SCENIC TRAINS
 

My husband and I would like to do a scenic train excursion. Debating between the Glacier Express, Golden Passor Bernina Express. Would like suggestions. We mainly are interested in the scenry.

No doubt - the Bernina Express far surpasses the others in dramatic mountain scenery, going right by glaciers. The other two trains go mainly through alpine valleys with pleasant scenery but not the out-of-this-world scenery at the Bernina Pass. I've taken every classic scenic train in Europe in my 35 years of writing about them for magazines - no doubt, the Bernina is the most spectacular of these three and one of my top five in Europe. Get off at Bernina Ospiz and walk around the glacier-hemmed in lake.

PalQ, what are your other top 4?

I would rank them:
1. Bernina Express
2. Golden Pass
3. Glacier Express

Other four:
Oslo-Bergen; Martigny-Chamonix; Ventimiglia-Nice; Maillag-Fort William.

Great list, PalQ, but I've not done the last one you mention.

I've done the Glacier Express a couple of times, and frankly I've never been so impressed with it except the two ends -- which are easily done by other trains. And in the summer I'd avoid the "observation" cars as the sun through all that glass was miserable. I didn't feel it gave any greater view anyway -- what's straight up except sky and sun?

I'd also rank Bernina Pass above the Golden Pass, and then the Glacier Express, just like yk.