[Anonymous]

8 December 2019 at 16:01:49 #824623

Hi,

I’m planning to be in St Moritz on last week January 2020 and would like to experience Glacier Express but i’m Going to Zurich not Zermatt. Can I take Glacier Express to Chur then take local train to Zurich? Is it easy to change train in Chur or which other route goes to Zurich?

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[User]

Reply 1 of 10 • 8 December 2019 at 16:22:01 #926219

Hello Lynn8311,

Welcome to MySwissAlps!

You may get off the Glacier Express in Chur and switch over to the regular trains to get to Zurich. Yes, it is easy to change trains in Chur. I will attach the train time table schedule for your reference:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable

Here are some links about Zurich: http://www.myswissalps.com/zurich and St.Moritz: http://www.myswissalps.com/stmoritz

Best regards,

Suzanne

[User]

Reply 2 of 10 • 8 December 2019 at 20:02:16 #926220

Consider the possibility of also doing the bernina express I just did it and it was fantastic

[rockoyster]

Reply 3 of 10 • 8 December 2019 at 21:14:45 #926221

There is no point taking the Glacier Express from St Moritz to Chur. Local regular trains are perfectly OK for that relatively short trip. The scenery is the same and you avoid the seat reservation fees on the GEX.

If you want to experience a decent amount if the GEX route consider St Moritz to Zurich via Andermatt and Göschenen. At least then you get to experience the Rhine Gorge and the Oberalp Pass.

I recommend using the SBB Mobile app (bit.ly/2ICIUHi) for checking train, bus, boat and cable way timetables, finding fares* and buying tickets on-line if required. In the unlikely event you don’t have a device capable of running the app then you can use the timetable on the SBB website (bit.ly/2HH1U7B).

* The SBB website shows half-fare prices by default, the mobile app allows you to nominate whether to show full or half-fares (by editing the passenger details in settings) and is also smart enough to offer you the Saver Day Pass (http://www.myswissalps.com/saverdaypass) if that offers the best fare. The app can also display a platform map (at least at the larger stations) to help you make connections. You can also easily filter modes of transport (eg bus or ship).

The app will always show the fastest, most direct routes unless you tell it you want to go a longer way round by including other stations to go VIA. For example, if you wanted to follow the Golden Pass route you would need to search the SBB app looking for Luzern to Montreux via Interlaken and Zweisimmen.

[User]

Reply 4 of 10 • 9 December 2019 at 0:38:55 #926222

Take care with the over hyped-up marketing of the Glacier Express. In practice the Glacier Express (GEX) is just an ‘exclusive’ (supplementary fare) train on a normal railway route with plenty of other normal non-supplement , reservation-free trains on it.

There is zero need to GEX if travelling St Moritz – Zurich.

St Moritz – Chur is the UNESCO world heritage listed Albula Railway

http://www.rhb.ch/en/leisure-travel-and-excursions/discover-graubuenden/albula-line

Just board any of the hourly regular express trains St Moritz – Chur. They depart St Moritz at xx.02 past each hour

[User]

Reply 5 of 10 • 10 December 2019 at 15:34:53 #926223

Thank you!

Is 2D1N in St Mortiz suffice? I’m thinking of taking Bernina Express from Tirano to St Mortiz arriving 1.30pm and stay 1 night. I also found out that GEX only have one timing to travel out at 9.15am on the next day so if I’m taking a normal train to Zurich do I have to book in advance? If I’m taking normal train, I can have more time exploring St Mortiz and probably can leave later at 4.30pm to Zurich.

[User]

Reply 6 of 10 • 10 December 2019 at 19:00:11 #926224

Hello Lynn8311,

Well, you can always spend more time in a place, 2D1N is fine for St. Moritz, depending on your plans there.

Regarding the regular train from St. Moritz to Zurich, you can easily travel by regular train, will NOT need to book any seats in advance and can travel on any connection. See below link for details:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/train/practical/howtotravel
– http://www.myswissalps.com/timetable, to check connections

Best,
Steph

[rockoyster]

Reply 7 of 10 • 10 December 2019 at 19:11:21 #926225

What Steph said. 😉

[User]

Reply 8 of 10 • 11 December 2019 at 0:10:58 #926226

“so if I’m taking a normal train to Zurich do I have to book in advance? If I’m taking normal train, I can have more time exploring St Mortiz and probably can leave later at 4.30pm to Zurich.”

As I already advised, the Albula line expresses are regular, hourly trains, and I gave you the departure time. There is zero need for reservations. You can decide during the day which one you want to take. Personally I would leave St Moritz at 13.02 or 14.02 and no later for the following reason:

Please take note of the following important information about daylight:

Sunset in late January will be at around 17.15

You must travel in daylight from St Moritz – preferably all the way to Zurich, otherwise you will miss lots of beautiful scenery including:

a) Albula line: Preda – Bergün spirals

b) Albula line: Landwasser Viaduct (at Filisur)

c) Chur – Zurich line: Heidiland countryside

d) Chur Zurich line: Walensee (lake with mountains rising directly out of it)

e) Chur – Zurich line: Zurichsee

and it would be a waste of money on your expensive rail ticket.

Therefore I recommend you depart St Moritz 13.02 – arrive Chur 15.04, depart 15.09, arrive Zurich 16.23

Lastly, a gentle reminder that it is St Moritz, not St Mortiz

[User]

Reply 9 of 10 • 21 December 2019 at 7:40:08 #926227

Thank you this is how my itinerary look like for my Switzerland and Italy trip plan. Pls help to advice if there is anything I need to take note or must see, thank you!

D1 24 Jan arrive Zurich 8am travel by local train to Lugano for 3D2N

D2 Lugano to Bellinzona sat market, travel to Ascona take tram up to Cardada Panoramic view point and visit Madonna del Sasso, walk around Ascona town.

D3 Lugano to Milan Italy – do I need to book train ticket in advance?

D4 to D5 Milan Italy

D6 Milan to Triano leave Milan by 1pm so that can catch scenic train ride. Qns do I have to book ticket in advance? Stay 1 N in Tirano.

D7 Tirano to St Mortiz by Bernama Express leave by 9am train and claim tax at 8am.

D8 St Mortiz to Zurich by local train leave by 1pm.

D9 Zurich free and easy or should I travel to Bern? Is there a lot to see in Zurich?

D10 depart Zurich

[Anna]

Reply 10 of 10 • 21 December 2019 at 9:38:12 #926228

Hi Lynn8311,

Your latest itinerary looks fine to me.

For tickets to/from Italy, you should check out this link for resellers and bookings: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/italy

For Day 9 in Zurich, I would like to suggest a boat ride on the lake or an excursion to the Rhine Falls. You can get more details from the following links. Alternatively, it is possible to do a short trip to Bern if you wish. The Swiss capital is only abt 1 hr by train from Zurich.

• Rhine Falls: http://www.myswissalps.com/rhinefalls
• Boat rides on Lake Zurich: http://www.myswissalps.com/boatlakezurich
• Zurich city walk: http://www.myswissalps.com/hiking/zurich
• Bern: http://www.myswissalps.com/bern

Other useful links:

• Lugano: http://www.myswissalps.com/lugano
• Bellinzona: http://www.myswissalps.com/bellinzona
• Madonna del Sasso: http://www.myswissalps.com/madonnadelsasso

Hope that helps!

Regards,

Anna