Glacier Express things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Glacier Express
Bahnhof, 6490 Andermatt, Switzerland
4.3(326)
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attractions: Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Snowlimit Snowboard and Ski school shop rent, Schweizer Schneesportschule Andermatt, Gütsch-Express, Alpine Sports Andermatt, Altitude Ski & Snowboard School Andermatt, Talmuseum Ursern, Piz Badus, restaurants: Spycher Young Gastro, Hotel Sonne, L’Ambasciatore Andermatt, Hotel Piz Badus, Restaurant Biselli, Hotel & Restaurant zum schwarzen Bären, Il Fermento G&M, Di Alt Apothek, Postillion Bar & Restaurant, The Japanese Restaurant
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Sin Fong ChanSin Fong Chan
Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz
Visited on 20/8/2019
The train track is not within the train station building where tickets are sold. Since there is still plenty of time before the train arrives, we just check out the small supermarket, which sells snacks, pastries, simple hot food and coffee.
Glacier Express is a misnomer, because the train does not pass through any glacier, and it is the slowest express train in the world. The journey takes about 7 and a half hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz.
Glacier Express used to run once a day, but recently it introduces the more luxurious Excellence Class, and adds another trip in the morning. We takes the afternoon run, after spending the morning visiting another tourist spot Aletsch.
The train has big glass windows, and transparent ceiling, which enable travellers to enjoy the scenery.
Our group almost occupy the whole carrier in the first class. The seating is comfortable, stylish, and we have plenty of room to stretch and relax. It is a glorious sunny day, which can be a disadvantage. The sun shines through the ceiling, and can be rather glary and warm, despite the carriage being air-conditioned.
The rolling green valleys and rivers are very picturesque. However, after an hour or so, the novelty wears off, and it can be rather boring. Some members start to fall asleep.
I am not sure whether there is a change in meals option. Dinner is not included in the first class ticket, and has to be ordered and paid for. We are "rationed" with a packet of biscuit.
At Chur, many of us get out of the train and stretch our legs, and some go to get so some beer and snacks from the train station subway.
Glacier Express changes direction at Chur. The sky is still bright, but not for long. We have our little party, and visibility outside the train is getting from to worse, partly due to the fog, and mainly the dim light.
The trains enters a tunnel, and outside is pitch black. By the time it gets out, there light intensity of the valleys is just the same.
We are so looking forward to cross the spectacular curved Landwasser viaduct, but it is a total disappointment, because outside the window is complete darkness.
The train finally arrives at St. Moritz. We are hungry, tired and feeling rather miserable.
billpsu92billpsu92
The Glacier Express is run jointly by two private Swiss railways, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) and the Rhätische Bahn (RhB), who also operate the hourly local trains over the same route. In 2017 they formed a separate company to operate the Glacier Express, Glacier Express AG.
During my March trip staying in Lucerne and skiing Andermatt, I did not have the time nor the logistics to support the full Glacier Express ride. However, I got to experience a 40-minute ride hourly ride operated by MGB when we skied from Andermatt to Sedrun and took the train back to Andermatt.
The ticket of the train was included in the standard lift ticket and my teenage son who had an epic pass did not have the train ticket included. We boarded the train at the remote location of Dieni where there was no one to provide guidance on where, times, and purchase of the train. However, the station is well marked and information made it easy to figure out and there is a screen indicating the times which ran about every hour.
We boarded and there was a train attendant to who we paid the $11 franks for my son. Locals at the station said we could buy directly through the app, but our phone did not work making that non-option. We were in the local car, 2nd class non-reserved seating. The train attendant advised we should change seats to the other side of the car for the best views. The windows were regular and not the ones that wrap around the roof, which still provided a great experience. We had snacks and beverages and set up gopro for the beautiful scenery where we went from the greenest valley at 1,500 meters up the Oberalpass The train was at over 2,000 meters and it was all snow at the end of March. The ski season in this area ends Mid-April yearly.
If you want the full experience, book direct or consider the hourly trains.
Kelly HeimlichKelly Heimlich
We chose this for our travel day from St Moritz to Zermatt. We went back and forth because it’s a super long day and quite expensive and part of the ride is the same as the Bernina Express which we had done a few weeks ago. We just decided to do it last minute because we didn’t want to switch trains five times. We also chose to do a first class reservation and a two course lunch. We used our Swiss Travel Pass and received the ride for free only paying the difference for first class and for the first class reservation. The service was awesome! They came around several times offering drinks (which you pay for) and set the table for lunch. The seats were comfy and we met some lovely people. The WC was clean. We couldn’t visit the bar car with windows that go down but the panorama windows were cool. They also had souvenirs but never offered them. We have been traveling all summer and I’ve been sending postcards to my nieces regularly and I would have liked to send them one from the train but since we couldn’t visit the shop they supposedly had in the bar car, I completely spaced. Not the biggest deal but…. The train stops a few times and you can get out however the stops aren’t scenic in our opinion. I think it would be great if they chose some of the cooler view places to stop but I’m sure there’s a reason they do it the way they do. We also weren’t fans of eating lunch at 11:30. We all said we wouldn’t have eaten breakfast if we had known we’d be eating a couple hours after getting on the train. And then you go 5 hours without anything. We should have brought snacks I guess. I think we are glad we did it but wouldn’t do it again on a return visit to Switzerland.
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Reviews of Glacier Express
4.3
(326)
5.0
1yMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn: Scenic Route Overview
Route and Geography
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) is a scenic narrow-gauge railway that runs through the Swiss Alps, providing breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes. The key route stretches between Zermatt and Disentis/Mustér, passing through Brig and Andermatt.
Key Segments and Highlights
- Zermatt to Brig • Zermatt: Starting point, a picturesque village at the foot of the Matterhorn. • Täsch: Shuttle service for those...
3.0
3yGlacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz Visited on 20/8/2019
The train track is not within the train station building where tickets are sold. Since there is still plenty of time before the train arrives, we just check out the small supermarket, which sells snacks, pastries, simple hot food and coffee.
Glacier Express is a misnomer, because the train does not pass through any glacier, and it is the slowest express train in the world. The journey takes about 7 and a half hours from...
Read more
1.0
1yI'd like to warn others as this is definitely a tourist trap. We took the train from Andermatt to St Moritz (although we ended up getting off at Chur because we couldn't stand being on the train any longer). It was hot and stuffy on the train, and there was no way to open the windows to get some air in. People were literally getting off at each stop and standing outside just to get some air. The coach was packed, every seat was taken (this was 2nd class), and the seats themselves just...
Read morePage 1 of 7
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