How to see all of Switzerland by train in 14 days

You’ve got to hand it to the Swiss: they have perfected rail travel like nowhere else on earth. I’ve traveled all over Switzerland for the past two decades and have barely ever set foot in a car. Almost every inch of this gorgeous little land can be unzipped by public transport – from little red trains corkscrewing from valley to summit to cable cars winging up to glacier level and super-fast services tearing through the icy core of the Alps at the speed of light.

For centuries, the Swiss have done a fine job of harnessing the wilds, with ravine-spanning bridges, viaducts, loop tunnels and other ingenious engineering feats. Today they do so with impeccable eco credentials, with the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) network 100% powered by renewable energy sources.

The 1280km (795-mile) Grand Train Tour of Switzerland knits together the country’s most beautiful tracks. Settle into your carriage and prepare to be bombarded by heart-racing natural beauty, cultured cities, castle-crowned towns, vines, lakes and a parade of glacier-frosted mountains. To save legwork, I’ve cherry-picked my favorite stops, but feel free to hop on and off as you please.

Trip length: 14 days; 880km (547 miles)

When to arrive and where to end: Running north to south and taking much of Switzerland in stride, this itinerary on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland starts in Schaffhausen in the north and ends in either Tirano in the south, with onward trains to transport hub Milan (3 hours), or Chur further north, with regular trains to Zürich (1 hour 15 minutes).

What passes to buy: The entire Grand Train Tour route is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, which offers unlimited access to trains as well as boats and buses on the route. Children younger than 16 travel free of charge with the Swiss Family Card. A 15-day pass costs 499 Swiss francs (Chf499).

How to book: Train bookings can be made swiftly and easily through the SBB website, where you’ll also find timetables and route details. Seat reservations are obligatory for panoramic carriages on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. Be sure to download the app as a companion to your trip to ensure you don't miss any highlights along the way.

What’s it like on board the train? Trains are very comfortable and nearly always scenic. There are first and second class tickets available depending on your budget and comfort needs. All of the trains have either a bistro service with snacks and drinks or a dining car with full service.

Things to know: Logistically, the tour is a breeze as Swiss trains are swift, efficient and run like clockwork. You can pick up a Grand Train Tour of Switzerland booklet and get stamps in each of the stops along the way.

What to pack: Bring smart casual layers. For walks between rides, you'll need outdoor gear and a pair of solid boots.  A lightweight backpack makes it easier to get on and off trains.

Stop 1: Schaffhausen-Rhine Falls

Vibes: Medieval fort and mighty falls

Do: Wedged into the country’s northeast, Schaffhausen deserves to be better feted.  Kick off the Grand Train Tour by diving deep into the alley-woven old town, where you can eye 171 ornate Erker (oriel windows), trot up through vineyards to circular 16th-century fortress, Munot, and absorb the peace of the cloisters at the Romanesque Münster.

A speedy few minutes’ detour by train brings you to Neuhausen am Rheinfall and the booming Rheinfall, Europe’s largest plain waterfall. Get close to the rainbow-kissed spray by hooking onto the trail from medieval Schloss Laufen to Känzeli viewpoint, or hop on a boat to Mittelfelsen rock, jutting above the falls, for riveting 360-degree views. Poets Byron and Goethe were fans.

Eat: In the heart of the Altstadt, art-nouveau tea room Café Vordergasse has a flowery terrace for salads, quiches, cakes and homemade lemonade. Special treat? Book a table at D'Chuchi for season-spun regional flavors in intimate, softly lit surrounds. At the Rheinfall, Schlössli Wörth serves Swiss dishes and local Pinot wines with front-row views of the falls.

Stay: Stay overnight at Seldas, a graceful villa full of period charm and antique furnishings. Closer to the Altstadt buzz is Kronenhof Schaffhausen, delivering contemporary design and views of the Munot. Centrally located Rüden Schaffhausen offers the convinience of staying in Old Town.

The ride (46km, 30 minutes): It’s a 30-minute train ride through rolling green countryside to Zürich.  

Stop 2: Zurich

Vibes: Urban buzz and cutting-edge culture  

Do: Hugging the shores of its true-blue namesake lake and peering up to the hazy outline of the Alps, Zürich is a looker. Your second Grand Train Tour stop takes you to the country’s financial hub which sizzles with an on-the-pulse cultural scene and headline festivals from Pride to the summer Street Parade. Get your booklet stamped and begin with a romp around the Altstadt, where you’ll be drawn to the medieval Fraumünster, dazzling with a rainbow of Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti stained glass. Big-hitters include the Landesmuseum, gallivanting through Swiss history in everything from folk costumes to carved sleds, and the Kunsthaus winging you from Old Masters to Impressionist wonders.

For a shot of cool, slide over to post-industrial Zürich-West where factories have been reborn as studios, shops and bars, and high-rises are splashed with edgy street art. In summer, Zürich locals hit the water, with retro Badis (lidos) popping up along the Limmat River and lake for refreshing dips, yoga and sunset cocktails. Seebad Utoquai is a cracking vintage pick.

Eat: For a lazy brunch or coffee and cake, pop into Babu’s bakery. Big on old-school Swiss charm, the vaulted beer hall Zeughauskeller whips up hearty classics from sausages to rösti (a Swiss potato dish). Drinks? Head to Joyce’s old stomping ground, art nouveau Café Odeon, or swoon for the skyline views over cocktails at Clouds.

Stay: Devote two days to Zürich. Lodged in an art-nouveau townhouse, eco-conscious Alma is right near the lake and lido.  Or push the boat out with a night at the ultra-stylish, five-star Widder Hotel, fusing medieval charm with modern luxury in nine townhouses.

The ride (57km, 60 minutes): These are the moments the Grand Train Tour is really worth it. Take the Luzern-Interlaken Express and you'll be glued to the train window on the ride south to Lucerne, as glittering Lake Zürich gives way to gently rolling hills and Lake Zug. The Alps pucker up on the horizon as you glide into Lucerne.   

Stop 3: Lucerne

Vibes: Myths, mountains and culture

Do: With its backdrop of ragged mountains and boats chugging across its namesake lake’s turquoise waters, Grand Train Tour stop number three, Lucerne is an instant heart-stealer. (Don't forget to get your booklet stamped.) The Altstadt is first up for a wander, with a maze of lanes, covered bridges, pastel-painted houses and café-rimmed plazas. This remarkable little city is famous for its spring-summer classical music Lucerne Festival held in Jean Nouvel’s postmodern KKL cultural center. Other unmissables include the Kapellbrücke, a 14th-century covered bridge across the Reuss River, festooned with historic murals, and the Sammlung Rosengart, showcasing a beautifully curated collection of Picasso works, as well as paintings and sketches by Swiss-born Paul Klee.

Don’t rush off: linger an extra day to explore the lake. Board a paddle steamer to breeze across fjord-like Lake Uri to glimpse Rütli Meadow, hallowed birthplace of the Swiss Confederation in 1291, and the Tellskapelle, a tiny, frescoed chapel of apple-shooting William Tell lore. Or enjoy soul-soaring views from the 1798m peak of Mt Rigi, where Turner obsessively painted the lake in its ever-changing moods in 1842. Since 1889, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway has rattled up to 2128m-high Mt Pilatus, said to be haunted by the restless ghost of Roman prefect Pontius Pilate.

Eat: For a city of such petite proportions, Lucerne’s food scene is outstanding, with many restaurants crowned by Michelin stars, including the two-star Colonnade, riffing creatively on French cuisine by the lake. For punchy plant-based flavors on a riverside terrace, try Karls Kraut and for homemade sodas, brunch and Swiss tasting platters there’s Mill’Feuille.

Stay: A step south of the Alstadt, The Bed & Breakfast blends original features with minimalist chic in a shuttered villa with gardens. In a historic frescoed building overlooking the Reuss River, Hotel des Balances is a class act, with a superb restaurant and terrace over the river. Book two nights.

The ride (52km, 1 hour 30 minutes): The Luzern-Interlaken Express speeds south to the Jungfrau Region, which is the Swiss Alps with the volume turned up with its startlingly blue lakes and glacier-encrusted peaks that get ever higher as you approach Brienz.

Stop 4: Brienz

Vibes: Folk art and Alpine views

Do: Perched on the shores of its turquoise namesake lake, Brienz is often missed on the mad dash to the nearby Alpine hub of Interlaken. But those who don’t stop here are frankly missing a trick on the Grand Train Tour. Why? Just look around you: mountains rise sheer and rugged to the snow-polished peaks of the Alps, timber chalets clinging to their slopes. The Schweizer Holzbildhauerei Museum spills the beans on centuries-old wood-carving traditions – from music boxes to figurines and toys. Watch sculptors at work or give it a try yourself at one of the museum’s workshops. With its dark-timber chalets and flower boxes of billowing geraniums, crazily pretty Brunngasse is pure fairytale stuff.

On your second day, take a retro ride on the staggeringly scenic Brienz Rothorn Bahn. The steam-powered cogwheel train chugs up to 2350m Rothorn for hikes with broad views across Lake Brienz to a lineup of 4000m peaks. Or jump on a quick ferry to the Giessbachfälle falls, nosediving 500m over 14 rocky ridges. Europe’s oldest funicular, dating to 1879, creaks to the top.

Eat: For good old-fashioned Swiss grub like schnitzel in creamy mushroom sauce and lake pike-perch fillet, head to rustic charmer Steinbock. Up near the Giessbachfälle, Restaurant Bramisegg is a woodsy mountain hut with knockout views and dishes like Älplerrösti (fried potatoes topped with cheese and fried egg).

Stay: Two days is ideal. Above the lake, B&B Brienz offers simple digs in cute Alpine chalets. Or cross the lake and hop on the funicular to Grand Hotel Giessbach, a prettily perched belle époque beauty.

The ride (152km, 3 hours 30 minutes): It’s time to blaze west to Montreux in French-speaking Switzerland, carving a path through the Alps on the Golden Pass Express. Book a prestige class ticket which has elevated seats to get the full view while on the ride. Break up your Grand Train Tour, if you can, with stops in vine-strewn, castle-topped Spiez at the foot of the pyramid-shaped Niesen.

Stop 5: Montreux  

Vibes: Castles & vines

Do: Montreux for your Grand Train Tour stop number five, is a belle-époque beauty, with a flowery, palm-lined promenade for uplifting strolls. Get your booklet stamped and enjoy views that ripple across Lake Geneva to the snow-tipped peaks of the French Alps. The town has inspired writers and artists since the 19th century – Lord Byron and the Shelleys included. And its legendary jazz festival, celebrating its 60th in 2026, has welcomed music royalty like Ella Fitzgerald, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury to the stage. Tour the studio where Queen once rocked and recorded.

On your second day, make for Château de Chillon, a medieval fantasy castle ripe for a Disney movie with its riot of turrets and towers. Its free of charge with the Swiss Travel Pass. Lord Byron immortalized the castle in his 1816 poem The Prisoner of Chillon. Or make a 20-minute train hop west to Cully to ramble among the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyards and taste Chasselas white wines at caveaux (cellars). For gasp-worthy views, board the cogwheel train up to 2042m Rochers de Naye for a panorama reaching from Eiger to Mont Blanc. Tickets are 50 percent off with the Swiss Travel Pass.

Eat: Head to romantic auberge Le Contretemps for lake-caught perch fillets. The gastro showstopper is chic, lake-facing Maison Décotterd, with a bistro playing up creative brasserie classics and much-feted Michelin-starred Stéphane Décotterd. Sunsets over the Alps here are something else.

Stay: For a minimalist-cool pad by the lake, check into Hôtel La Rouvenaz with a terrace by the water’s edge and an Italian restaurant. More luxurious still is lakeside La Villa, an elegant boutique hotel with a Mediterranean restaurant to boot.

The ride (148km, 2 hours 30 minutes): The onward ride on the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway to Zermatt on the Grand Train Tour is entrancing as rocky slopes and château-dotted vines give way to rushing rivers and the skyscraping peaks of the Valais Alps. Changing trains in Visp, there is a scenic drumroll as you approach Zermatt, with the great 4478m fang of Matterhorn on the horizon.

Stop 6: Zermatt  

Vibes: Sky-high views and glaciers

Do: Glimpsing the perfect pyramid of Matterhorn, that hypnotic peak towering above Zermatt, is a moment you’ll never forget on your Grand Train Tour of Switzerland. Don't forget to get your booklet stamped. Zermatt steps from dark-timber chalets to ritzy grand hotels without missing a beat. But – let’s face it – you’re here for the Alps. Whether hiking on glacier-facing trails where cowbells chime, biking giddy heights or whizzing down some of Switzerland’s finest slopes, embrace the outdoors.

Top billing goes to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, where a cable car floats up to an ear-popping 3883m for eye-level views of 14 glaciers and 38 mountain peaks over 4000m, and summer skiing on the Theodul Glacier. Or take an early morning ride on the cogwheel Gornergrat Railway for pop-up Matterhorn views reflected in the lake in the soft pastels of sunrise. Entry for both of these is 50 percent off with a Swiss Travel Pass. For the inside scoop on Alpine heritage and mountaineering legends, visit the Matterhorn Museum.

Eat: With an Alpine vibe as warm as a hug, woody Chez Vrony serves meat and cheese from cows grazing its pastures. Try the legendary house burger on the terrace facing Matterhorn. In town, find picnic fixings at Fuchs bakery, or book a date-night dinner at chandelier-lit Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni, shining with a Michelin star.

Stay: Log an overnight at sweet and simple Hotel Plateau Rosa, with knockout Matterhorn views. Or wave the crowds goodbye to enjoy the silence, staggering mountain views and starry night skies at 3100m Kulmhotel Gornergrat, Switzerland’s highest hotel.

The ride: (291km, 7 hours 45 minutes) Get ready for the big one: the Glacier Express, right up there with the world’s most beautiful train journeys. Book a panoramic window seat to watch the scenery unfold in glorious slow motion on the ride to St Moritz, as the train ducks into 91 tunnels and vaults over 291 bridges, with views of turquoise rivers, flower-freckled meadows and glaciers. Expect highs like the gravity-defying, six-arched Landwasser Viaduct and the windswept wilds of the 2033m-high Oberalp Pass. The train runs year-round (barring six weeks from mid-October early December).

Stop 7: St Moritz

Vibes: Lakes and mountains galore

Do: Ever since the first British skiers rocked up in 1864, the glitzy resort of St Moritz in Switzerland’s Upper Engadin, perched at a lofty 1822m on the shores of a teal-blue lake, has been the cradle of Alpine tourism and a great stamp in your Grand Tour Booklet. Peeking up to the Albula and Bernina ranges, the resort is the springboard to some of the wildest corners of the Swiss Alps.

On your final leg of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, you’ll be itching to head up into the heights. The 2486m peak of Corviglia thrills with hiking, downhill biking and skiing. Or dust off your boots to hike from lake to jewel-like mountain lake on the 6km circular Furtschellas Water Trail below 3451m Piz Corvatsch.

Eat: With its classic Alpine looks, wood-panelled Restaurant Engiadina delivers old-school Swiss faves like gooey fondue and Italian-inspired dishes like pasta with wild-boar ragout. To round your time out with a culinary bang, book a table at two Michelin-starred Ecco St Moritz, where chef Rolf Fliegauf creates edible art.

Sleep: Surrounded by forests, meadows and mountain, pretty art-nouveau chalet Hotel Chesa Spuondas has a pinch of the Heidi dream. On the lake, poshly turreted Badrutt's Palace is five-star all the way, with palatial suites, fine dining and a spa.

The ride: (St Moritz-Chur 85km, 2 hours; St Moritz-Tirano 56km, 2 hours 30 minutes) St Moritz is the half-way point on Switzerland’s UNESCO World Heritage Bernina Line, which you can choose to either take north to Chur or south to Tirano in Italy. Either way, it’s a spectacular ride. Heading north you get to see the gorge-leaping Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur, while travelling south you’ll be floored by the 180-degree Montebello curve, with the Morteratsch Glacier glinting above, and the 360-degree Brusio Spiral Viaduct.

Plan your Switzerland holiday with the Swiss travel experts and turn your dream journey through Switzerland’s breathtaking landscapes into reality – book your Grand Train Tour of Switzerland today.