9 breath-taking panoramic trains in Switzerland

While the rail network in Switzerland is often hailed as one of if not the best in the world, what truly sets it apart is its series of panoramic trains. Here are nine of the most picturesque rail journeys the country has to offer.

Swiss panoramic trains

To make sure that travellers get to see the pristine lakes, rolling hills and stunning mountains of Switzerland in as spectacular a way as possible, public transport providers have created a series of “panoramic trains”. These are services where passengers can book a space in a specially designed panoramic car.

These cars tend to have wall-length windows, offering travellers uninterrupted views of the natural landscape. Though most are offered year-round, the most popular times to travel are when the country is at its snowiest in winter and greenest in summer.

With this in mind, here are some panoramic rail services to add to the bucket list:

GoldenPass Express

Taking travellers from the lakeside of Montreux to Zweisimmen in the Bernese Oberland, the GoldenPass Express offers a litany of spectacular views. Run by the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (MOB), the line was fully opened in 1912, connecting the urban areas of Lake Geneva with the mountains and ski resorts of both Canton Vaud and Bern.

Thanks to the GoldenPass Panoramic - the world’s first fully panoramic train - travellers can see all the beauty of the region in sumptuous comfort on the two-hour journey from Zweisimmen to Montreux or back. What’s more, if you are a fan of the golden age of rail and trains straight out of a Agatha Christie novel, you can travel on the GoldenPass Belle Époque, which features lovingly restored carriages from the era.

Image credit: SIRNARM USAVICH / Shutterstock.com

Bernina Express

Providing a vital link between the northern and southern Alps, the Bernina Express is a marvel of engineering. The train itself, operating between Chur, St. Moritz and Tirano in Italy, runs on the Rhaetian Railway.

The route sees trains pass through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges, the most famous of which is the 65-metre-high Landwasser Viaduct - no wonder that the route is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Through the specially designed windows, riders can see everything from imposing mountains, the three lakes of Lej Pitschen, Lej Nair and Lago Bianco and even glaciers like Morteratsch.

Video: Travel Switzerland / YouTube

Glacier Express

The most luxurious experience on rails in Switzerland has to be the Glacier Express, which meanders through the Alps connecting the glamorous ski resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt. The carriages provide a nearly 360-degree view of the scenery, making it one of the most popular rail routes for tourists.

Want to find out more? Check out our guide to the Glacier Express. 

Image credit: Alexander Chaikin / Shutterstock.com

Gotthard Panorama Express

Thanks to the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, which slashed travel times between Swiss cities and Italy by over an hour, most trains no longer use the Gotthard Panorama Route. However, if you have time to take it slow, a trip on the Gotthard Panorama Express is well worth it.

Available from April to October, the route takes you from Arth-Goldau via Flüelen and Gotthard before descending the mountain and arriving in the Ticino capital of Bellinzona and its largest city Lugano. You can also do the route in reverse. Throughout the journey, you can see how 19th-century workers carved, cut and blasted a route through the Alps, creating various tunnels, and spirals through opulent vistas.

Those who want an even more magical experience can take a boat on Lake Lucerne from Lucerne to Flüelen, where they can then catch the train. To see the heart of central Switzerland at its very best, the Gotthard Panorama Express is for you.

Video: Travel Switzerland / YouTube

Centovalli Railway

While it isn’t called a panoramic railway, the Centovalli Railway between the Italian town of Domodossola and Locarno in Ticino is simply spectacular. Passengers are taken in specially designed trains with large panoramic windows on a short journey over the Italian countryside to Lake Maggiore and the foothills of the Alps.

Watch as wooded hills give way to the small towns and mountains of Ticino. If you find yourself in Italian Switzerland, the Centovalli Railway is a must-do!

Other scenic train rides in Switzerland

Though panoramic trains are designed with stunning views in mind, those who want to see the beauty of Switzerland for a lower price can buy themselves a normal train ticket and hop on a regularly scheduled service. Here are some standard rail routes with great views.

Luzern Interlaken Express

If the Gotthard Panorama Express is not available, a fabulous way to explore central Switzerland and the hills and mountains of Bern is to take the Luzern Interlaken Express. After departing the banks of Lake Lucerne, the train scythes through the mountainside, passing lakes Sarnen, Lungern and Brienz before arriving in Interlaken, Switzerland’s adrenaline capital.

Want to extend your stay in the Bernese Oberland? A picturesque mountain railway ride from Interlaken to Grindelwald, or hopping on an Interregional service to the historic castles of Spiez and Thun are excellent choices.

Video: Die Zentralbahn. / YouTube

Voralpen Express

Departing every hour in both directions, the Voralpen Express run by the South Eastern Railway links Lucerne with St. Gallen. However, instead of going the faster route via Zug and Zurich, the Interregional train cuts through the mountains and rolling hills of Zug, Schwyz and lower St. Gallen, stopping at the likes of Küssnacht am Rigi, Pfäffikon SZ and Rapperswil along the way.

This route offers the best view of the iconic Swiss mountains Mythen and Rigi. It also hops across Lake Zurich at Rapperswil, meanders through the hills of Toggenburg and passes over the 99-metre Sitter Viaduct, the tallest railway viaduct in Switzerland.

Video: Travel Switzerland / YouTube

Chur to Arosa and the rest of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB)

In addition to the Bernina and Glacier Express, other lines on the Rhaetian (RhB) railway are also well worth mentioning. Lines such as Landquart to Davos and Chur to Arosa are amazing feats of engineering which see trains overcome wide alpine valleys, peaks and streams.

If you want the views of the Glacier Express but don’t want to break the bank, a slightly more restricted view can be found on any Regional Express train between Chur and St. Moritz.

If you are travelling with children, be sure to take the special “Bear Safari” carriage from Chur to Arosa, where kids are entertained with stories, music and sounds of bears - a reference to the bear sanctuary that can be found in Arosa. Be sure to spot the five wooden bears that have been constructed along the route! 

Video: Rhätische Bahn AG / YouTube

Zurich to Schaffhausen

Finally, this very last train is less for the journey itself but for the unique (but brief) view it provides of Rheinfall. The Regional Express service between Zurich and Schaffhausen via Bülach gives you enchanting views of the wine country of Canton Zurich, a dramatic crossing of the Rhine at Eglisau and an uninterrupted view of Europe’s most powerful waterfall. 

The train ends in the historic city of Schaffhausen, famous for its Munot fortress and great wine. For the best view, be sure to be on the top floor on the right-hand side (facing forward) if you are going from Zurich to Schaffhausen!

Discover the best panoramic trains in Switzerland

Whether you are toasting champagne on the Glacier Express or entranced by the valleys of the Bernese Oberland on a regular SBB train, the railways are by far the best way to see Switzerland in all its glory. Have a favourite train route that we’ve missed out on? Let us know in the comments!