Glacier Express and the Rhaetian Railway

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Rhaetian Railway In The Albula / Bernina Landscapes (2008). The Glacier Express, A Slow Train Famed As The Slowest Express Train In The World, Takes About 8 Hours From Zermatt To St Moritz Over The Landwasser Viaduct And Oberalp Pass. The Bernina Express Runs From Chur To Tirano In Italy. · Chur, Graubunden

The Glacier Express is called the slowest express train in the world. It runs on narrow-gauge Rhaetian Railway (RhB) track from Zermatt to St Moritz, about 8 hours, across 291 bridges and 91 tunnels and up to the Oberalp Pass (2,033 m). The big moments are the Landwasser Viaduct, a curved limestone arch 65 m high built in 1902 that runs straight into a tunnel, and the Ruinaulta, the Swiss Grand Canyon cut by the Rhine. The big panoramic windows are the draw. The honest picture is a scenic but long day, priced high, with a seat reservation that is mandatory and expensive in summer. The RhB lines are UNESCO listed from 2008. Many people do one segment only, or take the cheaper local trains for similar views. Book early for summer, pack your own snacks, sit by a window on the side facing the valley, and leave a margin for delays if you have a connecting flight or train the same day. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the ticket but not the reservation, so budget for both before you commit to the full eight hours.

Narrow-gauge railway route from Zermatt to St Moritz or Chur through 291 bridges and 91 tunnels, crossing the Oberalp Pass and the Landwasser Viaduct, Chur, Graubunden, Switzerland

The Glacier Express runs year-round, usually one or a few trains a day each way, with more in summer and fewer in winter. Timetables change by season and the train can be cancelled or detoured after snow or rockfall. Reserve a seat before you travel. Local RhB trains on the Albula line run all day, every day, and need no reservation.

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