For a country that almost about 238 times smaller than the United States, the considerable length of railway tracks found in the country is pretty surprising.
Thanks to its famous captivating, charming, and scenic mountainous landscapes, Switzerland has some of the most magical train routes in Europe. This makes it easy to understand why tourists especially love going on train rides while in the country.
In this write-up, you will learn about the top ten most popular and captivating train rides in Switzerland. That way,you can be sure you did not miss any scenic Swiss train ride when returning to your country.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 Swiss Train rides you just can’t miss!
This train ride brings you to Vallorcine from Martigny. The rail line is built on a valley wall, giving youan elevated view of the valley’s picture-Esque landscape and the surrounding mountains.
To put this train ride in simple terms, it is one you have to see to believe.
Of course, the train ride up to the highest train station in Europe had to appear on the list, right?
Although the Jungfraujoch scenery is mainly an endless streak of snowy peaks and valleys, it is still one of the most expensive roundtrip rides on this list. The views at the summit of the mountain make it an excellent ride to try out.
Just an hour train ride that takes you from the shores of Lake Brienz to the Rothorn mountain summit, the Brienzer Rothorn train gives you a chance to explore one of Switzerland’s classic peaks without any stress.
While on the journey up the peak, you can look forward to unique glimpses of the various mountains and lakes in the area.
The Gotthard Panorama Express goes from Lucerne to Lugano through the historic Gotthard rail route. The train is aspeedy way of getting to the Canton of Ticino and operates all day of the week except Mondays.
Taking a trip onboard the Gotthard Express requires you to make reservations. You can also travel via the GotthardLine via other regular trains that do not require reservations.
This train ride is only about 30 to 35 minutes, and there is just so much to love about the breathtaking scenery of mountain ranges, impressive rock formations, and meadows you are treated to.
This ride goes to Mt. Pilatus, Lucerne from Alpnachstad. The railway track climbs steeply into the mountains and is quite impressive, to say the least. Besides that and the scenery on the journey, you can also look forward to having fun in Pilatus. Some popular activities in the area include hiking, tobogganing, cable car cruise rides, among others.
No doubt a stunning and fascinating train ride to take, especially on a sunny summer day, the Voralpen Express travels between St. Gallen and the beautiful city of Lucerne.
Of all the train rides on this post, this ride offers the most petite panoramic views, in all honesty. However, this does not make it any less scenic.
The train offers much flexibility and allows you the chance to get off at different intermediate stops so you can explore the area. Besides, the city of Lucerne and St. Gallen offers lots of attractions that just make the trip worth all the time you spend on it.
Another famous scenic train trip in Switzerland is the Bernina Express. There is so much hype about this four-hour ride that makes it difficult not to recommend.
The train journey connects you from Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland, to a small Italian village called Tirano. While it is not one of the fastest, considering the distance between Chur and Tirano, there is so much to love about the ride.
For starters, the views are magnificent and jawdropping as the rail track crosses several alps and bridges while passing through 55 tunnels.
Some of the things to look forward to while on the train include the ride past the Landwasser viaduct, beautiful glaciers and lakes, medieval villages, the brusio spiral viaduct, among others.
The Gornergrat Bahn is the world’s oldest electrified cog railway, and it lets you ride from Zermatt to Gornergat within 35 minutes.
Although this is the shortest Swisstrain journey on this post, the spectacular views of the majestic Matterhorn, lovely Lake Riffel, and the surrounding landscape, which you are treated to make it worth the ride.
One of the best things that makes this ride unmissable is that you can disembark from your ride and explore the surrounding landscape at four different stops along the railway route. Then re-join another train on the route when you are done. You could even decide to hike the rest of the way to appreciate the area if you are keen.
The Glacier Express train ride offers one of the most luxurious and most memorable train rides of all Swiss trainrides.
Also referred to as the world’s slowest fast train, the Glacier express is an eight-hour journey through 300km of railway track, bringing you from the classic ski resort of Zermatt to St.Moritz’s ski resort.
Connecting two famous mountains in Switzerland – Zermatt and St. Moritz – the stunning and spectacular views you are treated to during the journey is certainly worth the hype. The train ride takes you through three Swiss Canton via 91 tunnels and across 291 bridges.
NOTE: The Glacier Express train run severy day, but you are required to make reservations and already obtain a travel pass.
Saving the best for last, of course! Of all the train rides on this list, you just can’t miss the best of them all. This is because the Golden Pass Line is a three-legged train ride that takes you from the center of Switzerland to the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva.
The ride takes a duration of about 5hours 10 minutes while traveling a distance of 119 miles. From its starting destination to the final train station, you are treated to views of eight charming lakes across six different Swiss Cantons and through three impressive mountain passes.
Another impressive thing you should note about this train route is that it offers you the chance to stop over and explore every interesting tourist attraction between Lucerne and Montreux. This in itself is enough reason to go on the ride.
Note: This ranking is based on our own experience and research. No uniform rating scheme is followed. We have no claim to the correctness of the ranking. What counts for us is to show the diversity and beauty of Switzerland. Have we published incorrect information? Let us know: hello@switzerland-pictures.com
Credits: Mont Blanc Express I, Mont Blanc Express II, Mont Blanc Express III, The Jungfraujoch ride I, The Junfraujoch ride II, Brienzer rothorn train I, Brienzer rothorn train II, Brienzer rothorn train III, Gotthard Panorama Express I, Gotthard Panorama Express II, Gotthard Panorama Express III, Gotthard Panorama Express IV, Pilatus Rack Railway ride from Alpnachstad, Voralpen Express I, Voralpen Express II, Voralpen Express III, Bernina Express I, Bernina Express II, Gornergrat Bahn I, Gornergrat Bahn II, Gornergrat Bahn III, Glacier Express I, Glacier Express II, The Golden Pass Line I, The Golden Pass Line II, The Golden Pass Line II
