Booking the Glacier Express is not like booking a normal Swiss train. Seats open exactly three months ahead, the reservation is compulsory and priced separately from your pass, and the popular summer departures are gone within days. This guide covers when to book, which class is actually worth paying for, which direction to travel, and the free alternative that runs the same tracks.
Booking essentials
What you are actually booking
| Route | Zermatt ↔ St. Moritz, with Chur and Davos variants |
| Journey time | About 8 hours over roughly 291 km — 91 tunnels, 291 bridges |
| Highest point | Oberalp Pass, about 2,033 m |
| Reservation | Compulsory. CHF 49 in 1st and 2nd class, CHF 490 in Excellence Class |
| Booking opens | Three months before the travel date |
| Swiss Travel Pass | Covers the journey itself — the reservation is always extra |
| Season | Two blocks, roughly December–early May and May–October, with a maintenance break between |
| Nickname | The slowest express train in the world — 8 hours to cover what a car does in four |
When to book — and when it actually sells out
Reservations open three months to the day before departure. That does not mean you need to book at midnight three months out for every date, but it does mean the pressure is uneven:
- Mid-July to late August — book within the first week or two of the window opening. Peak-summer departures, especially the mid-morning ones, genuinely fill.
- Christmas and New Year — same urgency, smaller supply, because winter runs fewer services.
- May, June, September, October — three to four weeks ahead is usually comfortable, and the scenery is arguably better than August haze.
- January to March — often bookable a week out. Snow-line views, half-empty carriages, the best value on the line.
The part that catches people out: the reservation is tied to a specific train on a specific date and is not flexible. If your Swiss plans are still moving, book the pass first and hold off on the Glacier Express reservation until the date is genuinely fixed — changes are treated as cancellations.
Which are the best seats on the Glacier Express?
There is no best seat, and that is genuinely the useful answer rather than a dodge.
Every seat on the train is a window seat. The panoramic glass curves up into the roof on all carriages and in every class, so nobody is looking at a wall or a pillar. That is the whole design of the train.
Nor does one side win. The route crosses from one valley side to the other repeatedly over eight hours — the Rhine Gorge, the Oberalp climb and the Albula descent do not all favour the same window. Anyone selling you a specific side or seat number for this route is selling certainty that does not exist.
What does change the day, in order of how much it matters:
- Direction. Covered above, and it is the only choice here that genuinely reshapes the journey.
- Time of year. Low winter light on the Albula descent does more for the view than any seat allocation.
- Which table you are at. Second class seats four to a row around a table. If you are a pair, you will likely share with strangers. First class seats three per row, which is the real difference you are paying for — not the glass.
The one exception is Excellence Class, which seats every passenger at a window by design. It costs considerably more than a first-class ticket plus the reservation, and it buys certainty rather than a better view. For most travellers the CHF is better spent on the night in Zermatt.
Which class is worth paying for
This is where most of the money gets wasted, because the windows are identical in every class. The panoramic glass that curves into the roof is standard on the whole train.
2nd class
Four seats per row, same windows, same route, same reservation fee of CHF 49. Over eight hours the extra shoulder room in 1st class is noticeable, but you are not buying a better view.
If you hold a 2nd-class Swiss Travel Pass, this is the sensible default. Put the saving toward a night in Zermatt.
1st class
Three seats per row instead of four, quieter carriages, and meals served at your seat rather than fetched. Worth it on a full Zermatt–St. Moritz run, less so if you are only riding a two-hour section.
The reservation fee is the same CHF 49 — you pay the difference through the pass or ticket, not the seat.
Excellence Class is a different proposition entirely: a maximum of 20 passengers, a guaranteed window seat for everyone, a five-course lunch with wine pairing, and a concierge for the whole run. The reservation is CHF 490 on top of your pass. It is genuinely good, and it is a special-occasion purchase, not an upgrade. If you would not book a similarly priced restaurant, skip it.
Which direction, and where the light falls
Both directions cover the same track, but they do not feel the same.
Westbound
St. Moritz → Zermatt
Starts with the Albula line and the Landwasser Viaduct while you are still fresh, then the Rhine Gorge, then the climb to the Oberalp Pass. It ends with the Matterhorn appearing above Zermatt — the strongest possible finish, and the reason most photographers pick this direction.
Eastbound
Zermatt → St. Moritz
Better if the Engadin is where you are staying, and better in winter, when the afternoon light on the Albula descent is low and gold. The Matterhorn is behind you within twenty minutes, so make the morning in Zermatt count before you board.
Seat side matters less than people expect. The line switches valley sides repeatedly, and the roof glass covers most of what a side window would miss. Do not pay extra chasing a specific seat number.
The free alternative nobody mentions
The Glacier Express has no exclusive track. Ordinary regional trains cover the identical route — Zermatt to Brig, Brig to Andermatt, over the Oberalp to Disentis, then down the Rhine Gorge to Chur and onto the Albula line. Same viaducts, same gorge, same pass.
- Cost: nothing extra with a Swiss Travel Pass. No CHF 49 reservation.
- Trade-off: three or four changes, ordinary windows, no commentary and no dining car.
- Upside: windows that open, and the freedom to stop in Andermatt for lunch or spend two hours in Chur.
What we would actually do: ride the Glacier Express for the Chur–St. Moritz half, where the Albula engineering is at its best, and use regional trains for the rest. You get the signature experience, keep the day flexible, and pay one reservation instead of blocking out eight hours.
Practical things that affect the day
- Eight hours is a long time. Many travellers who book the full run wish they had split it at Andermatt or Chur. Both are easy overnight stops with onward connections.
- Lunch: served at your seat and worth pre-booking with the reservation. The alternative is a trolley and whatever you brought.
- Luggage: there is no luggage van and rack space is limited. Large cases in the aisle for eight hours is the most common complaint on this train.
- Zermatt is car-free. If you are driving, you park at Täsch and take the shuttle — build 30 minutes into the morning.
If the Glacier Express falls on a hotel-change day, send the bags ahead. A luggage transfer between hotels is the single easiest fix for the aisle problem, and it costs less than the reservation.
How this fits the rest of your trip
The Glacier Express and the Bernina Express meet at St. Moritz, which is why the classic Graubünden loop rides one out and the other back rather than repeating track. Both are legs of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, so one pass covers the entire circuit.
Heading west instead, the GoldenPass line picks up where this one leaves off and carries you toward Montreux. And before you buy any reservation, check what your pass already includes — boats, buses and mountain discounts are covered more generously than most first-timers realise.
Glacier Express booking questions
Which are the best seats on the Glacier Express?
Every seat is a window seat. The panoramic glass curves into the roof in all classes, so no seat has a restricted view. No side is better either, because the route crosses from one valley side to the other repeatedly across the eight hours. What changes the journey is the direction you travel and the time of year, not the seat number. Excellence Class is the only option that seats every passenger at a window by design, at CHF 490 for the reservation.
Do I need a reservation for the Glacier Express?
Yes, always. Reservations are compulsory on every Glacier Express service and cost CHF 49 in 1st and 2nd class, or CHF 490 in Excellence Class. There is no standing or unreserved option — a pass alone will not get you on board.
Can I use a Swiss Travel Pass on the Glacier Express?
Yes. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the journey itself with no extra ticket needed, in whichever class your pass is valid for. You still pay the reservation fee separately, which is the same CHF 49 whether you hold a pass or a full ticket.
How far in advance can I book Glacier Express seats?
Bookings open three months before the date of travel. For mid-July to late August and the Christmas period, reserve within a week or two of that window opening. Outside peak season, three to four weeks ahead is normally enough.
Is 1st class worth it on the Glacier Express?
The windows are identical in both classes, so you are paying for space rather than views — three seats per row instead of four, and quieter carriages. On the full eight-hour run that comfort is worth something; on a shorter section it rarely is.
Is there a cheaper way to travel the Glacier Express route?
Yes. Regional trains run the same tracks over the Oberalp Pass and through the Rhine Gorge, cost nothing extra with a Swiss Travel Pass and need no reservation. You change three or four times and lose the panoramic glass, but you gain windows that open and the freedom to stop.
Which direction is better, Zermatt to St. Moritz or the reverse?
St. Moritz to Zermatt builds toward the Matterhorn as a finish, which most photographers prefer. Zermatt to St. Moritz suits you better if the Engadin is where you are sleeping, and gets the best of the low afternoon light on the Albula descent in winter.
Book the Glacier Express
Compare classes, check departure dates and reserve your seats on the Zermatt–St. Moritz route.