Season 1

Episode and Series guides for Swiss Railway Journeys. Find reviews for the latest series of Swiss Railway Journeys or look back at early seasons.

• S01E01 The Albula Line

  • Travel Channel

  One of Switzerland's most spectacular rail journeys from Chur to St Moritz with heart-stopping mountain scenery and fascinating towns and villages en route.

• S01E02 The Montreux Oberland Bernois Rail

  • Travel Channel

  Our mapped journey on the MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway) begins in the Victorian town of Montreux and concludes with the celebrity area of Gstaad before the whistle blows in Zweissimmen. On the trip we will also see a working steam preservation museum the new tunnel at Vanel and cheese making.

• S01E03 The Davos Line

  • Travel Channel

  Today - travelling through the scenic Malans vineyards and Landwasser river valleys before heading into ski country to visit the famous Klosters and the highest Alpine town of Davos.

• S01E04 The Arosa Line

  • Travel Channel

  Feel the cool mountain breezes on this high altitude journey from Chur to Arosa the resort town which named this railway line. Over the years twenty-two tunnels and galleries have been built in the remarkable first section which intersects a narrow gorge. The train passes unusual rock formations referred to as 'earthmen' and distinctive river passageways.

• S01E05 The Brunig Line - Part 1

  • Travel Channel

  Central Switzerland's lovely lakes are highlighted in this unforgettable train trip on the Brunig Line. Visit Brienz's traditional woodcarving community. Taste the splendours of Swiss Lake Steamers and finish the journey at Meiringen scene of Sherlock Holmes' fight to the death with arch rival Moriarty.

• S01E06 The Brunig Line - Part 2

  • Travel Channel

  Leave Meiringen behind and climb by cogwheel up the Brunig Pass. The train descends to the lush lakelands of central Switzerland to look at baroque churches and the ancient open-air parliament. Journey's end at Lucerne explores the old town and Transport Museum as well as the heartbreaking monument to the Swiss Guards slaughtered during the French Revolution.

• S01E07 The Appenzell Railways

  • Travel Channel

  The railway company of Canton Appenzell Switzerland's smallest runs its lines through some of the most beautiful countryside in the land. The Appenzell is a farming region and the railway is extensively used by the local community. The journey ends at the old Abbey city of St Gallen where we visit the magnificent cathedral and its library which is home to many priceless treasures.

• S01E08 The Bodensee - Toggenburg Railway

  • Travel Channel

  This spectacular railway runs through north-eastern Switzerland's lush countryside from the soaring mountains of the Toggenburg region to the sparkling blue waters of the Bodensee. We start at Lake Zurich and interesting diversions en-route include an exploration of the historic town of Rapperswil and a visit to the depot to see the railway's behind the scenes workings. The journeys ends at the port of Romanshorn situated on the shores of the Bodensee.

• S01E09 The Emmental Railway - Part 1

  • Travel Channel

  The lush Emmental region in central Switzerland is famous throughout the world for its delicious Swiss cheese. Our journey leads us to the mountains of the Jura region of Western Switzerland. The track climbs gently as we reach the slopes of the Emmental and we pass picturesque farms and woodland before reaching the medieval town of Thun.

Season 2

• S02E01 The Gotthard Line South

  • Travel Channel

  Stopping first in Canton Ticino visitors can admire the Italian influence in the architecture. Next into the wooded valleys and the high Alps in the heart of Switzerland. Marvel at a miniature village representing every Swiss canton visit medieval castles and pass historic horse-drawn post coaches on a leisurely tour through the spectacular mountain chain.

• S02E02 The Gotthard Line North

  • Travel Channel

  Until the advent of railway engineering in the 1880's it was impossible for travellers to cross the Alpine backbone from Northern Europe to Italy during winter. Now we can see the route in its entirety and the dramatic scenery from the heart of the Confederation to the Mediterranean in the south. We also learn the origins of the Swiss Army Knife.

• S02E03 The Bern-Lotschberg-Simplon Company

  • Travel Channel

  Today we travel from the Italian border through the Lotschberg mountain range and along the shores of Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland enjoying the impressive views afforded by the BLS line. We visit the 17th century Stockpaler palace and enjoy a race between a paddle steamer and a motor boat.

• S02E04 The New Glacier Express - Part 1

  • Travel Channel

  We begin this journey at Zermatt popular with mountaineers since the middle of the 19th century and take the Gornergrat railway for a spectacular view over the Alps including the famous Matterhorn. We pause to look at the picturesque old villages of the Goms region and take the cablecar up to the majestic Aletsch glacier the longest ice sheet in Europe.

• S02E05 The New Glacier Express - Part 2

  • Travel Channel

  After travelling along the Rhaetian Railway's tracks through the impressive Rhine valley to Chur we pause at Ilanz to join a thrilling river rafting expedition down the 'Swiss Grand Canyon'. Then we ride along the breathtaking Albula Line with its lofty viaducts spiral tunnels and deep gorges. The journey ends at the famous resort St. Moritz where we view some of the many exciting sports which attract visitors all year round.

• S02E06 The Emmental Railway - Part 2

  • Travel Channel

  We travel through the beautiful Entelbuch valley which is famous for its traditional farming methods and horses are still widely used to pull carts. After visiting the rural museum in Langnau we stop at a cheese centre in Affoltern where we are able to observe old and new cheesemaking methods.

Season 3

• S03E01 The Engadine Line

  • Travel Channel

  More journeys along the picturesque railway lines of Switzerland. On this journey we take the Rhaetian Railway along the beautiful Engadine Valley from the world famous resort of St Moritz to the spa town of Scuol. We visit the old town of Zuoz the former capital of the Upper Engadine and delight in the picturesque little village of Guarda. Journey's end is at Scuol with its curative springs which have attracted bathers for well over a century.

• S03E02 The Gruyere Railway

  • Travel Channel

  Another journey along one of Switzerland's stunning railway lines today we take the Gruyere Railway to Broc where we view some of Switzerland's most mouth watering chocolate creations in production. The line now runs through the Gruyere region of Switzerland famous throughout the world for its cheese. Mountain peaks dominate the line as it winds along the Sarine Valley to journey's end at Montbovon.

• S03E03 The Jungfrau Railways - Part 1

  • Travel Channel

  In the first of a two-part visit to the glorious Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland we join the BOB train at Interlaken Ost for the scenic journey to Lauterbrunnen. There we take the funicular to Grutschalp before making a winter journey to the car-free resort of Murren. A visit to Grindelwald and its impressive glaciers is also on the itinerary.

• S03E04 The Jungfrau Railways - Part 2

  • Travel Channel

  In this second journey on the Jungfrau Railways we return to Lauterbrunnen to make the ascent from the opposite direction pausing to look at the 300 year old tradition of lacemaking. The summit station at Jungfraujoch is the highest in Europe. Visitors here can experience the ice palace huskies and the breathtaking panorama visible from the Sphinx's viewing terrace.

• S03E05 The Bernina Express

  • Travel Channel

  Today the journey begins at the fashionable resort of St Moritz where winter equestrian events take place on a frozen lake. After passing the small town of San Antonio the track makes a dramatic drop in height over the unique open spiral viaduct at Brusio before slipping across the border to the Italian pilgrimage town of Tirano.

Season 4

• S04E01 The Vereina Line

  • Travel Channel

  This latest railway route in Switzerland was opened in November 1999, taking its passengers through the beautiful Engadine valley near the Austrian and Italian borders, through the scenic Prattigau and then the broad and densely forested Rhine valley. The route of this line is not just a thing of natural beauty but also in part a huge feat of engineering - with the longest metre-gauge tunnel in the world. The journey continues with tours through the old village of Scoul and offers a chance to take a closer look at the traditional Engadine architecture. Travelling onward to Davos for some wintertime sporting fun, we then head for the ski resort of Klosters, a favourite with the British royals and the penultimate stop on our trip. Journey's end is Lanquart, where the vineyards and easy-going lifestyle form a tranquil final destination to an exhilarating ride.

Season 5

• S05E01 The Jura Line

  • Travel Channel

  The scenic Jura region of Western Switzerland is where you'll find wooded mountainsides, lush valleys and mile after mile of unspoilt country. We start our trip in the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds, a centre for the intricate art of watch making, forever associated with Switzerland. Next, we ascend into the Jura mountains where the views stretch for mile after mile across the Doubs valley that separates Switzerland from France. In Saignelegier we pay a visit to the annual horse fair, a colourful and exciting spectacle with - strangely enough - Roman chariot racing as one of its attractions! There's a slice of wild west fun too as we get on board La Traction steam loco and are ambushed by Switzerland's answer to Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang - just for the tourists though! We finish our Jura Line journey, with a look at the historic town of Porrentruy with its magnificent castles and old quarter - a tranquil ending to a wonderful ride.

Season 6

• S06E01 The Bex Villars Bretaye Railway

  • Travel Channel

  The steep slopes on either side of Switzerland's Rhone valley are a paradise for visitors in both winter and summer, and the area is fortunate in having a variety of small colourful trains which enable us to make voyages of discovery around the region. The first of our two part look at the Transports Publics du Chablais concentrates on the BVB line which runs from the important village of Bex to the year-round resort of Villars, and then up to the Col de Bretaye.

• S06E02 The Aigle Line

  • Travel Channel

  More journeys along the picturesque railway lines of Switzerland. The scenic Chablais region is fortunate in having its own private railway company, the Transports Publics du Chablais, with four subsidiaries operating from Bex and Aigle to a variety of scenic mountain resorts. In this second visit to the TPC, we explore the three lines which run out of Aigle.

Swiss tickets & Swiss Passes explained..

Swiss trains run like clockwork, so they say.. And they pretty much do. The whole of Switzerland is covered by a frequent, punctual and efficient integrated train network that's really easy to use. In most cases you can just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on. Swiss Federal Railways (= SBB in German, CFF in French or FFS in Italian) runs most mainline trains, but there are many smaller private operators running local & regional routes.

Train travel within Switzerland..

Normal tickets, Supersaver tickets, Saver Day Pass

Swiss scenic trains..

Bernina Express - Switzerland's most scenic train?

Glacier Express - Another great Swiss scenic train.

Golden Pass route - Montreux-Interlaken-Lucerne

Jungfraubahn - to the Top of Europe..

International trains to & from Switzerland..

Train information on other pages..

Luggage on trains & Left luggage at stations

Eurail passes & InterRail passes

Do you need to buy tickets in advance?

• No. Swiss domestic journeys don't need to be pre-booked, trains cannot 'sell out' and regular full-price tickets are available in unlimited numbers, valid on any train that day. For any Swiss domestic journey you can just turn up, buy a ticket at the station and hop on the next train.

• However, you can often save money with supersaver fares if you book your Swiss train journey online in advance as explained below.

• Seat reservation is not even possible on most Swiss trains, you just turn up, buy a ticket, hop on and find any empty seat. However, it's possible to reserve a seat on some longer distance trains for a small fee if you really want to.

• The only exceptions where seat reservation is compulsory are a handful of panoramic tourist-orientated trains such as the Bernina Express, Glacier Express or Golden Pass Panoramic trains. But regular trains on the same routes, or even in some cases regular cars attached to the same train, don't need reservation, just an open ticket.

How to check train times & prices and buy tickets online..

• Option 1, you can check train times & fares and buy tickets for any journey in Switzerland at the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) website www.sbb.ch.

  Be warned, the first price that www.sbb.ch shows you is usually only half the true price, because Sbb.ch assumes you have a Swiss Half Fare card as the majority of Swiss citizens do. When you change Select discount to No discount the price doubles, so be aware of this when costing your journeys.

  Obviously, www.sbb.ch can sell regular tickets good for any train that day and (if available on the route in question) their cheap advance-purchase Supersaver fares which can save a lot of money if you commit to a specific train. There's no booking fee.

• Option 2, www.trainline.eu. You may find it easier to check times & buy tickets at www.trainline.eu, which links directly to SBB's system and can sell both regular tickets and SBB's cheap advance-purchase Supersaver fares. Who are Trainline.eu?

• Option 3, Omio.com also links directly to SBB's system and can sell both regular tickets and SBB's cheap advance-purchase Supersaver fares. It charges a small booking fee. You print your own ticket.

• Option 4, www.saveatrain.com sells regular tickets at prices which are slightly cheaper than SBB's own website by several euros, and there's no booking fee - although it can't sell Supersaver fares. For example, www.saveatrain.com wanted €61.40 for a Basel-Geneva open ticket which was the equivalent of €68.70 on sbb.ch when I checked using Google's mid-market exchange rate. You print your own ticket.

• The www.sbb.ch journey planner not only covers SBB's own trains, it covers all Swiss public transport including private train operators and connecting ferries, buses and funicular railways. Trains run every hour or every 30 minutes, or even more frequently on core routes. Trains, buses & ferries connect efficiently, and connections of even just a few minutes are reliable and easy to make.

• Remember that as trains cannot sell out and there's usually one fixed price, there's no need to buy before you go, you can just buy at the station on the day. Though buying online saves time and it's always possible you'll find a cheap Supersaver fare if you book online in advance!

Regular fares..

• There is one regular price between any two Swiss stations using a given route, good for any train that day. The price is fixed and availability is unlimited, so you can buy at this price at the station on the day. You sit in any seat you like on any train you like.

• So if you buy one of these regular tickets at www.sbb.ch, www.trainline.eu, Omio.com or www.saveatrain.com, it is valid on any train between those stations by the route stated on the date you bought it for, even if you chose a specific train.

• A round trip ticket costs the same as two one-ways. The return journey must be made the same day if the journey is less than 116 km. If the journey is more than 116 km the return journey may be made any day up to 10 days after the outward leg. But you may as well stay flexible and just buy two one-ways.

• With a regular Swiss ticket, you can break your journey (in other words, stop off) on the way as long as you complete the whole journey that same day.

Supersaver fares..

• For longer-distance journeys you may find Supersaver tickets available if you book online at either www.sbb.ch, www.trainline.eu or Omio.com.

• Supersaver fares save up to 70% off the regular flexible price. You can buy Supersavers a maximum of 60 days in advance and a minimum of 1 day in advance. There is limited availability at each price level, the further ahead you book, the cheaper the fares you are likely to find.

• Supersaver fares are only good for the specific departure you book, no refunds allowed. However, if you miss your train, the Swiss Railways let you use the ticket as credit towards a full-fare ticket for a later train - just go to the ticket office and pay the difference between the Supersaver price and the regular full-price fare. But obviously, be careful when using train-specific Supersaver fares for an onward journey in connection with a train arriving from Paris, or when arriving on a flight, unless you leave a large time buffer to allow for delay.

• Using www.trainline.eu or Omio.com, Supersaver fares appear in the search results if they are available. Using www.sbb.ch, run an enquiry and look at the list of trains in the search results. A black triangle with a % symbol will appear to the left of any departures which have a Supersaver fare available. Select that departure and the Supersaver price will appear during the buying process when you click Options for the outward journey. Supersaver fares can only be bought online, and only at www.sbb.ch, www.trainline.eu or Omio.com. They will not appear if you look further ahead than 60 days.

Saver Day Pass..

• A Saver Day Pass gives you a whole day's unlimited travel on the Swiss transport system, covering all SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) trains and most private railways, post-buses & ferries. The routes on which you get free travel are shown on the official Swiss train map as solid red, yellow or black lines.

  Routes shown as dotted red, yellow or black lines are not covered, this includes a few smaller private railways and some well-known tourist mountain railways such as the Jungfrau Railway & Gornergrat Railway. Unlike the Swiss Travel Passes, the Saver Day Pass doesn't get you any reduction on these dotted-line routes, if you want to use them you pay full-price.

  One thing confuses people about the map: Solid lines become dashed lines where the line is in a tunnel. Dashed isn't the same as dotted!

• Saver Day Passes are available in 1st or 2nd class, with or without a Half Fare Card discount applied - as a visitor you probably won't have a Half Fare Card so will want the regular Saver Day Pass without HFC reduction.

• The price for a Saver Day Pass starts at CHF 52, which is cheaper than even one full-price ticket from (say) Zurich to Geneva - although a Supersaver fare might still be cheaper. The price is variable, cheaper the further ahead you buy it, if you leave it until the day before it could cost CHF 106. No refunds, no changes once you buy it.

• Buy online at www.sbb.ch or at Swiss stations. You can buy a maximum of 60 days before the day you want it for, right up to the day before travel. It cannot be bought on the day.

Another possible way to save on Swiss train fares..

• Save money with the Germans! Just a thought. Given that a normal Swiss domestic ticket from Basel to Geneva is a whopping CHF75 (€72), if there are no advance-purchase Supersaver fares available, why not just go to www.bahn.de and buy a German Railways advance-purchase sparpreis ticket from Freiburg (Freiburg in Breisgau, the last major stop in Germany before Basel) to Geneva a few weeks in advance from as little as €29 and simply not use the Freiburg-Basel part?

• This is perfectly legitimate, and works and saves money from Basel to most southern Swiss destinations including Geneva, Lausanne, Brig, Zermatt, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Tirano, St Moritz. It works in either direction - for Geneva to Basel, you'd simply book Geneva to Freiburg (Breisgau). It also works from Zurich to western & southern Swiss destinations if you use www.bahn.de to book from Augsburg to Lausanne or Geneva, or from Freiburg to St Moritz or Tirano - just check that your chosen journey option passes through Zurich.

• In theory you need to stick to the specific train booked. Manipulate the departure time from Freiburg or Augsburg to get the time you want from Basel or Zurich southwards. If you want an early morning train from Basel or Zurich southwards, you'd simply set desired departure time from Freiburg as the previous day in the evening and use the 'enter stopover' feature to include an overnight stop in Basel or Zurich.

What are they & should you buy one? If so, which one? Let me explain..

Switzerland is one of the few remaining European countries where relatively expensive point-to-point rail fares and the lack of compulsory reservations & supplements makes railpasses both good value and convenient. You can buy your passes online from the Switzerland Travel Centre, a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways. The Swiss Travel System people can also make the seat reservations necessary for the few panoramic sightseeing trains that require them, such as the Glacier Express or Bernina Express. But I'm often asked if a pass makes sense, or to help people decide between a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare card.

The Swiss Transfer Ticket was discontinued in January 2019, incidentally - this used to give one round trip from point of entry to any destination within Switzerland. However, ordinary tickets were usually a better bet.

(1) Saver Day Pass: Unlimited travel for one day..

• See the Saver Day Pass section above. This gives you one day's unlimited travel all over Switzerland, on SBB (Swiss Federal railways) and most key private train operators. If want unlimited flexible travel but you're only travelling for a day or two, this is better than a Swiss Travel Pass cover longer periods of travel.

(2) Swiss Travel Pass & Swiss Travel Pass Flex: Unlimited travel for a period of days..

• A Swiss Travel Pass gives unlimited travel across the Swiss travel system for a continuous period of 3 days, 4 days, 8 days or 15 days.

• A Swiss Travel Pass Flex gives unlimited travel across the Swiss travel system for either 3, 4, 8 or 15 travel days with an overall period of a month. A Swiss Travel Pass Flex is more economical than a regular non-Flex Swiss Travel Pass if you plan to stay put between journeys. The overall one month starts on any date you like, then you can 'spend' each of your unlimited travel days on any dates you like within that period just by writing the date in one of the boxes printed on the pass.

  Check prices in CHF, USD, GBP or Euros at www.swisstravelcentre.com, an international web site run by a subsidiary SBB (Swiss Railways).

• Does a Swiss Travel Pass make financial sense for what you want to do?

  Swiss rail fares are expensive, so a Swiss pass can save money, depending what you plan to do and whether you're adult or youth. I suggest you check the price of the pass that suits you, and divide by the number of days travelling you plan to do. That is the pass 'cost per day'. Are the journeys you plan to make each day cheaper than this? If so, don't buy a pass. Or do they cost more than this? Then do buy a pass! You can check fares at www.sbb.ch. It's not rocket science!

• What does the pass cover?

  See this official map of the Swiss rail network. A Swiss Travel Pass (continuous or flex) gives you unlimited free travel on all the train, bus & ferry routes shown as solid red, yellow or black lines on the map. Swiss Travel Passes give you a 50% discount (not free travel) on the routes shown as dotted red, yellow or black lines.

  One thing that always confuses people: A solid line becomes a dashed line on the map when it's in a tunnel, but that's not the same as a dotted line! Routes on which you only get a discount, not free travel, notably include the Jungfrau Railway & Gornergrat railway.

• How to buy..

  Buy atwww.swisstravelsystem.com - anyone from any country can buy here, you can choose to see prices in CHF, GBP, USD or Euros. This is an official Swiss Railways shop, they're owned by SBB Swiss Railways.

• Print your own ticket..

  For a regular Swiss Travel Pass you'll usually get the option of an Online Ticket where you just print it out. You won't get this option for a Swiss Travel Pass Flex.

• Important: Would an InterRail one-country pass be cheaper? If you're a European resident, compare the cost of a Swiss Travel Pass with the cost of an InterRail One-Country Pass for Switzerland as these can be significantly cheaper. Swiss Travel Passes and InterRail passes both give unlimited travel on Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the major private operators such as the Rhätische Bahn (RhB) and Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS). Before 2017 there were some significant private railway operators that a Swiss Pass covered but an InterRail pass didn't, but in January 2017 InterRail's Swiss coverage was extended to include many more private operators, notably including the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) which operates the line to Zermatt and half the Glacier Express route. It's now really only the post-buses, lake boats and a few very small private operators which the Swiss Travel Pass covers but an InterRail pass does not.

(3) The Swiss Half Fare card: Half-price train travel in Switzerland for a month..

• Most Swiss residents have an annual half-fare card, and you can buy one lasting a month and giving 50% off standard Swiss transport fares.

• The 1 month Half Fare Card costs CHF 120, so (obviously) only pays for itself if you plan to clock up more than CHF 240-worth of train journeys. That's three one-way trips between Lausanne and Zermatt, or four one-way trips between Basel and Interlaken, for example. Again, it's not rocket science: Use www.sbb.ch to check the full no-reduction fares for some of the journeys you plan to make, and halve this cost. Does this exceed CHF 120? then buy the Half Fare Card.

• Children 6-15 travel free with a family Half Fare card if accompanied by a parent. This is a worthwhile benefit!

• Buy online at www.swisstravelsystem.com with prices in CHF, USD, GBP or euros.

Classic Swiss InterCity (IC) or InterRegional (IR) trains ..

Double-deck InterCity (IC) trains..

Pendolino tilting InterCity (IC) trains..

Swiss private operators..

Seat numbering plans: Click here..

You'll find seat numbering plans for European trains on the Train seat numbering page.

• Maps of the European rail network:See the section on the Train travel in Europe page about rail maps.

• Language problems..

  First-time visitors often think this will be a problem, but it hardly ever is. At stations, signs are usually in English as well as German, French & Italian, or they use easy-to-understand pictograms. On-train announcements on long-distance trains are often made in English.

• First or second class?

  Swiss fares are expensive, even in 2nd class. And a 1st class ticket costs 75% more than a 2nd class one. You don't get anything extra in 1st class on Swiss domestic trains - no free food or drink, no limo transfers, free spa treatments or lounges. Just wider seats, plusher seats, more elbow room as seats are usually 2+1 across the car width instead of 2+2 as in 2nd class, fewer people per car, fewer families and loud kids, more business travellers - see the photos above. So unless it's a special occasion, or your company is paying, or you are rich, stick with 2nd class whilst within Switzerland as most travellers do. If you do go 1st class, a yellow stripe above the windows or door indicates a 1st class car on Swiss trains.

• Luggage on trains..

  There are no baggage fees or weight limits, and you don't check your bags in, you simply take them with you onto the train, placing them on the racks at the end of each car, or above your head. More information about luggage on European trains.

• Left luggage at stations..

  Many larger Swiss stations have left-luggage lockers in various sizes, up to suitcase-sized. More information on left luggage lockers & prices.

• Food & drink on Swiss trains..

  Most long-distance trains have at least a bistro car serving tea, coffee, wine, beer & snacks from a counter, with some tables nearby if you'd want to eat and drink in the bistro car rather than take it back to your seat. Some Swiss long-distance trains have a proper sit-down waiter-service restaurant car, not cheap but treat yourself! Alternatively, feel free to bring your own food and drink (even a bottle of wine, if you like) onto the train, there's no rules against that on the rails!

• First class lounges at stations..

  The lounges for first class passengers at Zurich & Geneva have been closed. More information about station lounges.

• Bicycles..

  You can take a bike in the luggage van on most Swiss trains if you buy a Swiss Bike Card, for more details, see the bicycles by train page.

• Dogs & pets..

  In Switzerland, dogs of any size can travel for half the 2nd class fare - although for longer journeys there's a Dog Day card which can be cheaper. Small dogs up to 30cm high at the shoulder can travel free if they are in a carrier. You'll find information on the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. You can easily buy Swiss tickets at the station when you get there.

  For more information about dogs & pets on trains in Europe, see the dogs & pets page.

Bernina Express: See the Bernina Express page

Glacier Express: See the Glacier Express page

Jungfrau Bahn: See the Jungfraubahn page

Golden Pass Line Montreux - Lucerne..

This is a mainly narrow-gauge route from Montreux to Lucerne via the well-known ski resort of Gstaad. It's slower than using mainline trains between Montreux, but very scenic and marketed to tourists as the Golden Pass route. It's actually three separate trains, all connecting with each other and each run by a different private operator: Montreux to Zweisimmen by the Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway (metre gauge), Zweisimmen to Interlaken on the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS) Railway (standard gauge) and Interlaken to Lucerne on the Brunig Railway operated by the Zentralbahn (metre gauge). As with other tourist trains, reservation is necessary if you want to travel in the panoramic tourists cars on the key departures, but regular trains run frequently over the same route and these need no prior reservation.

The website for the joint service is www.goldenpass.ch. But I find it easier to find Montreux-Lucerne Golden Pass times using the journey planner at www.sbb.ch - just make sure you put 'Zweisimmen' in the via box, click 'advanced options' and put Interlaken Ost in the second via box before running the enquiry. Then it will find journeys with 2 changes via this slower scenic Golden Pass route, rather than the faster mainline route.

Gornergrat, Matterhorn, Mt. Pilatus, Mt. Titlis, Schilthorn..

If you live in the UK, you can buy excursion tickets up these mountains here: www.swisstravelsystem.com

Invest in a good guidebook, even in the age of the internet. For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. Both guidebooks provide the same excellent level of practical information and historical background. You won't regret buying one!

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Custom-made tours of Switzerland by train..

If you want to tour Switzerland by train, with all your train tickets and hotels sorted for you to your own specification, contact train tour specialists Railbookers and they'll create the best rail-based tour for you, hassle-free. Unlike some overseas travel agents, they really do know all about train travel across Europe, and they know some excellent hotels, too. They take good care of their clients and it's not surprising they get a lot of repeat business, so I have no hesitation in recommending them.

Tip: Check out their 8-day Switzerland's Lakes & Mountains tour (link to their UK site) or Swiss Lakes & Mountains tour (link to their US & Canada site) which includes both the famously scenic Glacier Express and Bernina Express trains. Also see their 5-day Classic Bernina Express & Glacier Express tour (link to their UK site) or Classic Bernina Express & Glacier Express tour (link to their US & Canada site) which also combine these two classic Alpine routes.

UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk.

US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com.

Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au.

New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

Personal recommendations..

• In Zurich, for something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof, located right next to Zurich station. One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

• In the St Moritz-Pontresina area, try the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl, an amazing place to stay perched on the top of a mountain, with clean simple and (for Switzerland) inexpensive rooms. It's reached via the Muottas Muragl funicular railway from Punt Muragl station, between Pontresina & St Moritz.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com..

www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.