Switzerland: The Alps by Train

Highlights

• The Jungfraujoch railway to 3,454 m
• Zermatt, car-free, with the Matterhorn above it
• Scenic rail from Zermatt to Lucerne
• Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus

Is it right for you?

Seniors

Possible for seniors, with care: Most travel is by scenic train, though Zermatt and Lucerne involve some walking between the station, hotel and sights

Getting around

Some walking

Setting

Indoors and outdoors

Time of day

Morning, Afternoon

Pickup

No hotel pickup

From the operator's and venue's own published information. Tell your captain about anyone's mobility, age or food needs and we confirm the details for your date.

The story

Your journey outline

Each stage can cover one or more days. Tell us what you would change; your final itinerary is agreed before booking.

1. Stage 01 Days 1–3 — Interlaken

   Arrive into Zurich and take the train straight through to Interlaken, which sits on the strip of land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Three nights here. The Jungfraujoch railway goes on whichever of the three mornings has the best forecast, and the other days are Grindelwald, the First cliff walk bolted to the rock face, and a boat across one of the lakes.

2. Stage 02 Days 4–5 — Zermatt

   Train to Zermatt, which allows no petrol cars at all, so the village runs on electric carts and silence. Up the Gornergrat cogwheel early on the second morning, when the Matterhorn catches the first light before anything else in the valley does. Evenings are one main street, a long dinner, and the mountain still visible at the end of it.

3. Stage 03 Days 6–7 — Lucerne

   A scenic train from Zermatt to Lucerne, changing at Visp and again at Bern, about three and a half hours in all. Then two nights in Lucerne for the covered Chapel Bridge and its painted panels, the lake, and Pilatus by cogwheel up and cable car down.

4. Stage 04 Day 8 — Home

   A last lake morning, then the direct train to Zurich airport, which takes about an hour and delivers you into the terminal itself. The Swiss Travel Pass covers this final leg exactly as it covered everything else, which by now you will have stopped finding remarkable.

Know before you go

• Keep Jungfraujoch flexible and go on the clearest morning — in cloud it is an expensive white-out
• Zermatt is car-free; you park at Täsch and take the shuttle, or arrive by train as we plan it
• The Swiss Travel Pass covers far more than trains, including most boats and many museums
• Reserve seats on the Pilatus cogwheel railway ahead — you cannot ride it without a seat reservation

Official visa information: European Commission: Schengen visa guidance. Requirements depend on your passport and route.

Policies

Why book with Travelers Clan

• Your own itinerary. This is a starting point — we agree your route and pace before booking.
• Paperwork guidance. Visa requirements and applicable taxes confirmed in your quote.
• Clear payment terms. Deposit and cancellation conditions set out before payment.
• Know your support. Your final plan confirms local contacts and any guide or trip-captain services.