The three great Swiss panoramic trains: the Bernina Express (most drama per hour, palm trees to glacier), the Glacier Express (the classic full-day Zermatt to St. Moritz), and the GoldenPass (Lucerne to Montreux). All need a paid seat reservation even with a pass: Glacier Express CHF 54, Bernina from CHF 32 to 36 in 2026. The insider move: ride the same route on a regular regional train for the price of an ordinary ticket.
The scenic trains are the reason many people come to Switzerland, and they live up to it. But they are also expensive, slow by design, and surrounded by ticketing rules that trip up first-timers. Here is a straight comparison of the big three, what they really cost in 2026, and how to see the same scenery for far less if you want to.
Bernina Express
If I could ride only one, it would be this. The Bernina Express runs from Chur (or Tirano in Italy) across the Alps on the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway, and it packs astonishing variety into a few hours: it climbs from valleys where palm trees grow to the Ospizio Bernina at 2,253 metres, past the milky-blue Lago Bianco and the Morteratsch glacier, then spirals down the famous Brusio circular viaduct, a loop of track that curls back under itself.
It is the most scenery for the least time and money. The 2026 second-class seat reservation is CHF 36 in high season (2 May to 25 October) and CHF 32 the rest of the year, on top of the rail fare.
Glacier Express
The famous one, billed as the slowest express in the world. The Glacier Express links two of Switzerland’s grandest resorts, Zermatt and St. Moritz, over 291 kilometres in about seven and a half hours, crossing 291 bridges and 91 tunnels and cresting the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres. The panoramic glass roofs are made for the high alpine passes it threads.
Be clear-eyed about it, though: it is a full day sitting down, and it is not cheap. The mandatory 2026 seat reservation is CHF 54 in first or second class, on top of the fare or your pass. It is a bucket-list ride, but if your time or budget is tight, the Bernina gives more punch per hour.
GoldenPass Line
The GoldenPass connects Lucerne to Montreux via Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland, and it is the gentlest of the three: green pastures, lakes and the drop down to Lake Geneva rather than high-alpine drama. The newer GoldenPass Express runs through between Interlaken and Montreux without a change, a clever bit of engineering. It suits travellers who want beauty without a full day above 2,000 metres, and it links two very different corners of the country.
The three compared
| Train | Route | Duration | 2026 reservation (2nd class) | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernina Express | Chur/Tirano ↔ across the Alps | ~4 hrs | CHF 32–36 | Glacier at 2,253 m, Brusio viaduct |
| Glacier Express | Zermatt ↔ St. Moritz | ~7.5 hrs | CHF 54 | 291 bridges, Oberalp Pass |
| GoldenPass | Lucerne ↔ Montreux | ~5–6 hrs | Varies by leg | Lakes, pastures, Lake Geneva descent |
- A seat reservation is mandatory on all three, even with a Swiss Travel Pass or rail pass. Book early in summer.
- For the most scenery in the least time, choose the Bernina Express.
- Second class is plenty. The view is identical to first, and Excellence Class is a big premium.
- Sit on the correct side for the best views, and ask staff or check a route guide before boarding.
- You can ride the same tracks on ordinary regional trains for far less, see below.
Reservations and passes
This catches almost everyone. On all the branded panoramic trains, a seat reservation is compulsory, and holding a Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail or Interrail does not waive it. Your pass or ticket covers the journey itself, but you still pay the reservation fee: CHF 54 on the Glacier Express, CHF 32 to 36 on the Bernina in 2026. In summer the panoramic services sell out, so book weeks ahead rather than turning up on the day.
The money-saving hack
Here is the tip the brochures will never give you. The branded panoramic trains run on ordinary public tracks, and regular regional trains cover the same routes. On the Bernina line especially, you can board a normal Rhaetian Railway regional train along the identical route, over the same passes and viaducts, for the price of a standard ticket and no reservation fee at all.
What you give up is the panoramic glass roof and the guaranteed seat; what you keep is the exact same scenery, plus the freedom to hop off at a village and back on later. For budget travellers, or anyone who dislikes being locked to one train all day, it is the smarter ride. Do it on the Bernina route and you save the reservation and often a chunk of the fare.
Which season to ride
These trains run year-round, and the season changes the character of the trip more than the route does. Winter turns the Bernina and Glacier routes into a white world, snow piled beside the tracks, frozen lakes, low sun on the peaks. It is the most magical time, and often the quietest. Summer gives you green pastures, wildflowers and long daylight, at the cost of the biggest crowds and the need to book well ahead.
My pick is the shoulder seasons. Late spring and early autumn bring clear air, fewer passengers and, in autumn, the larches turning gold across the Engadine, which is a sight in itself. Whatever the season, aim for a bright day: a panoramic roof is wasted under thick cloud, and the mountains do most of their talking in good light.
Other scenic routes worth it
The famous three get the attention, but Switzerland is stitched with beautiful lines, and some of the best are ordinary trains you can ride on a normal ticket:
- The Gotthard Panorama Express pairs a lake boat on Lake Lucerne with a scenic train over the old Gotthard route, past the much-photographed Wassen church seen three times as the line loops.
- The Centovalli Railway from Locarno to Domodossola threads a valley of a hundred gorges into Italy, a quiet gem that costs a fraction of the branded trains.
- The regular Rhaetian Railway services across the Albula line share the Glacier Express scenery, viaducts, spirals and all, without the full-day commitment.
The lesson is the same throughout: in Switzerland, the scenery is in the tracks themselves, not only the branded carriages that run on them.
Making the most of the ride
A few things that improve any of these journeys. Sit on the correct side for the marquee views, worth a quick check before you board. Bring your own snacks and water, as onboard catering is pricey. And do not spend the whole ride behind your phone screen: the point is the window. That said, you will want to capture it and share it, which brings us to the one practical thing to sort first.
Staying connected on board
Half the joy of these routes is sending the photos live and following the map as the landscape unfolds. Coverage on the main Swiss lines is strong, tunnels included, so you can stay online for most of the ride. The catch is the border rule: Switzerland is not in the European Union, so your usual roaming may not follow you and can bill you by the megabyte, and the Bernina even dips into Italy.
Sort it before you travel. Rather than gamble on roaming or queue for a local prepaid SIM (around 20 CHF, with ID), activate an eSIM for Switzerland ahead of the trip. The price is fixed in advance and you stay connected as the scenery rolls past.
Thanks to Orange’s negotiated roaming agreements, your phone connects across the strongest local networks, dependable along the panoramic routes and through their tunnels. With Orange, the service from a provider with more than 300 million customers: 200+ destinations covered, 24/7 support, and 100% refunded if you do not use your eSIM.
Share the view live, all the way from Zermatt to St. Moritz.
