Far by Rail
Glacier Express travelling through a snowy Alpine landscape in Switzerland.

Switzerland · Scenic

Glacier Express

A full-day panoramic journey between Zermatt and St. Moritz, threading the Swiss Alps through high passes, deep valleys, 291 bridges and 91 tunnels.

Zermatt → St. Moritz

Mountains · Lakes

Photo: Tim Adams / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Time needed
8h
Best for
Photographers · Rail enthusiasts
Route
Zermatt → St. Moritz

Why this route

A landscape that arrives in route order.

Take the Glacier Express when the journey itself is the destination: a slow, all-day crossing of the Swiss Alps with a succession of famous railway engineering works and broad mountain views.

How it scores

Our current editorial assessment, for comparing journeys, a considered judgement, not a measurement.

SceneryExceptional
ComfortStrong
Value for moneyModerate
Food & drinkStrong
Character of the trainExceptional
Show the full editorial profile

More subjective

UniquenessExceptional
Iconic statusExceptional
PhotographyExceptional
RomanceStrong
Travelling with childrenStrong

Not rated yet: seat quality, onboard service, slow travel quality, remoteness.

Step-free access and assistance are set out with the practical detail further down rather than reduced to a score.

The route

Zermatt to St. Moritz

The map and published stops show the verified geography this journey travels through.

The published route runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz via Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station, Andermatt railway station, Disentis/Mustér railway station, Chur, Filisur, Samedan railway station.

291 km · Zermatt to St. Moritz

Key stops

Zermatt railway stationBrig Bahnhofplatz railway stationDisentis/Mustér railway stationChurSamedan railway stationSt. Moritz railway station

Zermatt railway stationSt. Moritz railway stationBrig Bahnhofplatz railway stationAndermatt railway stationDisentis/Mustér railway stationChurFilisurSamedan railway station
Switzerland · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Zermatt railway station

    Switzerland

  2. Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station

    Switzerland

  3. Andermatt railway station

    Switzerland

  4. Disentis/Mustér railway station

    Switzerland

  5. Chur

    Switzerland

  6. Filisur

    Switzerland

  7. Samedan railway station

    Switzerland

  8. St. Moritz railway station

    Switzerland

The Glacier Express travelling through the Urseren Valley in Switzerland.
The Glacier Express travelling through the Urseren Valley in Switzerland. · Photo: Kabelleger · CC BY-SA 2.0

Along the line

Geographic milestones

Published highlights in the order the route reaches them.

  1. Andermatt railway station → Disentis/Mustér railway station · Landscape

    Over the Oberalp Pass

    Between Andermatt and the Surselva the line climbs to the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m, the highest point of the Glacier Express journey.

  2. Disentis/Mustér railway station → Chur · Landscape

    The Rhine Gorge

    Between Ilanz and Reichenau the railway threads the Rhine Gorge, the pale limestone canyon Glacier Express names as one of the route's signature scenic sections.

  3. Chur → Samedan railway station · Engineering

    The Albula line and Landwasser Viaduct

    Glacier Express calls the Albula section the most spectacular part of the route: the Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, then the climb through viaducts and spiral tunnels around Bergün and Preda.

The Glacier Express approaching Oberalp Pass in the Swiss Alps.
The Glacier Express approaching Oberalp Pass in the Swiss Alps. · Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler ( http://www.bahnbilder.ch ) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Evidence on demand

Practical reality

Route, onboard, season, fit and booking detail remain available without interrupting the journey above. Unknowns stay visible.

Time & itinerary

8h

View route map and verified stops

Zermatt → St. Moritz

The published route runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz via Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station, Andermatt railway station, Disentis/Mustér railway station, Chur, Filisur, Samedan railway station.

291 km · Zermatt to St. Moritz

Key stops

Zermatt railway stationBrig Bahnhofplatz railway stationDisentis/Mustér railway stationChurSamedan railway stationSt. Moritz railway station

Zermatt railway stationSt. Moritz railway stationBrig Bahnhofplatz railway stationAndermatt railway stationDisentis/Mustér railway stationChurFilisurSamedan railway station
Switzerland · geographic corridor through verified stops · indicative alignment, not exact track geometry

  1. Zermatt railway station

    Switzerland

  2. Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station

    Switzerland

  3. Andermatt railway station

    Switzerland

  4. Disentis/Mustér railway station

    Switzerland

  5. Chur

    Switzerland

  6. Filisur

    Switzerland

  7. Samedan railway station

    Switzerland

  8. St. Moritz railway station

    Switzerland

On board

The route does most of the work here, it is a journey taken for what passes the window rather than for the destination. The long run between Zermatt and St. Moritz (about 291 km) gives the scenery time to shift gradually, and the day settles into its own rhythm of stops and open stretches. Height is the story in the middle of this one, the line keeps gaining and losing it, and the ground below rearranges itself each time. The middle of the route, through Brig Bahnhofplatz railway station and Chur, is where the journey stops feeling like a departure and starts feeling like a place of its own.

Views & seating

Panoramic windows

Panoramic windows are a defining feature of the Glacier Express.

✓ Yes

Food & drink

Café / food service

Meals can be pre-ordered in 1st and 2nd class; Excellence Class includes its menu.

✓ Yes

2 onboard details are confirmed against a source. Anything not listed here has not been researched yet; treat it as unknown, not absent.

When to go
  1. JanGood
  2. FebGood
  3. MarBest
  4. AprBest
  5. MayBest
  6. JunBest
  7. JulBest
  8. AugBest
  9. SepBest
  10. OctSelected dates
  11. NovNot running
  12. DecSelected dates
  • Best
  • Good
  • Selected dates
  • Not running
Best
Mar–Sep
Good
Jan–Feb
Selected dates
Oct · Dec
Not running
Nov

Mar: Winter scenery with improving daylight.

Month labels here describe whether the service runs. Where a month is rated, that rating describes conditions on board and outside, not ticket demand.

Month-by-month notes
  • Jan: Winter timetable; snow scenery and shorter daylight.
  • Feb: Winter timetable; snow scenery.
  • Mar: Winter scenery with improving daylight.
  • Apr: Late winter / spring transition.
  • May: Summer timetable begins; long daylight.
  • Jun: Long daylight and full summer timetable.
  • Jul: Peak summer demand; advance reservation strongly advisable.
  • Aug: Peak summer demand; advance reservation strongly advisable.
  • Sep: Strong autumn-light shoulder season.
  • Oct: 2026 service operates only through 10 October, then annual break begins.
  • Nov: Annual operating break; no Glacier Express service in November 2026.
  • Dec: 2026 service resumes from 5 December after the annual break.

Where to sit

No single best side; it changes along the route

No single side stays best for the whole Zermatt → St. Moritz run. Independent research puts the Mattertal views between Zermatt and Brig generally on the right, the Rhine Gorge generally on the left, and (after the train changes direction at Chur) the Albula section including the Landwasser Viaduct generally on the right again.

Travelling St. Moritz → Zermatt

Changes along the route

Travelling St. Moritz → Zermatt the same sections swap sides: generally left for the Albula line and Landwasser Viaduct, generally right through the Rhine Gorge, and generally left down the Mattertal into Zermatt. The train still changes direction at Chur, so no single side stays best.

Verification: high · Checked 10 Sept 2026

Good for

Good fit for

  • Photographers

    Especially good

    Panoramic Alpine scenery is a primary reason to take the journey.

  • Rail enthusiasts

    Especially good

    Engineering, metre-gauge railway character and classic Alpine routing are central to the experience.

  • Slow travellers

    Especially good

    The full-day pace is the product rather than a time-saving connection.

  • First-time rail travellers

    Especially good

    Iconic, easy-to-understand Swiss scenic journey with a clear end-to-end product.

Also works for 3 more

  • Families

    Straightforward one-train experience; compulsory reservation reduces uncertainty.

  • Couples

    A long scenic day works well as a shared special-occasion journey.

  • Older travellers

    Reserved seating and a single through journey reduce logistical complexity.

Think twice if

  • It does not run all year

    Runs Dec–Oct.

  • It takes most of a day

    8h on board, end to end.

  • You cannot just turn up

    A reservation is required for this journey.

Reservation & booking
Reservation
Required
Typical price
CHF 213

Prices quoted 2026 full-route Zermatt–St. Moritz second-class published total: ticket up to CHF159 + mandatory CHF54 seat reservation. Reservation fee CHF 54. Rail-pass supplement CHF 54.

Booking difficulty
Easy
Rail pass
Accepted
  • A valid ticket and a mandatory seat reservation are required.
  • 1st/2nd-class seat reservations open up to 93 days before travel; accepted rail passes cover the ticket component but not the reservation.
  • A seat reservation is still required with a rail pass.
Visit Glacier Express AG's website (opens the operator site in a new tab)Compare similar journeys

Only the operator's website is verified for this service. Timetables, fares and reservations must be found from there. Journey length: 8h. Source: Glacier Express; no check date recorded.

Sources & freshness

The detailed source record remains at the end of this guide. Review the evidence.

Your next step

Plan the route, then confirm it with the operator.

A valid ticket and a mandatory seat reservation are required. 1st/2nd-class seat reservations open up to 93 days before travel; accepted rail passes cover the ticket component but not the reservation. A seat reservation is still required with a rail pass.

Visit Glacier Express AG's website (opens in a new tab)

Only the operator's website is verified for this service. Timetables, fares and reservations must be found from there.

Far by Rail is a discovery guide, not a live timetable or booking service. Confirm times, fares and availability with the operator.

Continue exploring

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Sources & freshness

Journey information is reviewed against published material and maintained as sources change.

Last reviewed 11 Sep 2026.

Official sources