Season 2026: January 6 - October 10 / December 7 - December 23

except March 1 & 8, due to local events

As a sole proprietor with a capacity of one tour per day, I can be fully booked far in advance.

Glacier Express route tour from Lucerne (local trains)

Route: Route: Lucerne - Zurich - Chur - Disentis/Mustér - Andermatt - Brig - Bern or Olten - Lucerne

This route includes a ride through the Rhine Gorge, across the Oberalp mountain pass, and through Andermatt.

We depart around 8 AM from Lucerne. First, we travel to Chur via Zurich by SBB, the Swiss Federal railways. There we change to a train of the famous Rhaetian railways.

From there we travel accross the Rhine gorge, dubbed the Swiss Grand canyon, and cross the Alps by train on a spectacular journey over the Oberalp mountain pass to the alpine village of Andermatt.

After lunch we continue through the Furka region to Brig in the canton of Valais.

In Brig we join the network of the Swiss Federal Railways again, which will bring us back to Lucerne.

Inclusions

- All required train tickets in first class for you and the guide

- Meeting at any centrally located Hotels, Apartment, or Airbnb

- Return to any centrally located Hotel, Apartment, or Airbnb after the tour

- Fee for the private guide, who will stay at your disposal throughout the tour

- Car-free tour by train as per the tour description

- Photography by the guide (with your own camera or smartphone)

- A booklet with comprehensive information about Switzerland (one per party, for groups of four persons or larger are two printed copies included)

- Use of a mobile hotspot with unlimited data (Speed: 4G)

What is not included in the tour price?

- Your meals and drinks

- Any personal expenses

- Optional activities

- Travel insurance (participation at your own risk)

Please regard that your lunch is not included in the tour price.

Picnic lunch on the trains

On the local trains there is no food and beverage serivce. You are free to consume store bought food on-board.

We will pass by convenience shops and sandwich outlets, where you can grab a bite.

Restaurant / sit-down meal

We can have a sit-down lunch in Disentis/Mustér or Andermatt.

The activity level is low to moderate: frequent changes of trains, with few steps to get in an out of the trains, walk through the village of Andermatt (optional)

I can meet you at any centrally located hotel in Lucerne.

Click here to see a map of the pick-up area

If you're staying outside of the pick-up area, I can meet you at the central train station of Lucerne.

Weather forecast

Once a reliable weather forecast is available (usually one to three days before departure), I will send you a link to the forecast.

If there is bad weather forecasted, I will include my recommendations for our tour day.

I use the weather forecasts provided by the Federal Office of Meteorology and SRF (Swiss Radio and Television).

With the links below, you can check the weather forecast at any time by yourself. The forecasts are available for the next five days.

Operability

This tour can run in any weather condition. On rare occasions, there may be a cancellation due to landslides, avalanches, and other natural forces or the risk thereof. I will fully refund the deposit in this case.

Your options in case of bad weather (tour specific)

A full-day train tour is already the best option on a rainy day.

If not having perfect weather is a dealbreaker, you can cancel by forfeiting the deposit.

Benefits of the local trains vs. the Glacier Express panoramic train

+ Authentic experience

+ The local trains take the same route as the Glacier Express 

+ The local trains also offer comfortable seats and have a 1st class compartment.

+ More space - on the Glacier Express every single seat is taken and you are limited to the seat which you have reserved. The local trains often have an occupancy rate of 60% or less, however this can't be guaranteed. 

+ The local trains have open seating, you can sit on every free seat. Given availability, you can always switch sides and select a seat on the side with the best views.

+ No panoramic windows - The panoramic windows are larger but cause a lot of glare, hence it's better for photography.

+ A lower tour price - Unlike for the Glacier Express panoramic train, there is no surcharge for the local trains.

Downsides of the local trains vs. the Glacier Express panoramic train

- There is no food and beverage service on board - however you can buy snacks, sandwiches and drinks at the train station pre-boarding, and consume it on board. 

- No panoramic windows - however the regular windows are still large enough to provide a good view of the scenery.

- More changes of trains. The changes are easy, on most stations the corresponding train is just on the opposite platform. This is only an issue if some of the participants have mobility issues.

This itinerary is only an example. The schedule can vary due to various factors such as the season, the day of the week, construction work, service, and schedule changes.

The exact departure and return time depends on the pick-up/drop-off location.