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zermatt
Scenic routes

The Glacier Express

Zermatt · Andermatt · St. Moritz

Timetable-checked:2 trains · 7h 31m on board
5-6 daysSuggested duration
3 stopsIconic cities
ScenicGlaciers & passes
Lower CO₂Than flying

“The scenic way across the Alps.”

Suggested
5-6 days
Stops
3
On board
7h 31m

Scenic · Timetable-checked · Lower CO₂ than flying

Overview

The line from Zermatt to St. Moritz crosses nearly three hundred bridges and runs through about ninety tunnels, climbing over the Oberalp Pass at more than two thousand metres. In one go it takes about eight hours, so take it slowly with a night in Andermatt.

“Across the Alps, one valley at a time.”

The route

  1. Zermatt · 2 nightsA car-free village below the Matterhorn.
    Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (fo)GEX08:52 → 11:46 · 2h 54mTimetable-checked
    GEX · Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (fo)Zermatt → Andermatt08:52 → 11:46
    1. ZermattDep 08:52
    2. Brig BahnhofplatzArr 10:06 · Dep 10:14
    3. AndermattArr 11:46
  2. Andermatt, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsAndermatt · 1 nightA crossroads of Alpine passes.
    Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (fo)GEX12:00 → 16:37 · 4h 37mTimetable-checked
    GEX · Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (fo)Andermatt → St. Moritz12:00 → 16:37
    1. AndermattDep 12:00
    2. Disentis/MustérArr 13:02 · Dep 13:14
    3. ChurArr 14:25 · Dep 14:34
    4. FilisurArr 15:41 · Dep 15:42
    5. SamedanArr 16:29 · Dep 16:30
    6. St. MoritzArr 16:37
  3. St. Moritz, photographed for Wikimedia CommonsSt. Moritz · 2 nightsThe resort that invented winter holidays.

Timetable-checked on 4 October 2026 for travel on 2026-10-05 · Data: SBB / opentransportdata.swiss

Suggested tickets

  • Rail pass: Swiss Travel PassBest fitSBB

    6 consecutive days · Covers the whole line; the panoramic trains add a seat reservation.

  • Single tickets: Point-to-point ticketsTrainlineSBB

    Standard Swiss tickets for each journey. Saver fares for set trains are cheaper when booked ahead.

  • Rail pass: Interrail Global PassInterrailEurail (non-EU)

    3 travel days within 1 month · The mountain line between Zermatt and Disentis only gives pass holders a discount.

Suggestions only. Trainlink doesn't sell tickets: check prices, coverage and reservation rules with the seller.

The experience

View by
Zermatt - Below the MatterhornZermatt
Stay 2 nights in ZermattBooking.com

The mountain

Zermatt is a car-free village at the head of the Mattertal, overlooked by the pyramid of the Matterhorn. Electric taxis and horse-drawn carriages replace cars in its streets.

The first ascent

The Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865, and four of the seven climbers died on the descent. The Matterhorn Museum tells their story and the village's rise as a resort.

Up the Gornergrat

A rack railway climbs from the village to the Gornergrat, facing the Matterhorn, the Monte Rosa massif and their glaciers. It is among the highest open-air railways in Europe.

Raclette and Valais wineFood

Valais is the home of raclette, melted cheese scraped onto potatoes. Pair it with a glass of local white wine from the Rhône valley.

The queens' fightsTraditions

Every spring in Valais, black Hérens cows meet in ritual fights to decide the herd's queen. The cows simply push heads until one gives way.

Zermatt → Andermatt08:24 → 12:153h 51mdirectTimetable-checked

Up the Rhône valley

The line drops down the Mattertal to Visp, then follows the Rhône valley east past Brig. It climbs through the Goms to the Furka base tunnel and comes out above Andermatt.

Andermatt, photographed for Wikimedia Commons Andermatt - At the crossroadsAndermatt
Stay 1 night in AndermattBooking.com

Crossroads of the Alps

Andermatt sits where the Gotthard, Furka and Oberalp passes meet. For centuries it lived from the travellers and mule trains crossing the Alps.

The Devil's Bridge

Just north of the village, the Schöllenen gorge is crossed by the Devil's Bridge, where Russian troops fought the French in 1799. A memorial carved into the rock remembers them.

Alpine macaroniFood

Älplermagronen, macaroni baked with potatoes, cheese and cream, comes with apple sauce on the side.

Andermatt → St. Moritz11:31 → 16:375h 6mdirectTimetable-checked

Over the Oberalp

From Andermatt the line climbs in hairpins to the Oberalp Pass at over two thousand metres. It descends into the young Rhine valley and runs through the Rhine gorge, then climbs the Albula line over the Landwasser Viaduct.

St. Moritz, photographed for Wikimedia Commons St. Moritz - In the EngadinSt. Moritz
Stay 2 nights in St. MoritzBooking.com

Where winter tourism began

In 1864 a hotelier bet summer guests they would enjoy a winter in St. Moritz, and winter tourism was born. The town has hosted the Winter Olympics twice.

The lakes

St. Moritz sits on a lake in the Upper Engadin, a high valley of lakes and larch forests. Walking paths link the lakes along the valley.

Engadine nut tartFood

The local nut tart, filled with caramelised walnuts, travels well and lasts for days.

Racing on iceTraditions

Every February horses race on the frozen lake at White Turf. The famous Cresta Run toboggan track runs from the town in winter.

Practical info

Booking

Trainlink doesn't sell tickets. Check each leg with the operator or a retailer before you travel.

Reservations

The panoramic trains on this line need a paid seat reservation and sell out in summer. Regular regional trains on the same tracks need none.

Break the journey

Stopping in Andermatt halves a long day and gives you time for the Oberalp Pass and the Schöllenen gorge.

Best time to travel

Summer for walking and clear passes; winter brings deep snow and fewer crowds outside the holidays.

Journey time

Zermatt to Andermatt takes about three and a half hours. Andermatt to St. Moritz takes about four and a half hours more.

Trainlink plans journeys; operators and retailers sell the tickets.