The Train-First Itinerary
Switzerland is the country that makes you suddenly aware of how much grime your home city has accumulated. Trains arrive on time. Lake water is the colour of a designer's swatch. Mountains rise so abruptly that you can take a train from a city centre and be on a glacier in two hours. The route below leans into the trains.
Route, day by day
Day 1 — Zürich. Land. Walk Niederdorf, the lakefront, and the Bahnhofstrasse. Dinner at Zeughauskeller. An early night; tomorrow is a travel day.
Day 2 — Glacier Express to Zermatt. The 8-hour panoramic train from Zürich/Chur to Zermatt. Window seat. Two coffees. Watch the Alps unfold.
Day 3 — Zermatt. Gornergrat railway at dawn for the Matterhorn view. Hike a short trail down. Afternoon at a lakeside, evening dinner with a view.
Day 4 — Lucerne. Train back via Lucerne. The Chapel Bridge, lake walk, Mt. Pilatus cable car if time. Train back to Zürich for the flight out.
Practical notes
- The Swiss Travel Pass pays for itself fast if you're doing 3+ scenic-train legs.
- Glacier Express tickets: book months ahead in summer; the panoramic carriages sell out.
- Cost: Switzerland is honest about being expensive. €15 for a coffee + croissant is normal in Zürich.
- Cash vs card: contactless is universal. Carry CHF only for vending machines.
- Hike: even a 30-minute trail near Gornergrat or Pilatus is more memorable than another city walk.
What I'd write more about
- Glacier Express vs Bernina Express: which to pick.
- Why Switzerland's transit feels like a public-good design treatise.
- The Zermatt-vs-Grindelwald decision for first-timers.
Note: Working draft based on memory and a route I'd recommend. I'll expand each day with photos, specific places, and longer reflections as I revisit my notes.