By Train in Valais

The Mont Blanc/St. Bernard Express with its signature red and white cars emblazened with a picture of the country's beloved canine, passes through La Châble for connections to Verbier on its way from Martigny to Chamonix. In La Châble take the cableway or bus for the 10 to 20 minute ride. To travel to the Grand St-Bernard Pass, you will have to switch to the company's bus line in Orsières for an hour's drive to the pass or through the tunnel to Aosta, Italy. The Matterhorn Gottard Bahn ferries passengers from Visp to Zermatt and operates frequent shuttle service from Tasch to the village on a private railway system. It also connects with the famous panoramic Glacier Express that runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz. Once in Zermatt, another arm of the network, the Gornergrat Bahn takes over to sweep skiers and day-trippers to the Gornergrat. The SBB provides 24-hour information about all rail service, but you may want to consult local schedules for commuter service.

Information

Matterhorn Gottard Bahn (027/9277474. www.mgbahn.ch) Gonergrat Bahn (027/9214711. www.gornergrat.ch). Mont Blanc/St. Bernard Express (027/7216840. www.momc.ch).