12 Days Scenic Switzerland by Train

12 Days Scenic Switzerland by Train

Switzerland is a landlocked country in Central Europe, home to towering mountains, deep Alpine Lakes, grassy valley dotted with neat farms and small villages, and thriving cities that blend the old and the new. Hence, it is renowned for both its natural beauty and unusual scenic landscape.

We were captivated by the breathtaking scenery of Switzerland and the Alps when we first visited the country in November 2005 that we decided to make another trip to this beautiful country again in 2014. Our first trip was with an organised tour group and places of interest we visited were mainly cities such as Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt,  Geneva, Bern, and Zurich. We could only get glimpses of the mountains from afar.  As such, in 2014, we decided to come back again in a different way. That is holidaying our way, based on our own time, pace, and route.

So, from 10-21 September 2014, we finally completed a 12 days Scenic Mountain Tour of Switzerland by Train, leaving us a memory we will never forget.

Let’s go down memory lane with me as I share with you the whole tour journey in this Blog. So excited!

 

Our Tour Route:

Zurich –> Chur –> Tirano –> Lugano –> Locanto –> Zermatt –> Interlaken –> Zurich –> Lucerne –> back to Zurich, ‘conquering’ the mountains as we travelled along

Duration:  12 days

 

Prior to the Trip:

We had to do some homework of course as that was a D.I.Y trip.

Part 1:

AIR TICKET  is the very first thing we look at whenever we plan our trip. We usually book our air ticket at least 3 to 6 months in advance. This is so that we can get good value promotional tickets from the Airlines direct. Some of the websites we visit to source for good value tickets include Zuji,  Expedia, and other airlines like Singapore Airlines.

ITINERARY  is the next and most challenging part as in depth research work is a must. We will browse the internet, tour books, recommended tour itinerary by tour agencies for ideas. It will usually take weeks before a skeleton draft is out. Rome to Rio is the other website we visit too to determine how to get from one location to another. After a few reiteration, a pre-final plan is born.

HOTEL ACCOMODATION   is booked in advance as soon as the pre-final itinerary is out. We usually compare and book our hotel rooms via booking.com.  Nothing is paid at this point, only reservation. We usually book our Hotels near train stations or that are at least reachable by bus.

Part 2: Nearer to Departure

TRAIN PASS  is sometimes cheaper to buy or is available only outside the visiting country. So be sure to check and book online as soon as it is ready for booking. For our switzerland trip, we had to only buy one ticket online (i.e. Bernina Express) before the trip while the SWISS PASS was purchased when we touched down in Zurich.

PORTABLE WIFI  is a must for DIY trip so that we can access Google Map via our mobile phone for directions, read our Whatsapp messages, make changes to hotel booking when necessary, and so on more cheaply compared to autoroaming. We must first book the WiFi router in advance at Changi Recommends website and collect it at the Changi Terminal just before we depart.

 

Our detailed itinerary:

• Day 1:  Arrive in Zurich by Singapore Airlines; On board Train to Chur
• Day 2:  On board Bernina Express from Chur –> Tirano &  follow by Bernina Express Bus from Tirano –> Lugano
• Day 3:  5 Best things to do in Lugano
• Day 4:  blog in progress
• Day 5:  blog in progress
• Day 6:  blog in progress
• Day 7:  blog in progress
• Day 8:  blog in progress
• Day 9:  blog in progress
• Day 10:  blog in progress
• Day 11:  blog in progress
• Day 12:  blog in progress

 

Day 1

We arrived Zurich on 10 September 2014 at 8am. It was a 12 hrs 40 mins flight from Singapore on A380 Airbus. We had a “Super Deal 2 to go” air tickets for 3. Immediately, we went straight to the Service & Information Desk at the Airport to purchase the SWISS PASS. With the Swiss Travel Pass, we could travel flexibly and inexpensively in Switzerland by train, bus, and boat. We could enjoy many bonus benefits too like discounts when purchasing other mountain railways tickets that are not covered in this Swiss Pass. By the way, Swiss Pass is available for 3, 4, 8 or 15 days.

After lunch, we were all set to leave Zurich for Chur. It was a 1 hr 15 mins train ride. Chur was a stop over for us  so  that we can board the Bernina Express the next morning.

Chur  is the oldest town in Switzerland and has a settlement history of 5000 years, The historic town is very much worth a visit and is completely car-free.

 

Day 2

Chur in Switzerland t0 Tirano in Italy by Bernina Express (see map – route in purple)

Tirano to Lugano in Switzerland by Bernina Express Bus (see map -route in orange)

Duration: 8 hrs +

Bernina Express

The Bernina Express is a train connecting Chur (or Davos) in Switzerland to Poschiavo in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy by crossing the Swiss Engadin Alps. It is a breathtaking train ride through the mountain scenery of Switzerland. In just 4 hours, you’ll see stunning variations in the landscape, from high alpine scenery on the Bernina Pass to a Mediterranean atmosphere in the Poschiavo valley just before Tirano. Palm trees and snow within a couple of hours!

On the highest railway across the Alps, the Bernina Express climbs up to the glistening glaciers before descending to the palms of Italy far below. The railway is unique, blending ideally with the alpine landscapes around the Albula and Bernina Passes. The train negotiates the 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and inclines up to 70 per mile with ease. At the highest point on the RhB, 2,253 metres above sea level, you will find the Ospizio Bernina. Here, visitors can delight in the cultural and natural surroundings and enjoy the Alps at their most impressive. The railway line from Thusis – Valposchiavo – Tirano has UNESCO World Heritage status. Thanks to the modern panoramic car, we could enjoy unrestricted views of the unspoilt Alpine panorama.

 

                               Albula/Bernina UNESCO World Heritage route

 

           Ospizio Bernina – highest point  2,253 metres above sea level

 

 

 

                          Valposchiavo – the valley in the southern Alps

 

 

Tirano

Bernina Express ended at Tirano, a town in Italy.

Tirano itself  is a quiet town in northern Lombardy.  It would perhaps go unremarked if it wasn’t also the departure point for one of the most scenic train routes in Europe, the Red Train (Bernina Express) that travels across the Alpine passes to reach Saint Moritz in Switzerland

While resting, we had the chance to taste the Italian ice cream, Gelato. Yummy indeed!

 

A comfortable trip on the Bernina Express Bus from Tirano to Lugano

We had to reserve our seats before journey commenced. This is a must, so remember to do that at the point of purchase.  It was a leisurely drive through the picturesque landscape of Valtellina, past Lake Como, where many stars own holiday homes and Hollywood films were shot. The whole journey took us slightly more than 3 hours.

 

 

Lugano

The Bernina Express Bus ended at Lugano in Switzerland.

Lugano (Italian pronunciation: [luˈɡaːno]) is a city in southern Switzerland in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy.

Beautiful Lake Lugano is Ticino’s star attraction, and tourists can enjoy it in a number of ways: tour on one of the white steamers, rent a boat to sail on your own, or choose any of the dozens of mountain or shore viewpoints and gaze at it.

We did a  tour on Lake Lugano on Day 3. We will share more in our next post.

Day 3 –  5 Best things to do in Lugano. Click here