Riding The Rails The Way It Was Intended

Day: 99
Km Travelled: 363.4km
Hours on the Train: 8
Location: Seat 24 - Zermatt to St Moritz

December 12-13, 2017

Several months ago, there was an opportunity at my workplace to work overtime shifts, where normally we don’t have this option.  Those familiar with me know 3 fundamental things about me: I’m always willing to lend a helping hand.  Work/life balance is my religion; I’m very protective of my personal time in order to maintain balance in my life.  And finally, money speaks to me!  I decided to work a few extra shifts a week for three weeks, however I had one very specific goal in mind: Swiss scenic train! I had long wished to take a few of the “scenic trains” in Switzerland, however I wasn’t sure how I would fit this pricey country in my budget travels.  When the extra hours came up, I vowed to use that extra money for that purpose. Through the patient’s projectile vomiting (yup, that happened) and late night charting, I visualized sitting in a comfy seat, head pressed against the window, watching the beautiful countryside roll on by.

Today was THE day.  While I had taken the ‘Golden Pass’ scenic train earlier in the week from Interlaken to Montreux, today was THE big one.  The Glacier Express.  Dubbed the ‘slowest express train in the world’, this scenic train transported passengers between Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn, to ‘the top of the world’ St Moritz near the Italian border.  Like with everything else I’ve done during this trip, I had booked my ticket only a few weeks prior, considered last-minute for this popular journey and therefore one of the only remaining tickets was an aisle seat.  The rail website, however, brags about its panoramic windows that allow everyone one on the train to be fully immersed with the countryside.

I excitedly boarded the train at 8h30, ready for this long-anticipated adventure!  As a Canadian from Northern Ontario, I didn’t grow up taking the train for traveling. At University, the train to return North took +1day and I purchased my first car shortly after graduating.  I’d taken the train a handful of times but had always secretly dreamed of taking the train through Europe, the way travellers of yore used to.  How romantic!  My experience over the last 4 months had been….varied.  The TGV in France was top-notch and efficient while its regional sleeper car left much to be desired.  German trains were no fuss and the Swiss ones lacked luggage space I’d noticed.  I was far from the idealized image of train travel I’d long-held.

The minute I stepped aboard the Glacier Express, I knew I was in for something special.

To start off with, I had this entire compartment to myself! The other two people with tickets for the window seats never showed up.  Score!  There’s servers to offer you a complete 3 course meal (which I skipped due to the significantly over inflated price and brought my own lunch!) or drinks and snacks.  Table service on a train? Sign me up any day!

The windows make up most of the train, with only a small section of the roof made of opaque material.  The views were spectacular on both sides of the train and it didn’t really matter where you were sitting.  Besides, there was an issue with the audio in this carriage; there’s an audio guide system that relates facts about various parts of the journey however it was not working in our wagon.  They apologized profusely and offered two options: 1) switch carriage and sit elsewhere where it was working or 2) stay where you are and enjoy a free drink.  Many chose to move, meaning seats on both sides freed up if you felt like switching things up on the way. Since I hadn’t even known about the audio system prior to boarding, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything and stayed put. 

Besides, how can I refused a free drink?!

The entire journey takes approximately 8 hrs.  The train squeezes its way through the Alps, up and down mountains as you go.  The seats were quite comfortable and the crew was likely the most professional, well-organized bunch I’ve met!  There’s a handy map and information booklet about the journey for each passenger, ear buds for those whose audio was working and there’s even a souvenir cart that rolls on by.  Not to mention the bar and restaurant carriage.

About 4 hrs in, it started to snow heavily and the visibility decreased.

Further along, we could barely see out the window!  Luckily, it didn’t last long.

The view is outstanding!

The train climbs all the way up to 2,033m across the Oberalp Pass before winding its way down and then up again.  In the elevated portions, you can look down from the window and see how (scary) close the track is to the edge! 

But the view…!

You cross many villages and towns, some with houses built seemingly in the middle of nowhere, others with houses concentrated around the local church.

Lakes, valleys, mountains; you see it all!

The Glacier Express traverses 291 bridges and goes through 91 tunnels.

Arriving closer to St Moritz, nicknamed “top of the world” due to its 1,822 m of elevation the clouds glide lazily below you.

What a fantastic experience!  Definitely worth the price, the time and the many hours of overtime!

Let’s do it again!