A whirlwind trip round scenic Switzerland
I had been to Switzerland before but only managed to see the Alps from a distance. It was time for a more up-close approach. I undertook a whirlwind trip of scenic Switzerland, taking in four of the major journeys in Switzerland in 5 days. I flew into Geneva on Thursday evening. If you happen to be a little short on time or need to start your holidays after a day at work, flying in one direction could be worth considering.
While Geneva itself is quite small, there was a great summer festival in full swing when I arrived and most of the town seemed to be out celebrating. Dancing beside Lake Geneva for the evening seemed to be the perfect way to unwind at the start of my holiday. The next morning I traveled along Lake Geneva to Lausanne, then onward to Montreux. The entire journey is along the stunning lakeside and surrounded by mountains. The sun was shining very brightly so there was quite a bit of haze, visibility wasn’t the greatest because of this, but I imagine on a clear day, the colors you would get there would be phenomenal!
From Montreux, I started on my first of the great Swiss rail journeys, the Golden Pass. This took me from Montreux to Zweisimmen, then onward to Interlaken. I was in the modern coaches and was fortunate enough to get VIP seats. While you do pass along some amazing scenery, the VIP seats are an experience that sets this journey apart from others in that are you in a position where you feel like you are driving the train! I have done a number of journeys before but having this amazing viewpoint gives a completely different feel to it - it’s amazing. After arriving in Interlaken, I continued onto Grindelwald for the night as I was traveling up the Jungfrau the next day. The journey between these two cities was breathtaking, particularly between Spiez and Interlaken. Here you will travel alongside Lake Thun. It is surrounded by mountains and the rail line runs right alongside it. The best views you will get are when you are just reaching the lake and leaving it as you get the full panorama of both ends of the lake, which on this day were decidedly different. At the Interlaken side, it was brilliant sunshine, which enhanced the aqua blue colors of the water.
While at the Grindelwald side, a rain shower between the mountains allowed for a rainbow over this incredible setting. This leg of the journey was done on a regular commuter train, which I preferred because I could open the windows. While the panoramic coaches are fantastic and you do get to see an enormous amount more with them, the windows do not open. Because of this, all photos get taken through the glass which sometimes gives back a reflection. In Grindelwald, I stayed at the Hotel Kirchbuhl. In many towns in Switzerland, the hotels will operate a free shuttle from the station. I recommend taking advantage of these where possible, as it makes the whole journey a little easier. Of all the hotels that I have stayed in, the view from my room at the Kirchbuhl would have to be in the top three. I was in a superior room that faced the mountains. I had a direct view from my window to the glacier. It had a large deck, and plenty of space to relax and enjoy the view. The hotel also had two different restaurants. I recommend the traditional Swiss restaurant. Very traditional in style, great atmosphere, and very welcoming of single travelers!
Day 3 and it’s time for the second of my big journeys, climbing the Jungfrau. Traveling up the Jungfrau is not done with a single train; you will change partway up the mountain on both the way up and down. You can reach this change-over point, Kleine Scheidegg, from either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. We like to recommend traveling taking one route on the way up, the other on the way down, to ensure that you get to see all that these amazing mountains have to offer. When I started my journey I was very skeptical about what I might see at the top as it had been drizzling all morning. After a very easy change of trains, I started my ascent inside the mountain, the train stopping a few times at different viewpoints. Each of these points was covered in clouds on my way up, though on a clear day, I imagine it would be amazing. As I got out at Jungfraujoch, I was above the clouds and the view was unbelievable. There are a number of different viewpoints inside and I highly recommend venturing outside and onto the snow where you can get full 360-degree views from the top of the Alps. For the journey back down, I traveled down into Lauterbrunnen. While both sides of the mountain are amazing, I would recommend finishing on this side as it offers a wider range of landscapes with more farming land, forests, waterfalls, and rivers than the Grindelwald side.
Day 4 and I was up early to travel through to Brig where I would jump onto the Glacier Express. One of the longer scenic journeys, there are many different sections of this journey that you can do if you don't want to do the entire route. I traveled through to Chur and along the way was able to see some amazing countryside and take in a lot of history. There is an audio guide, which I found very beneficial for helping to understand the journey and different sites throughout. The train is very modern with a classic dining car. When you board the train, one of the attendants will come through the carriage and take reservations for the dining car. I would recommend taking advantage of this. The food was good, the service friendly and the scenery unbeatable. My next journey was the Bernina Express. After finishing the Glacier Express in Chur, I continued onto St Moritz for the night. I stayed at the Hauser, a great 3* hotel in the center of St Moritz with a brilliant, authentic restaurant, serving lots of amazing local dishes and topped off with desserts from their own pastry and chocolate store. Everything in the store is hand-made and is worth a trip to the hotel just for this. However, if you would prefer something a little more top-end, you can’t beat the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. 5* luxury in one of the most beautiful settings in the world!
Thankfully my train today started later in the morning. Of the four journeys that I took this week, I believe I saved the best for last. The journey is full of glacial lakes, close-up views of glaciers, and spectacular Alpine scenery. The train itself is quite similar to that used with the Glacier Express, however instead of a dining car, they have a small snacks carriage, and there is also no audio commentary. While this journey may be a lot shorter than some of the others, the sights are concentrated and you’re left feeling in awe of the landscape. Particularly when the grand finale is presented in winding down the valley into Poschiavo. Views across the whole valley, lakes, lush green growth, mountains, and villages are all intertwined, providing the perfect end scene for my journey through scenic Switzerland. After leaving the train in Tirano, I wandered this idyllic town for lunch and then transferred back to the train before traveling to Milan for my flight back to London. If I was to do it all again, I would give myself more time. The journey can be done in a few days, however, if you give yourself a little more time in each destination, you will enjoy it more and will be able to take in more of the country and culture.
