Glacier Express in Winter time

I think you'd prefer to sleep in the mountains at Davos or St. Moritz, rather than the larger town of Chur. The Davos option is not built in to the winter timetable. If you want to take the direct Glacier Express train, it departs from St. Moritz at 9:15. If you stay in Davos, then you can take a regional train (probably 9:30) to Filisur and connect there to the Glacier Express at 10:17.

Yes, in fact went from Zermatt to Davos. We got off at Filisur and changed to the local train to Davos Platz. The local shuttles back and forth between Filisur and Davos Platz every hour all day long.

the direct Glacier Express is a train run mainly for tourists, especially since they raised the compulsory reservation fee from 13 to 23 francs. There are also ordinary trains but none of these run direct, there are always changes. If you do go for the direct train you may as well do the full job and get a reservation for lunch!

I suggest waiting until March if you want to go all the way to Zermatt since it arrives after dark in the earlier weeks of the year.

I've never taken the Glacier Express at any time since they imposed surcharges but I have been on ordinary trains over the Brig-Chur section in early March, sunny day with 3 - 6 feet of snow around, very nice! That was when you could open the windows and take photos, something becoming rare now they are buying new trains.

I like Chur but if you've never ridden the line I'd recommend starting in St Moritz (or Samedan which could be cheaper, or Pontresina which is cheaper but requires a short local train or bus ride to Samedan). Davos has the problem of being both off route and expensive -especially if it's Economic Forum time.

To get from Zermatt to Zurich Airport try and use the original line from Brig via Kandersteg to Bern rather than the new tunnel from Visp. The older route is slower but has the views.

Thank you for the input, it looks like I could take the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Filisur, then take a train to Davos for the night, train back to Filisur the next day to pick-up the Glacier Express into St. Moritz. That way I could take the entire Glacier Express route?

Steve

what is the obsession with Davos?? Why not go straight to St Moritz? The next Davos train doesn't leave Filisur until 17:04, it doesn't arrive in Davos Platz (station in village centre) until 17:29, which is later than the Glacier Express reaches St Moritz. If you went to St Moritz you could add in a ride on the Bernina Express line next day instead of trying to catch up.

Some where I read that there was a side trip from Chur to Davos that takes you across a famous bridge (scenic), but I can't find where I read that.

The bridge you are thinking of, I believe, is the Landwasser Viaduct. It is just before you get to Filisur from Chur. It is on all the Swiss travel posters. Shown here.
https://shop.glacierexpress.ch/gex_en
If going to Davos, and you want to return to Filisur and take the rest of the way to St Moritz, just go by the normal train and then you don't have to pay the reservation fee. It is not that far, and the interesting part is the beginning where the train goes through a series of spiral tunnels to gain altitude, then a long straight tunnel into the upper Engadine Valley to St Moritz.

Thank you Sam, I have seen the Landwasser Viaduct and I think that I the one I was talking about, i can't find where I read about the route to Davos. I saw a special on the Glacier Express many years ago on PBS and have always wanted to travel it in person. Two years ago I did a trip to Europe and managed to ride the Golden Pass line and loved it, I would like to travel the Glacier Express and any other scenic trains I can over in Europe.

Steve

If I had to break the train trip somewhere and feel a little adventurous, I would stop in Disentis. A very alpine village, less commercial (and so cheaper) than Davos, with a beautiful baroque Abbey. Also Andermatt would not be bad (but no baroque abbeys around).