Glacier Express (departing From Chur)

The Glacier Express is often called the slowest express train in the world, a nickname that its operators have embraced. It links the Alpine resorts of St. Moritz and Davos in eastern Switzerland with Zermatt in the south-west, on a single route across the Alps that takes around eight hours, and Chur, the capital of Graubünden, is one of its principal stations. For many passengers, Chur is where the journey begins, and the first hours are among the most varied, passing through the Rhine gorge, over high mountain passes and past traditional villages. The train was first run in 1930, and it has become one of the best-known railway journeys in the world.

The line is a narrow-gauge, metre-gauge railway, operated by two different companies, the Rhaetian Railway in Graubünden and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn in Uri, Ticino and Valais, which are joined at points where the track changes. The train crosses almost three hundred bridges and passes through dozens of tunnels, and in places it climbs steep gradients with the help of a toothed rack rail laid between the running rails. From Chur, the train follows the valley of the Vorderrhein, upstream through the Surselva, a region where Romansh is spoken. An early highlight is the Rhine gorge, known as the Ruinaulta or the Swiss Grand Canyon, a deep, white-walled ravine cut by the river through the debris of an ancient landslide. Beyond it, the line climbs through villages such as Disentis, with its big Benedictine abbey, and crosses the Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the route, at over 2,000 metres.

After the pass, the train descends to Andermatt, a mountain town in the central Alps, and follows the upper Rhône valley through Valais, where villages with old wooden houses climb the slopes. At Brig, the train joins the Mattertal and climbs the final stretch to Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn, where the pyramid of the mountain is the reward for a long day. Exact timings, stops and routes vary depending on the timetable and construction work, so check the current schedule before you book.

The carriages are designed for sightseeing, with large panoramic windows that curve into the roof, and passengers can choose from several classes of service, including a restaurant car where meals are served at the seat. Seat reservation is compulsory, and tickets are in demand in summer, so it is wise to book early. An audio commentary is provided in several languages, pointing out bridges, viaducts and places of interest. The train is accessible to passengers with reduced mobility, though they should arrange this in advance.

Many travellers prefer to ride only a section of the line, for example from Chur to Andermatt or from Brig to Zermatt, and stay overnight along the way. The best seasons are summer and autumn, when the mountains are green or golden, though winter, with snow-covered peaks, has its own beauty. In Chur, allow time to see the old town before boarding. The Glacier Express suits railway enthusiasts, photographers and anyone looking for a relaxed way to cross the Alps, and it is best enjoyed without hurry.