One of the best wow moments that can be seen from any European train

Zürich / Zurich to Stuttgart by train

How to take the rail journey from Zurich to Stuttgart

The most scenic route taken by international trains from Switzerland to Germany is followed by these trains to Stuttgart.
The highlight is the stunning views of the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, but most of the journey is delightful.

Connect in Stuttgart for Heidelberg and Nurnberg.

Share

Routes

From Zürich HB / Zurich main station to Stuttgart Hbf

Travel Information

Final Destination: Stuttgart

These trains also call at: Singen and Rottweil and Horb

In Zurich HB station these trains will depart from a gleis (platform/track) by the main street level concourse.

1 x direct train every other hour
In alternate hours take IC trains from Zurich to Singen and connect there for a train on to Stuttgart.

The usual first train of the day does not depart on Sundays.

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 6 months ahead of the travel date - usually

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains.

On the DB Bahn booking site look for journeys that have '0' in the Chg. column

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.

Reservations are recommended for this journey, book a 1st class ticket on DB Bahn and your seat will be assigned, but not in 2nd class
They can also be booked separately at a later date on the DB website.

For Rail pass users reservations are optional, but if you do choose to reserve book the reservation online on DB Bahn and avoid the booking fees you would be charged at the station in Switzerland.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB from €19.90

DB Guide

DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.

It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.

A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.

Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.

Trainline from €19.90

Trainline Guide

SaveATrain from €19.90

SaveATrain Guide

Happyrail from €19.90

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 - Yes

Good to Know

A few years ago the intention had been to launch an hourly service, but if you depart Zurich in the odd hours (11:37; 13:37) etc, you have to make a change of train at Singen.
Though it should be a simple cross-platform interchange at Singen station.

If you see Singen as a final destination on the departure info at Zurich HB station, you can take those trains and make a connection there into the trains on to Stuttgart.
The train on to Stuttgart will typically be one of the new double-deck trains used for German IC services.

One of the best wow moments that can be seen from any European train One of the best wow moments that can be seen from any European train
The stunning Schaffhausen Falls can be seen on the right The stunning Schaffhausen Falls can be seen on the right
The train will cross the River Thur on route to Schaffhausen The train will cross the River Thur on route to Schaffhausen
Approaching Schaffhausen station Approaching Schaffhausen station
A typical vista over the German countryside as the train heads north A typical vista over the German countryside as the train heads north
For much of the journey the train shares a valley with The River Neckar For much of the journey the train shares a valley with The River Neckar
The train will travel through a series of typically German towns The train will travel through a series of typically German towns
Arriving in Stuttgart Arriving in Stuttgart

The scenic highlight of the journey is the stunning view of the Schaffhausen Falls - which can be seen from the right of the train (when facing the direction of travel) around 5 mins before the train arrives in Schaffhausen

Between Singen and Stuttgart the train spends much of the journey travelling through typical German countryside.

The best of the views can be seen from the left of the train as it threads through the wooded valley between Singen and Rottweil.

If you are following a rail pass itinerary this is a much more scenic route between Switzerland and central Germany, than the direct trains via Basel and Karlsruhe.
It can be worth making an additional change of train in Stuttgart in order to reach your final destination.

The train will reverse direction on departure from Singen.

Take the stress out of your journey Everything planned to your specification, so sit back and relax… Try Concierge

Newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest travel news stories and to hear about what we've been working on for you.

See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.
Leaving From
Going To
ShowMeTheJourney

This is one of more than 1000 journey guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.