Train Journey Through the Swiss Alps

Grüezi from the Swiss Alps, my alpine-aspiring adventurers! As a creature of the low desert, I never imagined I'd find myself 2,000 meters above sea level, but here I am, pressed against the window of a panoramic train car, watching jagged peaks and glaciers glide past like the world's most expensive screensaver. Switzerland's scenic railways are engineering marvels that snake through landscapes so dramatic they seem computer-generated. I've spent the past week riding rails, and my understanding of "beautiful" has been permanently recalibrated.

The Glacier Express is called "the slowest express train in the world," and it earns that title over eight hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz. The slowness is the point—you're not trying to get somewhere quickly; you're trying to see everything along the way. The train crossed 291 bridges and traveled through 91 tunnels as it wound through the heart of the Alps. Every window framed a postcard: mountain villages with church steeples, meadows dotted with cows wearing actual bells, gorges so deep and narrow that the sun barely reached the bottom. The panoramic windows angled overhead so you could see the peaks without craning your neck. Someone had thought of everything.

The Bernina Express delivered different but equally stunning scenery, climbing from lush valley floors to glacier-crowned heights, then descending into Italian-speaking Switzerland and eventually Italy itself. The train navigated the famous Landwasser Viaduct, a curved stone bridge that's become Switzerland's most photographed railway structure. When we crossed it, the entire car fell silent, even the kids who'd been restless moments before. Some experiences demand reverent attention. Floating above a valley on a 65-meter-high bridge definitely qualifies.

Swiss trains run with the precision you'd expect from a country famous for watches. They're clean, quiet, and punctual to within seconds. The conductors speak four languages fluently and answer questions about the scenery with the enthusiasm of professional guides. The dining cars serve actual meals with actual wine, not sad sandwiches in plastic wrap. I had raclette—that famous melted cheese—while passing through a region where the cows that produced the cheese likely grazed on the hillsides visible through my window. Food and landscape became one experience.

Between the famous routes, I explored the regular Swiss rail network, which is nearly as scenic but far less expensive. The Golden Pass line from Lucerne to Montreux passed turquoise lakes, chocolate-box villages, and vineyards terraced into steep hillsides. The Jungfrau Railway climbed to Europe's highest train station, carved into a glacier at 3,454 meters. My spines got cold. I didn't care. Looking out at an ocean of peaks from inside a heated train car is exactly the kind of alpine experience I can endorse.

If you're planning a Swiss rail adventure, invest in the Swiss Travel Pass—it covers most trains, buses, and boats, and the convenience is worth the cost. Book panoramic trains in advance, especially during summer when they sell out. Sit on the right side going in one direction, left in the other (guides will tell you which views are where). And don't try to pack too much into one day. The trains are comfortable enough that the journey itself becomes the destination. Switzerland isn't cheap, but for train lovers, it's absolutely priceless. 🌵🚂🇨🇭