The Glacier Express Is the Most Scenic Train Ride in Europe
The world’s best scenic train rides are in Switzerland. The towering Alps serve as the perfect backdrop to any cross-country traverse, the marked seasons make for unique scenery throughout the year, and the clockwork efficiency and modern rail network allows you to put your feet up and watch the world go by, all in total luxury.
Choosing Switzerland for your ultimate rail experience might be easy, but picking one of the available trips from the long list of spectacular rides is slightly trickier. But the Glacier Express sits above them all for its scenic beauty, engineering marvels, and the luxurious carriages that offer at-seat service and restaurant-worthy meals.
The trip is not a rapid one. The journey between Zermatt and St. Moritz takes more than eight hours, but when you see what’s in store for you along the way, you’ll wish that it were just a few hours longer.
The Glacier Express is not a budget train ride — a standalone second-class ticket will cost you in excess of $150 one way. But the route is included in most rail pass packages, some with only a small reservation fee, which makes it easier than ever to tick Europe’s most scenic train ride off your bucket list.