Exploring Switzeland by train

Published by: ClaraS

Hi, I am planning to take a trip across Switzerland with five other friends around August. As we are students we are trying to make it as cheap as possible so we decided to travel by train. We really want to have a solid plan for this trip, which is why we are starting planning well in advance. I would really appreciate it if anyone can help me get some questions clarified: Are there any good deals on train tickets for students or groups of more than four people? Preferably we want to start from Geneva and I’ve read some comments about the town of Montreux, which is next to the lake but I was wondering if it is really worth the train ride to there? We definitely want to visit the Alps and Id be really grateful if you can give me some tips on which places should we go to while there. Thanks in advance!

14.12.2020 7 Answers

PaulaJ commented on 14.12.2020

Yes, if you want to travel by train there is a Swiss Travel Pass that allows you to travel across Switzerland unlimited with one ticket. If you buy that you get also free entry to some museum, discount on mountain excursions and you can use public transport in other cities but you need to see which one exactly. The prices vary depending on your age but when I bought it I remember I paid around 200 CHF for a 2nd class ticket for 3 days. I was 25 at the time. Good luck!

MaximilianL commented on 14.12.2020

You can check the prices and additional information here https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html

MonicaC commented on 14.12.2020

Many thanks!

MelanieO commented on 14.12.2020

Yeah, Montreaux is just on the opposite side of the lake you can go there by train. If you want to visit that you need to buy tickets for the GoldenPass Line, which starts from Montreaux and goes to Lucerne. A friend of mine took that trip last year and she was amazed by the beauty of the landscapes. She said they saw couple of lakes, some vineyards, mountains…. So there are things to see. Maybe you can try this route?

StephanieK commented on 14.12.2020

Most of the train intineraries start either in Zurich or Geneva so you have plenty of options and it all depends on how much time and money you want to spend on such trip. I think it would be difficult for you to decide where you wanna go because there are plenty of opportunities, so just pick one any would be a good choice, as all of them can offer you pretty views if this is what you are after.

MonicaC commented on 14.12.2020

Last winter we took one of these itineraries and ended up skiing in Zermatt. I have also went to Verbier few years ago, which is a great place for beginners but I personally prefer Zermatt because it is more accessible if you want to go skking in the additional parts of the resort. Another thing I like about Zermatt is that it is car-free which for me makes the atmosphere even more authentic. You have a wide range of restaurants and bars there so you can try different cuisines. Plus you have the Matterhorn mountain there so you can enjoy these views as well. There are plenty of articles that can help you choose your destination so I suggest you do some research and reading beforehand. We used this guide for our trip https://leaveyourdailyhell.com/switzerland-itinerary/ Hope this helps ?

ClaraS commented on 14.12.2020

Thank you all!!! I will deffinately research more now that you have suggested some places.