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.
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.
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.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB | from €19.90 | |
Trainline | from €19.90 | |
SaveATrain | from €19.90 | |
Happyrail | from €19.90 |
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.
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.
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