Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 192 Transcript

Your Guide to the Glacier Express: Route, Tickets, Highlights and Essential Information for Travelers

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Carolyn Schönafinger: It’s one of Switzerland’s most famous panoramic trains, and it’s the slowest express train in the world. It’s the Glacier Express. But here’s what everyone wants to know. Is it actually worth the 8-hour journey? And does it deserve a spot on your itinerary? In today’s episode, I’m diving into exactly that and so much more about this iconic train ride with Gabi Aberli from Glacier Express. We sat down for a chat when Gabi was in my home city of Melbourne recently. Welcome to the Holidays to Switzerland Podcast. I’m Carolyn Schönafinger, your Switzerland destination expert and the founder of holidaystoswitzerland.com. Each week, together with my expert guests, I introduce you to the Switzerland that I know and love. And share inspiration and practical tips to help you plan your dream Swiss vacation. Before we dive in, a quick thank you to our podcast sponsors, Switzerland Tourism and Eco Rails. If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, you’ll know just how much there is to consider. With so many incredible places to visit, figuring out your itinerary, booking accommodation, and choosing the right rail pass can quickly start to feel overwhelming. So that’s where Echo Rails comes in. Their small group rail tours are carefully curated so that everything is taken care of for you.

Carolyn Schönafinger: From the moment you arrive at the airport, your accommodation, transport, daily breakfasts and dinners, scenic excursions, and a knowledgeable local English-speaking guide are all included, so you can simply relax and enjoy the journey. If travelling through Switzerland with a small group tour sounds like your ideal way to explore, you’ll find more details via the link in the show notes, along with an exclusive 5% discount code. Now let’s get into this week’s episode.

Carolyn Schönafinger: A very good morning to you, Gabi, and welcome to Melbourne, Australia. It’s great to be here with you in person and talking about one of the most famous panoramic trains in Switzerland. Could you please introduce yourself and tell our listeners about your role with Glacier Express?

Gabi Aberle: Good morning, Carolyn. Yeah, it’s great to be back in Melbourne. Um, of course, uh, I would love to introduce myself and talk a little bit about my role. I’m Gabi and I am the sales representative for Australia and New Zealand, and I am promoting Glacier Express in a couple of other countries as well. And my official title is very fancy. It’s Head of Overseas Markets. Wow.

Carolyn Schönafinger: That is fancy. So it’s a, a great honour to be chatting to you today. Now you have, um, been on the podcast previously. We had an episode some time ago about the Glacier Express, so it’s, uh, good to have you back and, and catch up on all the latest happenings with the train. It’s, um, one of Switzerland’s most famous panoramic train rides. And connects two pretty popular destinations, St. Moritz and Zermatt. Can you tell everyone what makes a trip on the Glacier Express so special?

Gabi Aberle: Yes, of course. So the trip connects the eastern part of Switzerland with the western part of Switzerland, and you’re travelling alongside the Alps. And the beauty is that you are travelling through very diverse landscapes. So you are in a high alpine region sometimes. The highest peak is the Oberalp Pass at 2,000 metres. And then again, you are down to a couple of valleys. And, um, this changing locations makes it very interesting, especially in spring and autumn to travel along the Alps.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm. Okay. That changing scenery would be, uh, very spectacular.

Carolyn Schönafinger: How long has the Glacier Express been operating?

Gabi Aberle: We are almost 100 years old. Uh, we are missing 4 years. So it started on the 25th of June, 1930. Yeah. And that means in 2030, we will have our 100-year anniversary.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Wow. I bet there’s going to be some special events happening.

Gabi Aberle: I guess so.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. In 2030. That would definitely be a good time to, uh, to have a ride on the train.

Gabi Aberle: Yes, for sure. Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So what are some of the, the highlights? I mean, you mentioned there the highest point is the Oberalp Pass, but as people are travelling on the, the, the route between St. Moritz and Zermatt, what are some of the things that they can expect to see along the way?

Gabi Aberle: To make it a little bit easier to understand what I’m talking about, the trip, you can, you could divide the trip in 4 different sections, I would say. The first section is St. Moritz to Chur, and the highlight there is for sure the Landwasserweierdach, but it’s also UNESCO World Heritage we are travelling through. On the second part, which is from Chur to Andermatt, you do have the Rhine Gorge where only the train is travelling through, no cars, nothing. And it is said that it is the Grand Canyon of Switzerland. Very impressive, uh, area. And from Andermatt to Brig, it’s a high alpine valley, the Goms area it’s called, where you have a lot of, um, still rural villages, a lot of farms. You see a lot of cows, what you expect from a rural area in Switzerland. And the last part is actually going up from Brig to Zermatt. And there it is the way how you climb up because we are switching our locomotives and we are using, um, cogwheel system to get to the top. Plus on the last stretch, that’s the only possibility to see actually glaciers.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Hmm. Okay. So a very varied landscape.

Gabi Aberle: Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: What about tunnels and bridges and things? Is there, is quite a few along, along the route?

Gabi Aberle: Yes, it is quite a few. So it is, um, 91 tunnels and it’s 291 bridges you are crossing. So again, that’s, that makes the whole trip very very scenic and very special. And yeah, what you expect from a train ride through the, through the Alps, obviously.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Gabi Aberle: Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Well, I have to say that, um, I’m a very big fan of the Landwasser Viaduct. So that section is always pretty special for me. What about you? Do you have a favourite section of the trip?

Gabi Aberle: My favourite section would probably be up to Zermatt again, because the way you get up there is special and it’s kind of a narrow valley. And as I already mentioned, you see, uh, the glaciers, or to see, you see two glaciers up there, uh, which you don’t along the way. And of course, as I’m working in that area, that’s my, my favourite part actually.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Well, that, that makes, that makes sense. Yeah. So what about direction of travel? Um, do you prefer going to Zermatt or from Zermatt, or don’t you think it makes a difference?

Gabi Aberle: I don’t think it makes, makes a difference in the end because I, you know, with the carriages with these overhead windows and everything, it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t also not matter which side you’re sitting on. So, um, depends more on your itinerary, which is best for you and how the Glacier Express fits best into your travel plan.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Okay. And that’s a good point because, um, for those folks who aren’t familiar with, the route, it’s actually, um, an 8-hour journey, isn’t it? So it’s not something that you can just try and squeeze into, to a random day. You actually have to plan a whole day to, to do the trip. So, so now that we know the length of the journey and some of the sites that you’re going to see along the way, um, let’s talk a bit more about the practicalities. So, um, are there various classes of travel available on the train?

Gabi Aberle: Yes, we have a first class section, we have a second class section, um, and we also have Excellence Class, uh, which is quite different from the other ones. Uh, and yeah, it’s up to you and your budget actually, if you want to travel in first and second class, because there is no difference when it comes to service. Uh, the staff is actually operating from the middle of the train and walking in one direction for first class, in the other direction for second class. But again, um, food is coming from the same kitchen. And, uh, if you, if you decide to go in second class, that’s fine. Um, the only difference between first and second class is gonna be the seats. So in first class, you have a row with 2 seats, an aisle, and another seat, which is a window seat. And in second class, you have 2 seats, an aisle, and 2 other seats. Okay. And only, of course, for only 2 of these 4 seats who have a window, uh, seat, uh, per se. But that’s the only difference.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. And what about Excellence Class? Because it’s, as the name says, uh, a very premium experience. Um, and it’s only available for a certain number of passengers on each, on each train.

Gabi Aberle: Yeah, that’s true. So Excellence Class is above First Class. It has 20 seats, and the biggest difference is probably that there is food and drinks and even alcoholic drinks included in the seat supplement, which is not the case for First and Second Class. Then there is also a concierge who’s looking after those 20 people. And something which is quite important for people who are travelling in Excellence Class that the concierge is also looking after their luggage. So there is a space for luggage for Excellence Class.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. And in, with only being 20 seats in that carriage, I guess everyone gets a window seat.

Gabi Aberle: Absolutely. Everybody gets a window seat. Only window seats.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Perfect. So for anyone who really wants to treat themselves, that’s definitely the way to go. One thing that a lot of people struggle with is, um, seat reservations. Now I know they’re mandatory, uh, on the Glacier Express. So why is that? And you know, why do people need both a ticket and a seat reservation?

Gabi Aberle: Well, Glacier Express is one of the scenic trains in Switzerland, and we ask you to make a seat reservation because we really have a limited amount of seats available. It’s like being in an aeroplane. You need to have a reservation there as well. And there is a supplement, um, which is you have to pay, um, for the seat reservation. And if you don’t have a seat reservation, the conductor is actually checking that you will not get on board of the train. The seat reservation per se is really just for the seat, and then you still need to have a ticket to travel from A to B. Um, whereas the ticket, there is a couple of varieties how to get the ticket. People quite often ask me. I do, I worry to get a ticket and I usually tell them the ticket is never the issue. The issue is the seat reservation. You need to get the seat reservation as soon as possible and then you’re basically on the safe side.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah, great. And how early can people book those seat reservations?

Gabi Aberle: So the official version is 93 days prior to travel date on our website. When you are going with the tour operator who is offering, offering, offering, um, and you, but, but if you’re going with the tour operator who is offering a trip, you can make the reservation most likely earlier. Um, because they have means to do that, um, with us. Uh, but if you do it on the website, it’s 93 days.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. So if you’re just travelling independently, 93 days is the timeframe. Okay. And so for people who are perhaps travelling with the Swiss Travel Pass, Um, I guess that covers their actual train fare and they just need the seat reservation on top of that.

Gabi Aberle: Exactly. And that’s where it’s kind of confusing. If you do have a Swiss Travel Pass, this really covers all the train travels in Switzerland. And we just ask you to pay for the seat reservation, which is, by the way, 54 Swiss francs first and second class. And just to give you the number. Excellence class is gonna be 590 Swiss francs. So you see there is, there is a difference. Um, but there are couple of other tickets out there, like day tickets from, uh, SBB, which we would accept as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay, great. That’s good to know. So 8 hours is quite a long time on a train, and some people might be thinking, oh, I, I know the scenery is gonna be amazing, but like, will I get, will Will I get bored? So what sort of services are there available on, on the train?

Gabi Aberle: There is a couple of services available. We do have a Wi-Fi on board, but it’s not working all the time properly, and this has only to do with the valleys and the mountain area we’re travelling through. So that’s the only reason, but we do have extra announcements on board of the train, and there are numbers popping up so you can actually listen to storeys about Switzerland, storeys about Glacier Express, and we provide to the headphones as well. So if you don’t have them with you, um, then that’s not a problem. We also offer written information, which you can download to your own device and look at them. Another way to spend the 8 hours is of course to have lunch on board of the train. We have a couple of different offers. The cheapest one would be just a plate of the day. I recommend a 3-course menu because then you have— 3 courses. Starter, you have the main course, you have dessert, which covers basically 2 hours of your time anyway. And you need to eat something when you are on the train for these 8 hours. Other option you do have, we— With the sun.

Gabi Aberle: That’s probably a hidden gem. We have the possibility to open the windows in the train. So if you want to take some really nice pictures, go to one of the entrance doors. And you can open the windows there and then take pictures, especially maybe when you’re travelling, uh, over the Ladbasser Viaduct. Mm.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay. That’s, that’s a good point. I, I didn’t know that.

Gabi Aberle: Well, there you go.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Because I love, often people say, oh, the, the, uh, panoramic trains are great, but you know, like you get the glare from the window when you’re trying to take a photo. So there you go. Go up to the, to the doors and, and you can put the window down.

Gabi Aberle: Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. Very good tip. Okay. So, um, if people wanted to bring their own food on board, is that allowed? It is allowed.

Gabi Aberle: But the experience shows maybe you got a sandwich from, from someplace at the train station. Usually you want to have something to drink, like a coffee or even a glass of wine. And so most of the time it’s a mixture, but we allow food from outside on board of the train. Again, it’s, it’s probably sometimes much nicer to have food ordered than just to bring it, but it would be possible.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yes. Okay.

Gabi Aberle: Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Good to know. So most passengers, uh, I’m assuming on the Glacier Express will have luggage with them because they’re using that as a means to get from one point to the other. So how much luggage can they bring? Because I’ve seen people on trains with huge suitcases, and yes, it’s not that easy to store luggage sometimes. So is that the same with the Glacier Express?

Gabi Aberle: We actually have an official rule since maybe 2 or 3 years ago now that you are supposed to bring just one piece of luggage, a bigger piece of luggage, not a day pack. We recommend either to have your bigger luggage transported with SVB from one place to another, then you are rid of for the day. You also need to know that our staff officially is not helping you with getting luggage on board. We do have a storage area, yes, but it’s not, um, made for everybody bringing 3 suitcases.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Gabi Aberle: Um, you could also store luggage below your seat. There’s also space, but our recommendation really is bring a day pack and try to get rid of your bigger luggage pieces so you have your hands free and you really can enjoy the ride and don’t have to worry where do I store my luggage. Sometimes getting in the way. It’s It’s moved away. Where is it? So avoid that. Try to come just with a small piece of luggage and then you will be fine.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah. And I think too, people often forget that, you know, they think I’m getting on a train, there’ll be, um, racks above my seat, but that’s not the case because it’s a panoramic train that there’s windows there. Exactly. That’s not working.

Gabi Aberle: No. So you cannot use the racks below the seat. Yes, still, but it’s less. Space. So yeah, no, no wrecks. No.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Gabi Aberle: Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: How many times per day does the Glacier Express operate?

Gabi Aberle: In wintertime, it’s basically twice a day, and in summertime it’s 4 times a day per direction. Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Lots, lots of different services available. Yeah.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: And does it operate all year round? ‘Cause I think there’s a, a time of year when it’s closed for a certain—

Gabi Aberle: Yeah, we, we shut down operation usually middle of October, and then we are restarting it beginning of December. So it’s like 6 weeks where I don’t operate, and this is due to either construction work on the tracks and also maintenance work of the train. Mm. Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Now I’m sure you’ve spoken to lots of people who’ve just finished their Glacier Express ride for the first time. What sort of feedback do you hear from people?

Gabi Aberle: Well, usually they’re really happy. They enjoy it. They like what they see outside and I was remembering that at one point an American guest actually said to me, this is like the Rocky Mountaineer, but within, within a day. I have never been on the Rocky Mountaineer, so I don’t have the comparison, but she had, and I was thinking, and for less money, that was the next point.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Exactly.

Gabi Aberle: Um, but if she told me so, I, I, yeah, I believed her. So that was probably the best feedback and the best idea you can get. What Glacier Express is actually about.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Gabi Aberle: Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: I’m sure there’s not too many disappointed passengers when they’ve got to the end of the journey.

Gabi Aberle: No.

Carolyn Schönafinger: So is there anything else that we should know about the Glacier Express?

Gabi Aberle: Well, as I said, we will become 100 years in about 4 years’ time. That’s something one needs to know. My advice is as soon as you know that you want to travel, try to make the reservation. Don’t wait till the last minute. Don’t worry about the tickets because you will always get a ticket. And if you want to book Excellence Class, then sales actually opens already mid of October the previous year.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Mm-hmm.

Gabi Aberle: And it can be booked all year round, more or less. And my experience right now is if you try to book it for September this year, no chance, it’s sold out. So you probably need to make the reservation for Excellence Class till end of March to get a chance to get the seats. After that, it’s really, really difficult. Okay.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Well, that, yeah, that’s very, very good to know. So for people who are very keen to, to take the Glacier Express journey when they’re in Switzerland, where can they get more information about it?

Gabi Aberle: Well, on the website, obviously. So www.glacierexpress.ch, you have all the information you need, um, there. And you also have information about the timetable, about the food on board, about the entertainment on board, and what else we offer. So that’s a really good source.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Yeah.

Gabi Aberle: Perfect.

Carolyn Schönafinger: All right. Well, thank you very much for updating us about the Glacier Express, and it’s been great chatting to you again.

Gabi Aberle: Same here. Thank you for having me.

Carolyn Schönafinger: The Glacier Express is more than just a train ride. It’s an unforgettable experience. And with a little planning to secure your seat reservations, it can easily become one of the highlights of your Switzerland trip. You’ll find a link to the Glacier Express booking page in the show notes for this episode. And worth noting also, if you’re having difficulty securing those seat reservations for the dates that you’d like to travel on the Glacier Express, one of our trusted travel partners can probably help. Whether you’d prefer to travel independently or with a small group of like-minded travellers, our Swiss travel partners may already have seats reserved that they can allocate to you. Details about our partners and the discounts they offer our listeners are also in the show notes at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode192. I hope today’s episode has answered all your questions about the Glacier Express, and you’re now excited to book your trip on this iconic Swiss train.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Thanks for joining me today.

Carolyn Schönafinger: I’ll be back again next week with more Swiss travel tips and inspiration. Until then, tschüss!

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.