Classic Glacier Express in Winter Tour
About this trip.
The slowest express train in the world
The Glacier Express is often described as the slowest express train in the world — roughly eight hours to cross Switzerland between Zermatt and St Moritz at a pace somewhere between a cycle and a brisk walk. In winter, that pace works in the train's favour. The panoramic carriages, with curved glass reaching into the roofline, give you time to look, and the landscape outside is quieter than in summer — snow flattens the texture and leaves the shape of things: church spires, single farmhouses, the sudden drop of a valley floor.
If you've taken the Glacier Express in summer, winter is a different trip. The passes are still open, the timetable holds, but the scenery is colder and more spare. Postcard Switzerland, essentially, doing the thing the postcards are drawn from.
Two lines, one holiday
The route pairs the Glacier Express with the Bernina Express, which is the shorter and steeper of the two. The Bernina line runs from the Engadine down to Tirano in northern Italy, crossing the Bernina Pass on a UNESCO-listed alignment — spiral viaducts, stone arches, gradients handled without rack-and-pinion. The descent into Italy is the signature shift: Alpine snow on one side of the pass, the softer light of a Lombard valley on the other.
Between the two rail days there are hotel nights in Swiss base towns along the route, used as overnight stops rather than sightseeing bases in their own right. That's worth knowing: this is a holiday built around the trains, not around the places they pause in.
Booked as an escorted tour
Great Rail Journeys run the trip as a package — tour manager, hotels, seat reservations on both trains, transfers between stations and accommodation. You can do either route independently; both are bookable directly through SBB and the Rhaetian Railway, and plenty of people do. The question is whether you want the logistics handled for you. In winter, with snow, platform changes, and luggage, "handled for you" has some weight.
The what's-included detail sits on the booking page and is worth reading carefully before you commit — in particular which meals, which transfers, and whether panoramic-class seats are included or an upgrade. It suits people who want the two great Alpine rail routes in one trip without assembling the itinerary themselves, and who don't mind travelling in a group. If either of those is a sticking point, booking the trains direct is the cheaper and more flexible route.
The shape of the trip.
What's typically in the price, what isn't.
A general guide for rail holidays of this kind. Check the operator's booking page for the final inclusions on this specific trip.
Typically included
- ✓Rail tickets on the published route, in the ticket class booked
- ✓Hotel accommodation between rail days, breakfast included
- ✓A tour manager throughout on escorted departures
- ✓Luggage handling between hotels on escorted tours
- ✓Some meals — typically breakfasts and a few set dinners; check the day-by-day
- ✓Any included excursions or entrance fees listed on the itinerary
Typically not included
- ×Flights to and from the start city
- ×Travel insurance with rail-protection cover (strongly recommended)
- ×Most lunches and some evening meals — eat at stations or in town
- ×Upgrades: first-class legs, sleeper cabin upgrades, single rooms on shared departures
- ×Drinks on board beyond anything stated in the itinerary
- ×Tips for the tour manager (customary but discretionary)
Everything you might be wondering.
Q1Do I have to change trains?
On most escorted tours, yes — the route is the point, not a single through-train. A tour manager handles the connections and your luggage. Independent itineraries come with pre-booked tickets and detailed routing, but you work the changes yourself.
Q2Are meals included?
Breakfasts at hotels are usually included. Dinners and lunches vary by tour. Many scenic day services have a dining car or trolley you can pay for on board. Check the day-by-day — escorted tours list every meal that's included.
Q3Is luggage handled?
On escorted tours your main bag is moved between hotels while you carry a day bag on the train. On independent itineraries you move your own luggage — pack a case you can lift onto a train without help.
Q4First class or second?
First class on European trains is wider seats, quieter carriages, sometimes complimentary drinks. Second class is perfectly fine and about a third cheaper. Upgrades to first are usually £50-150 per leg on longer routes.
Q5Can I travel solo?
Escorted rail tours suit solo travellers well — there's a tour manager, a set schedule, and shared hotel dinners most nights. Single-room supplements apply (typically £300-600 on a 10-day tour). A handful of departures are marked 'no single supplement' — watch the operator's calendar if you want to save.
Q6Is it slower than flying?
Yes, and that's the point. London to Zurich by train is 8 hours via Paris and the TGV, versus 2 hours in the air plus 3 hours of airport on each side. The difference is how you arrive — rested, in the middle of the city, having watched the journey.
Q7What if a train is cancelled?
Escorted tours have tour-manager contingency — the operator rebooks and absorbs the cost. Independent itineraries depend on your ticket type (flexible versus advance) and whether you have rail-protection insurance. Take it.
Q8What about cancellation?
Typically a 20-25% deposit at booking, balance due 8-10 weeks before departure. Rail tickets are a sunk cost once issued, which matters on longer trips. Travel insurance with rail cover is sensible.
Three rail holidays, side-by-side.
Other rail holidays on Mooch in the same spirit. All prices per person, from the operator.
