Switzerland has the densest and most beautiful rail network in the world. Every village in the country is within ten minutes of a train station, the trains run on time in a way that begins to feel supernatural, and the landscape they pass through is consistently, almost exhaustingly, beautiful. Planning a journey through it is not complicated, but the details matter more than people expect.

The Key Routes

There are four routes that form the backbone of any serious Swiss rail itinerary:

The Glacier Express (Zermatt to St. Moritz, 8h): The most famous Swiss route and deservedly so. Panoramic windows, a three-course lunch service, and mountain scenery that peaks at the Oberalp Pass. Run by Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway in partnership. Reservation compulsory, book at least six weeks ahead in summer.

The GoldenPass Panoramic Express (Montreux to Interlaken, 3h): The connecting route between the French-speaking Riviera and the German-speaking Bernese Oberland. Recently upgraded with new Panoramic Express carriages. A quieter, less-photographed journey that I think rewards the traveller more than its reputation suggests.

The Bernina Express (St. Moritz to Tirano, 4h): Over the highest railway pass in the Alps at 2,253 metres, descending to Italian palm trees at Tirano. UNESCO World Heritage, extraordinary engineering, dramatic change of scenery within a single journey.

The Gotthard Panorama Express (Lugano to Flüelen by boat, then train to Lucerne, 3.5h): An unusual combination route. Lake Lugano and Lago Maggiore by paddle steamer, then the Gotthard mountain railway north. The boat section alone is worth the half-day.

Rail Passes: What You Actually Need

The Swiss Travel Pass is almost always the right choice for a multi-day Swiss itinerary. It covers all Swiss Federal Railways trains, most mountain railways (including the Gornergrat Bahn to the Matterhorn viewpoint), lake steamers, and many urban bus and tram networks. It does not cover the mandatory seat reservation on the scenic trains, so budget CHF 32 on the Bernina Express and CHF 54 on the Glacier Express for that.

Prices for 2026, first class per adult: CHF 405 for 3 days, CHF 492 for 4 days, CHF 634 for 6 days, CHF 697 for 8 days and CHF 787 for 15 days. Second class saves roughly 35%. The pass also halves most mountain railway fares, which is where it quietly earns its keep a second time. First class, on Swiss trains, is genuinely worth it, the seats are wider, the cars quieter, and on scenic routes the panoramic windows are positioned higher.

The Eurail Global Pass is better value if your Swiss itinerary connects to France, Italy or Austria. I use it for the Grand Culinary Rail Journey, which crosses three countries.

The Right Sequence

This matters more than most travel guides acknowledge. Switzerland is not large, but the scenic routes run in specific directions, and fighting the geography costs you time and beautiful scenery.

The sequence I use for the Swiss Wellness Grand Tour, and recommend as a default for any multi-stop Swiss journey, is: Zurich → Lucerne / Bürgenstock (by boat or road transfer) → St. Moritz via Glacier Express from Andermatt → Zermatt (reverse Glacier Express, or direct train via Brig) → Montreux via GoldenPass → Interlaken. This runs roughly west to east to west in a loop, with each transition by a different scenic rail route.

The alternative is Zurich → Lausanne → Montreux → Interlaken → Bern → Zurich, which is efficient and pleasant but misses the high mountain railways entirely.

Hotels: The Five Worth Anchoring Your Itinerary Around

Switzerland has excellent hotels at every level, but five properties are distinctive enough that I recommend building the itinerary around their availability rather than choosing them to fit a pre-set route:

Bürgenstock Resort. Clifftop above Lake Lucerne. The Alpine Spa is the finest in Switzerland. Two nights minimum.

Kulm Hotel St. Moritz. The hotel that invented winter sports. The Engadin Spa, the curling rink, the house history. One or two nights.

Omnia Zermatt. A rock hotel reached by private tunnel lift, with the Matterhorn as its focal point. Two nights, one is not enough to settle in.

Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, The grande dame of the Swiss Riviera, Lake Geneva at the door, the Alps reflected in the water. One night, with a long dinner.

Victoria-Jungfrau, Interlaken. The most iconic hotel in the Alps. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau fill the view from the bed. Two nights to properly use the Grand Spa.

When to Go

Switzerland rewards two distinct seasons. June to September offers long days, wildflowers on the lower passes, and outdoor thermal pools at their most spectacular. December to March brings snow, frozen lakes, and the particular beauty of mountain villages in winter. Christmas markets in early December, ski season from mid-December onward.

Avoid late October and November: many mountain hotels close for the inter-season, some scenic train services run reduced timetables, and the weather has neither summer clarity nor winter drama.

Planning Your Own Journey

All four of Alpina's signature trips pass through Switzerland. The Swiss Wellness Grand Tour covers all five hotels above, linked by the Glacier Express and GoldenPass. If you would like a custom Swiss itinerary (different dates, a different starting point, specific hotels), use the enquiry form and I will prepare a detailed proposal within 24 hours.