Glacier Express (Switzerland)

All of the core information you will need about taking The Glacier Express train is on its website - but ShowMeTheJourney thought a summary of the LESS OBVIOUS aspects of taking this train will hopefully be useful.

Top 10 Things Worth Knowing About The Glacier Express:

(1) The two largest independent mountain railway networks in southern Switzerland are the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) and the Rhätische Bahn/ Rhaetian Railway (RhB) - and what makes the Glacier Express train unique is that it is the only service that travels between BOTH networks.

(2) Therefore the Glacier Express is the only DIRECT train in either direction between Zermatt/Visp and Chur/Davos/St Moritz.

(3) The longest journey possible on the Glacier Express is that between St Moritz and Zermatt, which takes around 8hrs and 10 mins – it’s not a fast train (speed isn’t the point of making a journey).

(4) In contrast, making the journey between St Moritz and Zermatt by a combination of regular MGB and RhB trains requires at least 4 x changes of train.

(5) The cost of purchasing separate tickets for a journey by regular trains between Zermatt and St Moritz is similar to the cost of a Glacier Express ticket - those Glacier Express ticket prices are actually good value.

(6) For journeys by The Glacier express the total price is the journey price + the reservation fee, so the 'journey price' is not the total cost.
The journey price varies according to distance travelled, but the reservation fee is a fixed price, irrespective of distance.

(7) The reservation fees/supplementary charge is cheaper in the winter compared to the summer.

(8) You don’t have to travel the length of the whole route to experience a ride on The Glacier Express – short section tickets are now available.

(9) Booking a minimum of a couple of weeks ahead is highly recommended – many departures sell out completely in advance.

(10) When making a booking, you will select seats on a seating plan, so can see if window tickets are available etc.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, or a Eurail or InterRail pass that’s valid in Switzerland, you ONLY have to pay the reservation fee – so using any of these passes to travel on The Glacier Express is a great deal!
Rail pass users can book reservations without journey tickets on the Glacier Express website.

Between March 2nd and October 13th the new 'Excellence Class' service will be available on the 08:52 departure from Zermatt and the 09:15 departure from St Moritz.

For a supplement of CHF 420 first class ticket holders will be able to benefit from a luxurious on board service, which will comprise:

• access to an exclusive bar
• an at seat lunch with complimentary wine
• afternoon tea with canapés
• a welcome drink
• snacks throughout the journey
• guaranteed window seats in an observation with gold-leaf tinted windows.

Optional quality meals are served from the restaurant car on the trains to passenger’s seats in both 1st and 2nd class.
However, meals are only served to passengers who have booked them in advance - meals can be added to a booking on the website
The ticket prices therefore do not include the meals.

A snack bar is available to passengers who do not want a hot meal or have not reserved prior to boarding.

Connections to Swiss mainline SBB trains are available at Brig, Visp and Chur.

SBB trains from Basel and Zurich operate to Chur, while both Brig and Visp are served by trains from many Swiss cities including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich.

EC trains also provide a direct service between both Brig and Visp and Milan.

The journey between St Moritz and Zermatt has six distinct sections:

1: St Moritz to Chur:
On the Albula Railway, including the famous Landwasser Viaduct, but it is not the only viaduct on this twisting part of the route – sit on the left facing backwards for the best views of the viaduct - when travelling in this direction.

(The image wasn't taken on a Glacier Express train)

2: Chur to Disentis:
For most of this part of the journey the railway runs through a gorge, the river is on the right when heading towards Visp and Brig.

3.Disentis to Andermatt:
As the train approaches Andermatt it climbs to the highest part of the route at Oberalp.
After Oberalp there are spectacular views over the Oberalpsee and down into the valley towards Andermatt, particularly from the left of the train
(the train will have reversed direction in Chur).

4. Andermatt – Brig:
This section of the route used to take a spectacular path across the Furka Pass, but the line was blocked by snow too often so a tunnel had to be constructed
As a result this section of the route is now pretty, rather than jaw-droppingly incredible.

5.Brig – Visp:
Between these stations the route runs parallel to a mainline operated by SBB and there is a more urban, less spectacular flavour here - though the views from the right of the train of the valley walls towering above, have their moments.

6. Visp – Zermatt:
The railway line follows a valley up to Zermatt and towards journey's end, the river is over to the right, but best of the views are on the left.