NEED TO KNOW
ROUTE This train journey takes you from Zermatt to St. Moritz, Switzerland
LENGTH AND TIME
180 miles (290 km); 7 hours, 30 minutes
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
Jan: 31°F (1°C); Apr: 46°F (8°C); Jul: 64°F (18°C); Oct: 48°F (9°C)
The most jaw-dropping train ride in Europe, the Glacier Express travels across some of the continent’s wildest and most beautiful mountain terrain. Billed as “the world’s slowest express,” the journey is an extraordinary feat of engineering – with 91 tunnels, 291 bridges and the highest point being 6,668 ft (2,033 m) above sea level at the crest of the Oberalp Pass. You are afforded a memorable spectacle as the tracks switchback between mountain passes and Alpine valleys, before ascending to Zermatt, beneath the outline of the majestic Matterhorn.
Practical Information
Train Schedule Departs four times daily in summer, once daily in winter.
When to Go The best time to visit is during the pleasantly temperate months between May and October, although tourist attractions become very busy during the peak summer season in July and August.