Glacier Express - a slow but memorable Express

Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world with an excellent railway system. Besides being a means of transport from one place to another, the train ride itself is an experience that can easily be the high light of a trip to Switzerland! This is particularly true of the Glacier Express.

The Glacier Express is well known for being the slowest express train in the world. It is an 8 hour train ride with minimal stops, connecting Zermatt and St. Moritz, two of the most beautiful mountain resorts in Switzerland.

Starting the trip from Zermatt, the Matterhorn could be seen turning golden in the morning sun. The train passed by some glaciers and circled around the Alpine mountains, climbing up to the highest mountain pass - Oberalp Pass, at around 2000 meters (6700 feet). The panaramic windows allowed passengers to enjoy breathtaking views of Swiss Alps, gorges, and meadows as the train went through hundreds of tunnels and bridges. The most spectacular was the Landwasser Viaduct, where the train curved around onto the single track limestone bridge supported by the 6 very dramatic arches, and dived into the perpendicular tunnel entrance in the middle of a mountain.

The Glacier Express train was recently renovated and added an Excellence Class besides the usual First and Second. Since it would be a whole day adventure of an 8-hour train ride, we decided to splurge and opt for the gastronomy experience of the Excellence Class.

The Excellence Class had only 20 seats, so every passenger could look out the large panaramic window. (From Zermatt to St. Moritz, I would recommend to choose the left side of the train to avoid being sun burnt!) There was a bar on one end of the train and a hostess who pointed out some highlights besides serving food and drinks. The 4 course meal, paired with local Swiss wine, was a culinary experience by itself. Since the food was freshly prepared on the train, it could be catered to specific tastes and desires. I was able to change the dessert to a cheese plate at the last minute.

The Excellence Class was significantly more expensive, a surcharge of CHF420 on top of the first class ticket. However, the wide comfortable seats with the spectacular views, entertained by a continuous supply of superbly prepared food and wine, made the 8 hours train ride went by so fast. For us, it was an experience of a lifetime! Totally worthed it!