In this episode of the podcast, we’re taking a virtual ride on one of Switzerland’s most famous trains, the Glacier Express.
This iconic train journey connects the resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt, passing through some of Switzerland’s most spectacular scenery along the way. It’s a bucket list trip for many visitors to Switzerland and is one of the most-discussed train rides in the Switzerland Travel Planning Facebook group.
With so much interest around the Glacier Express, I invited Gabi Aberle from Matterhorn Gotthard Railway back onto the podcast. Gabi was a guest on episode 51 where she chatted about the Gornergrat railway in our episode on Matterhorn excursions from Zermatt.
She is just as passionate about the Glacier Express as she is about Gornergrat so I know you’re going to get a lot of helpful information from this episode.
If you’ve ever dreamt of travelling on the Glacier Express, or you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, you won’t want to miss this episode.
[This post may contain compensated links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.]
Before we get started, as always, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the lovely folks from Switzerland Tourism, sponsors of the podcast. Their website myswitzerland.com is packed with tips and inspiration to help with your Switzerland trip planning, so do go and take a look.
If you need a natural trophy, you need Switzerland.
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Show Notes
In this episode you’ll learn about:
- The world famous Glacier Express train journey
- Why you should take the journey
- The main highlights of the journey
- What to expect on board the train
- The different classes that are available on the Glacier Express
- Information about the train tickets and seat reservations
- Whether the journey is suitable for families with young children
- Information about taking luggage aboard the Glacier Express
Our Guest
Gabriele Aberle is Head of Overseas Markets for Matterhorn Gotthard Railway.
Her role includes promoting the Glacier Express and Gornergrat trains to international markets including North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Information about the Glacier Express
Route Map
Good to Know
>> The journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt is 291 kilometres long. En route, the Glacier Express crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels, the longest of which is 15.4 kilometres.
>> Seat Reservations are compulsory on the Glacier Express and should be made on the official Glacier Express website. Seat reservations for 1st and 2nd class can be made up to 3 months before travel, whilst seat reservations for Excellence class can be made up to 11 months in advance. Seat reservation fees start at CHF 39 per person for the entire journey.
>> Individual ticket prices for the journey between St. Moritz and Zermatt cost CHF 152 per adult in 2nd class and CHF 268 per adult in 1st class. Seat reservation fees are additional.
>> The Swiss Travel Pass includes travel on the Glacier Express however seat reservations are compulsory and additional. More info about the Swiss Travel Pass > here.
>> The Glacier Express operates year round except for a short period from late-October to mid-December when maintenance and construction takes place.
Useful Resources
You’ll find more information about the Glacier Express on the official website. For step-by-step instructions on how to book your seat reservations, refer to our detailed article > here.
If you’d like to learn more about the Swiss Travel Pass (which covers the fare of the Glacier Express), you can listen to episode 19 of our podcast or read this guide.
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This episode is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism
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