Switzerland train travel

You can train directly from Salzburg to Venice without ever entering Switzerland. Do you mean you would add Switzerland to your itinerary for 2-3 days after departing Salzburg and arriving in Venice? The Salzburg to Venice train route is quite scenic in and of itself.

Sorry to be obscure! What I mean is -- I want to include Switzerland in my itinerary by spending a few days traveling by train and seeing some of the scenic railways.

We would start toward Switzerland from Salzburg, and finish up in Venice. But while the direct route is relatively short, we actually have a few days of leisure for the journey.

So I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a scenic journey that would start in Salzburg and end in Venice but take three days and include as much Alpine scenery as possible?

Here is a rough draft:

Take trains Salzburg to Innsbruck to Pontresina.
Stay in Pontresina (Switzerland) 2 nights
Catch the Bernina Express (scenic train) to Tirano Italy
At Tirano change for the train to Milan but get off at Varenna (Lake Como).
Stay in Varenna 1 night.
Catch the train to Milan; at Milan change for the train to Venice.
There is no sleeper on this route extremely scenic some of the best in Europe except for parts of the leg from Milan to Venice.

One thing, it looks like the train route between Tirano, Italy and Colico, Italy (about half way to Varenna) is by replacement bus until track work is completed on the rail line some time in September.
A minor inconvenience I think.

If your main goal is Alpine scenery, how about the Dolomites? They're right on your way between Salzburg and Venice, and they're incredible. Val Gardena / Grödental would be a great place to stay, for example.

Otherwise, if it has to be Switzerland, I like Jazz+Travels' outline. To get from Innsbruck to Pontresina, it is much faster to get off the train at Landeck, take a bus to the Swiss border at Martina which directly connects to a Swiss bus to Scuol, then back on a train. It looks complicated but it is less than 30 miles by bus, so really smooth. The Swiss Railways travel planner will give details.

Dolomites would be a good place to hang out for a few days and enjoy the most beautiful mountain scenery, but you need to take a bus to get to it, Fortunately, the bus system is excellent. Train is to Innsbruck, then Bennero, then Ponte Gardena, then bus to Ortisei. Return is bus to Bolzano, train to Verona, then Venice.

If you want scenic railway journeys, do as suggested previously. Although the bus shortcut mentioned by balso is exactly one hour faster than the all rail route, I'd stick with the rail route as being more scenic. Be sure to specify "via Filisur" to take the Albula Railway that passes over the famous Landwasser Viaduct and all the spiral loops to get to Pontresina. Train is to Sargans, then Chur, then Samedan, then to Pontresina.

It is true that my suggested shortcut misses the Albula railway. I hadn't though about that, so good catch, Sam!