We are planning very short trip through Switzerland. Our itinerary starts in Munich, then to Salzburg, then through Switzerland and ultimately ending in Paris. Ideally we'd just like a scenic rail trip with one night in Switzerland. I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly how to plan that or if it's even possible. Seeing the Swiss Alps is a dream but I get terrible altitude sickness so a scenic stopping place without the necessity of a hike would be ideal. Could anyone please help me with which train/s to explore and what the best ticket options might be. Thank you!
Posted by
Twin Cities Minnesota U.S.A.
1 posts
There’s a great website for train travel we used a lot when we lived in Europe called www.seat61.com. A little word dense but we found it extremely helpful and used his tips for several trains throughout Europe including through the Swiss Alps. Good luck.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11336 posts
There is great scenic train, the Glacier Express, that would give you an alpine experience. It runs from St. Moritz in the east to Zermatt in the southwest. You would probably do best to leave the train at Brig, spend the night, then go on to Paris.
BUT, there are challenges. One is getting to St. Moritz from Salzburg, a full day by train. Flying is no better as you would have to fly to Frankfurt and change planes. Another challenge I see is spending only one night after the scenic train before moving on to Paris. You would potentially have the full day in transit to get from Salzburg to St. Moritz, then a full day on the Glacier Express, and a third full day to get to Paris.
Can you spend a little more time in Switzerland to break it up? There are numerous scenic trains that can give you that alpine fix, but any transit from Salzburg to Switzerland is going to take the better part of a day. Salzburg directly to Paris will also take a full day.
Posted by
18 posts
For a short and scenic train ride, I can definitely recommend the Bernina Express from St. Moritz or Pontresina to Tirano, Italy and back. About 5 hours round trip. Beautiful mountain scenery and interesting rail journey.