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Despite the lack of direct trains, travelling west to east across Switzerland by train isn't complicated.
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Genève / Geneva to Chur by train
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.
Routes you can take to go from Genève / Geneva to Chur
When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.
Choose one of the following options:
Looking for connections?
Route Information
Via stations: Zürich HB / Zurich main station
Option 1: making a connection
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 7 min - 4hr 28min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Info
1 or 2 x connections per hour
Purchase Tickets
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Omio Guide
Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.
The three key advantages of using Omio are
- it offers prices in multiple currencies
- it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
- when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.
The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.
Other Ticket Providers
SBB Guide
SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.
SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.
Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.
Happy rail Guide
Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.
HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.
Travel Information
There are no direct trains between Geneve and Chur so in order to make this journey across Switzerland, a change of trains is required in Zurich.
When setting off from Geneve, in each hour there are connections available at Zurich HB station from the IC trains on route IC 1 heading to St Gallen and the IC on trains on route IC 5 heading to Rorschach.
These trains commence their journeys at Geneve-Aeroport station, it takes the trains around 5 mins to travel from there to the main station in Geneve before they then head off towards Zurich.
Both of these services arrive at the lower level gleis (platforms/tracks) in Zurich station, while the trains on to Chur will depart from the upper level, which is where the main concourse is located.
Whatever train you take from Geneve, the connecting time between trains in Zurich will be around 10 mins.
This journey is made up of 1 change.
Train 1
Between Genève/Geneva-Cornavin and Zürich HB / Zurich main stationYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These IC trains take two different routes from Geneve to Zurich; route IC 1 via Lausanne and Bern and route IC 5 via Neuchatel and Biel.
Which route the trains take makes little difference to the overall journey time
(1) via Bern:
The brand new LD/Twindexx trains should now be operating on some departures.
All trains on this route are double deck, and it's worth travelling on the upper deck in order to see these views at their best.
(2) via Biel
The tilting trains which used to be known as ICN trains are used on this route
Which route to choose?
It can be fun to travel to Zurich on one route and return on the other, between Lake Geneve and Olten the two routes are very different.
Though if you will be booking tickets in advance online, you save money if you can purchase Supersaver train tickets.
So if you want to be guided by price, rather than the route, the cheaper tickets tend to be more widely available on the trains via Biel.
Journey description:
via Bern
From the right of the train (when facing the direction) of travel there are some incredible views over Lake Geneva when the train departs from Lausanne.
It's worth travelling on the upper deck in order to see these views at their best.
This part of the train ride is so fabulous that it merited a place on the list of the 15 Most Beautiful Swiss Train Journeys.
via Biel
From the right of the train (when facing the direction) of travel there are some wonderful views over the lakes after between Yverdon and Biel/Bienne; these videos were taken from trains travelling in the opposite direction
...before Neuchatel the lake which takes its name from the city...
over Lake Bienne after Neuchatel
.
Train 2
Between Zürich HB / Zurich main station and ChurYou will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
Three of the daily departures, those which are usually scheduled to leave Zurich at 10:00 and 14:00 and 18:00, are by ICE4 trains that have travelled from Germany.
Final Destination: Chur
All trains also call at: Landquart
Connect at Landquart into RhB trains towards Klosters and Davos.
Arriving in Chur:
Connect at Chur into RhB trains on towards St Moritz and Arosa.
Also connect at Chur for buses to the Laax-Flims-Falera ski resort
Journey description:
From the left of the train (when facing the direction) of travel, there are fabulous views over Lake Zurich...
and then over the Walensee...
...before the train makes its first station call in Sargans
Then between Sargans and Chur there are very pleasant views of distant mountain ranges from both sides of the train.
Tickets
Online bookings open: up to six months ahead of the travel date
Book early and save: Yes
Limited numbers of Supersaver tickets will be made available on most end-to-end journeys.
You may need to search through the departures to find these 'Supersaver' tickets using the ‘earlier’ and ‘later’ buttons.
Using Saver Day Passes:
The discounted Supersaver tickets are train specific, so aren't such a good option if you will be flying into Geneva and commencing a journey to Chur at Geneve-Aeroport station.
So if you will be booking last minute tickets for a train journey to Chur a Saver Day Pass may save you money.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, particularly when the discounted Supersaver tickets aren't available; and are usually cheaper if you will be making a day return trip between Geneve and Chur, even if you can book in advance.
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, so if you will be travelling back on another date, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey.
Saver Day Passes are also discounted if you book online in advance
Route Information
Option: the direct trains which are available at weekends
Station Guides
Travel Time (approx)
4hr 10min
Frequency
Saturday and Sunday
Travel Info
4 x trains
Purchase Tickets
SBB Guide
SBB is the main national rail operator in Switzerland, but tickets for journeys by the other significant operators including BLS and SOB can be be booked on the SBB website.
SBB also sells tickets for journeys to many destinations which involve a combination of SBB trains and services provided by the many independent operators who serve the Alpine resort towns.
However, if you will be making a long-distance return day trip, look out for he possibility of SaverDay passes being cheaper than tickets.
Though if you download the SBB app, booking tickets on SBB's mobile services can be simper than using the website.
Also watch out for the fact that booking international tickets can be comparatively quirky.
Travel Information
Final Destination: Chur
All trains also call at: Landquart
Connect at Landquart into RhB trains towards Klosters and Davos.
Arriving in Chur:
Connect at Chur into RhB trains on towards St Moritz and Arosa.
Also connect at Chur for buses to the Laax-Flims-Falera ski resort
This is a direct journey
You will be travelling on one of these trains...
Journey Features
Good to Know
These newly introduced direct trains depart from the main station in Geneve at 05:42; 08:42; 11:42 and 13:42 at weekends.
They commence their journeys in the station at Geneve-Aeroport.
This epic cross-Switzerland journey has _ distinct phases:
-
Until Lausanne the railway follows the northern shore of Lake Geneva, though the glimpses over the water are fleeting as the trains don't travel by the shore.
-
The first glorious highlight of the journey occurs after departure from Lausanne station as the railway climbs up the slopes which rise up from Lake Geneva.
These views, which are on the right, just justify heading to the upper deck on these trains. -
After around 15 wonderful minutes the railway turns away from the lake and heads towards the Swiss capital, through a rolling landscape..
particularly to the west of Fribourg. -
Between Bern and Olten the train travels at up to 200 km/h on Switzerland's fastest railway.
-
After Olten the train will travel through a series of towns before reversing direction on departure from Zurich.
-
As can be seen below, the final part of the journey on from Zurich is rather fabulous, with its epic lakeside views which can be seen on the left.
Tickets
Online bookings open: up to six months ahead of the travel date
Book early and save: Yes
Limited numbers of Supersaver tickets will be made available.
Using Saver Day Passes:
The discounted Supersaver tickets are train specific, so aren't such a good option if you will be flying into Geneva and commencing a journey to Chur at Geneve-Aeroport station.
So if you will be booking last minute tickets for a train journey to Chur a Saver Day Pass may save you money.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, particularly when the discounted Supersaver tickets aren't available; and are usually cheaper if you will be making a day return trip between Geneve and Chur, even if you can book in advance.
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, so if you will be travelling back on another date, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey.
Saver Day Passes are also discounted if you book online in advance
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