Exploring Switzerland by Train: Scenic Rail Journeys and Mountain Experiences

What makes Switzerland one of the most breathtaking countries in the world to explore by train?

This week Tracy is joined by Switzerland travel expert Carolyn, founder of Holidays to Switzerland, to talk about the scenic rail journeys and mountain excursions that draw visitors back again and again.

From iconic panoramic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express to shorter but equally spectacular routes such as the Lucerne–Interlaken Express, this episode dives into how Switzerland’s rail network turns travel days into unforgettable experiences. Carolyn shares her favourite train journeys, tips for planning around start and end points, and why flexibility is key when dealing with Alpine weather.

They also discuss common mistakes travellers make, including overpacking and forgetting to book seat reservations on panoramic trains, plus practical advice on using the Swiss Travel Pass and regional rail passes to help manage costs in one of Europe’s most expensive destinations.

You’ll also hear how to choose the right mountain excursions, whether you prefer cogwheel railways, funiculars or cable cars, and why allowing time in each base makes all the difference to your experience.

If Switzerland is on your list, this episode will help you plan smarter, travel lighter, and be prepared to be amazed at every turn.

Guest - Carolyn of Holidays to Switzerland
Show notes - Episode 90

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode #6 - An introduction to Switzerland
• Episode #61 - Lucerne Deep Dive
• Episode #85 – Top 10 Most Incredible Train Journeys Around the World

Transcript

Welcome And Swiss Dreaming

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Dreaming of Switzerland. In this episode, we're talking iconic scenic dreams, unforgettable mountain views, and how to plan the ultimate Swiss rail adventure.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Welcome to the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Your host and founder of the Global Travel Planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy is joined by expert guests as she takes you on a journey to destinations around the world, sharing travel inspiration, itinerary ideas, and practical tips to help you plan your next adventure. Join us as we explore everywhere from bustling cities to remote landscapes, uncover cultural treasures, and discover the best ways to make your travel dreams a reality.

Meet Carolyn And Her Swiss Cred

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Hi everybody and welcome to this week's edition of the Global Travel Planner Podcast. This week I am joined by my friend Carolyn, who is the Swiss expert. Carolyn has been on the podcast twice before, episode six to talk all things Swiss, and in episode 61 to talk about Lucerne. We did a deep dive. But this episode we are talking about really what a lot of people go to Switzerland for, and that is the scenic train journeys and mountain excursions, which there are many. So Carolyn's here to talk all about that. But before we go into that, Carolyn, would you like to, as always, just give us a quick introduction and tell us where what you do and where people can find you? Because you're also a podcaster, so that would be great to mention.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

I am. Well, thank you very much, Tracy, for having me back. It's always good to be on your podcast. So thank you. As you said, my name is Carolyn. Um I'm the founder of Holidays to Switzerland, which is a website, a podcast, and an online community that uh helps travelers plan their trip to Switzerland. And I've been uh fortunate to be a regular visitor to s to Switzerland for over 35 years now. And I just I don't know, every time I visit I fall in love with it more every time. So I think for me it's it's the gorgeous scenery that makes it such an incredible destination to visit. And just when you think you've seen the most stunning view, and then you go around another corner and there's another one waiting for you. So I love um sharing everything about Switzerland with uh my readers on the website and listeners of the podcast, and uh yeah, wh whenever I get the chance to talk about Switzerland, I'm I'm up for it.

Why Scenic Trains Captivate Travellers

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Well, I I don't mind talking about Switzerland because you know it's a it's a place that I've lived and it's a place that um my my mum lived for for quite a number of years, so it's a it's a country that I've been visited quite a few times. I'd actually used to live um in France but on Lake Geneva, face on over to Switzerland. So uh I was there for quite a while before moving to I lived in uh Basel for a while, um, and my parents were just outside Zurich. So uh Switzerland is it's a beautiful, beautiful country to visit, absolutely. And one of the best ways to get around Switzerland, in fact, the only way that I've got around Switzerland, unless I was in my stepdad's car and he was driving, was uh because I don't drive what I can help with in anywhere in Europe, um, is to take the train. And there's some just amazing scenic train journeys. Um, so why do you think they're such a highlight for visitors, including those train journeys into the itinerary?

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Well, I think the name kind of says it, you know. Yeah. Scenic trains, it's it's all about the scenery and and the varied landscapes that you pass through, because that's often that often surprises people. Um, some people expect that it's all going to be high mountain peaks, but that's not always the case. But also with the trains, you know, they're just so comfortable and they're so reliable, they work like a Swiss clock. And and the trains are very modern, they're clean, they're punctual, and it's also so relaxing because no one needs to drive and no one needs to navigate. Everyone traveling can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Building Itineraries Around Rail

SPEAKER_03 4:02

Absolutely, and that is that's the beauty of train travel anywhere. We always find it's like you can, whoever you're with, you can sit back and enjoy the journey. Like Doug always said, it's sometimes it's not about the destination, it's about the journey, and and train travel certainly um you know encapsulates that. Now, you know, when somebody's planning a trip to Switzerland, would you say it makes sense to plan an itinerary around trains?

SPEAKER_02 4:26

Yeah, absolutely. And in fact, there's even an itinerary called the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland that combines rides on the five sort of famous panoramic trains. Um, so you get to ride on all of those trains on this itinerary and you see all the key highlights over eight days. So it's yeah, that's some or that is one way that you can plan your itinerary around the trains. But I always encourage people to spend more than five, uh more than eight days if they can. Um you don't want to be rushing and you want to um have the chance to really, you know, spend some time in in the beautiful destinations that you're visiting, and being able to get between destinations um by a scenic train is yeah, just fantastic.

Picking Routes And Reservations

SPEAKER_03 5:15

You can't get better than that, can you? I mean, is there anything that you think people should should know about when they're kind of choosing some of the specific routes? Um, I mean, I know there are some some quite famous um kind of scenic train journeys that I guess could get booked up, so maybe that's something that people need to be aware of.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Yeah, definitely. And and also I think just considering like the start and finish points of of the particular route as well and and working out if that fits in with your itinerary. Because if you've only got a few days to spend in Switzerland, you know, perhaps you want to go into Switzerland at the end of a river cruise that finishes in Basel, or um you know, you you've only got a few days as you or before you move on to another European destination, you might only be in the northern part of Switzerland, like Zurich or Basel, or even into central Switzerland. So if you've desperate to do the Glacier Express ride, which connects Zermatt and St. Mauritz, that may not actually, you know, be a good fit for your itinerary. So I think knowing where each of these journeys starts and finishes is definitely um one thing that you need to consider. And as you said, some of them do book out well in advance, and perhaps I might talk about that uh a little bit later. Um, what people need to know about booking those trains and making sure they get their seats.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Okay, perfect. Now I have lots of favorite train journeys, um, as well as some of the scenic mountain railways that I love to take. Um, one of my favourite actually is to go from um Geneva to Zurich. I love that trip. Um, so I'm sure that you have your favourites. Uh so you know, if you if you had to choose which which would be the ones that you would always choose when it comes to actual train journeys rather than the kind of mountain excursions. Are there any particular kind of journeys that you go or just absolutely love those?

Favourite Scenic Rides

SPEAKER_02 7:23

Yeah, I mean, pretty much every uh train ride in Switzerland has some kind of amazing view. Um, and really, like there's I've got too many favourites to name them all, but um, there are two that I'll I'll mention because these ones I could just do over and over again, and and I usually do every every time I go to Switzerland, I'm usually on these two trains, so um they are definitely yeah, ones that I can highly recommend. And the first of those is the Lucerne Interlaken Express. It's one of the panoramic train rides, um, and it connects two very popular Swiss destinations, and on the way it passes by five lakes, numerous waterfalls, and it crosses over a mountain pass, so it's it's got everything, and it only takes two hours, so it's not like you're on the train, you know, for a long time, uh, but you're seeing so much fantastic scenery. And the other one, um, it's much shorter, it's only nine minutes. Um, and this this uh train travels between Lautenbrunnen and Wengen, which are two small villages in the Jungfrau region. And the reason I love this one is because as you leave the station in Lauterbrunnen, you just get the most amazing view of the village with its steep cliff faces on either side, and you can see the Staubach Falls, which are quite famous, and then the train sort of rises up the mountain, and then you get great views down over the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and then just before you reach Wengen, you've got this amazing view of the three mountains, the Iger, Monk, and Jungfrau, right in front of you. And whenever you're on the train, you can just hear everyone gasp as they as they see this view for the very first time, and it's yeah, it's something you could just see over and over again. You'd never never get sick of it.

Common Planning Mistakes

SPEAKER_03 9:27

I'll have to um I'll have to get some photos from you, Carolyn, because I just know people listening are going, I want to see that view, I want to see how gorgeous it is. So we'll we'll put some pictures in the show notes so you can go and check out. Um, I'm sure you've got a visualization of what Carolyn is saying, but I think then having a look at the photo, it you know, it is so beautiful, Switzerland, it is. And there's just, you know, it's one of those places where you really need to make sure that your phone has got plenty of ability to take lots and lots of photos and not get full because you were going to take so so many. Um there are so many, I would say, train rides that I just love. I also like the Bernina Express. That's a beautiful one. I took my uh my niece for a 21st on that trip, and she she absolutely loved it. It was it was a wonderful, wonderful journey. Um, so obviously, we talked about some of these beautiful train journeys that people can do in Switzerland. Um, are there common mistakes that travellers make when they're planning some of these scenic train travel when they're into their itinerary?

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Yeah, firstly, I think I'd say taking too much luggage. Um, not only does having too much luggage or suitcases that are too large make it more difficult just to get around generally, but there's also limited uh space to store your luggage on the trains. You know, the the trains in Switzerland uh 90% of the passengers are locals, they use the trains for commuting and just for you know short trips and weekends away and whatever, so so they don't have a lot of luggage. So the trains aren't designed to you know hold heaps and heaps of luggage, and yes, there are luggage racks, um, but you may need to lift your suitcase up onto the top of the luggage rack, which is at the end of the carriage, so you need to be able to maneuver that and and lift that um very easily. So definitely don't take too much luggage. Secondly, I think one of the mistakes that people make is not realizing that they need to book seat reservations on some of those panoramic trains that we mentioned before, and then they just turn up with a ticket and then they get on board and like oh, there's no seats available, and then the conductor comes along and says, Well, sorry, you you have to have a seat book, a seat reservation, so you've got to get off at the next station. So, so that um that can be a bit bit tricky, and and a few people do make that mistake. And then also on the topic of those seat reservations is not making or not making the bookings, the reservations, far enough in advance, and then missing out. So the Benina Express and and also the Glacier Express are very, very popular in summer, and they do book out, and they both uh the bookings for both those trains open at different times. So you read need to do a bit of research and work out okay, when am I able to book the seat reservation for the date I want to travel, and uh just try and book it as early as you can so that you do make sure that you get they get uh a seat on that train.

Choosing Mountain Excursions

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Yeah, no, that that's good advice. Actually, I remember taking that train and um and the there's a couple sitting next to us, and they hadn't booked the window seat, and the guy was most annoyed about the fact that he didn't get it. It was actually quite unpleasant. Um, but actually a lot of people because it stops and people got off the train at different paths. So after a while, there was plenty of space in the in the carriage for people to to move around. But um, yeah, that's the point. If you want to be beside a window, make sure that you book that window seat and don't just assume that you're gonna you're gonna get it because um and then don't panic if you don't, because people will get off the train and you can take your photos. Um, but but I remember that, I was thinking, oh dear, um, absolutely. And honestly, traveling by train in in Switzerland is always a joy. As you say, the trains are on time, they're clean, uh, you know, it's it's they're just always a just a wonderful experience to have. Um, and the other thing that you can do in Switzerland, we're talking about train travel, is the mountain excursions. Now there are there are so many mountain excursions to choose from, um, and it can be a bit overwhelming. Um, so how how would you advise people when it comes to kind of choosing which mountain excursions are right for them?

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Yeah, well, you're right. I mean, there's just so many to choose from, and it's it's incredible. But I think I'd start by listing the top two or three choices that you have for each destination you're visiting, and then check the mode of transport. Because if you're like me and you have a fear of heights, a cable car ride might not be the best option for you. So some mountains you can reach by like a cogwheel train or a funicular, so that might be a better option, and then also check what there is to do when you get there. So, you know, perhaps you just want to go for the views and you want a nice quiet um you know experience. On the other hand, you might want to do lots of um adventure activities like ride on a go on a zip line or ride a mountain scooter, or you're traveling with children and you want to make sure there's a playground when you get there. So you working out those sort of things then perhaps you know helps you um whittle down your your wish list perhaps and then and helps make um making your choice easier.

SPEAKER_03 14:54

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, and um do you do you have favourites? Now I know you mentioned because I know you don't like cable cars, and I I really like doing that golden um golden name of it now, the golden that's it, golden round trip from from uh Lucerne back to Lucerne, um Mount Pularis, and that does involve you've got the Cogway Railway, and then you've got um you've got a large uh kind of cable car, and then you've got the smaller cable car. I don't know what you call the large one, is that still?

SPEAKER_02 15:20

I think it's still gondola.

SPEAKER_03 15:21

Yeah, it's that's it, gondola dragon ride. That's it, that's it. Um and I've done it a few times, you think I'd remember. And then you go into the into the smaller cable car. But I know you've done that trip. Um you did that one and you were okay, or did you have to prep yourself?

Weather, Seasons, And Operations

SPEAKER_02 15:35

It's no, it's it's taken a long time, but uh like I said at the start, I've been travelling to Switzerland for over 35 years. But it's really only in the first the last um two or three years, and perhaps perhaps since COVID actually, that I've decided right, I don't want to miss out on all these amazing experiences, so I'm just gonna have to you know be brave and and uh and put up with it. So I do voluntarily um take cable car rides now. Um and the one that you were talking about there, the uh to Mount Pilatus, the golden round trip. So, yes, during during summer, from usually from the end of April to early November, um, a cogwheel train goes up one side of the mountain. Um, so you can do that round trip using the cogwheel train and and the cable car. But if you're traveling at other times of the year, so outside of April to early November, you can only get up and down by cable cars. So um, yeah, that that's something to consider if you're not a big fan of cable cars. Um look at going, yeah. Usually in the summertime you can access that's when most of the the Caldwell railways operate.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Yeah, I was going to ask actually about weather because obviously we we kind of expect in the winter that there's gonna be a lot of snow. Um, so in general, how does that impact um just train travel in Switzerland? Um, and also how does that impact some of these mountain excursions?

Top Mountain Picks And Routes

SPEAKER_02 17:08

Well, typically um general train travel um isn't affected at all. Um, and the only one, or there's a couple of the panoramic train rides which don't operate uh all of winter, the Gotthard Panorama Express, which connects Lucerne and Lugano, it's only operating during the summer months. And the Glacier Express also has about a six-week break from about the end of October to mid-December, just when they do maintenance work on the track. But most other trains uh operate, the all the regular trains between cities and towns, they're all operating year-round, no problem at all. Uh, when it comes to mountain excursions, yes, some of the mountain railways, like the cogwheel trains and the funiculars, don't operate, but then there are others that do. So, for instance, the cogwheel train that goes up to Jungfrau Joch, the top of Europe, that operates 365 days a year, and there are a few others that uh that are of uh operating all year round as well. And again, with the cable cars, they have sort of brief periods in spring and autumn when they're closed for their annual maintenance, but uh otherwise operating, yeah. Most Swiss mountains are ski resorts, so the skiers want to get up there, so that's uh that's when the cable cars are uh very well utilized as well as in the summer months for people going hiking.

SPEAKER_03 18:49

Absolutely the views, I have to say, you can't beat the views when you've got snow on the mountains. That's my personal favourite. I see, you know, a little bit of snow on the mountains, and it's just it's absolutely stunning. Now, have you got um some favourites? Because obviously you've been doing more of these kind of these mountain excursions that involve the the cable cars as well as obviously cog railways, just is other ones that you absolutely would say to people, like I love Pilates, Pilotis is probably my favorite, um, and I've done that a few times. Um, but is there one that you go, oh you know what? This this is the one that I I absolutely love the most.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Oh, that is so difficult. And in fact, when I was thinking about this, uh I've got a list of five actually.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Um then I said to my husband, um, you know, what what's your favorite mountain excursion in Switzerland? And then he reeled off of you know, uh dozen as well. So there's so many. But if I had to pick just one, I think I would say um the excursion to Munlicken. So again, this is this is from Wengen. So that scenic train ride that I mentioned, which you can take up from Lauterbrunnen. When you get to Wengen to the station there, it's just a couple of minutes walk, and you come to the cable car station, and it's a very short cable car ride, it's only about five or six minutes. And on this cable car, there's actually an open like a rooftop balcony that you can stand on if you want to. It's got a barrier around it, so it's perfectly safe. Uh now I haven't actually been brave enough to stand on the top of that one, but my husband has. Uh, but you get the have this very short cable car ride, and then you get up to Mount Lichen, um, and again you've got the views down over the Laudelbrunn Valley, and you've got the views to those amazing mountains right in front of you, and it you just it looks like you're so close to them, like it's yeah, it's really amazing. Um, the view there, and there's a great walk you can do, which um is fairly flat, takes about an hour and a half, and it goes back uh goes over sort of to the other side of um well to the next mountain over, I guess. Um, so it's yeah, it's it's just the I think the views up there are what um gets me every time. You can also take a cable car down to the other side of the mountain if you don't want to do that walk, uh, which takes you down to Grindel Grindelwald, which is another very popular uh holiday town um in the Jungfrau region. So yeah, if I had to if I had to narrow it down to just one, I would say that. But I do have favourites uh near Zermat, Lucerne, uh in the Valle region, and also in Ticino. So yeah, there's there's something for everyone.

Costs, Passes, And Savings

SPEAKER_03 21:39

Oh, absolutely. And you've got you've got information on all of those on your website as well. So um, you know, we can direct if you're interested, go and go and check out Carlin's uh website because she's got information all about those. Um we'll talk a little bit in a second about how you know building a a Swiss itinerary that includes these, but the elephant in the room, I think, always with Switzerland, is the cost. Um Because it it it's it is a pricey destination. It's not a it's not a cheap country to visit. So um so I'm just gonna throw this out there. What do you recommend? Like if people are planning to do some of these train trips, uh mountain excursions, is there a way that they can save money?

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Yes, definitely. And you're right. I mean, buying individual tickets for every train trip that you want to do and every mountain excursion quickly adds up, and you start freaking out when you see how much that costs. So I always recommend that people look at a rail pass, and unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, with Switzerland, there are so many different rail passes, and this is where it gets so confusing because they all cover different things or different regions and different mountain excursions, so it can be very difficult. And I've got a couple of resources that help people to determine which rail pass they should buy. But as a general rule, if you buy a rail pass, and and let's just assume that you're buying the Swiss travel pass, which is one of the most popular, it covers your travel all over the country. So that's on trains, buses, boats, and a couple of the mountain railways as well. It then gives you discounts up to 50% discount on most other mountain excursions, so you can really save money that way. There are also regional passes which just cover a particular region, like the Jungfrau region, and often with those regional passes, the mountain excursions are fully included. So in that way, yes, the Swiss or the rail pass might be a significant cost up front, but when you take into consideration everything that's included, uh it really can be very good value.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Yeah, and any which way you can save a bit of money in Switzerland is absolutely worth worth looking at and considering. And I'm thinking if somebody, you know, if you're planning a seven-to-day, seven to ten day trip to Switzerland and you're thinking about having some of those scenic train journeys and mountain excursions, certainly having a look at the rail pass, depending on what you include, I think is really important. Um, but how how would you, if somebody was just going to Switzerland for 10 days, and I'm sure you've you've you've spoken to many people who are doing this, how would you suggest they look at including some of these train trips and some of these mountain excursions? Um, how do they balance that in their itinerary? I guess I mean if it was Doug that was going, he'd just have 10 days on the train, so it'd be very easy.

Ten-Day Itinerary Strategy

SPEAKER_02 24:35

Well, yeah, that's right. And and that's the thing, like with that grand train tour of Switzerland, that itinerary, it's it's eight days, but you you're pretty much moving from one destination to another every day. So my personal preference and and what I recommend to most people is to try just to pick out three or four destinations that you really want to go to. You you want to have at least one full day, and in some cases two full days a minimum, in a destination. So you can do those mountain excursions and you're not just rushing from from place to place. And the other thing too to keep in mind is that in Switzerland, because it's such a mountainous country, the weather can change very, very quickly. So there'd be nothing worse than you know, you've only got half a day, and you wake up in the morning and oh no, like the weather's atrocious, there's going to be no visibility from the mountaintop at all, and so you have to skip it. At least if you've got uh, you know, uh two days, you've got uh perhaps the chance to see something the next day, you know. Hopefully the weather will change. So, um, yeah, try not to to um put, you know, try not to rush too much and cram too much into a seven or ten day itinerary, but use those two or three or four at the most bases, and uh you can use your scenic trains to get from A to B, which is a great thing. You're not uh taking you're not adding extra time to your itinerary by using those Swiss tra uh the scenic trains, they're part of your transport from A to B. So you can easily combine those with uh with some of those mountain excursions.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

And and love it and enjoy it, and just uh uh you know, it does take your breath away. It is it is a beautiful, beautiful country, uh that's for sure. Now, if anybody's um you know, I always end the podcast with the same question. So if if somebody's listening to the podcast and they're thinking, yeah, I I quite fancy experiencing some of these train journeys and mountain excursions in Switzerland, what would be the one tip that you would you would share with them, something that they should keep in mind if they're planning that sort of trip?

Parting Tip And Autumn Plans

SPEAKER_02 26:58

It's probably not really a tip as such, but it's just I don't know, something to keep in mind that if you're going to Switzerland, be prepared to be amazed, I guess. Just when you think you've seen the best view ever, another one is waiting around the corner and it'll blow your mind even more.

SPEAKER_03 27:21

Oh no, I love that. It's true, it's absolutely true. It is beautiful, and um, I don't think there's any train ride that I've taken that I've gone, oh, that's lovely, that's pretty. Even going from our parents into Zurich along Lake Zurich is pretty, you know. That was just our regular commute to go into Zurich, and you know, there you sit and you're going, Oh, this is amazing, it's so beautiful. Um, and it is a lovely, lovely country. Are you going back again this year, Caroline, to visit?

SPEAKER_02 27:45

Yes, I'll be back there again in in autumn again, which uh last year I went in autumn for the first time, and it was oh, it was just incredible, the colours of all the leaves changing, and uh yeah, it was a beautiful time of year to go. So I'm uh heading back there again in uh September and October this year.

Links, Photos, And Listener Messages

Reviews And Closing

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Excellent. I'm sure you're gonna absolutely love that. Well, um, thanks as always for joining me on the podcast. Carolyn, it's lovely to chat with you. Thank you, Tracy. It's a pleasure to be here again. Uh no, so you can find, I'm gonna get some photos of Carolyn. We're gonna put them in the show notes. So if you want to check out um some of the places that Carolyn has chatted about, we'll put them in there for you to look at. But also do check her website out, holidays to Switzerland.com. She's also got an excellent podcast. Fellow podcasters of the world unite, Carolyn. Um, and it's on Instagram and on YouTube as well. So I will put links in there. If you have been to Switzerland or are planning a visit to Switzerland, leave us a message on Speakpipe. I will pass that to Carolyn as well. You never know, she could get back to you. Um, but as always, I will leave uh all those links in the show notes, globaltravelplanning.com forward slash episode 90. Uh, but until next week, happy global travel planning for myself and Carolyn. Bye bye. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. For more details and links to everything we discussed today, check out the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com. Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. Anyway, that leaves me to say, as always, happy global travel planning.