Alpine Passages
Through the heart of Europe's highest mountains by rail
Through the heart of Europe's highest mountains by rail
This is train travel at its most spectacular. The Alpine Passages route follows Switzerland and Austria's mountain railways—engineering marvels that climb impossible gradients, cross glacial valleys, and reveal landscapes that have drawn travelers for centuries.
From Zurich through the Bernese Oberland to St. Moritz, then onward to Innsbruck and across the Arlberg Pass, this journey threads through some of Europe's most dramatic terrain. The Glacier Express, Bernina Express, and lesser-known mountain lines become your moving observation platform.
You'll ride trains that climb using rack-and-pinion systems, cross soaring viaducts, and spiral through mountain tunnels. Each curve reveals new perspectives: glaciers calving in slow motion, Alpine meadows impossibly green against grey stone, villages that seem carved from the mountainside itself.
This route operates year-round, but transforms with the seasons. Summer brings flower-covered slopes and hiking opportunities. Autumn offers harvest festivals and golden larch forests. Winter becomes a study in white and grey, with occasional glimpses of skiers on distant slopes. Each season reveals a different Alps.
Arrive in Zurich by early afternoon. Transfer to your hotel near the Hauptbahnhof. Orientation walk through the old town, evening meal along the Limmat River. Rest before the journey begins in earnest.
Morning departure via Lucerne. Brief stop to see the Chapel Bridge and lakefront before continuing through the Golden Pass route to Interlaken. Afternoon arrival leaves time to explore between the two lakes, with the Jungfrau massif looming above.
Early morning journey on the Jungfrau Railway to Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 meters. The cog railway climbs through Kleine Scheidegg with views of the Eiger North Face. Return to Interlaken for a quiet evening.
Southbound through the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, emerging in the Rhône Valley. Change in Visp for the narrow-gauge line up to Zermatt. This car-free village sits in the shadow of the Matterhorn. Three-night stay begins.
Two full days without scheduled trains. Optional Gornergrat Railway to view Monte Rosa glaciers, village wandering, or simply sitting in cafes watching climbers and skiers return from the heights. This is rest built into rhythm.
The legendary journey: eight hours in panoramic cars crossing 291 bridges and 91 tunnels. Oberalp Pass at 2,033 meters, the Rhine Gorge, Landwasser Viaduct. Lunch served at your seat as the Alps unfold outside. Evening arrival in St. Moritz.
Day trip over the Bernina Pass into Italy. The line climbs without rack assistance, spiraling through loops and crossing the Landwasser Viaduct. Descend to palm trees and cappuccino in Tirano, then return to St. Moritz.
Cross into Austria via the Arlberg railway. Through Landeck and into the Inn Valley, with Innsbruck waiting beneath the Nordkette mountains. Evening in the historic Habsburg quarter, with the Golden Roof glinting in streetlight.
Morning at leisure for final Alpine views. Depart by rail to Munich, Vienna, or Zurich for onward connections. The mountains recede gradually as you descend.
This route operates year-round with departures every two weeks. Custom itineraries and extensions available.
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