THE GLACIER EXPRESS TOUR
Switzerland Alps Scenic Rail Vistas
Viewing
great and vast unreachable mountain vistas from the seat of a moving
train have held a fascination
for
travelers since the first
locomotive chugged up a mountain slope in the 1800’s. One of the
world’s best known scenic rail rides is the Glacier Express through
the Alps of Switzerland. First named as a scenic route in 1930 after
the completion of a series of rail lines through tunnels and across
high viaduct bridges, the Glacier Express connected the famed Swiss resort
towns of St. Moritz and Zermatt. 
A
combination of the Rhaetian Railway, the Furka Oberalp Line and the Gotthard-Matterhorn
railway,
the Glacier Express train today is made up of
special panoramic
large
windowed comfort seating cars and takes about 7 and a half hours to make
its way from near the foot of the Matterhorn which stands above Zermatt,
through the Rhine River Gorge called Switzerland’s grand canyon,
over the Oberalp Pass and around the twisting and turning Albula line
(now named a Unesco World Heritage site for its unique set of bridges,
viaducts and tunnels).
In
actuality there aren’t really
glaciers to be seen on the Glacier Express, except for the end
of one just visible with a quick look upward
shortly after leaving Zermatt. The name comes from the glaciers to be
found near either end of the route which can be discovered from St. Moritz
or Zermatt. What you do see on the journey, sometimes called the “world’s
slowest express train” as it makes its way up and down steep
grades
on
cogwheel tracks and gliding quickly across the narrow valley’s
between the high peaks, is a range of spectacular scenery, passing
over 291
bridges and through 91 tunnels. In the summer, green valleys
along the Rhone River, mountain canyons and Alpine hillsides dotted by
slate-roofed Swiss farm huts and grazing sheep
or milk cows, and the deep gorge of the young Rhine River near it's source.
In the winter, crisp sparkling snow clings to the rocky crags high above
the tall panoramic train windows.
Lunch
on the Glacier Express is served at your seat by the wait crew so you
needn't leave your seat.
You need
a reservation for the
lunch and while well prepared and elegant, it is not inexpensive. Depending
on the service, some trains offer no quick snacks on board so if you're
a cheap traveler and don’t
want the lunch, you should bring something before the train leaves. The
stops of the Glacier Express along the way are only for
a minute or two. The only stop long enough to dash to grab something
from a
vending
machine
or
kiosk
is
5 minutes
at Disentis about half-way along the route. An audio system like an airline
plays a selection of music on your headphone while recorded information
about
the local
sights and stations along the route are announced when you hear an electronic
gong and the headphone sign is displayed.
The
scenic route of the Glacier Express travels across southern Switzerland
from Zermatt, through Visp, Brig, Andermatt, Disentis,
Chur, Filisur
to St. Moritz. The Glacier Express
can be taken in either direction, either one way or return. It is possible
to board
at Chur
or Brig, but
not getting to Zermatt or St. Moritz misses much of the pleasure and
the
point. Another line runs to Davos rather than St.
Moritz. The
Unesco World
Heritage portion of the route with the Landvasser Viaduct (where the
rails pass over a high curving bridge right into a tunnel
half-way
up a sheer
cliff) is
between Chur and St. Moritz. This section of the line is shared with
the Bernina
Express
which
heads
over
the highest
Alps
pass
to Tirano,
Italy (see Bernina
Express Scenic Train). The nearest major airports to the
Glacier Express are Geneva, Zurich and Milan, all about equi-distant,
about 4
hours by train. Zurich
is the closest to St. Moritz via Chur, or Zermatt through the new Lotscheberg
Tunnel to Visp, but you can also come from Verona via Tirano. If traveling
by car you can
park in Tasche near Zermatt (no cars in Zermatt) or St. Moritz and
take a round trip.
If
you already have a Swiss Pass or Eurail Pass, a reservation fee
of about
$25
is all
that's
needed (see Swiss
Rail Pass Value). The schedule varies a little
depending on the season, but basically four trains a day departing
either end between
9 and 10 am and arriving at the destination around 5 to 6 pm. The trains
don't run from mid-October to Mid-December. Other regular schedule trains
follow the same tracks, but don't have the special scenic windows and
service. To see glaciers from either end of the route, take the Gornergrat
cog rail from Zermatt for the best views of the Matterhorn (see Gornergrat
Bahn) or the train from St. Moritz to the Diavolezza aerial tram. © Bargain
Travel Europe
Take
the Glacier Express
Zermatt to St Moritz
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articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain
Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted
without permission.
SEE
ALSO:
SWISS
CHOCOLATE TRAIN
WALLISERHOF CHALET HOTEL - ZERMATT
ROMANTIK
HOTEL STERN - CHUR
HOTEL
ALEX - ZERMATT
GOTTARD MATTERHORN AVALANCHE VILLAGE
