Glacier Express
- Visit: 450–480 min
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Why go
- Often described as the world’s slowest express train.
Don't miss
- Landwasser ViaductLook out for the Landwasser Viaduct as the train crosses it at Filisur.At Filisur
- Ruinaulta gorgeFollow the Rhine through the Ruinaulta canyon.Between Reichenau and Disentis
- Oberalp PassReach the journey’s highest point, 2,033 metres above sea level.Oberalp Pass
History
The first Glacier Express ran from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Until the Furka Base Tunnel opened, the train climbed Furka Pass and passed close to the Rhône Glacier. The tunnel replaced that climb and allowed year-round service. Later changes included new panoramic first-class cars; the railway also faced the Randa avalanche and the Fiesch derailment.
- 25 June 1930The first Glacier Express left Zermatt with 70 passengers and reached St. Moritz eleven hours later.
- 1943–1946Service was suspended during the Second World War.
- June 1982The Furka Base Tunnel opened, replacing the climb over Furka Pass.
- 1986–1993The panoramic first-class cars were built in an investment of nearly 40 million Swiss francs.
- 1991A debris avalanche at Randa severed the railway and road.
Show all
- 2010A derailment near Fiesch killed one passenger and injured 42.
- 2013Direct Glacier Express service to Davos ended amid declining passenger numbers and poor economic conditions.
Tips for your visit
- Lunch is served to passengers at their seats.
- Use the onboard headphones for recorded commentary in six languages about the regions and sights along the route.
Best time to visit
- The route operates in winter as well as summer. In winter, skiers use it to travel between resorts along the line.
How to get there
- TrainBoard at Zermatt station. The train starts at the end of the Mattertal valley, below the Matterhorn. For motorists approaching Zermatt, the open road ends at Täsch, the terminal for onward travel toward Zermatt.
- TrainThe journey also starts from St. Moritz.
Shorts
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DON'T get on the Glacier Express!Live The Dash
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GLACIER EXPRESS SWITZERLANDSwiss View
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Glacier Express or Bernina Express? The best luxury trains in Switzer…BoopFoodie | Travel & Food
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Glacier Express, Switzerland!w/Mayank
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GLACIER EXPRESS: Switzerland’s premier panoramic train from Zermatt t…The Traveling Swiss – Louis & Alexis
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Glacier Express in SwitzerlandDW Euromaxx
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DON'T get the Glacier Express!Live The Dash
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Der BESTE Zug der Schweiz (Glacier Express)DAVE
Interesting facts4
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23.9 kilometres
The route uses metre-gauge track, including 23.9 kilometres of rack railway on steep sections.
Glacier Express - Wikipedia -
Between Preda and Bergün/Bravuogn, railway spirals manage a 400-metre elevation change over five kilometres.
Glacier Express - Wikipedia -
The 15.4-kilometre Furka Base Tunnel links Realp with Oberwald in the Goms Valley, bypassing Furka Pass.
Glacier Express - Wikipedia -
585 metres
Chur is the route’s lowest point, at 585 metres above sea level.
Glacier Express - Wikipedia
Sources: Glacier Express - Wikipedia · Glacier Express - Wikipedia · Glacier Express - Wikipedia · Glacier Express - Wikipedia · checked 26 Sep 2026
- Website
- glacierexpress.ch
- Phone
- +41 81 288 65 65
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
Can I travel directly to Davos on the Glacier Express?
The direct Glacier Express service to Davos ended. Change at Filisur for a connecting train.
Why is it called the Glacier Express?
It takes its name from the Rhône Glacier near Gletsch. Until 1981, the route climbed Furka Pass near the glacier; the former route is now operated by the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway.
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