My friend and I compared bucket lists last year, and a train trip through the Alps combined with some skiing was right at the top for both of us. We planned an amazing trip starting in Zurich, hitting Chur, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken, and Lucerne, all by train - a truly incredible experience! But the absolute highlight (besides the amazing Alpine skiing) was our journey on the Glacier Express, specifically the legs from Chur to St. Moritz and then on to Zermatt. The service was top-tier, the food was delicious, and those panoramic windows extending up to the roof... they perfectly framed the breathtaking alpine scenery. The glistening snow and beautiful sunny days created a truly magical atmosphere. The hours flew by way too quickly! I highly recommend the Glacier Express for anyone seeking an unforgettable and scenic journey through the heart of the Alps. It's an experience you won't soon forget. read more

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Consistently rated as one of the top scenic train rides in the world for good reason. Incredible jaw dropping vistas greet you around each turn as you travel on the "slowest express train" through the Swiss Alps. The route connects Zermatt (home of the Matterhorn) to the Bond-esque super high roller town of St. Moritz. At just over 290km and a duration of 8 hours. There are stops along the way if you want to shorten your trek but why? Note: This is a review of the new Excellence Class. One private car for Excellence Class passengers only. 20 very comfortable, fully adjustable seats arranged in two rows. All have unobstructed views. The car also includes a well selected bar and a private water closet. Service is outstanding. From a welcome greeting with the conductor on the red carpet entry, to porters who will stow your luggage, the limitless pours of welcome champagne, through a five course meal service paired with bottomless pours of Swiss wines. Timing is everything. The meal is served across five hours giving plenty of time to take in the views. The food is excellent considering it is prepared on a moving train. Solid flavor, properly prepared, beautifully plated. A lot of thought has been taken to prepare a meal with only regional ingredients and match them to equally well sourced regional wines. The best part, an hour into the journey, all pretences of being on a luxury train and observing "silence" that is expected on Swiss railways is dropped and you will find yourself jovially interacting with everyone else in the car. Chatting up the adventure, air dropping pics and just having a good time. Note: Wear layers. With all the glass, the car becomes a "green house" and heats up on a sunny day. 7C outside but it felt like 27C inside. Note: Bring sun glasses. For obvious reasons, there are no window shades. Let the sun shine in! Note: For pics, the glass is extremely reflective and will interfere with most pics. Bring a lens hood if possible and hold it against the glass for clear shots unless your PhotoShop skills are impressive. How to Book: 1. Use the official Glacier Express website, Excellence Class page. There is a separate booking portal. 2. Choose the route (Zermatt to St. Moritz or vice versa). If you take a train to either starting location, you will overlap part of the route. To avoid this, book a private car or drive to the start point. 3. Pay the 420CHF per person "seat reservation" at booking. IMPORTANT: On the day of departure, when you arrive at the red carpet, you must show your receipt of the seat reservation and a FIRST CLASS ticket (268CHF) or valid FIRST CLASS Swiss Travel Pass or Euro rail pass. Honestly, I can't think of a better way to see the natural beauty of Switzerland. Just do it! read more

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Wonderful train ride through a Winter Wonderland My wife and I recently were in St. Moritz with our tour group and took the Glacier Express train ride from Chur to Zermatt. The train ride wound its way through incredible vistas and mountains. Be sure to take your camera. It was nice and sunny the day we took the train. We had a wonderful 6-hour train ride through spectacular countryside - our ride even included a three-course lunch in First Class seating. Remember, however, you do not have opt for the First-Class section to enjoy the First-Class mountains and scenery along the way. We saw so many impressive sites - from Swiss Alp houses and buildings to sunlit mountain peaks. The train reached some incredible high peaks during the trip. At one point along the way, the train stopped to take on new passengers and we were able to get out to take pictures of the snow-covered mountain tops. Quite a pleasant experience. The train staff were quite hospitable and pleasant, in spite of the language barrier. The food was good, but the experience of eating the food while traveling through the Swiss Alps by train itself was a huge highlight. To clarify, we do not have such easy access to traveling by train in the States, so this was quite a special treat for my wife and I. During the train ride, we even celebrated the birthday of one of the girls on our tour. Everyone was very pleased with our ride and all the experiences it presented us; (even better than our bus trip, oddly enough). Along the way we learned some history of the Alps, it's people and the surrounding are. Our tour guide Lucy was always pointing out history of the area along the train ride. If, for some reason, you need to travel to or from Zermatt and have a little extra time (6-9 hours), consider treating yourself to a wonderful experience aboard the Glacier Express. The incredible scenery was worth the extra time. read more

I give four stars because we also did the Bernina Express and that was better. Both have problems with glare making photography difficult. It would be nice if we can open windows, or if there was an outside platform to stand on. This one had pricey food service. The food looked only slightly better than airplane food, and cost way too much. Our daughter had some soup, and it was weak. I would advise you to bring your own food. The scenery is really nice, though the Bernina route is better. The Glacier takes you to Zermatt, which is spectacular. Overall a lovely trip. read more

The train travels slowly through the swiss alps. you can get on at off at different stations along the route. headphones on board give a guided commentary about sights along the way.There is food and drink on board, but this is very expensive.Travelling between chur and Andermatt took 2 and a half hours which passed through the most stunning scenery you can imagine. take a camera. read more