5 Lesser-Known Scenic Train Journeys in Switzerland
Ask most people to name a scenic Swiss train and you'll usually hear the same thing… either the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express. Perhaps if you ask someone who knows Switzerland a little better, they might say the GoldenPass, the Gotthard Panorama or the Luzern-Interlaken Express. These make up Switzerland's five official premium panoramic routes, and it's fair to say they've earned their glowing reputation. But they're also the routes everyone else is booking, which means busier carriages and more competition for window seats (especially during peak seasons).
If you prefer a quieter travel experience away from the tourist hotspots, you'll be pleased to know that Switzerland's spectacular rail network runs a lot deeper than those five headline routes. Much deeper in fact. And with over 5,200km of railway stretching across a country known for its scenery and public transport, it's certainly worth scratching beneath the surface. From steam trains climbing high into the Alps to Belle Époque carriages rolling past vineyards on Lake Geneva, here are five hidden gems of Swiss rail.
1. Voralpen-Express: Lucerne to St. Gallen
The Voralpen Express covers 125 kilometres of Central and Eastern Switzerland that most visitors never see from a train window. Out of Lucerne, you get Lake Lucerne and Mount Rigi off to one side before the route climbs into the quieter upland country around Rothenthurm. From there it's on past Lake Zurich, through Rapperswil, and into the rolling Toggenburg hills.
A particular highlight comes on the approach to St. Gallen as the train crosses the Sitter Viaduct, Switzerland's highest railway bridge at 99 metres. Waiting for you at the end is the UNESCO-listed Abbey of St. Gall — a worthy addition to any Swiss itinerary. The journey is just over two hours, running hourly year-round. Seat reservations aren't required but come included in your ticket with SwissPasses.
Book the Voralpen-Express here.
2. Treno Gottardo: Lucerne to Locarno
You could definitely get to Ticino faster. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world, was built precisely for that reason. But that wouldn't be very scenic, would it? Instead, the Treno Gottardo takes you over the historic Gotthard route — a combination of century-old railroads, unique spiral tunnels and stunning mountain passes. Once you've traversed the Alps, the scenery quickly changes as rugged landscapes give way to Bellinzona's UNESCO-listed castles, and before long you're pulling into Mediterranean Locarno. Anyone who's done the Gotthard pass by train will tell you it's genuinely one of the great Swiss rail experiences.
The Treno Gottardo follows basically the same route as the Gotthard Panorama Express. The main difference is that the former operates from Zürich, Lucerne and Basel to Locarno, whilst the latter runs between Lucerne and Lugano and features a steamboat portion on Lake Lucerne. Something that sets the Treno Gottardo apart from the premium panoramic route, however, is that it operates hourly and all year round (as opposed to daily and from April to October), and allows you to hop on and off at stops if you want to explore.
Book the Treno Gottardo here.
3. Centovalli Railway: Locarno to Domodossola
Arrive into Locarno on the Treno Gottardo and you're already standing at the start of another route most visitors never clock — this one heading west into Italy. The Centovalli Railway, named for the "hundred valleys" it winds through, is a narrow-gauge line that threads chestnut forests, stone-built villages and some genuinely dramatic viaducts and gorges on its way to Domodossola, just over the Italian border.
It's an unusual one to include on a list of Swiss scenic trains given it spends a fair chunk of the journey in Italy, but that's part of what makes it worth knowing about - it's one of the few routes where you get Ticino's palm-and-lake scenery, Alpine gorges and a proper border crossing all inside roughly two hours, and the whole thing is fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass regardless of which side of the border you're on.
Book the Centovalli Railway here.
4. GoldenPass Belle Époque: Montreux to Gstaad
Another variation on one of Switzerland's premium panoramic routes, this time adding a historic twist to the GoldenPass Express. The Belle Époque service runs the Montreux–Gstaad leg in restored heritage carriages — polished wood panelling, armchairs instead of standard rail seats, and an authentic aesthetic that will show you why the Belle Époque is known as the beautiful era.
You start on the shore of Lake Geneva, climb up through vineyard terraces and small villages, and keep climbing into the mountains in Saanenland. About 1 hour 45 minutes door to door, with two departures a day both ways all year, it really is the stylish way to get to Gstaad.
Book the GoldenPass Belle Époque here.
5. Furka Steam Railway: Realp to Oberwald
On the theme of historic rail journeys, it doesn't get much better than the Furka Steam Railway. This hundred-year-old locomotive chugs through the historic mountain crossing between Realp in Uri and Oberwald in Valais — a route the modern Furka Base Tunnel now bypasses entirely, which is exactly why the old line is such a hidden gem. The cogwheel track tops out at 2,160 metres, the second-highest rail crossing in the Alps, cutting through remote terrain, over bridges and past dramatic gorges.
The route fell out of use in the 80s when the new tunnel was built, but it's been kept alive by a dedicated team of volunteers — from train drivers to track maintenance. And this can be quite a job! Every spring the track is reopened as snow is cleared and the Steffenbach Bridge is reassembled — one of many examples of Swiss ingenuity, a retractable bridge that folds away to survive the harsh winter. The Furka Steam Railway is as much a piece of living railway history as it is a scenic ride, and well worth adding to your itinerary rather than just passing through the Furka tunnel as most people do.
Book the Furka Steam Railway here.
All of these journeys, with the exception of the fifth, are fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, and while seat reservations are included with your SwissPasses tickets for convenience, they're not actually required. Combined with the fact these routes see far fewer crowds than the Glacier and Bernina Express, that makes them a genuinely affordable way to experience the best of Swiss rail — book any of them through SwissPasses, or get in touch if you'd rather we string a few together into a full itinerary. The quickest way from A to B is rarely the one you'll remember.
