Glacier Express, Zermatt day trip from Interlaken
A traveler plans to stay near Interlaken for about 5 days with a 6-day Swiss Travel Pass. They want to take a day trip to Zermatt and ride part of the Glacier Express but need advice on realistic travel options for returning the same day. Suggestions focus on scenic alternatives due to train schedules.
- Consider taking the Regio Lötschberger train to Brig and then the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to Zermatt for a scenic journey.
- Check the train timetable for the earliest connections to maximize your time in Zermatt.
- If you want to experience part of the Glacier Express, plan a round trip instead of including Zermatt in your itinerary.
AI-generated summary-
We will be based near Interlaken for about 5 days with a 6-day Swiss Travel Pass. We are thinking to take a day trip to Zermatt and do part of the Glacier Express and then return to Interlaken in the evening. What is a realistic destination along the route with return in the same day?
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Hi mjwiggy,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
A day to trip to Zermatt from Interlaken is doable but it might not be possible to combine it with the Glacier Express due to incompatible timing. There are two Glacier Express services per day from Brig to Zermatt and both run in the late afternoon so neither will fit your itinerary. As an alternative, if you’d like to travel on a scenic train, you can travel via the Regio Lotschberger to Brig (abt 2 hrs), then from Brig take the Mattehorn Gotthard Bahn to Zermatt (1 hr 20 mins). If you catch the earliest connection, you could be in Zermatt before lunch time and that will give you enough time to explore this lovely village and do a mountain excursion. Please use the timetable to check train schedules and find suitable connection.
Regards,
Anna
Hi mjwiggy,
I fully agree with Anna that the RegioExpress Lötschberger (https://www.myswissalps.com/lotschberger) would be a perfect alternative! If you leave early and don’t mind returning in the late afternoon or early evening, you can explore Zermatt and make a mountain ride there (https://www.myswissalps.com/zermatt/activities).
If you do want to experience part of the Glacier Express ride, I would advise to drop Zermatt and make the round trip as described under “Don’t have time to do the full route?” at http://www.myswissalps.com/glacierexpress.
You can check traveling times for each of your plans here: https://www.myswissalps.com/timetable. That can help you to find out what’s doable within one day and what you’re comfortable with.
I have been travelling in Switzerland for 60 years. My guidance on the Glacier Express can be found in this thread:
http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/glacier-express-mythbuster
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