Glacier Express

The Glacier Express runs year-round between Zermatt and St. Moritz, threading through the Swiss Alps across 291 bridges and 91 tunnels in roughly eight hours — earning its affectionate title as the slowest express train in the world.

A Journey Worth Taking Slowly

In an era obsessed with getting somewhere faster, the Glacier Express makes a deliberate and entirely persuasive case for the opposite. Operated jointly by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Rhaetian Railway, this legendary Swiss service has been running in various forms since 1930, connecting two of the country's most glamorous alpine resorts. The route covers roughly 290 kilometres, climbs to an elevation of 2,033 metres at the Oberalp Pass, and passes through landscapes that range from sun-baked vineyard terraces to deep river gorges to snowbound mountain passes. The pace — averaging barely above 35 km/h — is not a deficiency. It is the entire point.

History and Significance

The Glacier Express began service on 25 June 1930, linking the two resort towns that had each built their own narrow-gauge mountain railways years earlier. The original journey required passengers to change trains at several points and was vulnerable to winter closures. Over the following decades, the route was progressively unified and improved. The opening of the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982 was a turning point: it eliminated the high-altitude section that had forced seasonal shutdowns, making the Glacier Express a genuine year-round service for the first time.

The train's cultural footprint grew steadily through the late twentieth century. Today it is one of Switzerland Tourism's most promoted experiences, a symbol of Swiss engineering precision and alpine grandeur simultaneously, and a pilgrimage for rail enthusiasts and leisure travellers from around the world.

The Route: Zermatt to St. Moritz

The journey begins in Zermatt, the car-free resort village beneath the Matterhorn, and ends in St. Moritz, the Engadin valley town synonymous with winter luxury. Between them, the train passes through a sequence of distinct Swiss landscapes and communities.

• Visp and the Rhône Valley: The train descends from Zermatt through the Matter Valley, joining the broad Rhône Valley at Visp before heading east through agricultural lowlands.
• Brig: A key interchange town where many passengers board and where the character of the journey begins to shift upward into the mountains.
• The Goms Valley: A succession of traditional Valais villages, dark timber chalets, and meadows leading toward the high passes.
• Oberalp Pass (2,033 m): The roof of the journey and the cantonal border between Valais and Graubünden. In deep winter, snow walls can tower over the train on either side.
• Andermatt: A historic military town now reinventing itself as a year-round resort, sitting at the junction of several major alpine routes.
• Disentis/Mustér: Home to a Benedictine abbey founded in the eighth century, visible from the train.
• Chur: The oldest city in Switzerland, and for some travellers a useful boarding or alighting point roughly two-thirds of the way along the route.
• The Rhine Gorge (Ruinaulta): Often called the Swiss Grand Canyon, this dramatic stretch of the anterior Rhine cuts through pale limestone cliffs and is one of the journey's photographic highlights.
• Filisur and the Landwasser Viaduct: A UNESCO World Heritage structure — a six-arched curved viaduct that curves directly into a tunnel mouth in the cliff face. One of the most photographed railway structures in Europe.
• St. Moritz: Journey's end in the Engadin, at 1,822 metres altitude, with the frozen lake in winter or turquoise water in summer visible as the train curves into the terminus.

Onboard Experience and Panoramic Cars

The modern Glacier Express fleet uses purpose-built panoramic coaches with oversized windows that extend up into the curved roofline. This design maximises the view of passing peaks, gorges, and viaducts from almost any seat position. The windows do not open, but the visual immersion is considerable.

Meals are served at your seat in first and second class throughout the journey. The dining service is a proper sit-down affair with table linen and a menu that changes seasonally, featuring Swiss regional dishes. Wine from the Valais vineyards the train passes through is a natural accompaniment. A signature quirk: glasses on the dining tables are designed with angled stems to compensate for the gradient on steep sections, keeping your wine level while the train tilts.

Classes of Service

The Glacier Express operates in two principal classes, with a premium option that was introduced more recently.

• Second Class: Panoramic seating with full meal service available. Comfortable and perfectly adequate for the journey. The majority of passengers travel second class.
• First Class: Wider seats, more legroom, and a slightly elevated position in the coach that can marginally improve sightlines. Meal service is included.
• Excellence Class: Introduced in 2021, this is a single dedicated car offering a premium experience comparable to a first-class flight: fully reclining seats, a personalised multi-course meal, pre-arrival champagne, and a dedicated host. Capacity is intentionally very limited. Advance booking is essential.

Planning Your Trip: When to Go

The Glacier Express operates every day of the year — a significant practical advantage over some of Switzerland's other scenic rail services. That said, each season offers a genuinely different experience.

• Winter (December–March): Snow-covered landscapes, dramatic wall-like drifts at the Oberalp Pass, and the Matterhorn and Engadin resorts at their most atmospheric. This is peak season; book well ahead.
• Spring (April–May): Wildflowers in the valleys while snow lingers on the peaks. Fewer crowds and generally easier availability.
• Summer (June–August): Long daylight hours maximise visibility of the scenery. The busiest period overall. Some travellers prefer travelling west (St. Moritz to Zermatt) in summer to keep afternoon sun on the more dramatic southern aspects.
• Autumn (September–October): Larch forests turn golden in the Engadin. Arguably the most underrated season for this journey.

Tickets, Passes, and Booking

A seat reservation is mandatory for the Glacier Express — this is not a service you can board on a whim. Reservations must be made separately even if you hold a Swiss Travel Pass or Eurail/Interrail pass, which cover the base fare but not the reservation supplement.

Tickets and reservations can be made through the official site at glacierexpress.ch, through Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), or via authorised international rail booking agents. As with most scenic rail journeys in Europe, booking earlier generally secures better availability, particularly for Excellence Class and for travel during peak winter and summer weeks. If you are combining this with other Swiss travel, TravelerPulse.pro's My Travel Hub can help you consolidate itinerary research across multiple legs of a Swiss rail trip.

For travellers arriving from outside the Schengen area or combining Switzerland with neighbouring countries, the /visas section on TravelerPulse.pro provides general guidance on entry requirements to cross-reference before you travel.

Getting to Zermatt and Onward from St. Moritz

Zermatt is itself accessible only by rail (private cars are prohibited in the village). The nearest major hub is Visp, connecting to the national SBB network and onward to Geneva Airport or Zurich Airport — both major international gateways. The Matter Valley railway from Visp to Zermatt takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

From St. Moritz, connections run to Chur, and from Chur to Zurich in around 1.5 hours. The Bernina Express — another celebrated Rhaetian Railway service — also departs from St. Moritz, offering an onward scenic route into Italy via Tirano for travellers building a longer rail itinerary.

How It Compares to Alternatives

Flying between Zermatt and St. Moritz is not a realistic point-to-point option — neither town has an airport. Driving is theoretically possible but involves significant detours (the Furka Pass road closes in winter), and private cars cannot enter Zermatt at all. For most travellers, rail is the only practical direct link between the two resorts. The Glacier Express simply happens to make that necessity into one of the great pleasures of European travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a reservation required, and how far ahead should I book?

Yes — a seat reservation is mandatory on the Glacier Express regardless of what rail pass you hold. During peak winter (Christmas, New Year, February half-term) and summer months, reservations for Excellence Class can sell out weeks in advance. For standard first and second class, a few weeks' notice is usually sufficient outside peak periods, but earlier is always safer.

Which direction is better — Zermatt to St. Moritz or the reverse?

Both directions offer excellent scenery. Conventionally, west-to-east (Zermatt to St. Moritz) is the standard direction and tends to keep the more dramatic mountain faces on the left side of the train for much of the journey. In summer, east-to-west (St. Moritz to Zermatt) can offer better afternoon light. Whichever direction you choose, sitting on either side has merit — the landscape surrounds you throughout.

Can children travel, and is it suitable for families?

The Glacier Express is family-friendly in the sense that the scenery captivates most children who are old enough to appreciate it. That said, eight hours is a long time for very young children. Swiss Family Cards and Youth discounts apply; check the current terms on the official booking site. The meal service at the seat can help break up the journey pleasantly.

What luggage arrangements exist?

Overhead racks and small luggage areas exist within the panoramic coaches, but space is not unlimited. Swiss Railways offers a luggage forwarding service (Luggage by Rail / Reisegepäck) that can transfer registered bags between stations, which is worth considering if you are travelling with large ski bags or multiple suitcases.

Conclusion

The Glacier Express earns its global reputation not through speed or technology but through the sheer quality of what it shows you. Across eight hours, 291 bridges, and 91 tunnels, it traces a path through the geological and cultural heart of the Swiss Alps that no other form of transport can replicate. Whether you are a dedicated rail traveller, an alpine first-timer, or simply someone who has decided that some journeys deserve to be slow, this is a route that consistently delivers.