Switzerland offers a remarkable way to sightsee your day through the beautiful terrain: the Glacier Express.
No car needed. Just a slow moving, winding train that is Switzerland’s greatest ad for Narnia.
The Glacier Express is a regular scheduled year-round train service between Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn and St. Moritz in the Engadin skiing area.
No idea why it’s called an express since it is slow.
Built on a narrow gauge train, it takes over seven hours to cover just over 290 km (180 miles), at an average of around 24 mph. However, it’s very civilized inside and you can get a decent lunch on board in the restaurant cars. The views are breathtaking, blizzards and all, and it also offers the unique experience of climbing to 2033 meters up the incredible Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the line. It truly looks like Narnia along the way. At the end the train magically winds its way to the chic resort of St Moritz. All in a day’s work!
Prices are not that bad for Switzerland. Below are the rack rates.
| Zermatt – St Moritz, basic fare: | 149 CHF (€149) 2nd class, one-way
262 CHF (€262) 1st class, one-way |
| Glacier Express supplement:
(this must be paid in addition to the basic fare or railpass) |
33 CHF (€33) in summer.
13 CHF (€13) in winter. |
| Cost of lunch (optional): | 30 CHF (€30) for Plate of the Day.
43 CHF (€43) for 3-course lunch. |
Children under 6 go free; children aged 6 to 16 pay half fare but must pay the adult supplement.
The Glacier Express is run jointly by two private Swiss railways, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) and the Rhätische Bahn (RhB), which also operate the regular hourly local trains over the same route. There is one daily Glacier Expresses in each direction in winter, but up to three daily Glacier Expresses in the summer. It is a great experience and I highly recommend it.
You can easily buy tickets online at www.glacierexpress.ch