Scenic train rides and stunning spots to discover on your next visit to Switzerland
There are places on this planet that, on arrival, promise a slice of paradise. But an hour later, when your bus still hasn't arrived, such initial euphoria drains away.
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Not so in Switzerland. Yes, it's indeed one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it's also the most punctual paradise travellers can find.
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As anyone who has stumbled, bleary-eyed, off a transatlantic flight will attest, being able to find (on arrival) a transportation system so wonderfully precise and simple to use is one of travel's most underrated treasures.
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Buying a Swiss Travel Pass is a must for so many reasons. Not only is it valid for train travel, it also covers local buses, many sightseeing boats and entry to a host of museums. Plus, there's rarely a need for advance reservations; just hop on and hop off to your heart's content.
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The only question remains: just how much natural beauty do you want to see?
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The grand tour of Switzerland carries an endless appeal, covering almost 1,300 kilometres aboard those famous panoramic-view trains. Alas, most visitors must make a choice, being confined by time or money.
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So, in homage to Switzerland's linguistic heritage, we settled on Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano, where the native tongue is French, German and Italian respectively. (Don't worry: English is spoken everywhere.)
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The Swiss-based charter airline Edelweiss now flies out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax direct to Zurich, which is the perfect city to begin touring — a major rail station being part of its easily navigated airport.
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Scenic train rides and stunning spots to discover on your next visit to Switzerland
There are places on this planet that, on arrival, promise a slice of paradise. But an hour later, when your bus still hasn't arrived, such initial euphoria drains away. Not so in Switzerland. Yes, it's indeed one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it's also the most punctual paradise travellers can find. As anyone who has stumbled, bleary-eyed, off a transatlantic flight will attest, being able to find (on arrival) a transportation system so wonderfully precise and simple to use is one of travel's most underrated treasures. The backbone of this system is the railways that crisscross Switzerland. The trains don't just arrive on time, but every connection is precise, so travellers can switch trains quickly and easily. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Buying a Swiss Travel Pass is a must for so many reasons. Not only is it valid for train travel, it also covers local buses, many sightseeing boats and entry to a host of museums. Plus, there's rarely a need for advance reservations; just hop on and hop off to your heart's content. The only question remains: just how much natural beauty do you want to see? The grand tour of Switzerland carries an endless appeal, covering almost 1,300 kilometres aboard those famous panoramic-view trains. Alas, most visitors must make a choice, being confined by time or money. So, in homage to Switzerland's linguistic heritage, we settled on Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano, where the native tongue is French, German and Italian respectively. (Don't worry: English is spoken everywhere.) The Swiss-based charter airline Edelweiss now flies out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax direct to Zurich, which is the perfect city to begin touring — a major rail station being part of its easily navigated airport. Within 30 minutes of leaving the plane you can board Swiss Rails' high-speed luxury train, using your first-class travel pass to avoid bothering booking seats. The gorgeous city of Lausanne, nestled on the banks of Lake Geneva, welcomed us at the art deco-inspired Hotel Mirabeau. Lausanne held similar appeal for French baron Pierre de Coubertin when, during the horrors of the First World War, he decided neutral Switzerland should headquarter the re-launched Olympic Games he championed. Today it's home to the International Olympic Committee and boasts a breathtakingly beautiful museum, overlooking the lake, that pays homage to the Games with vintage artifacts, classic sporting videos and poignant vignettes of previous Olympics, including those in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. It's enough to whet the appetite of any sports fan, so where better to enjoy lunch than the museum's grand restaurant, which offers an outrageously tasty buffet. If medals were handed out for self-serve cuisine , this would be a shoo-in for gold. After two wonderful days in Lausanne — no wonder David Bowie loved it — it was time to leave and experience the true wonders of Swiss rail, as we set out for Lucerne. 'If you want peace of mind, come to Montreux,' the late Freddie Mercury once said. So, that was our first pit stop. Music made the town world famous: its annual Montreux Jazz Festival is the city's signature event. From Montreux it's time to board the Belle Époque, Switzerland's answer to the Orient Express, with historical carriages combining comfort, elegance, and romance while travelling in style towards another famous mountain town – Gstaad. Sitting high in the Bernese Oberland, Gstaad is a magnet for the rich and famous, with its secluded location, top-notch restaurants and wonderful alpine views. Regular visitors have included Madonna , Princess Diana , Brigitte Bardot, Tiger Woods and Leonardo DiCaprio. If you can't spot a celebrity, don't despair. The magnificent scenery is even more stellar. The prestige section of the classic Golden Pass Express, which stops at Gstaad, provides a little of its own star quality, as it cuts through the Swiss Alps en route to Interlaken. While taking in the scenery , guests are pampered like Hollywood legends, with a delightful selection of regional delicacies complemented by a fine glass of wine. From Interlaken, following a seamless change of train, the Lucerne-Interlaken Express takes passengers along the shores of crystal-clear lakes and over the magnificent Brünig mountain pass before arriving in Lucerne, a compact city on the shores of its namesake lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and home to the famous 14 th century Chapel Bridge. A variety of tour boats depart the city's docks, allowing further exploration of the region. One of the most spectacular trips takes guests across the lake to Vitznau, at the base of Rigi Kulm, where a cogwheel railcar awaits to pull you 1,800 metres up to the mountain summit. The views are spectacular, on a clear day stretching as far as Germany and France. A short hike downhill leads to the lovely Lok 7 restaurant. You're close to heaven anyhow, so try the sumptuous Swiss cordon bleu for an elevated dining experience. Sadly, it was time to bid the lovely Lucerne 'auf Wiedersehen'as a taste of almost-Italy awaited, which meant a dramatic rail journey through one of the 19th century's most famous engineering marvels, the Gotthard Tunnel. A scenic cruise across Lake Lucerne, past legendary Swiss landmarks such as the Rütli Meadow and Tell Chapel ended in Flüelen, the departure point for the Gotthard Panorama Express, a train journey through the country's heartland, to the awe-inspiring Alps. Historically, crossing this beautiful mountain pass was arduous and challenging. So, in 1871 construction on a 15-km tunnel began from both sides of the imposing Saint-Gotthard Massif . It was deemed impossible and the project claimed hundreds of lives. But a decade later it opened and became the longest such tunnel in the world. Emerging from that same tunnel was akin to discovering another land. This is Ticino, the Italian-influenced region of Switzerland. Arriving in the area's biggest city, Lugano, it was a quick ride down the Città-Stazione funicular to discover the lovely Luganodante Hotel, complete with its Flamel gourmet restaurant and ultra-trendy cocktail bar. From Lugano it's simple to explore the entire Ticino region and, once again, those near-perfect travel links make it a breeze. A short train ride brings travellers to the base of Monte Generoso where a rack railway continues the trip to the mountain summit at 1,700 metres. The views from the top are simply gorgeous, from looking down on Lugano and its surrounding lake to glimpsing Milan in the far distance. The summit is crowned with the remarkable four-storey Fiore di pietra building, designed by famous architect Mario Botta, where a stunning restaurant and 360 degree views grace the upper floors. It was time to say 'Arrivederci' to Lugano and to Switzerland. There was just one more journey to enjoy: the express train to Zurich and the airport. It arrived on time, of course.
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
Scenic train rides and stunning spots to discover on your next visit to Switzerland
Article content There are places on this planet that, on arrival, promise a slice of paradise. But an hour later, when your bus still hasn't arrived, such initial euphoria drains away. Article content Not so in Switzerland. Yes, it's indeed one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but it's also the most punctual paradise travellers can find. Article content Article content As anyone who has stumbled, bleary-eyed, off a transatlantic flight will attest, being able to find (on arrival) a transportation system so wonderfully precise and simple to use is one of travel's most underrated treasures. Article content Article content Article content Buying a Swiss Travel Pass is a must for so many reasons. Not only is it valid for train travel, it also covers local buses, many sightseeing boats and entry to a host of museums. Plus, there's rarely a need for advance reservations; just hop on and hop off to your heart's content. Article content The only question remains: just how much natural beauty do you want to see? Article content The grand tour of Switzerland carries an endless appeal, covering almost 1,300 kilometres aboard those famous panoramic-view trains. Alas, most visitors must make a choice, being confined by time or money. Article content So, in homage to Switzerland's linguistic heritage, we settled on Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano, where the native tongue is French, German and Italian respectively. (Don't worry: English is spoken everywhere.) Article content Article content The Swiss-based charter airline Edelweiss now flies out of Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax direct to Zurich, which is the perfect city to begin touring — a major rail station being part of its easily navigated airport.
