The Glacier Express in winter – tips, route & experiences in the snow

A lot has been written about it, but nothing can prepare you for how it really feels: the silence, the snow, and the train slowly making its way through the heart of Switzerland. The Glacier Express in winter is an experience full of contrasts — white and grey, sunshine and mist, speed and breathtaking silence. In the quiet off-season, that leisurely pace really comes into its own. A journey that isn’t about rushing, but about everything you see along the way. And sometimes, what you don’t see.

At the highest point of the route, the Oberalp Pass, the train seems to vanish for a moment into another world. Outside, everything is white and grey; mist and clouds merge into a single mysterious veil. Only the red‘Oberalppass’sign stands out faintly through the wet windows. The deserted station, shrouded in snow and silence, exudes an almost magical emptiness; only the sharp whistle of the departure signal breaks the silence and jolts you awake. As soon as the train sets off, it dives straight into a tunnel — and as it approaches the next valley, you wonder what you’ll find: perhaps the sun suddenly breaking through the mountains, perhaps even more mist, perhaps an unexpected white fairy-tale landscape. This is the Glacier Express in winter: unpredictable, enchanting and, at times, different with every kilometre.

An iconic journey through the Alps

The Glacier Express has been renowned for decades as one of the most iconic train journeys in the world. From Zermatt to St. Moritz, the panoramic train winds its way 291 kilometres through the Alps, over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, reaching its highest point at the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres. The ‘slowest express train in the world’ has been running since 1930, originally only in summer, and since 1982 – following the opening of the Furka Base Tunnel – also in winter. For eight hours, you glide through valleys, over passes and past snow-capped peaks, whilst the landscape is constantly changing. We chose to take the Glacier Express journey at the end of winter: the first rays of spring sunshine gently colour the mountains, there are already pleasantly warm moments in the valley, and yet the train still travels partly through a white, fairytale-like winter landscape.

A list of stop-offs and highlights

Zermatt: a village of mountaineers and legends

We begin our journey in Zermatt, where the Matterhorn towers high above the village, sharply silhouetted against the bright spring light. In the heart of the town, next to the church, stands the stately Grand Hotel Zermatterhof (1879), which once welcomed guests such as Walt Disney. Behind the hotel lies the unassuming Bergsteigerfriedhof, where climbers who did not return from their expeditions are laid to rest – a silent reminder of the risks of the mountains. The grave of the unknown mountaineer honours more than 500 lives lost since 1865, whilst plaques dedicated to Edward Whymper and Lucy Walker, the first woman to reach the summit, tell tales of courage and perseverance. In 1865, seven men reached the summit of the Matterhorn for the first time — a triumph that ended in tragedy when four of them lost their lives during the descent. At the Matterhorn Museum, you can learn all about this iconic mountain, its heroic ascents and the tragedies that have befallen it. The artefacts on display are impressive, including a piece of the frayed rope from the first ascent in 1865.

From the centre of Zermatt, the Gornergrat Bahn climbs to an altitude of over 3,000 metres in less than half an hour – a route that, in Mark Twain’s day, would have taken travellers four to five hours to climb. It takes us just From the Gornergrat viewing platform, a panoramic view unfolds of 29 peaks over four thousand metres, numerous peaks over 3,000 metres and the majestic Gorner Glacier. At 13.4 kilometres, it is the third-longest glacier in the Alps. This giant of ice was once feared — its tongue reached into the valleys and swallowed up houses and fields — but since that last phase of advance in the 19th century, it has been steadily retreating.

The chill of the early morning still hangs over the platform at Zermatt. The air is clear, but breath forms little clouds in the cold. Passengers in hats and thick coats take brief shelter from the wind whilst the red Glacier Express glistens in the first light of day. At exactly 07:52, the whistle sounds, and with a gentle jolt the train sets off — bound for St. Moritz. Soon the train is travelling past the first slopes of the Mattertal, where larch forests dominate the landscape. In winter, the trees lie beneath a thin layer of snow, and wooden chalets pop up now and then amongst them.

Through the Vispa valley, the train descends gradually towards Brig. The landscape changes rapidly: the rugged mountain valley gives way to wider vistas, with vineyards on the slopes and sun-drenched villages down in the Rhône Valley. Here you can immediately see the diversity of Switzerland, and you can also sense that it consists of countless microclimates — whilst winter still reigns in Zermatt, it can easily be ten degrees warmer in Brig. It is the first section of the Glacier Express, but also a perfect summary of what makes the journey so special: in a short space of time, you move from high mountains to a river valley, from snow to sunshine, from silence to bustling life.

The train now follows a stretch of track alongside the Rhône as far as the Furka Tunnel, where it briefly reaches its top speed of 90 kilometres per hour — it feels incredibly fast after the leisurely meandering through mountain valleys and bends.

Andermatt: the village that almost disappeared

The Glacier Express rolls slowly into Andermatt, a village that today thrives on winter sports, mountain walks and the renewed luxury of the Chedi hotel, yet has never lost its rugged character. At the foot of the Oberalp Pass, surrounded by mountains and fortresses, lies a place with an unexpected past. In the 1940s, the Andermatt valley was on the verge of changing forever: plans for a massive reservoir in the Urserental envisaged an artificial lake that would submerge villages such as Andermatt, Hospental and Realp. On 19 February 1946, resistance erupted — residents took action, drove an engineer out of the valley and forced the plans to be abandoned. The result: a valley that was spared, retained its authenticity and ultimately found its future in tourism rather than disappearing beneath the water.

After Andermatt, the Glacier Express begins its climb to the highest point of the journey. Engine driver Remo, who has been driving this route for many years, explains that conditions here can be very unpredictable in winter. Two or three times a year, the route is closed due to excessive snow, and sometimes the track is almost completely buried under a blanket of snow. “There are days,” says Remo, “when you can’t see a thing in front of the train. Nothing but white. Then you drive by feel, on autopilot — that’s nerve-wracking, but it’s also the beauty of this job.” For us, too, visibility is minimal. We cannot see the red lighthouse, a replica of the Hoek van Holland lighthouse and a symbol of the connection between the source of the Rhine here and its mouth near Rotterdam. Remo recommends visiting in autumn. “The mountains seem closer then, thanks to the warm colours of the landscape.”

The Swiss Grand Canyon 

After Disentis, the Glacier Express follows the valley of the young Rhine. The river still winds its way, narrow and turbulent, between the snow-covered slopes, whilst the train slowly makes its way through the landscape. The first snow has already settled on the fields and rooftops of the villages you pass along the way — the sort of thin, powdery layer that makes everything seem quieter.

Not long after, the train enters the Ruinaulta, the Swiss version of a canyon. The walls rise to a height of up to 400 metres, in shades of grey and white, whilst below the river rushes through sharp bends. Through the panoramic windows, it feels as though you’re floating in the middle of the valley, whilst the train winds its way past steep cliffs and through short tunnels.

As the train winds its way round the bends, you can sometimes spot a small group of walkers or a solitary house that seems almost glued to the rocks. The contrast is striking: just an hour ago, the train was travelling through snow above the tree line; now it’s passing through a winter landscape that already looks a little milder.

Slowly, the valley opens up and Chur, Switzerland’s oldest town, comes into view. The train glides into the station with clockwork precision. Outside, the streets are still glistening with the snow that fell earlier that morning. For some passengers, the journey ends here — for others, it is a brief stopover on the way to St. Moritz and perhaps the most beautiful part of the route.

Albula Line: UNESCO World Heritage Site

An hour’s leisurely chug along after Chur brings you to what is perhaps the route’s most famous ‘structure’, the 65-metre-high Landwasser Viaduct. This remarkable feat of engineering, situated between two tunnels high above the deep Landwasser Gorge, is a landmark of the Rhaetian Railway. It’s hard to believe that it was built between 1901 and 1902 without scaffolding and using just two cranes. For the best view, head to the rear of the train and take a seat on the right-hand side (travelling towards St. Moritz).

Between Bergün and St. Moritz, the Glacier Express follows the famous Albula Line – an engineering masterpiece that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. On this stretch, the train winds its way through countless tunnels, over high viaducts and spiral bends that bridge the differences in altitude in the valley. Completed in 1903, the line connects Thusis with St. Moritz and is regarded as one of the most beautiful and ingeniously engineered railway routes in the world; it is one of the highlights before you arrive at St. Moritz station after a journey of almost 8 hours.

Culinary highlights

The Glacier Express is also a journey to be savoured from a culinary perspective. As the train glides slowly through the wintry mountain landscape, a three-course dinner is served at your seat that looks as though it has come straight from a Swiss mountain restaurant. From a Käseplatte and Bündner Gerstensuppe to tender beef with seasonal vegetables — everything is prepared on the spot in the train’s compact kitchen. No fast food, but ‘slow food’, and plenty of time to savour your meal. View the menu online.

Travel more affordably on the Glacier Express

Travelling in the early or late season has many advantages. Not only are accommodation prices lower, but the trains are also noticeably quieter, allowing you to enjoy the views even more.

Single tickets are quite expensive. The basic fare for a full journey from Zermatt to St. Moritz is CHF 159 in 2nd class and CHF 272 in 1st class. On top of this, there is a compulsory seat reservation fee of CHF 54 in both 2nd and 1st class. Check the Glacier Express website for all prices.

However, if you plan carefully, you can save a lot of money. You can buy a Spartageskarte valid throughout Switzerland (from CHF 52 for 2nd class and CHF 88 for 1st class) and use it to travel by train throughout Switzerland for a whole day, including on the Glacier Express. These passes are available from 6 months before departure. The compulsory seat reservation fee of CHF 54 is charged on top of this. Interrail Passes and Swiss Travel Passes are also valid on the Glacier Express and may be the most cost-effective option. In all cases, the CHF 54 seat reservation fee is compulsory.

Children travel free
Children travel free of charge. For the Interrail Pass, this applies to children up to and including 11 years of age; for the Swiss Travel Pass, to children up to and including 15 years of age. Naturally, a seat reservation is also compulsory for children.

Travelling without a seat reservation
Regular regional trains operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Rhätische Bahn also run every hour along exactly the same route from Zermatt to St. Moritz. No seat reservation is required for these, and you’ll need to change trains a few extra times. The advantage of this is that it’s naturally easier to make stops along the way. These regional trains do not have an on-board restaurant, but the breathtaking scenery is, of course, the same. Check the timetable at sbb.ch.

Information and tickets: glacierexpress.ch