From the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express to the slowest express in the world — every panoramic railway in Switzerland, compared.
Switzerland has more panoramic train routes per square kilometre than any other country on earth. Eight major scenic railways cross the Alps, each with a distinct character — from the UNESCO-listed white bridges of the Bernina Express to the four-hour crawl through 291 tunnels on the Glacier Express. Some take two hours; some take eight. Some cost a standard ticket; others require reservations weeks in advance.
This guide covers every panoramic train route in Switzerland — what each one looks like, how long it takes, when to go, how to book, and how to combine several into a single trip. If you are planning your first visit and trying to decide which routes to prioritise, this is the place to start.
The Bernina Express is the train most people picture when they think of Swiss scenic railways. It runs from Chur (or St. Moritz) south through the Albula Valley and over the Bernina Pass to Tirano, an Italian market town in the Valtellina. The journey takes about 4 hours from Chur and crosses 55 tunnels and 196 bridges, including the famous circular Landwasser Viaduct and the double-helix Brusio spiral bridge.
The route reaches 2,253 metres at Bernina Pass — the highest point of any adhesion railway in the Alps — before descending 1,800 metres in elevation to Tirano at 429 metres. The transition from Alpine glaciers to Mediterranean Italy happens in about 90 minutes. The entire Albula/Bernina section has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
The Bernina Express is actually two trains: the panoramic coach service (with reservation, multilingual commentary, and larger windows) and the regular Rhaetian Railway trains that use the same track without a reservation. The scenery is identical — only the windows and commentary differ. If the Bernina Express is sold out, regional trains are a perfectly good alternative.
Route: Chur → St. Moritz → Pontresina → Bernina Pass → Tirano
Duration: 4 hours (Chur), 2.5 hours (St. Moritz)
Peak altitude: 2,253 m
Best season: June–October (full operation); December–March (limited winter schedule)
For full details, booking tips, and seat recommendations, see our complete Bernina Express guide.
The Glacier Express calls itself the slowest express in the world, and it is not wrong. The journey from Zermatt to St. Moritz takes nearly 8 hours, covering 291 km through the heart of the Swiss Alps. The train climbs over the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres, passes through the Rhine Gorge (sometimes called the Swiss Grand Canyon), and skirts the base of the Matterhorn for the first hour before heading into the high Valais.
The Glacier Express uses the Rhaetian Railway's signature panoramic coaches — the entire train is panoramic, with curved glass extending into the roof. There is a bistro car serving drinks and snacks, but most passengers bring their own food. The journey crosses 81 km of track on 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels.
A seat reservation is mandatory for the Glacier Express, even with a Swiss Travel Pass. Reservations open two months in advance and sell out quickly in July and September. The summer months (July–August) bring the heaviest crowds; September offers quieter trains and autumn colours through the Rhine Gorge.
Route: Zermatt → Brig → Andermatt → Oberalp Pass → Chur → St. Moritz
Duration: 8 hours (full route)
Peak altitude: 2,033 m
Best season: June–October (full); December–April (winter service via Andermatt only)
Full schedule breakdowns, seat selection advice, and booking links are in our Glacier Express guide.
The GoldenPass Line connects two of Switzerland's most visited cities — Lucerne and Montreux — across 170 km of lakes, mountains, and rolling hills. It is not a single railway but a chain of three separate operators: the Luzern-Interlaken Express (Zentralbahn), the GoldenPass Express (MOB), and the final stretch into Montreux.
The standout section is between Interlaken and Montreux on the MOB (Montreux-Oberland Bernois) railway. The GoldenPass Express, relaunched in 2022 with tilting coaches that change gauge automatically, runs this section in about 3 hours. The train descends from the high Bernese Oberland through the Simmental valley of dairy farms and chalets, past the turquoise Lake Thun, and down to the shores of Lake Geneva at Montreux.
What makes this route different from the Bernina or Glacier Express is its diversity of landscape. You start in central Switzerland's lake country, cross the Bernese Oberland, and finish on the subtropical shores of Lake Geneva where palm trees grow. It is the widest cross-section of Swiss scenery you can get from a single train.
Route: Lucerne → Interlaken → Zweisimmen → Montreux
Duration: 5 hours (full route)
Peak altitude: 1,273 m (Col des Mosses)
Best season: Year-round; spring and autumn for fewer crowds
The William Tell Express is half boat, half train. The first leg crosses Lake Lucerne by historic paddle steamer from Lucerne to Flüelen at the southern end of the lake — a 2.5-hour sail past the legendary sites of Swiss history: the Rütli meadow, the Tells Chapel, the Axenberg cliff. From Flüelen, you board a regular SBB train through the Gotthard Base Tunnel to Locarno in Ticino.
The boat journey is the point. Lake Lucerne is one of Switzerland's most dramatic lakes — narrow, fjord-like arms reaching into the mountains, surrounded by peaks that rise abruptly from the water. The paddle steamers are historic vessels maintained by the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company, some dating to the early 1900s.
The train portion from Flüelen through the Gotthard Base Tunnel to Bellinzona takes about 50 minutes, then continues to Locarno. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world's longest rail tunnel at 57 km, but it is underground — the scenic value is entirely in the lake crossing. The William Tell Express operates daily from April to October.
Route: Lucerne (boat) → Flüelen (train) → Göschenen → Bellinzona → Locarno
Duration: 5.5 hours total (2.5 h boat + 3 h train)
Best season: April–October (boat service)
The Gotthard Panorama Express is the rail-only version of the William Tell route, but using the historic old Gotthard line rather than the base tunnel. This is the original 1882 railway — the route that first linked northern and southern Europe through the Alps. The train climbs the northern ramp from Göschenen through a series of spiral tunnels and dramatic stone viaducts, reaches the summit near the Gotthard Hospice, and descends the southern side into Ticino.
The old Gotthard line is narrower and steeper than the base tunnel. The panoramic coaches give views of the Reuss Gorge, the Teufelsbrücke (Devil's Bridge), and the stone arches of the original railway — engineering landmarks that changed European transport. The journey operates seasonally (roughly May to October) and requires a boat connection from Lucerne to Flüelen, making it essentially the same as the William Tell Express but with the scenic old-line train substituted for the base tunnel.
Route: Lucerne (boat) → Flüelen (old Gotthard line) → Bellinzona
Duration: 5 hours total
Best season: May–October
The Luzern-Interlaken Express is the first leg of the GoldenPass route and one of Switzerland's most underrated scenic trains. It follows the Brünig line from Lucerne to Interlaken — a two-hour journey that crosses the Brünig Pass (1,008 m) and passes along the shores of Lake Sarnen, Lake Lungern, and through the Aare gorge.
The Brünig line is narrow gauge and runs at a slower pace than the mainline SBB trains. The windows are large, the seats comfortable, and the landscape changes from central Swiss lake country to the dramatic gateway of the Bernese Oberland. Trains run every hour from Lucerne, making this the easiest scenic train to fit into a day without advance planning. No reservation required.
This train is the practical choice if you are visiting Interlaken from Lucerne or Zurich and want the journey itself to be part of the experience rather than a transfer. Most passengers are heading to Interlaken or the Jungfrau region anyway — you might as well take the scenic route.
Route: Lucerne → Brünig Pass → Meiringen → Interlaken
Duration: 2 hours
Best season: Year-round
The Jungfrau Railway is not a panoramic "route" in the same sense as the Bernina or Glacier Express. It is a cogwheel railway that climbs from Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m) through a tunnel inside the Eiger and Mönch mountains to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m — the highest railway station in Europe. The journey takes about 50 minutes.
What makes it exceptional is the destination, not the route. From Jungfraujoch you are standing on the Aletsch Glacier — the longest in the Alps — with views of the Eiger North Face, the Mönch, and the Bernese Oberland stretching to the horizon. The Sphinx observation terrace, the Ice Palace carved inside the glacier, and the Alpine Sensation exhibition make this one of Switzerland's most visited attractions.
The Jungfrau Railway is expensive (CHF 234.80 round trip from Interlaken with no pass discount, reduced with Swiss Travel Pass) and crowded in summer. Go early morning or late afternoon in shoulder season for the best experience. The cog railway and the stations are engineering marvels in themselves — the tunnel was bored through solid granite starting in 1896 and completed in 1912.
Route: Interlaken → Lauterbrunnen → Kleine Scheidegg → Jungfraujoch
Duration: 2 hours (from Interlaken)
Peak altitude: 3,454 m
Best season: Year-round (best visibility March–May, September–October)
Practical tips, what to expect at the top, and whether it is worth the price are covered in our Jungfraujoch guide.
Beyond the big eight, Switzerland has several smaller scenic lines that deserve attention:
Arosa RhB (Chur–Arosa) — A one-hour Rhaetian Railway ride from Chur through the Langwieser Viaduct (a 60-metre-high stone arch across a gorge) to the resort town of Arosa. This is the same network as the Bernina Express but a different branch, and it is much less crowded. The 2014 double-deck panoramic coaches are among the most modern in the RhB fleet.
Wine Express (Visp–St-Léonard–Visp) — A summer-only regional train through the Valais vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. The route passes through the largest contiguous vineyard area in Europe, with stops for wine tasting. Not a long-distance scenic train, but a half-day excursion for wine lovers.
MOB GoldenPass (Zweisimmen–Montreux) — Covered above under the GoldenPass Line, but the MOB section on its own is a worthy half-day trip. The golden carriages of the classic service (when not running the tilting GoldenPass Express) have a vintage character that the newer trains lack. The Col des Mosses pass crossing at 1,273 m is particularly beautiful in autumn.
Centovalli Railway (Locarno–Domodossola) — A cross-border line running from Locarno in Ticino through 100 valleys (cento valli) to Domodossola in Italy. Narrow gauge, high above the Maggia valley, with views into deep gorges and chestnut forests. The Italian section is less well maintained but more atmospheric.
Spitzboden Railway (Brig–Randa) — A summer-only rack railway that climbs to the top of the Bietschhorn above Brig. Only 30 minutes long but reaching extraordinary alpine terrain. You will have it nearly to yourself compared to the Jungfrau Railway.
| Route | Duration | Best Season | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernina Express | 2.5–4 h | Jun–Oct | Medium |
| Glacier Express | 8 h | Jun–Oct | Hard |
| GoldenPass Line | 5 h | Year-round | Medium |
| William Tell Express | 5.5 h | Apr–Oct | Easy |
| Gotthard Panorama | 5 h | May–Oct | Easy |
| Luzern-Interlaken Exp. | 2 h | Year-round | Easy |
| Jungfrau Railway | 2 h | Year-round | Easy |
| Centovalli Railway | 2 h | May–Oct | Easy |
"Booking difficulty" reflects how far in advance you should reserve. "Hard" means sell out 4–8 weeks ahead in peak season. "Medium" means book 1–2 weeks ahead. "Easy" means no reservation needed or same-day availability.
The real value of a Swiss Travel Pass becomes apparent when you string several routes together. Here are three practical itineraries that connect multiple scenic trains:
The Alpine Grand Traverse (7–8 days): Start in Zurich, take the Luzern-Interlaken Express to Interlaken, spend a day at Jungfraujoch, then take the GoldenPass Express to Montreux. From Montreux, continue by regional train to Brig, then to Zermatt for the Glacier Express to St. Moritz. Finish with the Bernina Express to Tirano and onward to Milan or back to Zurich via the Gotthard.
The Northern Loop (5 days): Zurich → Lucerne → Luzern-Interlaken Express → Interlaken → Jungfraujoch day trip → GoldenPass Express → Montreux → Lausanne → Zurich. This hits the highlights without crossing the high Alps.
The Ticino Escape (3–4 days): Lucerne → William Tell Express (boat + train) → Locarno → day trip to Lugano or Ascona → Gotthard Panorama Express back north. A short itinerary focused on the Italian-speaking south with lake crossings and mountain railways.
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the base fare on every panoramic route listed here, but not all seat reservations:
The Swiss Travel Pass also covers all regular trains, buses, and most lake boats nationwide. A consecutive 8-day pass (CHF 469 in 2nd class as of 2026) pays for itself if you take three or four scenic routes plus regular intercity travel. The half-price card is the alternative if you are taking only one or two routes.
Compare Bernina Express, Glacier Express, and GoldenPass tickets with seat reservations. Instant confirmation via GetYourGuide.
Browse Scenic Train Tickets →