Hopping on/off Glacier and Bernina Express trains
A traveler is planning a 2-day trip on the Glacier Express in mid-winter, with a stop at Fiesch to visit the Aletsch glacier. They are unsure if Fiesch is a stop on the Glacier Express and are looking for alternative ways to get there, while also wanting accommodation suggestions for their honeymoon trip, including a day on the Bernina Express.
- Fiesch is only 21 minutes from Brig, so consider getting off there instead of on the Glacier Express.
- It's often better to use regular trains for flexibility and to truly experience the views, as panoramic trains can restrict stopping.
- Be sure to check the timetable for the Bernina and Glacier Express routes, as local trains may serve your needs better.
- For accommodations, Brig is a practical and convenient option for your overnight stays.
AI-generated summary-
Hi!
1) We are planning to separate the Glacier Express into a 2-days trip in Mid Winter 2018, adding a stop at Fiesch for Aletsch glacier and spend a night there. I have seen maps with Fiesch being one of the stops for Glacier Express, but when I check the timetable for Glacier Express Winter 2018 (http://www.glacierexpress.ch/ en/travel-planning/timetables/) , Fiesch is not a stop. If not, any suggestions on how to go to Fiesch , i.e. get off at Andermatt or Brig and take the SBB train? or would you not recommend it at all? instead, take a day trip from Interlaken?
2) Before the Glacier Express, we are going to spend a day hopping on and off the Bernina Express ( we will travel from Zurich in the early morning) . Any suggestions on which town for accommodation if we want to do the Glacier Express the next 2 days??
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Hello Sandra an Welcome to MySwissAlps,
if you plan to hop off and hop on trains on either of these routes then you are better off taking regular trains rather than the Glacier or Bernina Express trains which both require you to buy seat reservations for each leg of your journey.
Fiesch is only 21 minutes from Brig.
The ‘panoramic’ trains – especially Glacier (GEX) and Bernina Express – are best suited to those with limited time who feel they ‘must’ do a certain route. They are often filled with groups on organised tours, not stopping at any intermediate points. I’ve often seen passengers on GEX fast asleep when the train passes the most spectacular scenery, presumably because their group itinerary is whistle stop!
With your plan, you won’t need to use a panoramic trains as you can get off and see the view ‘properly’ from off the train!
Being on a ‘special’ train hardly matters anyway as most modern Swiss trains have large windows, even if not officially panoramic. The key element of a ‘panoramic’ coach is ‘toplight’ windows above your head but in practice very few of the major views from panoramic trains are directly above your head, so the view through the normal trains windows on Swiss trains is perfectly fine.
I recommend sticking to the normal trains and travelling around like locals.
Thank you rockOyster and 1960man! We are both in our late 20s travelling for our honeymoon this Christmas, and are pretty adventurous and want to avoid the big tour group!
Here’s our schedule, can you recommend some places to hop on and off for exploring and staying overnight?
day 1: along Bernina Express from Zurich ( early morning)
day 2 & 3: along GEX, go to Fiesch for Aletsch glacier at some point
day 3: arrive at Zermatt in the evening
Thank you !!
Hi Sandradradra,
You might find the route details for the Bernina and Glacier Express useful (the regular trains follow the same route): http://www.myswissalps.com/be rninaexpress/gettingth ere // http://www.myswissalps.com/gl acierexpress/gettingth ere
Where are you staying overnight on day 1? Zurich to Tirano via Chur (end of Bernina Express route) is about 6 hours: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable so how far back you want to go is up to you. St. Moritz is a special, albeit expensive place to overnight – but it is a Honeymoon! 🙂 http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz
On your trip on the Glacier Express, Brig might be the most convenient overnight: http://www.myswissalps.com/br ig
Hi Sandradradra,
For your glacier visit you can take a look at http://www.myswissalps.com/be ttmerhorn and http://www.myswissalps.com/eg gishorn.
You really need to avoid thinking about ‘Bernina Express’ (BEX) and Glacier Express (GEX) as ‘routes’. They are just trains that run on a railway which has many other standard local trains. And they are not really ‘Express’ either as they don’t (ie can’t for technical reasons) run that much faster than the ‘ordinary’ aka regional aka local trains
The network on which the Bernina Express and Glacier Express trans run is the metre gauge railway network formed by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (comprising Brig – Zermatt, and Brig – Fiesch – Andermatt – Oberalppass – Disentis) and the Rhätische Bahn (RhB) which covers the whole of the southeastern canton of Graubünden.
Just to clarify my earlier point, you do not have to travel on the Bernina Express, any local/regional train is free to board in Graubünden if you have the right valid pass. If you are accessing hiking opportunities, local trains are better, the Bernina Express (and Glacier Express) are aimed at tourists travelling the whole way on the train and looking at the views rather than hopping up and down between hikes.
Also it is not clear if you are thinking the Bernina Express is all the way from Zurich or Chur to Tirano.
It is important to understand the difference between the ‘Bernina Express’ and the ‘Bernina Railway’. The Bernina Railway is the (originally independent) railway line from St Moritz to Tirano – it became part of the RhB in 1943. It has regular ‘normal’ train services.
The Bernina Express runs through once a day from Chur, but the line from Chur as far as Samedan/Pontresina/St Moritz is the Albula railway not the Bernina railway. The Albula railway is also superb as a jumping off point for hikes. I did lots this August just gone.
You will see from this PDF
http://www.fahrplanfelder.ch/ fileadmin/fap_pdf_fiel ds/2019/940.pdf
that there are regular hourly trains Chur – St Moritz
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