Known for its stunning scenery, cozy mountain villages and efficient train network, Switzerland is the ideal destination for a train holiday. Whether you are looking for adventure in the Alps, relaxing on the banks of a mountain lake, or simply want to enjoy the beautiful view. Thanks to the TV program “Thinking of Switzerland”, interest in spending a holiday in Switzerland is growing.
Traveling by train to Switzerland
From the Netherlands there is a direct train to Switzerland twice a day. This concerns the ICE Amsterdam – Basel train and the night train Amsterdam – Zurich. ICE Amsterdam – Basel will be canceled as of 15 July 2024. But even without a direct ICE service, there are excellent options for going on holiday to Switzerland by train.
Don’t you want to arrange all the train tickets and good hotels at the stations yourself? Then you can also arrange your train trip to Switzerland via Treinrondreis.nl. This is part of Treinreizen.nl. Many sightseeing tours are offered through Treinrondreis. Our favorite: The Grand Panorama Tour.
The most beautiful train trips in Switzerland
You can take many beautiful train trips in Switzerland. We previously listed the 15 most beautiful train trips in Switzerland. Treinreizen.nl’s favorite is the Bernina Express, which connects Chur with Tirano. You can do this in the panoramic cars, but also on the regional train. Many people tend to choose panoramic rickshaws. This is of course very nice too. But the beauty of a train journey cannot be appreciated in a regular train. Here the windows can be opened more often, so you can take nicer photos and it’s generally quieter, so you can always choose the side with the best view. Another advantage: you can save up to approximately €40 on booking costs per person.
The Glacier Express, the slowest express train in the world, is also famous. This train connects Zermatt via Brig and Andermatt with Chur and St. Moritz. The demand for this train is huge. The train runs up to 4 times a day, but as a rule, all trains are fully booked long before departure. Also here, in addition to the panoramic train, you can choose the regional train. However, you will then have to transfer several times. See our article: Glacier Express vs. Regional Train.
Other popular scenic train rides are the Gotthard Panorama Express and the new direct GoldenPass Express.
Switzerland vacation, where to stay?
If you go to Switzerland, Zermatt is not to be missed. As a car-free mountain village, Zermatt represents tranquility in itself. The village is located at the foot of the famous Matterhorn, which is also considered a symbol of Switzerland. From Zermatt you can also take a trip via the Gornergratbahn, which ends at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres. From here you can also enjoy beautiful views of the Matterhorn. It’s best to arrange train tickets to Gornergrat locally, so you know which day the weather is best. Train tickets cannot be sold. However, you may have to wait when it is busy.
Lugano is also a city located in a wonderful region (Ticino). Many people think that Lugano is Italy, which is not surprising, because Italian is the main language. The city is located on a lake of the same name, and you can say that Swiss precision and Italian flair come together here. Thanks to the Ticino Pass, you can also easily visit Bellinzona and Locarno during your stay in Lugano. In Bellinzona, for example, you can visit three well-preserved medieval castles classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.
Interlaken is also a good city to visit. The city itself is not very special. But from here you can easily reach Jungfraujoch, which is the highest train station in Europe and has great views. You can also take a beautiful boat trip from Interlaken to Thun, which is a beautiful historical city. You can also travel from Thun to Bern, although visiting both cities in one day can be intense. From Interlaken, you can also take a train trip with the GoldenPass Express.
Tips for a train holiday in Switzerland
Switzerland is an expensive country. Also the Swiss franc exchange rate is not suitable for us Dutch. Nowadays you get less than one franc for one euro. Lucerne and Geneva are also beautiful cities worth visiting, but hotels in the center are often more expensive than average. Andermatt is often very expensive. Accommodation in Graubünden, like Bergün, is often much cheaper. Other cities where accommodation is relatively affordable are Chur, Basel and Bellinzona. However, Switzerland remains an expensive country.
To keep your train holiday in Switzerland fun, it is best not to travel far to Switzerland from the Netherlands on the first day. Basel, Interlaken and Chur are excellent destinations that you can also reach in case of delays along the way. Because: Let’s be honest, how punctual are Swiss trains, and how often German trains are late. If there is a delay, it will be annoying if you have to go to Zermatt, or towards Bergün or St. Moritz.
From Treinreizen.nl we would of course recommend everyone to arrange a train trip to Switzerland via Treinrondreis, but this is of course in your own interest as well.
This post was last edited on December 3, 2023, at 12:57 pm
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