[KatieV]

22 February 2025 at 1:18:58 #2387888

Hi!
we are spending 3 nights in Zermatt in November and then need to travel to Munich. We’ll be traveling to Zermatt from Zurich by train. I know we can backtrack Zermatt – Zurich, then onto Munich. But, I’d rather go across the Alps and then north to Munich but I can not figure out the best way to do that by train. We will be there while the Glacier Express is on the 7 week break. I understand we can use non-Glacier Express trains for the same route, with some connections. What is my best route across the Alps and then north so that we can enjoy the best parts of the Alps route, while also completing the trip in one day? Thanks for any advice you have!

Katie

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[Roger Sexton]

Reply 1 of 3 • 22 February 2025 at 9:22:58 #2390153

Hi Katie

Zermatt to Munich (München in German) by ordinary trains is possible.  But there will be … NINE of them.

07 37 RE41 from Zermatt to Visp arrive 08 47

09 08 R43 to Andermatt arrive 11 20

11 28 R45 to Disentis arrive 12 39

Across the platform at Disentis to the

12 44 RE7 to Chur, arrive 14 02.

14 08 IC3 to Sargans arrive 14 27

14 35 IR13 to St Margrethen (SG) arrive 15 13

15 25 S3 (An Austrian train painted red) to Bregenz arrive 15 40

15 49 RE1 to Lindau REUTIN arrive 15 58.  (This will be either an Austrian or German train.)

16 14 RE70 to München Hauptbahnhof, arrive 18 42.  (A German Train)

Tickets

Assuming you do not invest in Swiss Travel Passes, buy in advance Swiss Saver Day Passes (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-ticket/saver-day-pass/).  They will get you as far as the Swiss/Austria border at St Margrethen.  Buy separate tickets for the St Margrethen to München section of your trip (https://www.myswissalps.com/travel-guide/germany-switzerland/).  The booking office at Zermatt would be able to sell you those tickets.

Missed Connections

With this kind of trip, that might happen.  DO NOT PANIC.  On all of the lines I have mentioned the service is AT LEAST HOURLY.  So if you were to miss a connection it would be an inconvenience but not a disaster.  You would arrive about an hour or so late in Munich.

Eurocity St Margrethen to Munich?

As you already know there are EC trains from Zurich to Munich.  SOME of these stop at St Margrethen.  There are ECs from St Margrethen at 16 51 and 20 51.  The journey to Munich takes two hours and thirteen minutes.

However, these trains are always extremely busy, so seat reservations are essential.  They also have a very poor punctuality record.

Conclusion

After all that, I nevertheless think that this trip is ‘very doable’ provided you do not have a lot of luggage.  If the weather is OK, the scenery is great.  It is a pity that it will get dark soon after leaving Lindau Reutin.

Best wishes

Roger

[KatieV]

Reply 2 of 3 • 22 February 2025 at 16:10:57 #2390359

Roger!!

thank you! I appreciate your detailed response very, very much.

I have a couple of follow up questions, if that’s ok?

1. our plan is to purchase a 7 day Eurorail pass to cover both Switzerland and Germany. With that plan, I think, then, that I only need to complete seat reservations ? Is that correct?

2. What makes EC trains different? I did see the connection for them at both Zurich and St Margrethen. Are they faster with less stops? 

3. We will each have 1 piece of luggage and a backpack (2 adults, 1 teen) . Is that reasonable for this plan?

4. if we did want to split the trip, what would you suggest as a good stopping point for the day to stay overnight?

5. Lastly, and to potentially throw a wrench into all of this: i could consider doing this trip in reverse on the way TO Zermatt from Zurich and instead go Zurich – Chur – Andermatt – Zermatt. And then travel to Munich the opposite way: Zermatt – Visp – Bern – Munich. My hesitation in this plan is that we are flying from the US to Zurich on Wednesday, arriving Thursday morning. Spending all day Thursday and Thursday night in Zurich, and then we head to Zermatt on Friday. I anticipate both my husband and teen son will want to sleep in on Friday, and will not be happy campers getting up early for the longer train ride on Friday, which I would want to all be in daylight.
Katie

[Roger Sexton]

Reply 3 of 3 • 22 February 2025 at 19:01:05 #2390375

Hi again Katie.

Q1  You are correct.  And note that of the trains we have been discussing, the only trains on which reservation is for practical purposes essential are the EC trains which go from Zurich to Munich.

Unlike other European countries, the three German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) do not like designating trains ‘reservation obligatory’.

Q2  EC stands for ‘Eurocity’.   Eurocity is the title given to SOME fast international trains.

The EC trains from Zurich to Munich leave Zurich at 05 35(not Sundays), then 07 33 and every two hours until 19 33.  The full journey should take about three hours and forty minutes.  But as I have already said these trains are always extremely busy, so seat reservations are essential.  They also have a very poor punctuality record.

Q3  That is reasonable for the planned journey Zermatt to Munich.

Q4   This is the plan I would adopt.  I would split the journey at either Lindau (Germany), Bregenz (Austria) or St Gallen (Switzerland).

Lindau is a delightful German town built on an island in the Bodensee lake.  Follow the itinerary in my previous reply, but do NOT get off the RE1 at Lindau-Reutin.  Stay on the train to Lindau-Insel (Insel is the German word for Island.)

Bregenz is a pleasant Austrian town on the Bodensee.

St Gallen   (St Margrethen is a very small place – unlikely to be much accommodation.)  Stay on the IR13 train at St Margrethen and continue to St Gallen, arrive 15 35.

St Gallen is the most important city in North-East Switzerland..

The following morning, the EC trains to Munich leave at 06 32(Not Sundays) 08 32 and so on every two hours to 20 32.

Q5 To get the journey entirely in daylight you would need to leave Zurich Hauptbahnhof at 08 38 on the IC3 bound for Chur.  You would reach Zermatt at 16 17.

Kind regards

Roger