Zurich-Glacier Express-Zurich in 1day?
 

Hi All,
Could anyone advise me if a train journey on 2nd.July 2004 starting out very early from Zurich to transfer at Chur, to the Glacier Express to Zermatt then travel back via Bern (or similiar route) to Zurich, would be achievable in 1 l-o-n-g day?
I know it is a lot to bundle in one day but it is the train trip and associated sights that we are trying to capture as we have a guided bus tour which includes overnight stays in both Zermatt and St.Moritz. We only have this 1 day spare at Zurich on our itinery.
Any advice/suggestions please, thanks,
Regards,
Albany.

You could do it, but there wouldn't be a chance to spend any time in more than one place along the route.

If you leave Zurich around 7:00, you could get to Chur for the 8:57 Glacier Express, arriving in Zermatt at 2:43 p.m. This would allow a couple of hours in Zermatt before starting back to Zurich, which is about a 5-hour trip.

Many years ago we spent one day travelling Zurich-Locarno-Domodossola-Bern-Zurich, which is a similar-length trip.

If you have a guided bus tour including overnight stays in both Zermatt and St. Moritz you will probably see the most (scenic) highlights of the Glacier Express on your bus tour. No need to do the Glacier Express train trip in addition. (But check the detailed route of your bus trip.)

Although it seems doable as Thomas suggested, you would miss one of the most scenic parts of the Glacier Express when starting in Chur to Zermatt: The leg St. Moritz-Chur is fantastic (esp. for rail enthusiasts!).

Maybe you could give us the detailed route of your bus trip so we could advise you appropriately?

I would suggest you do the portion of the Glacier Express from Chur to Tirano and back, as you are already going to Zermatt and St Moritz. The ride is quite spectacular and you will see different scenery than in Zermatt and St Mortiz, esp the high plataeau around area in Graubunden/Engadine, the lovely area around Pontresina, and the pass over to Italy. I did this last summer as a one day trip (I live in Zurich). It is very doable. You have to get an early train from Zurich to Chur, and then you can take a late afternoon train from Chur back to Zurich. You will be back in Zurich at about 8 pm as I recall, and as it is not dark until after 10 pm, you still have time to enjoy an evening in Zurich.

When you make your reservations for the Glacier Express to Tirano, ask if you can have seats on opposite sides of the car for the journey out and back, as the train does not turn around in Tirano, so if you have the same seats for both portions, you will see the same view. In the panorama cars it does not matter that much, but it a nice option if they will do this. IMO it is worth paying more for the first class observation cars.

The schedule to trains from Zurich to Chur can be found at rail.ch.

Sorry the train I am suggesting is the Berninia Express, which is not technically a portion of the Glacier Express. For information on the Berninia Express, go to http://www.rhb.ch. Click on "English" in the upper right corner to get the English version. Click on "Experience Trains" and then look for the Berninia Express.

Thank you all for the advice/suggestions.
Our bus route after touring Austria has stays at Bolzano(Italy), St.Moritz, Zermatt(via Bellinzona and Stresa), Lausanne, Lucerne(via Berne and Interlaken), Zurich.
I am now leaning toward the Bernina Express although it would be nice to do the return on a different route if this is possible? I'll now check out the suggested links. Thanks.
Regards,
Albany.

There is plenty of exciting scenery on the route between Chur and Brig. Since you've already, or will be doing, the trips to Zermatt and St. Moritz you could more easily take the Brig-Chur segment leaving from Zurich. You do not have to take the "Glacier Express" to do this portion as other trains travel the same route although using those will probably require changes in such places as Andermatt.