually around 15 mins, so it should be a stress-free transfer.

The bus journey to Saas-Grund takes 40 mins to Saas-Fee takes 52 mins - route 511 makes multiple stops in both resorts.

The trains get closer to Lake Geneva after Lausanne The trains get closer to Lake Geneva after Lausanne
Approaching Vevey station, looking right Approaching Vevey station, looking right
Travelling by the shore of the lake south of Montreux Travelling by the shore of the lake south of Montreux
Face forwards on the right to see the best of the views Face forwards on the right to see the best of the views
On the right you can't miss seeing the Chateau Chillon On the right you can't miss seeing the Chateau Chillon
Crossing the river Rhone north of Sion Crossing the river Rhone north of Sion
Travelling through the vineyards between Sion and Visp Travelling through the vineyards between Sion and Visp

This north to south route through Switzerland tends to be eclipsed by other routes through the Alps, but the scenery is very pleasant for virtually the entire trip!

After Lausanne there are some great views over Lake Geneva; from the right hand side of the train, when facing the direction of travel.
So if they're available, a forward facing window seat on the right will provide the optimum views on this journey.

Then between Sion and Visp, the train threads through valleys lined with vineyards...

...the video was filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a great idea of what to expect on this journey.

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