Has anyone taken the Glacier Express replacement bus?
A traveler is planning to ride the Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt but is unsure about the replacement bus service and its impact on the journey. They want to know if the bus ride is worth it and what time the train arrives in Zermatt. Getting advice on this topic would help them with their trip.
- The trip from Chur to Brig is very scenic, especially the stretch between Reichenau-Tamins and Ilanz, making it worth it despite the bus services.
- Consider the Swiss Travel Pass for easy access to public transport, including buses, which run efficiently and connect well with trains.
- Planning extra days in Zermatt is smart, especially to enjoy views of the Matterhorn and explore the town.
AI-generated summary-
Has anyone done the Glacier express replacement bus? Got an email about it. Was planning to ride from Chur to Zurmatt. Not sure if it’s worth it. Also what time does the train get into Zurmatt? Is it delayed because of the buses? Thanks!
-
I cannot answer your question, but I would suggest that it might be a good idea to limit your trip to Chur-BRIG. But that might depend on where you have booked your accommodation.
is the trip from Chur to Brig worth it? Still quite scenic!?
Very definitely YES it is worth it. The Chur to Brig section is very scenic. That is especially true of the ‘Grand Canyon of Switzerland’ between Reichenau-Tamins and Ilanz and the steep descent from the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt. In contrast to the rest of the trip, the stretch between Oberwald and Niederwald is through a long almost straight valley flanked by high mountains and dotted with attracttive villages.
Is there any information on when the Glacier Express will resume the full route between Zermatt and St. Moritz? Thanks.
When are you travelling on the Glacier Express ( https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/glacier-express/)? We are booked for 1st October, from St. Moritz to Zermatt in Excellence Class.
I emailed them and as it states on their website, the buses will be until mid-August at the earliest. They did say that they expected to be fixed by early September, unless of course there is another storm.
I am also unsure what to do if it isn’t fixed as I hate buses and never, ever travel with them. Having said that, it is such a small part of a long train journey, that I’ll probably just put up with it.
Thanks for the message. We are not travelling until early December so we should be OK.
In reply to DebH and others worried about the buses to Tasch (for Zermatt), might I suggest that you end your journey at Brig (or Visp if coming form western or central Switzerland)
Then, instead of going to Zermatt go to Saas Fee.
Go to the recent thread entitled ‘Swiss Travel Pass, mountain excursions from Basel with no walking‘ Ignore all the earlier contributions, including that from me, and go straight to Alpenrose’s extremely comprehensive reply 9 where she/he talks about Saas Fee.
Now speaking more generally, just as transport in the Netherlands is ‘Not Just Bikes’, so public transport in Switzerland is ‘Not Just Trains’. Switzerland has lots and lots of buses, of all sorts of shapes and sizes. They are run with the same super efficency as the trains. The rural buses are almost always timed to connect with the trains. If you want to experience a spectacular but easy to reach Swiss bus ride, then I recommend Swiss Post bus (Valais region) route 511 which runs twice an hour Brig-Visp-Zermatt. It will (of course) be on the Swiss electronic timetable.
Roger, thanks so much for your reply, but we are committed to visiting Zermatt, I particularly want to see the Matterhorn. I do realise weather might prevent that, but that’s why we are staying three nights.
Plus I already have reservations at a hotel I am particularly interested in staying at, and also a restaurant reservation or two. Zermatt seems like one of the most interesting towns in Switzerland, so I will suck up my bus dislike in order to visit it.
Hi orrelse,
If your scroll to “Other websites of interest” in the link below, you will find the official Glacier Express website. Here you can find updates on the traffic information situation:
DebH, I like your positive attitude 🙂
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Once again, thanks so much Yolanda. I have already read that page, and navigated to the Glacier Express website.
This is our 40th anniversary, and I am so lucky, that I really have no choice but to be positive.
Nothing will ruin this trip for us (I hope!).
- The thread ‘Has anyone taken the Glacier Express replacement bus?’ is closed to new replies.
