Swiss Mountains by Rail

The connection in Doha is long, so it is used as a day: the Corniche, Souq Waqif, Katara Cultural Village and the National Museum of Qatar, then the desert at dusk for camels, sandboarding and dune bashing, so everyone sleeps on the night flight. In Zurich early next morning the bags are handed to Swiss rail and left at the station, and the group walks the old town light: the Grossmünster, the town hall, Bahnhofstrasse and the Polybahn for the roofs, then the Lindt Home of Chocolate and the evening train to Bern. Next morning, Bern old town: the Zytglogge, the Minster, the Federal Palace, the Käfigturm and the bear park.

Doha · Zurich old town · Lindt Home of Chocolate · Bern old town · Zytglogge · bear park

South by train at midday, the last stretch into car-free Zermatt, and a black-nose sheep farm at five. Next morning, up before dawn for the Matterhorn at sunrise, then the cable car to the highest cable car station in Europe, 3,883 metres: the Glacier Palace and the 360° platform. On to Testa Grigia at 3,480 metres, one foot in Switzerland and the other in Italy. Lunch at the highest mountain restaurant in Europe, and the church square and old bridge in the village in the afternoon.

Black-nose sheep farm · Matterhorn sunrise · Matterhorn Glacier Paradise 3,883 m · Testa Grigia · old Zermatt

A second look at the Matterhorn before dawn, then the Glacier Express to Andermatt, with light refreshments on board. A change of train to Lucerne, and in the afternoon the Lion Monument, the Chapel Bridge, the old town hall, St Peter’s Chapel and Schwanenplatz, with the lake at the end of the street.

Glacier Express · Andermatt · Lion Monument · Chapel Bridge · Lake Lucerne

The Luzern–Interlaken Express to Interlaken, then after lunch a Lake Brienz cruise to Iseltwald, Lauterbrunnen for the Staubbach Falls, and Grindelwald by evening. Next day the bags stay at the station while the group takes the Eiger Express and the cogwheel train to the Jungfraujoch, 3,454 metres: the Ice Palace, the Sphinx Observatory and the Jungfrau plateau, with lunch at the top. Back down, bags collected, and the train to Lausanne.

Luzern–Interlaken Express · Lake Brienz · Iseltwald · Lauterbrunnen · Jungfraujoch 3,454 m

The train from Lausanne to Gruyères for the cheese dairy, and lunch inside the walled town. In the afternoon the GoldenPass Belle Époque to Chillon Castle, then back to Lausanne for a walk through the old town. On the last day the bags go to Geneva airport first, and the group walks Geneva old town, St Pierre Cathedral and the Flower Clock before lunch and the flight home.

Gruyères · GoldenPass Belle Époque · Chillon Castle · Lausanne old town · Geneva