Image via Visual Hunt
Switzerland, the spectacular wonder that it is, and this does not get said enough. The extraordinary beauty of the colossal glaciers, placid lakes, picturesque mountains and medieval castles of Switzerland will take your breath away. You’ll fall in love with the country’s landscape, it’s cuisine, it’s culture, it’s villages all at once as soon as you get there. And obviously, you can never leave out the famous chocolate of Switzerland, for which you’re going to have to buy a whole separate bag to take home as many chocolates as you can. Being high on ranks in everyone’s bucket list, it has become one of the most expensive travel destinations in the world. No matter when you plan to travel, Switzerland never disappoints.
Image via CampsBayGirl.com
What if we tell you that there’s an amazing way to cater a tremendous upgrade to your trip! The incredible Swiss Rail as a mode of transportation is the key here. Yes, it will not only scale down your average spending but also brighten up your trip by adding even more sceneries and terrific photos to your camera. The Swiss Rail is believed to be one of the most extensive and efficient rail networks in the whole world. Normally, people consider the transport between various locations to be a layover during their trip but with swiss rail as your mode of transport, you won’t have to wait for stunning views until you get to the destination; instead, you’ll have tons all along your trip. Travellers have found the swiss rail ecosystem to be one of the most enjoyable experiences they had during their visit to Switzerland.
During your time in Switzerland, you can get yourself a pass to travel anywhere via train, bus or boat. There’s tons of options available to travel around. There’s Swiss pass which can be used to travel via bus, train or even boat for consecutive days. Then, there’s Swiss Flexi Pass which allows you an infinite access to Swiss travel system network. There’s also a Half Fare Card which can be used to avail a flat 50% discount on all travel tickets in Switzerland. The validity of these passes can vary from 3,4 days to a month depending upon your requirements. But passes, why you need them? Because they make your travel smooth and swift. No waiting in lines and no wandering around for Euros. All you need to do is board your train and enjoy the ride.
Here is a list of scenic train routes in the Swiss Alps:
Route:
Lauterbrunnen – Wengen – Kleine Scheidegg– Jungfrau or Interlaken – Zweilütschinen – Grindelwald – Kleine Scheidegg – Jungrfrau
Image via AlpsInSight.com
The enticing swiss journey to Jungfraujoch is a must during your visit to Switzerland. Riding on this swiss rail which was opened in 1912 along with the awesome landscape views of the majestic Alps will turn out to be an unforgettable experience of your life. Start your journey on this modern-day wonder of engineering from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. You can take the route via Interlaken, a golden city for adventure sports enthusiasts and if you do, you can go to Kleine Scheidegg from one side of the mountain and come back from the other side. The train ride takes you through numerous tunnels hacked out of the mountains all the way to an enormous altitude of 11,000 feet above the sea level where the highest altitude railway station in the whole of Europe, Jungfraujoch is located. This one-way journey takes around 2 hours to complete but feels like eternity.
Route :
Zermatt – St. Moritz
Image by Switzerland Travel Centre
The 8 hour journey on Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz is known to be one of the best scenic train journeys of Switzerland. Whether you plan to go in summers or in winters, the journey presents you with country’s most impressive landscapes that blow your mind away. Make sure to keep an empty memory card and a charged battery in your camera before you hop on. You can complete this wonderful journey in one day or you can even split the journey into two days by adding an overnight stay in some town along the way. The journey covers Visp, Brig, Andermatt, Disentis and Chur along the way which can be seen through the panoramic windows of the train. You can choose to take an overnight stay at any of these places.
Route:-
Lucerne – Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux
Image via Swiss Holiday Co
The amazing city of Interlaken is situated near the capital of Switzerland, Bern. Connected with Lake Geneva, Montreux and Lucerne by the golden pass line, this prime location is the point from where a journey to the highest point in the Alps, Jungfraujoch begins and not only that, it is also a base for hikers and trekkers to gear up for treks in the Jungfrau region. This major route showcases some awestruck views of isolated villages, fertile lands and majestic mountain ranges. The adventurous land of Interlaken also offers various activities like sky diving, paragliding, skiing and canoeing. The journey all the way to the beautiful Montreux takes around 5 hours to complete.
Route :
Luzern – Flüelen- Ticino- Bellinzona- Lugano- Locarno
Image via SBB.ch
The magnificent Wilhelm Tell Express takes you from Luzern through numerous spiral loops, fantastic bridges and huge tunnels all the way to the beautiful lakeside town located just before the Italy’s border, Locarno. This famous train, now known as the Gotthard Panorama Express is a marvellous piece of the railway engineering. The wondrous five hour trip commences at the German speaking Luzern from where you take a boat to Flüelen. Then, hop on to the express and head south to the Ticino which is the italian canton of Switzerland. Bellinzona is the next stop where you’ll find tons of towering castles where you’ll notice a mix of Italian and Swiss cultures. Finally, the Italian speaking Locarno is where this spellbound journey reaches a “la conclusione”.
Route:
Chur / St. Moritz – Tirano
Image via Visual Hunt
In your list of astonishing rail routes of Switzerland, the Bernina express is set to hold a prominent spot. From Chur to Tirano of Italy, this highest altitude rail route of Europe takes you through some of the remote parts of Switzerland. If you want to make the best out of this journey, just make sure that you get yourself a seat on the right side. This stunning historic trail is so extraordinary that it has even become one of the UNESCO world heritages. Approximately 4 hour journey of Bernina Express takes you through infinite gigantic glaciers, phenomenal Alps, placid frozen lakes and vast green fields which make sure to keep your camera busy throughout. There’s no better way of travelling to Italy from Switzerland than this wonderful and spectacular relaxing trip.
Travelling Switzerland by the Swiss rail network is the most spectacular way of savouring the “top-of-your-bucket-list” trip. The panoramic display that the glass windows of these magnificent trains set for your eyes will make you feel like you’re dreaming. The world starts to feel like a far better place and all the tiredness, all kinds of tensions, all the stress just goes away. So, whenever you make plans of heading to the playground of Europe, don’t think for a second before getting yourself a rail pass because your journey is about to get SWISSTASTIC.
