Europe trip filled with train travel
 

My son (11 ½ yrs old) and I are planning a trip to Europe (from EWR) over the December holidays (sometime between December 19th – 30th). My son wants to travel on the fast trains such as Eurostar, TGV, etc. We will most likely fly into London and then travel to Paris on Eurostar. From then on we want to travel on the TGV to Switzerland. Our goal in Switzerland is to travel on the Glacier Express. We will of course be spending a couple of days each in London, Paris for sightseeing. I have looked for Rail maps on the net but haven’t found one that is clear enough to plan all this on our own. We need to take Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz. What is the best way to get to Zermatt from Paris using the TGV and something else? We would spend a day or two each in Zermatt and St. Moritz as well. Then the next thing is where to fly back from to EWR. We are open to flying into some other city at the start of the trip such as Zurich possibly and do this entire trip in reverse order. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We are open to riding the Bernina Express instead of the Glacier Express. If we do so, may be we can take the TGV to Zurich from Paris, then take the Bernina Express from St. Moritz and incorporate some Italy into our trip.

BTW, is there a website that gives a map of the rail system in Europe that I can see all these countries on one map? Thanks.

You might find info www.raileurope.com

Yes - these fine sites have rail maps and tons of objective info - as well as the usual pass promos: www.budgeteuropetravel.com;www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com and for Swiss scenic trains: www.swisstravelsystem.com. I may think that a Swiss Pass only would be the pass you should look at and scour www.voyages-sncf.com for online discounts for the Paris to Switzereland train. Swiss Pass covers a lot more things in Switzerland than a Eurailpass does and is more cost-effective than say a Eurail Select Pass. Buy your Swiss pass in the U.S., if from the U.S.as they are considerably cheaper her than for the same pass in Switzerland, for some weird reason - check prices at www.swiss-pass.ch in Swiss Francs and figure nearly 1 franc to the dollar with all charges for foreign transactions included and for dollar prices: http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html. It's hard for your travel plans to not benefit greatly by the Swiss Pass IMO - I've used dozens, happily.

Eurostar to Paris.

TGV from Paris (L'Est) to Zurich or from Paris to Lausanne.

From Lausanne, either regular train or Cisalpino (tilting) to Brig; from brig the MGB up to Zermatt (1.5 hours, patially rack-assisted route...great scenery) to Zermatt

Zermatt to St. Moritz by Glacier express (where I would honestly stay anywhere but IN St. Mortiz).
Train back to Zurich to fly out.

OR
TGV from Paris to Zurich (stay overnight OR) on to Chur by regional and stay overnight there. Bernina Express from Chur to Tirano in Italy (mile for mile even MORE spectacular than the Glacier express IMO).

Regional from Tirano to Milan; fly out to EWR (Continental?)

For EITHER of these two scenic routes, reservations in one of the First Class PANORAMA cars is a MUST.

dukey just rode, i believe, both the Glacier and Bernina Express trains and loved Bernina so much he is going back for more this fall,i believe. to me the Bernina is simply the finest scenic train ride in Europe. Period. And also, unlike the marathon all-day Glacier Express, is short and sweet - and yes a good way to go to Lake Como (Bellagio or Como), Italy - just a few hours by train from Tirano, southern terminus of the Bernina Express train.

We are open to riding the Bernina Express instead of the Glacier Express. If we do so, may be we can take the TGV to Zurich from Paris, then take the Bernina Express from St. Moritz and incorporate some Italy into our trip.>

Yes TGV to Zurich (or any Swiss station like Geneva or Lausanne or Basel if others are cheaper) - then use IMO a Swiss Pass to go via Zurich and Chur to St Moritz - you may want to stay overnight in Chur and then the next morning take one of the prettiest parts of the Glacier Express route, that from Reichenau/Chur to St Moritz - this really sweet scenic portion has the train going in some famous loops - thru tunnels, looping over itself on high viaducts, etc. And on from St Moritz via Tirano to Lake Como, or bus Bernina Express bus to Lugano, Switzerland.

As for the Glacier Express - it is IMO the most hotly publicized railway in Europe but not nearly the most scenic - though it is very scenic, at times awesomely scenic it's whole 8 or 9 hours between Zermatt and St Moritz. but i'd rate several other Swiss rail lines just as or more scenic - including the Bernina Express. Ironicallymy research for an article i once wrote on the Glacier Express said the the name "Glacier Express' came from the Aletsch Glacier one could see from the train as it climbed up and over the Furkha Pass - but today's Glacier Express train no longer goes by these glaciers as a few decades ago the Furkha Tunnel was opened that burrows under the pass so no glaciers are seen today on the Glacier Express except right near Zermatt, i believe - thenew tunnel provided year-round running as snows on the Furkha Pass prevented winter running. Note that the Brig to Zermatt portion is often awesomely scenic as well. Anyway, the Glacier Express IMO is a nice scenic ride but not one that i would go out of my way for just because it's the one that gets all the publicity. But if going between Zermatt and St Moritz by rail it is the only practical way of doing that in one day and an always pretty if not always awesomely scenic route.