The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland is not a train. There is no Grand Train Tour ticket, no Grand Train Tour carriage, and nobody hands you a boarding pass. It is a 1,280 km route stitched together from eight ordinary sections, which you assemble yourself, ride in whichever direction and order you like, and cover almost entirely with one Swiss Travel Pass. Understanding that is the difference between a trip that works and a wishlist that does not fit.
Route essentials
The Grand Train Tour at a glance
| Total length | 1,280 km, as a loop |
| Sections | 8 main legs, plus three official shortcuts |
| Named panoramic trains | Five of them, on five of the eight legs |
| Swiss Travel Pass | Covers the whole route — you pay only panoramic seat reservations |
| Minimum realistic time | 8 days for the full loop; most people ride part of it |
| Direction | Either way, and you can start at any point on the circle |
| Reservations needed | Glacier Express and Bernina Express only — the rest you board freely |
| Runs | Year-round, though the Gotthard Panorama Express is April–October |
The eight sections, in order
Section 1
Zurich – Lucerne – Interlaken
City to lake to mountains. The second half is the Lucerne–Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass — hourly, no reservation, nothing to pay beyond your pass. One of the best-value legs on the whole circuit.
Section 2
Interlaken – Montreux
The GoldenPass Express, on variable-gauge bogies that reset themselves at Zweisimmen while you stay seated. Through Gstaad and the Pays-d’Enhaut, then the drop to Lake Geneva with the vineyards below.
Section 3
Montreux – Visp – Zermatt
Along Lake Geneva, up the Rhône valley, then the branch line into the Matterhorn valley. The least celebrated leg and the one that changes climate most dramatically — vineyards at one end, glaciers at the other.
Section 4
Zermatt – St. Moritz
The Glacier Express, eight hours across 291 bridges and 91 tunnels over the Oberalp Pass. Reservation compulsory at CHF 49. The signature leg, and the one most people build the trip around.
Section 5
St. Moritz – Tirano – Lugano
The Bernina Express over a 2,253 m pass without a rack rail, down into Italian Tirano, then on to Lugano. Reservation about CHF 32–36, or ride the regional trains free with your pass and stop where you like.
Section 6
Lugano – Flüelen – Lucerne
The Gotthard Panorama Express — the historic mountain line over the Gotthard, then a lake steamer across Lake Lucerne. April to October only; outside that season the Treno Gottardo covers the same ground year-round.
Section 7
Lucerne – St. Gallen
The Voralpen-Express over gentle pre-Alpine hills. No reservation, no crowds, no fuss — and almost every itinerary drops it.
Section 8
St. Gallen – Schaffhausen – Zurich
Along Lake Constance and the Rhine, past the Rhine Falls — the largest waterfall in Europe by volume, and a short walk from Schaffhausen station. Closes the loop back to Zurich.
The trick most guides skip: sections 7 and 8 are the two everybody cuts, and they are the only ones with no reservation, no supplement and no crowds — plus the Rhine Falls, which is genuinely worth an afternoon. If your trip is running long, cut a mountain excursion instead and keep the last two legs. They are the cheapest days of the entire tour.
The three official shortcuts
Switzerland Tourism publishes alternatives for people short on time, and using one is not cheating:
- Chur – Zurich in about 1¼ hours, cutting out sections 7 and 8 entirely.
- Spiez – Domodossola – Locarno, about 4¾ hours, swapping the Zermatt arm for the Centovalli.
- St. Moritz – Lugano by Palm Express bus, roughly 4 hours — a postbus over the Maloja Pass past Italian lakes, and covered by your pass with a small reservation fee.
How long you actually need
8 days — the full loop, moving daily
Doable but relentless: one section per day, hotel changes most nights, and no time for mountains. Realistic only if the trains themselves are the point.
Our 7-day itinerary shows a tighter version using one shortcut.
12–14 days — the version that works
The same eight sections with two-night stops in Interlaken, Zermatt and the Engadin, leaving room for Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn and a couple of unplanned days.
This is what most people wish they had booked.
Under a week, do not attempt the loop. Pick the eastern arm — Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken — or the southern one through the Glacier and Bernina, and do it properly.
What it costs beyond the pass
A Swiss Travel Pass covers every section of the route with no fare to pay. The extras are small and predictable:
- Glacier Express reservation: around CHF 49, compulsory, opens three months ahead.
- Bernina Express reservation: roughly CHF 32 low season, CHF 36 May–October — or ride the regional train free and skip it.
- Gotthard Panorama Express: CHF 24, and the train is first class only.
- GoldenPass Express: no reservation needed in 1st or 2nd class.
An 8-day pass at CHF 439 plus roughly CHF 110 of reservations covers 1,280 km of it. Worth comparing against a Half Fare Card only if you are stopping for a long time in one place — for this route, the pass is not a close call.
Before you book
Hotel-change days are the pressure point on this route, and the panoramic cars have no luggage van — a luggage transfer between hotels is the single best money you can spend on a trip like this. Check what else the pass covers in boats, buses and mountain discounts, and if you are continuing into Italy after the Bernina, see the Bernina Express and Lake Como itinerary.
When not to attempt the whole loop
The Grand Train Tour is a route concept rather than a single train you board, and treating it as a checklist is how people ruin a good trip.
- Doing all eight legs in one visit means moving almost daily. You see a great deal of Switzerland through glass and very little of it on foot. Most travellers remember the two afternoons they stopped, not the eight days they rode.
- The legs are not equally good. They were assembled to form a loop, not ranked by quality. Choosing two or three and spending the saved days properly beats completing the set.
The tour is a genuinely great framework for picking routes. It is a poor itinerary to follow literally.
Grand Train Tour questions travellers ask
Is the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland a single train?
No. It is a 1,280 km route made up of eight ordinary sections that you assemble yourself. There is no Grand Train Tour ticket and no dedicated carriage — five of the eight legs use named panoramic trains, and the rest are regular services.
Is the Grand Train Tour covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, the entire route. The only extra costs are the compulsory seat reservations on the Glacier Express (about CHF 49), the Bernina Express (CHF 32–36) and the Gotthard Panorama Express (CHF 24). The other legs need no reservation at all.
How many days do you need for the Grand Train Tour?
Eight days covers the full loop if you move every day, which leaves no time for mountains. Twelve to fourteen days is the version most people wish they had booked. Under a week, ride one arm of the route properly rather than attempting the circle.
Which direction should I travel the Grand Train Tour?
Either — it is a loop, so you can start anywhere on it and go whichever way suits your arrival airport. Zurich is the usual start simply because most international flights land there.
Which sections do most people skip, and should I?
Sections 7 and 8, from Lucerne through St. Gallen and Schaffhausen back to Zurich. They are the only legs with no reservation and no crowds, and they pass the Rhine Falls. If time is short, cut a mountain excursion instead and keep them — they are the cheapest days of the tour.
Can I do the Grand Train Tour in winter?
Yes, and the panoramic trains run year-round with one exception: the Gotthard Panorama Express operates only from mid-April to mid-October. Outside that window the Treno Gottardo covers the same section on a normal timetable.
Ride the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
Packages, panoramic seats and Swiss Travel Pass options for all eight sections.