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Switzerland & Austria Travel Articles
Rail Travel


RailEurope our partner
If you live in the U.S., you can use this site to buy Swiss, Austrian, and other European rail passes in your local currency. The site, which is operated by the Swiss and French national railroads, also has information about European rail travel and links to general agents in other countries.


General Information

Swiss Official Timetable
Get a year's worth of railroad, funicular, cablecar, boat, and bus schedules in a handy three-volume set.

Swiss train times
Our sample routings show just how compact Switzerland is, and how quickly you can travel from city to city or city to resort.

Rail/Transportation Passes

Austrian Rail Passes
Save on train fares, and get a 40% discount on bicycle rentals at 130+ railroad stations.

Swiss Rail Passes
Save money on trains, postal buses, lake steamers, funiculars, cable cars, and local transportation.

Railroad Companies

Gornergrat Bahn
Zermatt's GGB takes you to Matterhorn views and mountain hotels.

Jungfraujochbahn
It's high in elevation, popularity, and price. We tell you what makes it unique and how to trim your ticket costs by up to 50%.

Swiss railroads
Besides the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), many private regional railroads serve locals and tourists.

Special Trains

Bernina Express
Ride this narrow-gauge train to scenery and skiing in the Engadine, or from Chur and St. Moritz to Italy.

Glacier Express
Take "the world's slowest express train" on the scenic route between Zermatt and Canton Graubünden, and pay only a reservation fee if you have a Swiss rail pass.

Wilhelm Tell Express
From May through late October, you can travel between Lucerne and Ticino (via the Gotthard Tunnel) on a lake and mountain journey that includes a first-class sightseeing train and a vintage paddlewheel steamboat.

Swiss Chocolate Train
Ride a vintage or modern excursion train from Montreux, Switzerland to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc, with a stop at the medieval cheesemaking town of Gruyère along the way.

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European train

Traveling by train?
Rail Europe has schedules, maps, and guides for 50+ European railroads. (Residents of North and Central America can buy tickets and rail passes online.)