Glacier Express in Switzerland
Oct 17th, 2013, 09:37 AM
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Glacier Express in Switzerland
I am taking my family to Italy and Switzerland in late May 2014. Our last stop in Italy is Venice and then we want to go to Zermatt. I was hoping to be able to take the Glacier Express. I think you have to board in St. Moritz and then it is a 7 1/2 ride to Zermatt. Does this make sense or would another more direct route be scenic too?
Oct 17th, 2013, 10:08 AM
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Regular scheduled trains run on the same rails as the tourist train called Glacier Express. Taking the regular trains gives you more departures but also requires connections where then tourist train goes straight through.
The most spectacular way, if you are willing to sit on slow mountain trains for long hours, is to take the regional from Milan to Tirano, then either the tourist train "Bernina Express" or regular scheduled trains to St. Moritz, stay the night, then do the Glacier Express to Zermatt.
If all this seems too long and involved, then you can indeed take the regular fast trains from Milan through the Simplon tunnel (not much to see...) and change trains for Zermatt.
Once in Zermatt, take the train up to the Gornergrat, the best lookout for Matterhorn etc.
Timetables at www.sbb.ch
The most spectacular way, if you are willing to sit on slow mountain trains for long hours, is to take the regional from Milan to Tirano, then either the tourist train "Bernina Express" or regular scheduled trains to St. Moritz, stay the night, then do the Glacier Express to Zermatt.
If all this seems too long and involved, then you can indeed take the regular fast trains from Milan through the Simplon tunnel (not much to see...) and change trains for Zermatt.
Once in Zermatt, take the train up to the Gornergrat, the best lookout for Matterhorn etc.
Timetables at www.sbb.ch
Oct 17th, 2013, 06:27 PM
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You could easily combine Switzerland's two ultimate scenic trains.
1) Venice Santa Lucia to Milan Centrale from €19, hourly departures, 2h35, http://www.trenitalia.com.
2) Milan Centrale to Tirano on the 10:20 local train arriving around 12:50, fare €11, no reservation needed, buy a ticket at the station from the self-service machines which have a touch-screen and English language facility.
3) This gives you time for a beer and sandwich at Margy's bar across the square in Tirano before taking the fabulous Bernina Express to St Moritz. Some say this is better than the Glacier Express although if it is, it's a close-run thing.
4) Stay overnight in St Moritz then take the Glacier Express to Zermatt.
Book both the Bernina and Glacier at http://www.rhb.ch
1) Venice Santa Lucia to Milan Centrale from €19, hourly departures, 2h35, http://www.trenitalia.com.
2) Milan Centrale to Tirano on the 10:20 local train arriving around 12:50, fare €11, no reservation needed, buy a ticket at the station from the self-service machines which have a touch-screen and English language facility.
3) This gives you time for a beer and sandwich at Margy's bar across the square in Tirano before taking the fabulous Bernina Express to St Moritz. Some say this is better than the Glacier Express although if it is, it's a close-run thing.
4) Stay overnight in St Moritz then take the Glacier Express to Zermatt.
Book both the Bernina and Glacier at http://www.rhb.ch
Oct 18th, 2013, 12:58 AM
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The answer of man in seat 61 is perfect, as usual.
I might just add that from 10th May until 26th October 2014, the Tirano dp 14.04 Bernina Express train goes up to Chur and doesn't run via St. Moritz, the only commercial stop in Engadin being Samedan (ar 16.24).
St. Moritz bound Bernina Express trains leave Tirano at 10.03, 14.22 and 15.14 (corresponds to Milano C dp 7.20, 10.20 and 12.20).
Some people upgrade their ride by taking the 10.00 boat from Como (corresponds to Milan Centrale dp 8.25 or Milano Cadorna dp 8.40) up to Bellano. The Lake Como timetables for next May are not yet published, however,
I might just add that from 10th May until 26th October 2014, the Tirano dp 14.04 Bernina Express train goes up to Chur and doesn't run via St. Moritz, the only commercial stop in Engadin being Samedan (ar 16.24).
St. Moritz bound Bernina Express trains leave Tirano at 10.03, 14.22 and 15.14 (corresponds to Milano C dp 7.20, 10.20 and 12.20).
Some people upgrade their ride by taking the 10.00 boat from Como (corresponds to Milan Centrale dp 8.25 or Milano Cadorna dp 8.40) up to Bellano. The Lake Como timetables for next May are not yet published, however,
Oct 18th, 2013, 04:48 AM
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To me the Glacier Express is the most overhyped scneic train in Europe and not nearly the most scenic in Swsitzerland - the Bernina Express to me is by far better - and any train in the Jungfrau Region or Brig to Zermatt is more scneic (the latter is arguably the most scenic of the GE route.
GE gets all the hype but it is for most IME after a while a tedious all-day marathon thru nice but not spectacular scenery - the best parts being Reichenau to St-Moritz - the fangtastic Albula Pass line that is a UNESCO World Heritage designated rail line for its prodigious feats of climbing and circling inside and outside of a mountain via bridges and loops - and the Brig to Zermatt portion.
I would not go out of my way to take it - I would go out of my way to take the Bernina Express - anyway for lots of great goodies on Swiss trains check out www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
GE gets all the hype but it is for most IME after a while a tedious all-day marathon thru nice but not spectacular scenery - the best parts being Reichenau to St-Moritz - the fangtastic Albula Pass line that is a UNESCO World Heritage designated rail line for its prodigious feats of climbing and circling inside and outside of a mountain via bridges and loops - and the Brig to Zermatt portion.
I would not go out of my way to take it - I would go out of my way to take the Bernina Express - anyway for lots of great goodies on Swiss trains check out www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site); www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Oct 18th, 2013, 06:29 AM
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If you do take the Bernina Express and then want to go to Zermatt there is another way that to me is nicer than the GE - you can take the Maloja Pass scenic postal bus from St Moritz to Lugano - maybe staying in that pleasant city a day or so and then take a train via Locarno and the Centovalli scenic train from there to Domodossola, where you change to trains to Brig that go under the Simplon Tunnel - and then Brig to Zermatt.
The Centovalli line ('100 valleys') is not dramtically scenic but bucolically scenic - goes thru Italy but Swiss Passes are still valid the whole way to Domodosssola and then from there to Brig and Zermatt.
The Maloja Pass bus is a dramatically scenic ride on Switzerland's iconic post buses - zigzagging like a corkscrew thru gorgeous Alpine scnery to Lake Como - stopping in Menagio for a bit then to Lugano.
The Centovalli line ('100 valleys') is not dramtically scenic but bucolically scenic - goes thru Italy but Swiss Passes are still valid the whole way to Domodosssola and then from there to Brig and Zermatt.
The Maloja Pass bus is a dramatically scenic ride on Switzerland's iconic post buses - zigzagging like a corkscrew thru gorgeous Alpine scnery to Lake Como - stopping in Menagio for a bit then to Lugano.
Oct 21st, 2013, 02:14 PM
#14
We took the GE and had a good time.
Had lunch in the dinning car.
It was a long ride and the last few hours were a bit tedious.
So, while we did enjoy the ride, I wouldn't disagree completely with Pal's comments.
We have not been on the Bernina Express, so could not make that comparison between the two train rides.
Had lunch in the dinning car.
It was a long ride and the last few hours were a bit tedious.
So, while we did enjoy the ride, I wouldn't disagree completely with Pal's comments.
We have not been on the Bernina Express, so could not make that comparison between the two train rides.
Oct 21st, 2013, 09:44 PM
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Hi maryhks,
I've also taken the Glacier Express, and I also found it to be over-rated. I took it after taking the train through the Tyrolian Alps, and I thought the trip through the Tyrol was at least as pretty as the GE. All the hype about the GE is another case of effective advertising, imo.
I also took the lunch and was very sorry I did. It was some kind of mystery meat in a goulash sauce and a lettuce salad with some kind of dressing like thousand-island. It looked and tasted like something from Shoneys or Dennys in the US -- but at about 3x the price.
Have fun as you plan!
s
I've also taken the Glacier Express, and I also found it to be over-rated. I took it after taking the train through the Tyrolian Alps, and I thought the trip through the Tyrol was at least as pretty as the GE. All the hype about the GE is another case of effective advertising, imo.
I also took the lunch and was very sorry I did. It was some kind of mystery meat in a goulash sauce and a lettuce salad with some kind of dressing like thousand-island. It looked and tasted like something from Shoneys or Dennys in the US -- but at about 3x the price.
Have fun as you plan!
s
Oct 22nd, 2013, 04:22 AM
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a nice thing about the Bernina Express is that it is short and sweet - a few hours thru the finest Alpine scenery possible. No 8-hour marathon train trip would be fun for me - too long on a train no matter how scintillating the scenery.
Oct 22nd, 2013, 07:10 AM
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The best parts of the Glacier Express in terms of dramatic Alpine scenery are Brig to Zermatt and St Moritz to Reichenau - the rest is thru valleys - nice but so so after a while.
The name Glacier Express comes from glaciers the old route used to track by on the Furka Pass - but since the opening years ago of the Furka Tunnel those glaciers can no longer be seen - yet the magic name is still used for effective reasons.
GE could not run year-round routes due to snow blocking the Furka Pass so the new - then new tunnel provided year-round running.
Steam trains today ply the old Furka Pass route in the summer and postal buses go over the Furka Pass but no longer the Glacier Express.
The name Glacier Express comes from glaciers the old route used to track by on the Furka Pass - but since the opening years ago of the Furka Tunnel those glaciers can no longer be seen - yet the magic name is still used for effective reasons.
GE could not run year-round routes due to snow blocking the Furka Pass so the new - then new tunnel provided year-round running.
Steam trains today ply the old Furka Pass route in the summer and postal buses go over the Furka Pass but no longer the Glacier Express.
Oct 23rd, 2013, 03:03 AM
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Glacier-Express runs slowly through very different areas with completely different mountain village architecture from valley to valley. There are constantly 3 kinds of highlights:
a) nature: mountains, forests, mountain lakes, torrents and mountain creeks, etc.
b) human buildings on both sides of the lines: villages, churches, castles (inbabited and in ruins), monasteries, alp chapels, wooden bridges, etc.
c) the railway line itself: bridges, tunnels, chalet like railway stations, cog sections, helicoidal bridges and tunnels.....
If you like this kind of things, you will like Glacier Express. if not, it may be boring for you.
And be aware that all scenic train trips can be boring if the weather is really bad (fog, clouds, rain, etc.) But that's true for every train or bus journey.
a) nature: mountains, forests, mountain lakes, torrents and mountain creeks, etc.
b) human buildings on both sides of the lines: villages, churches, castles (inbabited and in ruins), monasteries, alp chapels, wooden bridges, etc.
c) the railway line itself: bridges, tunnels, chalet like railway stations, cog sections, helicoidal bridges and tunnels.....
If you like this kind of things, you will like Glacier Express. if not, it may be boring for you.
And be aware that all scenic train trips can be boring if the weather is really bad (fog, clouds, rain, etc.) But that's true for every train or bus journey.
