Seeing Switzerland with a Swiss Travel Pass
Switzerland is famous for charming alpine villages, snow-fed turquoise lakes, and spectacular mountain peaks. This is a country that is meticulously organized, and that’s what made the Swiss Travel Pass my favorite travel hack. The Swiss Travel Pass is more than a train pass. It was our entry to historic paddle steamers, panoramic express trains, a luxurious wood-paneled century-old train from the golden age of travel, and much, much more.
Switzerland by Rail
In my college days, my friends and I had Eurorail passes. We hop-scotched all over Europe as the mood struck. That’s not possible any more. Europe is too popular to leave plans to spontaneity. Eurorail passes have been replaced with a more complete alternative. This trip, the Swiss Travel Pass was our VIP card to explore Switzerland with freedom. It offered us free or reduced entry into museums. We also used it for local city buses, hop-on-hop-off trains, boats and many excursions. We had a thirteen-year old with us, and for children sixteen and under, it’s free!
Panoramic Trains with the Swiss Travel Pass
While train travel is included with the Swiss Travel Pass, I recommend getting advance reservations for many of the more popular panoramic trains. We reserved seats for a small fee on two of them: The Belle Epoque and the Bernina Express. From Geneva, we took a 30-minute train to Montreux on the other side of Lake Geneva. There, we boarded the restored Belle Epoque train for a two-hour ride past vineyards, fairytale villages, and spring waterfalls. The Belle Epoque train is a little like riding with Agatha Christie on the Orient Express. I highly recommend it.
The Bernina Express and the Glacier Express are the best-known panoramic trains in Switzerland. Both are included in the Swiss Travel Pass, but due to their popularity, paying for a seat reservation is required. Make sure to do this several months in advance. The Glacier Express connects the luxury St Moritz ski resort with Zermatt which sits at the foot of the Matterhorn. It’s an eight-hour journey best made sitting in a comfortable swivel seat next to a glass-walled train coach. We opted for the Bernina Express that winds through rock-hewn tunnels and arched bridges that are considered Unesco feats of engineering.
In Lucerne, our Swiss Travel pass gave us a boat ride across Lake Lucerne. On the following day, we used our passes to train to Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland. In the morning, we boarded the red Bernina Express, took our reserved seats, and in about four hours crossed the alps into Italy. Although we were thrilled to make our way to Milan, Italy, we were sad to leave the convenience and freedom of our rail pass behind in Switzerland.
Your Next Switzerland Journey
Point-to-point tickets might be less expensive if you are only traveling by train a couple of times. If you want to see any and every corner of Switzerland without worrying about the cost of each train ride or the hassle of buying tickets, the Swiss Travel Pass is your ticket to convenient Swiss travel. Train arrival and departure times are timed to coincide with boat and bus times, so we conveniently went from one to the other with minimal waiting. If you want to know my itinerary, just ask. Just grab your passport, buy your Swiss Travel pass and book your flight. Traveling by train in Switzerland is convenient and fun. It made me proud to be Swiss.
Doni Rasmussen
Growing up, my family crisscrossed the US in a station wagon from New York to California and everywhere in between. Those early memories reinforced the idea that travel is the best way to explore, adventure, and learn to love people and places that are different. Travel tears down prejudices and barriers. People who travel are interested in life. I love the anticipation of researching and planning and am gratified to have a trip exceed my (or your) expectations. I love finding the unique, hidden places that make a trip more memorable. I also specialize in ethical animal encounters. I would be honored to help make your travel dreams come true.
