Switzerland by train

There are two different rail services available when taking a journey by train from Basel to Bellinzona.
No matter which train you take, you will be travelling on a lovely route, which will take you by four lakes; the Zurichsee, the Zugersee, the Lauerzersee and the Luzernsee.

Though south of Fluelen, on the shore of the Luzernsee, these two train services take different routes:

(1) The 'Traverso' (IR) trains still take the older 'classic' and much more spectacular route via Goschenen.
If you are new to Swiss rail travel, have the time available and the weather is behaving itself, taking these trains is the way to go.

(2) The express services, the IC and EC trains are faster, because they make use of the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which by-passes the most beautiful section of that 'classic' route.
So these trains will get to Bellinzona quicker, but the journey won't be as wonderful!

When taking a rail journey from Basel to Berlin, travellers can choose between making the journey by day on a sleek ICE train, or travelling through the night on a smart Nightjet service.

Taking the journey by train between these two cities is very straightforward with up to four departures per hour available.
What makes it unusual is the variety of different trains used on this route.
You could find yourself on German ICE train, on a double-deck Swiss train, or one of the four other types of train used on this route.

A few years ago the Swiss national rail timetable was restructured and the direct trains from Basel to both Geneve and Lausanne were removed.
So the trains now travel no further than Biel/Bienne, but at that station the connections on to Geneve and Lausanne are as simple as can be, with the trains on to Genve typically leaving less than 5 mins after the arrival from Basel.
And making the connection usually involves simply stepping across the platform from one train to the other.

Domodossola is in Italy, but because it is at one end of the popular Centovali Railway which crosses back over the border to Switzerland, it is included on the map of Swiss rail routes.

To enable easy access to the Centovali Railway for those who want to explore Switzerland with a rail pass, the Swiss national operator now provides a direct morning train to Domodossola from Basel.
If you will be using a Swiss Travel Pass, a Saver Day Pass or valid Eurail and InterRail passes, you can take this IC train and not pay the rail pass reservation fees, which are usually applied to international trains between Switzerland and Italy.

There is a choice of two train services when travelling from Basel to Freiburg im Breisgau:

1. The faster, but typically more expensive option, is to take an ICE or EC train.
2. The slower Regio trains are cheaper if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station.

If you will be heading to Grindelwald on a combination of plane + train, the fact you will need to make the transfer by bus from Basel/Mulhouse airport to Basel SBB station, is offset in terms of convenience, by the fact that Basel is the only key entry point into Switzerland, which has direct trains to Interlaken.
The train on to Grindelwald will depart from Interlaken Ost station, so this is a route with only one transfer between trains.

When taking a rail journey from Basel to Hamburg, travellers can choose between making the journey by day on a sleek ICE train, or travelling through the night on a smart Nightjet service.

A quirk of the Swiss rail timetable is that Interlaken has direct trains from Basel, but not from Geneve or Zurich.

Accessing the fabulous Bernese-Oberland by train is easily done from Basel, thanks to direct trains to the gateway station of Interlaken Ost.

Kleine Scheidegg is where connections are available into the trains which travel up to Europe's highest station at Jungfraujoch.

It's also where connections can be made between the trains operated by WAB, which connect Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen.
So if you want to take the gorgeous round trip from Basel, with or without the particularly expensive ascent to Jungfraujoch, is is Kleine Scheidegg that you'll be heading to.

There are theree options available when taking a direct train from Basel to Cologne/Köln:

1. Taking the scenic option of travelling through the gorgeous Rhine Gorge on an EC train.
2. The fastest option of travelling during the day on an ICE train, which rushes along Germany's fastest railway during its journey.
3. Taking a new sleeper train, though it has an early arrival time.

Departing from Basel:

All three services depart from Basel SBB station, the main station in the city, and then call at Basel Bad bf.
Though if you'll be commencing an end-to-end journey in Basel city center, the quickest option is to join these trains at Basel Bad bf.
It will be cheaper too as the German national operator classifies the journey from Basel Bad bf as a national journey, but the trip from Basel SBB is classified as international route.

Though join the trains at Basel SBB station if you will be connecting from other destinations in Switzerland.
Rail pass users are also more like to find unoccupied seats on these trains, on which reservations are optional, when boarding at Basel SBB.

There is a choice of two travel options when taking the train across Switzerland from Basel to Locarno.

1. The service of direct trains has been restored, though they are also the slowest option as they take, the older, but much more beautiful route.

2. The quicker option is to take an express train to Bellinzona and make a simple connection there into a local train on to Locarno.

Connections are available at Basel SBB when travelling from a swathe of other Swiss destinations including Bern, Biel, Luzern and Interlaken.

Thanks to railway engineering wonders, the Gotthard Base Tunnel and the Ceneri Base tunnel, it has never been so easy and fast, to make the journey by train across Switzerland from Basel to Lugano.

These direct international trains from Basel to northern Italy take two glorious routes across Switzerland.
The trains which travel via Brig and Domodossola are faster and more frequent, but the slower route via Luzern can be cheaper.

The only direct trains between Switzerland and the French capital are these high speed Lyria services.

Connect in Basel when travelling from locations in Switzerland without direct trains to Paris including; Biel, Bern, Luzern and Interlaken

Yes the journey from Basel to Wengen requires taking three different trains, but the two connections are as simple as can be, and the second half of the end-to-end trip is astonishingly beautiful.

If you will be heading to Wengen on a combination of plane + train, the fact you will need to make the transfer by bus from Basel/Mulhouse airport to Basel SBB station, is offset in terms of convenience by the fact that Basel is the only key entry point into Switzerland, which has direct trains to Interlaken.
The next stage of the ride to Wengen involves taking a train on from Interlaken Ost station.

Despite the distance Zermatt is one of the ski resorts which can be most easily accessed from Basel by train

Taking the train from Basel to Zurich is straightforward as it's a journey which doesn't have to be planned with care.
There are typically 4 or 5 x trains per hour travelling between the two cities, two or three express trains and two slightly slower InterRegio (IR) trains, which will be cheaper when booking tickets last minute at the station.

What does make this route unusual is the variety of trains used for the express (IC) services.
Because in addition to Swiss trains, TGV trains which have travelled to Switzerland from Paris and ICE trains heading to Zurich and beyond from Germany are also slotted into the timetable.

In effect they replace one of the Swiss trains in the hours in which they operate, so the national rail operator SBB applies the same conditions of travel to them, as it does to its IC trains.
Meaning that reservations are available, but optional and the type of train being used for a departure has no impact on the ticket price(s).

A Nightjet train now provides the only direct rail link between Basel and Dresden

A new train service provides a direct link between Basel and Czechia.

There are direct day and night trains to choose from when travelling between Berlin and Basel.
By day you will be travelling on ultra-smart ICE trains, but if you opt to travel overnight you won't miss out on seeing fabulous scenery; it's a pleasant but not spectacular journey,

Beds in sleeping cabins and bunks in couchettes are available on the overnight train.

Bern and Basel are comparatively close to each other, so it's no surprise that they are connected by express trains which typically depart twice per hour until laate

What is unusual about this route is that it's also taken by two international services:
(1) the ICE trains and a daily EC which travel beyond Basel to Germany;
(2) EC trains from Italy which are heading to Basel.

These international services are slotted into the timetable, so in effect their departures are substitutes for the SBB IC trains, which comprise most of the services.

However, when booking tickets for these express trains, or using rail passes on this route within Switzerland, it doesn't matter whether you take an Swiss express IC train, or one of these international trains; it is the demand per departure which impacts on the ticket prices and not the type of train being used.

These swish ICE trains provide an easily managed link between central Germany and the multiple Swiss destinations which can be easily accessed from Basel

A new Nightjet service connects the Czech capital to the international rail hub of Basel

An oddity on the Swiss rail timetable is that the direct trains from Geneve to Basel are no longer available.
But the connections between trains, now required at Biel/Bienne station, are as simple as can be.

On this route from northern Germany to north-west Switzerland travellers can choose between travelling during the day on smart ICE trains, or travelling through the night on a Nightjet train.

There are three options for a taking a direct train from Cologne/Köln to Basel:

1. The fastest and most frequent option for a daytime journey are the swish ICE trains.
2. For those who favor a scenic journey over a train ride with a wow factor, there are the EC trains which take the beautiful route through the Rhine Valley.
3. Or if you need to be in Basel in time for breakfast, there is also an overnight train

All of these trains call at two stations in Basel, the first stop is the Basel Bad Bf, which is managed by DB, the German national rail operator, which therefore creates the illusion that you won't have left Germany.
The trains then continue on to Basel SBB station where connections are available to a swathe of Swiss destinations without direct trains from Cologne/Köln, including Luzern, Lugano, Locarno, Brig and Biel (for Lausanne and Geneva)

What matters about this is that the tickets to Basel Bad Bf will be cheaper as DB classifies this is a national journey, but the journey on to Basel SBB becomes an international journey.
So if you will be heading to Basel city centre, book tickets to Basel Bad Bf.

There are two options for making a journey by train from London to Basel:

1. The quickest option is to travel via Paris, but this involves having to make a transfer between stations across the city centre.
   Though the trains/connections from Paris arrive at the main station, Basel SBB where connections are available to a swathe of other Swiss destinations including Bern, Biel, Luzern and Interlaken.

2. The easier, but slower option is to travel via the main stations in Bruxelles and Frankfurt (Main).
   You won't have to leave the stations in order to make the connections, but they are tightly timed (though tickets/reservations can be transferred to subsequent departures in the event of train delays, if you are NOT relying on the final connections of the day).
   These trains will arrive at Basel Bad bf, the trains will continue on to Basel SBB station, but that ups the price when travelling on this route.

Travelling between Milan and north-west Switzerland by train is not only straightforward thanks to the direct rail services, it's also a lovely journey.

Connect in Basel for trains to destinations without direct services from Milan including Cologne/Koln, Mainz, Koblenz and Strasbourg.

The only direct trains between the French capital and Switzerland are these high speed Lyria services.

Connect in Basel for locations in Switzerland without direct trains from France including; Biel, Bern, Luzern and Interlaken

Zurich and Basel are comparatively close to each other, so it's no surprise that they are connected by express trains which depart at least once, but often twice per hour.

What is unusual about this route is that it's also taken by three international services, which travel beyond Basel:
(1) the ICE trains on the Zurich - Basel - Frankfurt - Hamburg route.
(2) EC trains from Zurich to north-west Germany
(3) TGV Lyria trains on the Zurich - Basel - Paris route.

However, when booking tickets for these express trains, or using rail passes on this route within Switzerland, it doesn't matter whether you take an Swiss express IC train, or one of these international trains; ; it is the demand per departure which impacts on the ticket prices and not the type of train being used.

Though if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, you'll likely save money by taking one of the alternative IR services, they're cheaper, but slower; though by around only 20 minutes.

Yes it's a long journey from Bern to Berlin by train, but it couldn't be easier thanks to a direct service of smart and stylish ICE trains, which also give it a wow factor.

There are two options available when taking a journey by train from Bern to Brig:

1. Travelling by an express train, which will spend a significant portion of its journey racing through the epic Lotschberg Base Tunnel.
2. Taking the slower 'Lotschberger' services on the more spectacular older route.

The Swiss capital is now connected to Chur, the gateway to the best of north-east Switzerland, by direct trains

There are three options available when taking a journey by train from Bern to Domodossola:

1. Travelling by EC express train, which will be heading on to Milano
2. Taking the Swiss express IC trains which terminate in Domodossola.
3. Taking the slower 'Lotschberger' services on the more spectacular older route.

These direct trains from Bern to Frankfurt (Main) can offer a swathe of straightforward connections on to other German cities without direct trains from Bern, including Dresden, Leipzig and Nurnberg

Adelboden is one of the closest Swiss alpine resort towns to Bern, so sespite a bus being required for the final part of the journey, it can be easily accessed from the Swiss capital.

Bern is connected to Genève / Geneva by two train services, both of which depart hourly:
1: The IC trains are double-decked, have a restaurant car and seat reservations are available.
2: The IR trains are single-deck (usually) don't convey restaurant cars and seat reservations aren't bookable, but you can virtually guarantee that seats will be available.

Grindelwald is one of the winter sports and leisure locations which is most easily accessed by train from Bern.

In the image above taken at Interlaken Ost station, the train from Bern has arrived on the right and the train on to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen is the train on the left.

When looking up a journey by train from Bern to Cologne/Köln on the ticket booking websites most of the travel options will involve making a connection in Basel or at a station in Germany, but there is a daily direct train available.

When looking up a journey by train from Bern to Cologne/Köln on the ticket booking websites most of the travel options will involve making a connection in Basel, or at a station in Germany.
However, there is a daily direct train available and it also happens to take a much more scenic route!

Bern is connected to Lausanne by two train services, both of which depart hourly:
1: The IC trains are double-decked, have a restaurant car and seat reservations are available.
2: The IR trains are single-deck (usually) don't convey restaurant cars and seat reservations aren't bookable, but you can virtually guarantee that seats will be available.

There are two options for taking the train from Bern to Luzern/Lucerne.

1. The IR (InterRegio) services operated by SBB are faster, but they can also be more expensive, particularly if you buying tickets last minute at the station.
2. The RE (Regio-Express) services operated by BLS are slower, but they can be cheaper; and they also take a more scenic route.

Two of the longest railway tunnels in Europe enable travellers to speed through the Alps on a thrilling journey to northern Italy

The daily direct train from Bern to Paris was discontinued a few years ago, so now the easiest and generally quickest option for making the journey is to take an express IC train from Bern to the main station in Basel, and then connect there into a high speed Lyria train on to Paris.

Though when looking up this journey, other options which have more than one connection and longer end-to-end travel times, are typically cheaper.

Now that there are direct trains from Bern to Chur, it has become easier to reach St Moritz by train, so making a return journey as a stunning day trip, is entirely feasible.

Yes the journey from Bern to Wengen requires taking three different trains, but the two connections are as simple as can be, and the second half of the end-to-end trip is astonishingly beautiful.

Yes the journey from Basel to Wengen requires taking three different trains, but the two connections are as simple as can be, and the second half of the end-to-end trip is astonishingly beautiful.

Despite the distance Zermatt is one of the ski resorts which can be most easily accessed from Bern by train

When making the simple journey by train from Bern to Zurich you can choose between taking the express (IC) trains, or the regional (IR) trains.
The IC trains will get you there faster, but the IR trains can be money savers, particularly if you will be booking last minute at the station

There are typically two daily direct trains from Bern to Hamburg, though neither of them arrive in northern Germany's largest city until after 23:00.
Though it's possible to be in Hamburg before 14:00 by taking an IC train from Bern to Basel and connecting there for an ICE train on Hamburg.
There are ICE trains from Basel to Hamburg every two hours.

It's also possible to make a connection in Basel for an overnight journey to Hamburg
A Nightjet train typically departs from Basel SBB station at 21:13.
The train which typically departs from Bern at 19:36 usually offers the optimum connection at Basel into this Nightjet service, which typically arrives in Hamburg shortly after 08:00.

Despite the distance, the only direct trains from Berlin to Bern are the daily daytime ICE trains.
If you want to travel overnight, the best option is to take the Nightjet train from Berlin to Basel SBB station; and then connect there for Bern.

Some of the ICE trains on the route to Basel very conveniently travel on to central Switzerland

Take a right hand seat on the upper deck (when available) and you can make the most of one of Switzerland's most thrilling rail experiences.

Travelling between Milan and the Swiss capital by train is not only straightforward thanks to the direct rail services, it's also a lovely journey.

Connect in Bern for trains to destinations without direct services from Milan including Biel, Neuchatel and La Chaux de Fonds

When making the simple journey by train from Zurich to Bern you can choose between taking the express (IC) trains, or the regional (IR) trains.
The IC trains will get you there faster, but the IR trains can be money savers, particularly if you will be booking last minute at the station.

Andermatt is one of the more distant ski resorts from Geneve, but with only one straightforward connection between trains required, it's easily accessed.

This direct train is now only available between early July and late August, when it isn't an option a connection between trains in Lyon is required.

An oddity on the Swiss rail timetable is that the direct trains from Geneve to Basel are no longer available.
But the connections between trains, now required at Biel/Bienne station, are as simple as can be.

Take a right hand seat on the upper deck (when available) and you can make the most of one of Switzerland's most thrilling rail experiences.

The first stage of the straightforward journey by train and gondola from Geneve to the resort town of Villars is to take the train to Bex.

The regular service of trains on this route is by Swiss IR services (express trains with no restaurant cars), but the international EC trains between Geneve and Milano or Venezia also come this way.
They're faster and have restaurants, but are less frequent and that speed tends to be available at a higher price.

If you will be heading to a resort in Graubünden and can find a cheap deal arriving on Geneve rather than Zurich, don't be put off by the additional distance on to Chur.
This is a straightforward journey by Swiss express trains.

Basel has easier access by train to Grindelwald than Geneve, but the plus of travelling via Geneve is the plane to train transfer available at Geneve Aeroport, as that isn't available in Basel.
The journey from Zurich Airport to Grindelwald also involves making as many connections as this routing from Geneve.

If you will be in the fortunate position of holidaying in Gstaad, the town has particularly easy access by train from Geneve.

Basel has direct trains to Interlaken, but if you'll be heading to the resorts in the Bernese-Oberland, the plus of using Geneve as your gateway to Switzerland are the trains from Geneve-Aeroport on the first stage of this routing.

Three or four departures per hour are non-stop from Geneve to Lausanne, so it can be worth looking up the journey before heading to the station, so that you can target these trains.

The only viable route involves crossing Paris city centre to make the transfer from one high speed train to another.

Accessing the multitude of scenic railways in the Luzern area is easily done on a day trip from Geneve thanks to these hourly direct trains between the two cities

For most of the year regional French TER services are the only trains available on this route, but in July and August, a faster Lyria service also comes this way.

This direct train is now only available between early July and late August, when it isn't departing, it's possible to take an alternative option

Connect in Martigny for the 'Mont Blanc Express' route towards Chamonix, and the routes which lead to Verbier and the St Bernard Pass.

A simple as can be connection is available into the MOB trains, which take the 'Golden Pass' route to Zweissimen via Gstaad.

The Aletsch Arena is one of the more distant winter sports resorts from Geneve, but despite that it is among the easiest to reach by train.

The high speed 'Lyria' services are the only direct trains from Geneve to the French capital.

The popular ski resort area of Crans-Montana has particularly easy access by train from Geneve, thanks to the connecting funicular railway, which is adjacent to Sierre station.

Basel has easier access by train to Wengen than Geneve, but the plus of travelling via Geneve is the plane to train transfer available at Geneve Aeroport.
The journey from Zurich Airport also involves making as many connections.

Zermatt is one of the more distant resort towns from Geneve, but it is easily accessed by train, with only one connection required.

The trains from Geneve to Zurich take different routes, so be guided by the price and timings which suit, each route has a similar journey time.

There are currently two options for making the journey by high speed trains from London to Geneve/Geneva

1: travelling via Paris is the cheaper option and it can be faster too, but you will need to make the transfer across the French capital between the Gare Du Nord, which is where the Eurostar will arrive, and the Gare De Lyon, the departure station of the Lyria trains which link the French capital to Switzerland.

2: Or if you make the connection in Lille, you can make the transfer within Lille Europe station, but will then have to make a second connection in Lyon.

For most of the year taking a French TER train is the only option for a rail journey from Lyon to Geneve, but in the summer a daily Lyria (TGV) train also take this route.

In 2022 this summer only train is scheduled to be departing between July 2nd August 28th.

Making the rail journey from northern Italy to western Switzerland is straightforward thanks to a direct service of comparatively comfortable trains, and it's also fantastically beautiful.
A wonderful showcase for the best of European rail travel!

Taking the train from Paris to Genève / Geneva is wonderfully straightforward thanks to the high speed trains which provide a direct link between the two cities.

Making the rail journey from Venice to western Switzerland is straightforward thanks to the locations being linked by comparatively comfortable trains.
Though the daily direct train isn't scheduled to arrive in Geneve until after 23:00.

However, the direct train is by the most convenient option on this route.
The trains from Milano to Geneve which typically depart at 13:23 and 17:23 don't have convenient connections with trains from Venezia/Venice.

If you will be planning a travel itinerary which includes both Geneva and Venice, if you travel by direct train in the opposite direction you'll get to experience the fabulous views, which can be seen during the daytime.

For those ticking off the best of Europe on a travel itinerary, this fabulously useful train service provides a direct link from northern Italy to western Switzerland.

What is unusual is that the IC trains from Zurich to Geneva/Genève take two different routes, one of the hourly trains travels via Bern and by the shore of Lake Geneva, while the other hourly train travels via Neuchatel and along the shore of Lake Biel.

Andermatt is one of the resort villages which is most easily accessed from Zurich by train, there's no need to make a bus connection.
Plus virtually all of the journey passes through stunning scenery.

Arosa is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich.
A very simple change of train is required in Chur and the routes taken by the trains you will be taking are both fabulous.

Zurich and Basel are comparatively close to each other, so it's no surprise that they are connected by express trains which depart at least once, but often twice per hour.

What is unusual about this route is that it's also taken by three international services, which travel beyond Basel:
(1) the ICE trains on the Zurich - Basel - Frankfurt - Hamburg route.
(2) EC trains from Zurich to north-west Germany
(3) TGV Lyria trains on the Zurich - Basel - Paris route.

However, when booking tickets for these express trains, or using rail passes on this route within Switzerland, it doesn't matter whether you take an Swiss express IC train, or one of these international trains; ; it is the demand per departure which impacts on the ticket prices and not the type of train being used.

Though if you will be booking tickets last minute at the station, you'll likely save money by taking one of the alternative IR services, they're cheaper, but slower; though by around only 20 minutes.

There are two different rail services available when taking a journey by train from Zurich to Bellinzona.
No matter which train you take, you will be travelling on a lovely route, which will take you by four lakes; the Zurichsee, the Zugersee, the Lauerzersee and the Luzernsee.

Though south of Fluelen, on the shore of the Luzernsee, these two train services take different routes:

(1) The 'Traverso' (IR) trains still take the older 'classic' and much more spectacular route via Goschenen.
If you are new to Swiss rail travel, have the time available and the weather is behaving itself, taking these trains is the way to go.

(2) The express IC and EC trains are faster, because they make use of the world's longest rail tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which by-passes the most beautiful section of that 'classic' route.
So these trains will get to Bellinzona quicker, but the journey won't be as wonderful!

Until March 30th the only option for a direct journey by train from Zurich to Berlin is to travel through the night on the Nightjet service.
However, from April 1st to December 9th the ICE trains which usually head to Hamburg from Zurich, are being temporarily replaced with trains going to the German capital, due to maintenance work on the German rail network.

When making the simple journey by train from Zurich to Bern you can choose between taking the express (IC) trains, or the regional (IR) trains.
The IC trains will get you there faster, but the IR trains can be money savers, particularly if you will be booking last minute at the station.

Despite the distance it's possible to take a direct train when travelling from Zurich to the Slovakian capital.
It's not quick, but the spectacular scenery on the first half of the journey more than makes up for that!

It's possible to take a direct train when travelling during the day from Zurich to the Hungarian capital.
There's no hiding the fact that it's a long ride, but the spectacular scenery on the first half of the journey will make the time fly by.

Though due to the distance you can also opt to travel through the night, though note that Nightjet trains do not operate this service.

SMTJ has compiled a list of the Europe's most epic journeys by regular express trains, but this Zurich to Chur rail journey didn't make the cut, because of is comparatively short length.
However, journeys by Intercity express trains of less than two hours don't get more fabulous than this!

Davos is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich.
A very simple change of train is required in Landquart and the routes taken by the trains you will be taking are both fabulous.

Engelberg is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich, it has particularly good access from Zurich Aiport.

The German national rail operator DB provides a similar level of service to the cities of northern Switzerland as it does to many destinations in Germany, hence the latest type of the super-smart ICE trains are now used on this route.
Though only a small percentage of this journey is on a high speed line.

If north-east Switzerland and The Black Forest are on your travel itinerary, you'll have an easy journey on direct, swish trains

Adelboden is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich, it has particularly good access from Zurich Aiport.

What is unusual is that the IC trains from Zurich to Geneva/Genève take two different routes, one of the hourly trains travels via Bern and by the shore of Lake Geneva, while the other hourly train travels via Neuchatel and along the shore of Lake Biel.

There are many spectacular rail journeys which can be taken from Zurich, but this route to Graz taken by the 'Transalpin Express' may be the best of all of them.
It's so fabulous that one of the First Class coaches usually included in the train's formation is an observation car.

Though due to the distance it's also possible to take an overnight train on this route

Don't be put off by having to make connections between trains, the timetable is arranged so that making the connections is as simple as possible.
And if anything out of the ordinary occurs, tickets will be available on the next train(s) to depart.

Due to the distance it's possible to choose between travelling during the day or overnight when taking a train from Zurich to Hamburg.
This is route when you won't miss out on experiencing stunning scenery if you take the Nightjet instead of the ICE trains, though taking the ICE trains makes for a very pleasant trip.

Few rail journeys between European cities are as fabulous as this!
For virtually the entire journey by train from Zurich to Innsbruck, you can enjoy delightful vistas from the windows.

There are two rotes which can be taken when taking the train from Zurich to Interlaken.
(1) travelling via Bern
(2) travelling via Luzern.
The route through Bern now has direct trains, but in the hours when they are not available, straightforward connections can be made in Bern station.

Klosters is one of the Swiss alpine resort towns which can be easily accessed by train from Zurich.
A very simple change of train is required in Landquart and the routes taken by the trains you will be taking are both fabulous.

If Switzerland and beautiful Rhine Valley are on your travel itinerary, you can travel between them on direct trains.
If you book 1st class there is also using the option of travelling in an observation can, in order to make the most of the journey.

When looking up a journey by train from Zurich to Cologne/Köln on the ticket booking websites most of the travel options will involve taking two ICE trains and making a connection at a German station, but there is a daily direct train available.
It also happens to take a much more scenic route!

There is also a recently introduced overnight direct train, but this Nightjet train is on route to Amsterdam so it calls in Cologne/Köln before 06:00.

What is unusual is that the IC trains from Zurich to Geneva/Genève take two different routes, one of the hourly trains travels via Bern awhile the other hourly train travels via Neuchatel and takes a more scenic route along the shore of Lake Biel.

Few rail journeys between European cities are as fabulous as this!
For virtually the entire journey by train from Zurich to Linz, you can enjoy delightful vistas from the windows.

A service of direct trains has recently been restored when travelling from Zurich to Locarno, good news for those which are averse to making connections; and they also take a beautiful route!

For those who value time saving over scenery, the faster option is to take an express train to Bellinzona and then make a simple connection there into a train on to Locarno.

Connect in Zurich when travelling by train to London from a swathe of Swiss destinations including Chur, Lugano, St Gallen and St Moritz.

Heading to the beautiful Swiss city on an Italian lake from Switzerland's largest city is fabulously simple, thanks to a fairly frequent service of comparatively comfortable express trains.

Luzern/Lucerne is only 50km from Zurich, so the trains between the two cities are popular with commuters, but few commuter routes are as pleasant as this.
Luzern station and its surroundings offer very easy interchanges with the trains on to Engelberg and Interlaken, as well as the cruise boats for journeys across the Luzernsee.

A long planned expanded service of trains between Milan and Zurich makes the most of the brand new trains that have been introduced to the route and the relatively new Ceneri Base Tunnel.

Though this remains a journey which showcases the best of European rail travel.
The smart new trains have restaurant cars, the engineering achievements to enable the journey time are phenomenal and despite the epic, recently opened rail tunnels, most of the journey is still fantastically beautiful!

Another recent innovation was the very welcome extension to the routes taken by some departures, so that Zurich now has daily direct trains to Genova/Genoa and Bologna; though these two services don't call at Milan's primary rail station, Milano Centrale.

Thanks to recently completed major construction work, including a new station in Germany, and the introduction of sleek tilting trains, there has never been such a fabulous rail service between Zurich and München/Munich.

Connect in München hbf for destinations in Germany without direct trains from Switzerland including Augsburg, Nurnberg and Leipzig.

Neuchâtel and the lake named after the city are easily reached from Zurich on smart and fairly frequent trains.
Connect in Neuchâtel for La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Direct high speed trains mean that travelling by rail from Zurich to Paris is a very straightforward journey.

The overnight services from Zurich to Prague/Praha are the only direct trains from Switzerland to Czechia.
Travelling by day on trains from Zurich to Prague/Praha involves making connections in Linz OR Munchen/Munich, but on both routes the connections on to Czechia involve fairly lengthy journeys on regional trains, which lack the ambience and facilities typically found on express trains.

But what's new is that from December 11th and into 2023 there will be a choice of two overnight train services when travelling from Switzerland's largest city to the capital of Czechia.

Few rail journeys between European cities are as fabulous as this!
For virtually the entire journey by train from Zurich to Salzburg you can enjoy delightful vistas from the windows.

A contender for the most spectacular view which can be seen from a European train window is the vista of the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen.
So if you have a couple of hours to spare while in Zurich, hop on one of these trains!

Zurich is connected to numerous Swiss Ski resorts by easy rail connections, but none* of them can be reached from the city by direct trains.
*=We're 99% sure about this.

So a tick in the box for St Anton is that it does have direct trains from Zurich and the journey time is also shorter than to many of the Swiss Alpine resorts.
Oh and the end-to-end rail journey is pretty much fabulous for the entire train ride!

You don't need to be a member of the elite to take one of the most wonderful rail journeys on planet earth.
St Moritz is a fabulous destination for a day trip from Zurich.

The most scenic route taken by international trains from Switzerland to Germany is followed by these trains to Stuttgart.
The highlight is the stunning views of the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, but most of the journey is delightful.

Connect in Stuttgart for Heidelberg and Nurnberg.

Doesn't taking a train from Switzerland to gorgeous Venice/Venezia seem like a fabulously romantic notion?
Well the reality doesn't disappoint and the icing on the cake is that wonderful brand new trains, complete with restaurant cars, are now being used on this route.

Doesn't taking a train from Switzerland to gorgeous Verona seem like a fabulously romantic notion?
Well the reality doesn't disappoint and the icing on the cake is that wonderful brand new trains, complete with restaurant cars, are now being used on this route.

Connections are available at Visp station for trains to Zermatt and buses to the Saas-Fee and Sass-Grund alpine resort areas.

Yes the journey by train from Zurich to Wengen requires two connections, but this is Switzerland so all the transfers (in terms of timings) are as simple as can be.
Also the final three journeys are all absolutely glorious.

It's possible to take a direct train when travelling during the day from Zurich to the Austrian capital.
There's no hiding the fact that it's a long ride, but the spectacular scenery on the first half of the journey will make the time fly by.

Though due to the distance you can also opt to travel through the night; and what's unusual is that there is a choice of overnight options on this route.

The only direct train from Switzerland to both Croatia and Slovenia is the overnight train service, 'The Alpine Pearl'.
When the usual timetable is operating it is the first sage of the journey by train from Zurich to Athens and Istanbul.

Zermatt is probably the farthest Swiss alpine resort from Zurich, but it has particularly access by train, with especially convenient connections from Zurich airport

This new Nightjet service is now providing the only direct train from Zurich to The Netherlands.
The simplest option for travelling by day requires making an extended connection between ICE trains at Frankfurt (Main).

This recently introduced service is the only direct train from Switzerland to a string of beautiful Italian cities; Piacenza, Parma, Reggio d'Emilia, Modena and Bologna.

A Nightjet train now provides the only direct rail link between Zurich and Dresden

This new Nightjet service is now providing the only direct train from The Netherlands to north-west Switzerland.
The simplest option for travelling by day requires making an extended connection between ICE trains at Frankfurt (Main).
There are no direct daytime trains on this route:

Taking the train from Basel to Zurich is straightforward as it's a journey which doesn't have to be planned with care.
There are typically 4 or 5 x trains per hour travelling between the two cities, two or three express trains and two slightly slower InterRegio (IR) trains, which will be cheaper when booking tickets last minute at the station.

What does make this route unusual is the variety of trains used for the express (IC) services.
Because in addition to Swiss trains, TGV trains which have travelled to Switzerland from Paris and ICE trains heading to Zurich and beyond from Germany are also slotted into the timetable.

In effect they replace one of the Swiss trains in the hours in which they operate, so the national rail operator SBB applies the same conditions of travel to them, as it does to its IC trains.
Meaning that reservations are available, but optional and the type of train being used for a departure has no impact on the ticket price(s).

The only direct train from Berlin to Zurich is the Nightjet service, but there are two options for making the journey by day with only one connection.
The fastest and easiest of which is travel via Basel, the tick in the box for this route as there a minimum of two trains per hour from Basel to Zurich and tickets will be valid on any onward train.

The other route with one connection involves travelling via Munich, but it is typically an hour longer, which is why it hasn't been included below.
But if you can find an exceptionally cheap price on the route via Munich then book it.
The journey from Munich on to Zurich is also more scenic than the route via Basel.

When making the simple journey by train from Bern to Zurich you can choose between taking the express (IC) trains, or the regional (IR) trains.
The IC trains will get you there faster, but the IR trains can be money savers, particularly if you will be booking last minute at the station

This recently introduced service is the only direct train from a string of beautiful Italian cities; Piacenza, Parma, Reggio d'Emilia, Modena and Bologna to Switzerland.

The overnightservices from Prague/Praha to Zurich are the only direct trains from Czechia to Switzerland.
Travelling by day on trains from Prague/Praha to Zurich involves making connections in Linz OR Munchen/Munich, but on both routes the connections on to Czechia involve fairly lengthy journeys on the type of trains typically used for regional services, so they lack the ambience and facilities typically found on express trains.

But what's new is that from December 11th and into 2023 there will be a choice of two overnight train services when travelling from the capital of Czechia to Switzerland's largest city.

The trains from Geneve to Zurich take different routes, so be guided by the price and timings which suit, each route has a similar journey time.

When travelling by train from northern Germany to Switzerland's largest city, there is a choice between travelling by day on an ICE train, or through the night on a Nightjet.

For pretty much every minute of this journey the views from the train are wonderful!

When looking up a daytime Cologne/Köln to Zurich journey by train on the ticket booking websites there will be a swathe of options available, most of which involve making connections between trains.
Of these journey options, SMTJ's recommendations is to opt for the routing which involve making connections in Basel, because if the train from Germany is delayed, you will then be able to simply hop on any train on to Zurich.

However, there is usually a daily direct train available, so if the timings suit and you'd rather avoid making any connections, it's then becomes the obvious best option for making this journey by.
It also takes a scenic route.

If you want or need to travel overnight there is a newly introduced Nightjet train available which conveys sleeping cabins and couchettes.

There are two journey options for a taking a train from London to Zurich:

1: The usual most obvious route to take if you will be booking tickets is to travel via Paris on a combination of Lyria and Eurostar trains.

2. The other option involves making connections in Brussels and Frankfurt (Main).
   This route avoid the needs to make a transfer between railway stations across Paris, but SMTJ doesn't recommend it, as it involves making a connection at Midi/Zuid station in Brussels of only 20 mins.
   Though if you will be travelling with a Eurail or InterRail pass it is worth taking the chance.
   It will save money because rail pass users don't have to make reservations on the combination of required on the ICE trains between Brussels and Zurich, but the rail pass reservation fees on the Lyria services from Paris are some of the most expensive charged to pass users

An expanded service of trains between Milan and Zurich is in place on new timetable, which exploits both the new trains which have been introduced to the route and the recently opened Ceneri Base Tunnel, which has enabled the fastest ever journey time between the two cities.

Though this remains a journey which showcases the best of European rail travel.
The smart new trains have restaurant cars, the engineering achievements to enable the journey time are phenomenal and despite the epic, recently opened rail tunnels, most of the journey is still fantastically beautiful!

Thanks to recently completed major construction work, including a new station in Germany, and the introduction of sleek tilting trains, there has never been such a fabulous rail service between München/Munich and Zurich.

Direct high speed trains mean that travelling by rail from Paris to Zurich is a very straightforward journey.

Connect in Zurich for Swiss destinations with no direct trains from the French capital including Chur, St Gallen and Zug.
Also connect in Zurich to Austrian Railjet trains heading to St. Anton, Landeck and Innsbruck.

Making the rail journey from Venice to northern Switzerland has been improved for the better on the new timetable, as the departure time has been moved forward by four hours to 13:18.
Aside from arriving in Switzerland in time for an evening meal, the two particular positives are:

• connections are available to destinations across Switzerland (Brig, Geneve, Lausanne and Sion have a daily direct train from Venice)
• for all by the shortest winter days, the entire journey will be daylight; and many of its highlights will be towards its conclusion.

Though if the timings of this direct train don't suit, the other option is to take a train to Milano Centrale and connect there for a train on to Zurich.
Taking an overnight journey isn't a feasible option on this route.

Making the rail journey from Verona to northern Switzerland has been improved for the better on the new timetable, as the departure time has been moved forward by four hours to just after 14:30.
Aside from arriving in Switzerland in time for an evening meal, the two particular positives are:

• connections are available to destinations across Switzerland (Brig, Geneve, Lausanne and Sion have a daily direct train from Venice)
• for all by the shortest winter days, the entire journey will be daylight; and many of its highlights will be towards its conclusion.

Though if the timings of this direct train don't suit, the other option is to take a train to Milano Centrale and connect there for a train on to Zurich.
Taking an overnight journey isn't a feasible option on this route.

Despite the distance between the Austrian capital and Zurich, there are multiple daily departures to select from, plus unusually there are two overnight journey options.
If you'll be travelling by day by train from Wien/Vienna to Zurich, efforts at setting off early will be rewarded by a stunning journey, with a wonderful climax as the train approaches journey's end