Explore Switzerland by Rail: 5 Iconic Train Routes Come Together on One Alpine Journey

Switzerland offers a unique way to explore its landscapes: by train.

The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026, brings together eight of the country’s most scenic railway routes in one spectacular travel experience.

Stretching for approximately 1,280 km, the tour connects major cities, lakeside destinations, mountain villages and high Alpine passes. Travellers can follow the complete circuit or choose specific sections, making the experience easy to adapt to different itineraries.

The journey also fits well with the growing trend of slow and sustainable travel. With the Swiss Travel Pass, visitors can use trains, buses and boats across much of the country, allowing them to combine scenic rail journeys with stays in different regions.

• Here are three of the most spectacular sections of the Grand Train Tour:
• Zürich–Lucerne–Interlaken: Luzern–Interlaken Express

The route from Zürich to Interlaken via Lucerne provides a gentle introduction to Switzerland’s Alpine scenery.

The Luzern–Interlaken Express travels beside Lake Lucerne and Lake Brienz, passing rugged cliffs, waterfalls, forests and traditional mountain villages. The scenery gradually becomes more dramatic as the train approaches Interlaken, one of the country’s best-known gateways to the Jungfrau region.

GoldenPass Line: Interlaken–Zweisimmen–Montreux

The GoldenPass Line connects the Alpine landscapes around Interlaken with the shores of Lake Geneva.

The route crosses the Brünig Pass before continuing through Zweisimmen and the resort town of Gstaad. As the train heads towards Montreux, Alpine meadows and wooden chalets give way to vineyards and lakeside scenery.

The journey is particularly appealing because it crosses different cultural and linguistic regions of Switzerland, offering a constantly changing backdrop along the way.

• Bernina Express: St Moritz–Tirano/Lugano
• For dramatic mountain scenery, few routes compare with the Bernina Express.

Beginning in St Moritz, the train travels through the Engadin Valley and crosses the Bernina Pass before descending towards Tirano in Italy. Travellers encounter snow-covered peaks, alpine lakes, glaciers and deep gorges before reaching the warmer landscapes of southern Switzerland and northern Italy.

The Bernina route is also celebrated for its railway engineering, with the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These three routes are just part of the Grand Train Tour, which brings together eight scenic railway experiences and showcases Switzerland’s remarkable geographical and cultural diversity in one journey.