The Glacier Express is many things, the world's slowest express train, a marketing triumph, a Swiss institution, but above all it is a genuine engineering marvel threading through landscapes that no road can match. I have taken it fourteen times, in every season, and I am still not bored.

The Route

Zermatt to St. Moritz (or the reverse) covers 291 kilometres, crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels. The highlight is the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres, typically snowy from November through April, and the dramatic Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, a 65-metre-high curved stone arch that appears briefly and vanishes before most passengers realise what they have seen.

The full journey takes roughly eight hours. I almost always recommend east to west, Chur or St. Moritz toward Zermatt, because the afternoon light falls better on the Matterhorn approach.

First Class vs. Excellence Class

First class gives you wider seats, a decent table, and the panoramic windows that define the experience. If you are on a budget, first class is genuinely sufficient.

Excellence Class, introduced in 2022, is a different proposition entirely. Six seats per car, a four-course lunch by the former head chef of the Badrutt's Palace, and staff who remember your name. At around 450 CHF supplementary, it is not an everyday luxury, but for a milestone celebration it is extraordinary. I recommend it for milestone celebrations: anniversaries, birthdays, retirements. Guests who have done it always say the same thing: it was the highlight of the trip. It is also the closest thing in Europe to GoldLeaf on the Rocky Mountaineer, at about a third less per day.

Which Side to Sit On

This question gets more attention than it deserves, because the train curves constantly and the light changes. That said, the general rule: travelling Zermatt → St. Moritz, sit on the right for the Matterhorn departure views and the left for the Landwasser Viaduct. Travelling the other direction, reverse it. A window seat in any case, do not compromise on this.

Reservations Are Mandatory

Unlike most Swiss trains, the Glacier Express requires a compulsory reservation (around 20 CHF per person) on top of your rail pass or ticket. Book at least six weeks in advance in summer and around the holidays. The Excellence Class fills months ahead.

What to Eat

Dining car meals are included in Excellence Class. In first class, they are available but optional, a set menu around 50–70 CHF. The food is reliably good, not remarkable, and the tilted soup plates (designed for the mountain gradients) are a charming conversation piece.

I usually pack a small picnic and treat the dining car as an occasion rather than a necessity. A decent cheese, some bread from the Zermatt cooperative bakery, and a half-bottle of Fendant from Valais makes the journey feel personal rather than touristic.

The Shoulder Season Secret

May and November are underrated. The crowds thin dramatically, prices drop, and there is something moving about crossing snowless high passes with just a handful of other passengers. June brings wildflowers on the lower slopes; late September, the larches turn gold at altitude and the light turns amber in the afternoons.

Avoid the last two weeks of July and first two weeks of August unless you book six months out and do not mind sharing the panorama.

Combining It With Other Trains

The Glacier Express pairs naturally with the Bernina Express (St. Moritz south to Tirano, Italy, another UNESCO heritage line) or with a night in Zermatt to ride the Gornergrat Bahn up to 3,089 metres. I often build a four-day circuit: Zurich → St. Moritz by InterCity, Bernina Express to Lugano, return north, then Glacier Express back to Zurich via Chur. It covers four distinct landscapes and feels like four different countries.

If you would like me to plan a specific itinerary around the Glacier Express, or any of Europe's great mountain railways, get in touch through the enquiry form. Every Alpina journey starts with a conversation.