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Glacier Express and Bernina Express with 1 week in Switzerland

I purchased my airfare yesterday flying in and out of Zurich in Sept 2018. I am looking to ride the Glacier Express and want to ride the Bernina Express also including the bus part down to Lugano. I land in Zurich at 8:30 am and plan on taking a train down to Zermatt spending 2 nights then glacier express to St. Moritz for 2 nights. Maybe take a regional train up the Davos and take the Bernina Express down to Tirano and bus over to Lugano...anyone have experience with this? doable? better idea?

Thank you for the comments.

Steve from Houston

Posted by
20103 posts

If you like riding around on trains in Switzerland, sounds very doable.
Rather than going to Davos, not all that attractive large town (been there several times for skiing, which is great), think about going only as far as Filisur. There is a trail down to the base of the Landwasser Viaduct for photos. You've seen pics many times, it is a travel poster favorite, and you will have passed over it on the Glacier Express. But it will be gone in 30 seconds. This way you can ogle to your hearts content and it is way better view than from the train.

Lugano back to Zurich, instead of using the new Gothard Base Tunnel, which goes completely under the high Alps, take the Gothard Panorama Express which uses the older route mostly over the Alps, includes a boat ride for the last leg to Luzern. From Luzern, you can get a direct train to Zurich Airport in the morning for your flight home. It is just over an hour away.

By then, your mountain rail Jones should be pretty well satisfied.

Posted by
977 posts

The train part is definitely doable, the bus part will depend on if you manage to get the reservation you need.

Posted by
63 posts

Thank you for the input...I like the idea of taking the trail down to the base of the viaduct and the more scenic route back to Zurich.

Steve