train journey london to zurich

Find trains from London to Zurich

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There are 481.9 mi between London and Zurich. By train, the distance is greater, and the train route may stop elsewhere along the way.

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How to travel by train from

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Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia, lunch in london, bedtime in switzerland, by train.

Take Eurostar from London to Paris in 2h20, have lunch at the remarkable Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon , then take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris to Geneva in 3h05, Lausanne in 3h39, Basel in 3h03 or Zurich in 4h03 from €29 each way.  It's more civilised, comfortable & environmentally-friendly than any flight, centre to centre with no baggage fees or airport taxes.  Infants go free & there's great scenery on the way.  This page explains the best routes, train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

Train travel within Switzerland

International travel to/from switzerland, other useful information, interactive map :  click a destination or route, useful country information, london to basel, zurich , lucerne, option 1, london to basel or zurich via paris.

Take Eurostar from London to Paris with cafe-bar & free WiFi.  Standard Premier & Business Premier fares include breakfast on departures before 11:00 and a meal with wine on later departures.  Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi , then take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris to Basel in only 3h04 or Zurich in 4h03, also with cafe-bar & free WiFi.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the fabulous Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

Timetable outward 2024

Timetable inward 2024, notes for timetable.

For Lucerne, change in Basel.  Hourly trains link Basel SBB & Lucerne in as little as 1h02, check times at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com .

How to read these timetables :  You read downwards, each column is a journey you can take.  You change trains at each grey bar.

Times may vary, check times & buy tickets at www.raileurope.com , www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com .

How much does it cost?

London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £97 one-way, £168 return standard premier (1st class).

Paris to Basel or Zurich by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.

Basel to Lucerne costs around €29.60 each way, regular price.

Eurostar & TGV-Lyria fares are dynamic & vary like air fares, so book ahead.  On Eurostar & TGV-Lyria, children under 4 go free, children under 12 travel at a child rate.  On Swiss domestic trains, children under 6 go free, children under 16 at half price.

How to buy tickets

What are the trains like.

1. London to Paris by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Standard Premier & Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Paris Gare du Nord station guide .  How to cross Paris by metro or taxi .

2. Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320 km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard class (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points for mobiles & laptops at all seats in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More about TGV-Lyria .  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide .  Basel SBB station guide .  Zurich HB station guide .

What's the scenery like?

On the route from Paris to Basel & Zurich, the train soon leaves the historic Gare de Lyon behind and accelerates through the Parisian suburbs onto the high-speed line at up to 300km/h (186mph).  The train slows down to call at Dijon, the major city of the Burgundy region, with views over the city on the approach.  The train continues through the rolling hills of rural France, past pretty villages with picturesque churches onto the new Rhone-Rhine high-speed line where the train reaches 320km/h (199mph).  Calling at Mulhouse, the train continues on classic lines to enter Switzerland at Basel.

It's easy to buy train tickets to Switzerland, here I'll explain the options.

Option 1, buy at Raileurope.com

Go to www.raileurope.com

Raileurope.com connects to the British, French & Swiss ticketing systems, so you can buy all your tickets from the UK to Switzerland in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.  There's a small booking fee.  You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.  Who are Raileurope.com?

When does booking open?

Eurostar opens up to 11 months ahead, Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria up to 6 months ahead.

But it's often less than this and data may be incomplete more than 3-6 months ahead.  I recommend waiting until both trains are open for sale so you can confirm times & prices before buying a non-refundable Eurostar ticket.  For TGV-Lyria, dates after the mid-December timetable change (including Christmas & New Year) usually open in mid-October.

More about when train bookings open .  You can book hotels risk-free before booking your trains if you use www.booking.com with free cancellation.

Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead

Fares for Eurostar & TGV-Lyria are dynamic like air fares, so book early and search for the cheapest departures.  The cheapest tickets mean no refunds, no changes.

How to book

You can travel from London to most Swiss destinations in a single day, you can book that as one seamless transaction as shown in method 1.

Method 2 gives you more control and can cope with more complex journeys, including ones involving an overnight stop in Paris on the way out or the way back, or circular journeys.

Incidentally, there are no through tickets from London to Switzerland, you'll always get a Eurostar ticket to Paris, a TGV-Lyria ticket from Paris to Switzerland and separate onward Swiss tickets.  But connections across Paris are protected by the Railteam/HOTNAT and AJC .

1.  Set up an enquiry from London to your Swiss destination, number of passengers, date of travel, set a suitable morning or early afternoon departure time.

2.  If you're returning, also in a single day, enter your return date with suitable morning or early afternoon departure time.

On French & Swiss trains a return is two one ways.  But on Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than two one ways so a round trip that includes Eurostar should be booked as a return.

3.  Now the science bit.  Click More options and enter Paris Nord as a via station with stopover duration set to 1 hour (to guarantee a minimum acceptable 1 hour between trains in Paris) or 2 hours (a more robust connection, recommended) or 3 hours (for lunch in Paris at the famous Train Bleu restaurant ).  If you don't do this, the system can offer risky cross-Paris connections as tight as 42 minutes.  Advice on crossing Paris .

4.  Run the enquiry.  As a general rule, look in the search results for journeys with fewest changes, ideally 1.  Add to basket.

First, read the relevant destination section on this page and find a train service that suits you, out & back.  By all means go out one way and back another, or go outward direct, back with an overnight stop in Paris, whatever.  Note down each individual train you want to book, on what specific date.  Then go to www.raileurope.com

Step 1, book your chosen train from Paris to your Swiss destination, one-way, and add to basket.

Step 2, if you're returning, book your chosen train from your Swiss destination to Paris, one-way, and add to basket.  Confirm times.

Step 3, book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back as a round trip and add to basket.

Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than two one ways, so a round trip on Eurostar should always be booked as a return. 

Use the suggested Eurostar times on this page as a guide, but by all means book an earlier Eurostar than the one I suggest going out, or a later one coming back, if you'd prefer a more robust connection (as I do), if the fare is cheaper, or if you want to have lunch in Paris (also me!).

Just remember that with this method, it's up to you to make sure there's at least 60 minutes between trains in Paris southbound, 90 minutes northbound (to include the Eurostar check-in), ideally 2 hours.  So engage brain!  Advice on crossing Paris .

Travelling from the UK regions

Raileurope can book journeys starting from any British station, not just London.  It allows about an hour for Eurostar check-in.

However, consider booking from London to Switzerland first, then buying a separate ticket from your local station to London.  There are 2 reasons to do this:  First, you might want a more robust connection between trains in London, say 2 hours.  Second, Raileurope doesn't sell the special tickets to London International CIV which can sometimes save you money in the weekday morning peak, learn about these here .

Child fares & infants

Children under 12 travel at the child rate on Eurostar & TGV-Lyria.  Children under 16 qualify for child rate on Swiss trains.

Infants under 4 travel free on Eurostar & TGV-Lyria, no need to buy them a ticket, just bring them along.  But they don't get their own seat.

Tip:   To give an infant their own seat on TGV-Lyria, buy a Baby Pass for €15.  Simply add the infant to your booking with their correct age.

Choose an upper deck seat on TGV-Lyria

All TGV-Lyria trains are double-deck TGV Duplex .  www.raileurope.com lets you choose upper or lower deck, I recommend an upstairs seat for the best views.

After booking, you can view & change your Eurostar seats

After you have booked trains between London & Switzerland using www.raileurope.com , you can go to www.eurostar.com and use the Manage booking feature to view and change your Eurostar seats, see instructions & tips for choosing seats here .

Train seat numbering plans

TGV-Lyria seat map .   For other seat maps see the train seating plan page .

Option 2, buy at Thetrainline.com

You can also buy tickets from London to Switzerland at www.thetrainline.com .

Like Raileurope, it connects to the Eurostar, French & Swiss ticketing systems so you can easily book all your tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $ with overseas credit cards no problem.  Who are Thetrainline.com?

Most of the Raileurope booking tips above also apply to booking on www.thetrainline.com .

Prices should be exactly the same on both sites, it really comes down to personal preference and a few differences explained below:

Thetrainline.com lets you choose your seats from a seat map on TGV-Lyria if you book 1st class. A big plus!

Advantage of Raileurope over Thetrainline:

However, Raileurope.com has a key advantage, you can specify a via station with a stopover duration.  This is so useful for cross-Paris journeys where you want to allow sufficient time in Paris.

When using Thetrainline.com you can specify a via , but not the duration, so I recommend using method 2.

Option 3, buy at eurostar.com + sncf-connect.com + sbb.ch

You can of course book each train separately direct with the relevant operator, this is obviously more work and prices should be the same, but you pay no booking fee.  If you want to book this way, do a dry run on each site to confirm times, prices & availability before booking for real.

Step 1, book the TGV-Lyria from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Basel or Zurich at the French Railways website www.sncf-connect.com .

When booking 1st class on a TGV-Lyria you can choose your seat from a seat map.  You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.

www.sncf-connect.com can easily book the TGV-Lyria from Paris to Geneva, Lausanne, Basel or Zurich, it will also book through tickets to many Swiss destinations involving one change of train, such as Interlaken or Brig.  But it can struggle with destinations requiring more changes, for example Grindelwald, Zermatt or St Moritz.  If you have any difficulty booking to your final Swiss destination, book the direct TGV from Paris to Lausanne, Bern, Basel or Zurich.

Step 2, book a connecting Eurostar from London to Paris (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com .

Use the Eurostar times on this page as a guide, but feel free to choose an earlier Eurostar from London or a later Eurostar back from Paris if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.  You can print out your own ticket or can show it on your phone, and there's no booking fee.

Or you can stay with www.sncf-connect.com to book the Eurostar, also with no booking fee.  In fact, www.sncf-connect.com can book you from London to Switzerland as one seamless transaction, just make sure that the time between trains in Paris is at least 60 minutes, if it's less than this, or if you want longer than an hour, you'll have to split the booking.  You get separate tickets either side of Pars anyway.

Step 3, buy onward domestic Swiss tickets at www.sbb.ch.

At www.sbb.ch you'll sometimes find cheap advance-purchase Supersaver fares which are valid on that specific train only, no changes to travel plans, no refunds, but can save up to 70% off the regular fare.  But read what I say about Supersaver fares , especially if connecting off a train arriving from Paris.  A Saver Day Pass or regular flexible ticket is fine as these are good for any train that day.

Or use an Interrail pass

Pass or point to point?

Let's be clear, a pass will not save money over the cheapest point-to-point advance-purchase fares you might see if you book a few months ahead.  But when point-to-point fares are expensive (for example, at short notice) OR you want flexibility, for example the ability to change your mind, re-route or reschedule as necessary, a pass might be what you need.

If flexibility is what you want, buy the pass.  If it's about saving money, you'll have to check point-to-point prices and do the maths.

It's worth doing the maths if you are under 28, if you have kids (kids get a free pass when accompanying an adult but still need to pay reservation fees) or if you live a long way from London (as a pass covers you from your home station to London). Passes are available in 1st & 2nd class.

How to use a pass for a trip to Switzerland

Step 1, buy a 4-days in 1-month Interrail pass from www.raileurope.com (click Rail passes and select Europe ) or www.interrail.eu , see pass prices on the Interrail page .  You load the pass into the Railplanner app on your phone.

A 4-day pass is more than enough to get from anywhere in mainland Britain to anywhere in Switzerland & back again.  In fact, it's enough to get from London & Southeast to anywhere in Switzerland & back, with 2 days of unlimited train travel in Switzerland while you're there.

A 4-day pass gives you unlimited train travel on any 4 dates you choose in an overall 1 month period.  The first travel day can be any date you select in the 11 months after buying the pass, the overall 1 month period starts from that date.  Learn about how Interrail passes work here .

Step 2, you need a Eurostar passholder reservation from London to Paris & back, see prices & how to make Eurostar passholder reservations .  Tip:  Eurostar passholder availability is limited, check availability before buying a pass .

Step 3, you need a passholder reservation on the Paris-Switzerland TGV-Lyria, see cost of reservations & how to make them .

Step 4, Swiss trains can be used freely with a pass, no reservations needed except for tourist trains such as the Glacier or Bernina Express.

Or let Byway arrange it

Byway ( Byway.travel ) is a new UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating .  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a London-Switzerland journey for you as a package, including overnight hotels, starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

To see pre-configured packages from the UK to Switzerland by train, www.byway.travel/.../switzerland-by-train .

Or let Railbookers arrange it

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your own requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay.

Their two most popular Swiss holidays are Classic Bernina Express & Glacier Express which includes train travel from the UK to Switzerland so no flying necessary, and Switzerland's Lakes & Mountains which they can customise for you with train travel between the UK & Switzerland rather than flights, just call them & ask.

Or ask Tailor Made Rail to arrange it

Tailor Made Rail also offers packages from the UK to Switzerland by train which can be customised your own requirements, one-way or round trip, with any stopovers you want.  Or they can organise a trip entirely based on your own requirements, indeed they welcome complex itineraries!  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected - like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel.

Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/switzerland .

How to buy tickets by phone

Back to top

London to Geneva

Option 1, london to geneva via paris.

Take Eurostar from London to Paris with cafe-bar & free WiFi.  Change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi , then take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris to Geneva, also with cafe-bar and free WiFi.

For the first part of the journey, the Paris-Geneva TGVs use the TGV-Sud Est line at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  They then slow right down over classic lines through beautiful French mountain scenery for the rest of the run to Geneva, past pretty French villages, mountain forests, dramatic viaducts and scenic lakes, see photos of the journey below .  Sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy the scenic stress-free alternative to flying to Geneva.  Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the fabulous Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?

Paris to Geneva by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.

• To buy tickets, see the instructions above .

Eurostar trains link London & Paris in 2h20, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Paris Gare du Nord station guide .  How to cross Paris by metro or taxi .

All TGV-Lyria trains are now 320km/h (199 mph) double-deck TGV Duplex like the one shown below.  TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes:  Standard class (2nd), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with hot meal & drinks included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar car selling drinks & snacks.  There are power points for mobiles & laptops at all seats in all classes.  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  More about TGV-Lyria .  Paris Gare de Lyon station guide .  Geneva station guide .

In 2010 they shaved another 15-20 minutes off the Paris-Geneva journey time by rebuilding the amazing 65km single-track Haut-Bugey line from Bourg en Bresse to Bellegarde.  This section of line dates from 1877-1882, but local traffic had declined and the line was partially closed in 1990.  However, a joint French-Swiss project gave it a new lease of life, rebuilt to mainline standards and reborn as a key link in the TGV network.  It shortens the distance between Paris & Geneva by 47km, trains previously had to detour south via Culoz.  The wonderful Haut-Bugey line takes Paris-Geneva TGVs at low speed through some great mountainous terrain, some of it inaccessible by road, through some 11 tunnels and over 80 bridges & viaducts including the spectacular Cize-Bolozon viaduct over the Ain gorge, a structure partly blown up by the French resistance in 1944 (it took 5 years to repair the damage after the war).  Relax and enjoy the journey!

The TGV leaves the high-speed line and slows right down to join the Haut-Bugey Line.  Just after a short tunnel the train crosses the spectacular Cize-Bolozon viaduct over the Ain gorge (above), the major structure on the Haut-Bugey line.  The best view from the viaduct is on the left hand side of the train, pictured above.

More scenery as the TGV from Paris to Geneva heads through the hills along the river valley between Bourg en Bresse & Bellegarde.  The best views are on the right hand side, so keep a good lookout, although you can't pick sides when booking.

Nearing Switzerland, the train passes a lake, probably the Lac de Nantua.

Option 2, London to Geneva via Lille & Lyon

This takes a bit longer than going via Paris, and usually costs a bit more.  But it avoids crossing Paris, with two easy same-station changes, at Lille and Lyon.  If you have heavy luggage, kids or mobility problems, it's a good option.

Times may vary, check for your dates using www.raileurope.com , www.thetrainline.com or www.sncf-connect.com .  Don't buy Eurostar tickets until you have confirmed onward train times.  Eurostar doesn't run on 25 December.

London to Lille by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way, £78 return standard class or £97 one-way, £168 return in standard premier (1st class).

Lille to Lyon by TGV starts at €20 each way.

Lyon to Geneva by TER costs €33.40 each way, fixed price, no reservation necessary or possible.

Eurostar & TGV fares are dynamic & vary like air fares, so book ahead.  On Eurostar & TGV, children under 4 go free, children under 12 travel at a child rate.  On Swiss domestic trains, children under 6 go free, children under 16 at half price.

1. London to Lille by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Lille in 1h22, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Lille Europe station guide & tips on changing trains .

2. Lille to Lyon by TGV

TGV or Train á Grande Vitesse is French Railways high-speed train, with 1st & 2nd class and a cafe-bar.  They come in various types, some single-deck, some double-deck TGV Duplex, you could get either on cross-France routes from Lille.  Most have power sockets at seats, most now have free WiFi.  The photos below show a single-deck TGV with the Christian Lacroix designer interior.  The direct TGVs from Lille by-pass Paris on a high-speed avoiding line via Charles de Gaulle Airport station.  More about TGV .  Lyon Part Dieu station guide .

3. Lyon to Geneva by TER regional train

These run every couple of hours, no reservation necessary or possible, you sit where you like.  There's some nice scenery between Lyon & Geneva, too.  More about Lyon to Geneva TER trains .  Lyon Part Dieu station guide .  Geneva station guide .

London to Bern

Taking the train is the stress-free and environmentally-sound way from London to Bern.  Eurostar links London & Paris in 2h20 from £52 one-way or £78 return.  High speed TGV-Lyria trains link Paris with Basel in 3h04 from €29 each way - change in Basel for a Swiss intercity train to Bern taking 58 minutes.  TGV-Lyrias have standard class (2nd class), standard premiere (1st class) and business premiere (1st class with flexible fares and at-seat meal & wine included).  There's a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  You can find a seat numbering plan & other useful information at www.tgv-lyria.com .  Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss national railways.  What's it like on board a TGV-Lyria? .  For the ferry alternative, see here .

Why not catch an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the famous Train Bleu restaurant on the main concourse?  It's an experience in itself.

Paris to Basel by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.

Basel to Bern costs CHF 40 (£30) each way 2nd class.

London to Lausanne , Montreux, Gstaad

Taking the train is an enjoyable and environmentally-friendly way to get from London to Lausanne & western Switzerland.  Take Eurostar from London to Paris in just 2h20 from £52, then a high-speed TGV-Lyria train from Paris to Lausanne in only 3h40 from €29 each way.  City centre to city centre, no baggage fees, no extra to pay to get to and from airports, and infants under 4 go free.

The TGV-Lyria travels at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) along the TGV Sud-Est high-speed line, then branches off at lower speed through pretty hills around Dijon and across rural France into Switzerland.  Frequent Swiss trains, running like clockwork, link Lausanne with Vevey, Montreux, Aigle, Martigny, & Sion.  Change at Montreux for the scenic Golden Pass route to Gstaad.  Take a bottle of wine, put your feet up and enjoy the ride.  On TGV-Lyria, business première fares include a complimentary meal and wine served at your seat.  What's it like on a TGV-Lyria train? .  For the ferry alternative, see here .

How to read these timetables   You read downwards, each column is a journey option you can take.  You change trains at each grey bar.

Why not book an earlier Eurostar and have lunch in Paris at the celebrated Train Bleu restaurant inside the Gare de Lyon?

The 14:18, 16:18 Paris-Lausanne TGVs & 09:45, 13:45 Lausanne-Paris TGVs run via Geneva, see the scenery photos in the Paris-Geneva section .

Connections to Vevey, Montreux, Sion, Martigny

Paris to Lausanne by TGV-Lyria starts at €29 each way in 2nd class or €51 in 1st class.

Lausanne to Montreux CHF 6.30 (£5) each way 2nd class;  Lausanne to Gstaad CHF 33 (£25) each way 2nd class, CHF 58 (£44) 1st class.

Above, the train runs along the shores of Lake Léman between Lausanne & Montreux.  Taken from the train.

London to Interlaken & region

It's easy to travel by train from the UK to Interlaken and the Jungfrau region.  Take Eurostar to Paris in only 2h20 from £52 one-way or £78 return, then a 300 km/h (186 mph) TGV-Lyria from Paris to Basel in just 3h05 from €29 each way.  Regular Swiss InterCity trains run from Basel through the mountains and along the lake shore to Interlaken Ost in 1h58.  No airports, no flights, the train ride is a chance to chill out.

TGV-Lyria trains have 3 classes, standard class (2nd class), standard première (1st class) & business première (1st class with a meal & wine served at your seat included in the fare).  There's a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  Take a bottle of wine, put your feet up and enjoy the ride!  TGV-Lyria is a consortium of the French and Swiss railways.  For the ferry alternatives, see here .

Interlaken is at the centre of the Jungfrau region, with narrow-gauge local trains into the mountains to ski resorts such as Grindelwald at the foot of the Eiger, and Lauterbrunnen at the foot of the Jungfrau.  The famous Jungfraubahn rack railway climbs the Jungfrau to the Top of Europe from both Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen.

Lauterbrunnen & Wengen:   Half-hourly local trains link Interlaken Ost with Lauterbrunnen, journey time 20 minutes.  Change at Lauterbrunnen for Wengen, total journey time from Interlaken to Wengen is 46 minutes.  You can check times and fares using the journey planner at www.sbb.ch .   By train up the Jungfrau .

Basel to Interlaken is CHF 60 (£45) each way in 2nd class.  Basel to Grindelwald CHF 71 (£54) each way in 2nd class. 

London to Brig & Zermatt

Zermatt nestles at the foot of the imposing Matterhorn, at the head of the Mattertal valley.  It's a car-free resort which can only be reached by train.  Electric 'johnny cabs' act as taxis.

To reach Zermatt, hop on a Eurostar to Paris then take a TGV-Lyria high-speed train from Paris to Lausanne.  Hourly Swiss trains link Lausanne with Visp, where you board the little narrow-gauge branch line up the valley to Zermatt.  For the ferry alternatives via Harwich, Hull or Newcastle, see here .

For the best views of the scenery on the local line southbound from Brig or Visp to Zermatt, find a seat on the left-hand side of the train.  This narrow gauge train ascends the Mattertal Valley via a series of 'steps'.  The train uses conventional adhesion on the level sections and rack-and-pinion to climb the steep sections.

Lausanne to Zermatt costs CHF 80 (£60) one-way, CHF 160 (£120) return.

Let Railbookers arrange it for you

Hotels in zermatt.

The Monte Rosa Hotel is the most famous & historic place to stay if your budget allows.  This was the first hotel in Zermatt and it was from here that Edward Whymper set out on the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865.  It's right in the centre of the town only 400m from the station, with a superb 9/10 review score.

Otherwise (assuming your budget won't stretch to the other top-notch place directly opposite the Monte Rosa, the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof , opened in 1879), a much more affordable and down-to-earth choice close to the station in Zermatt's main street is the clean & comfortable Hotel Garni Testa Grigia .  Or just search booking.com , anything with a review score over 8.0 will be great.

Zermatt's famous Monte Rosa Hotel with plaque dedicated to Edward Whymper, see larger photo .

London to Chur & the Engadin

The area around St Moritz, Davos and Klosters has attracted visitors from the UK both for winter sports and summer holidays for over a century - and the journey by narrow-gauge train from Chur to St Moritz is one of the most scenic train rides in Switzerland, or indeed the world.  To get there by train from the UK, simply use any of the London-Zurich options shown in the London to Zurich section above , then use www.sbb.ch to find connections to St Moritz.  Two good options are shown below.  For the ferry alternative, see here .

London ► Chur, Davos, Klosters, St Moritz, every day

Cross Paris by taxi or metro to the Gare de Lyon , 2 stops on RER line D or 25 minutes by taxi.

St Moritz, Klosters, Davos, Chur ► London, every day

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a holiday or short break to Switzerland as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your own requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay. 

Hotels in St Moritz

The Hotel Waldhaus am See is an easy 4 minutes walk from St Moritz railway station, see walking map .  It has friendly staff, a cosy, family-run atmosphere and the restaurant/breakfast room has a lovely view over the lake.  It's also about as affordable as hotels in St Moritz get.  Perfect!  Below, the view across the lake from the hotel, St Moritz station is visible on the right.

The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl is a truly amazing hotel opened in 1907, perched on a 2,454m high mountain with spectacular views over the Engadin Valley, a short ride by train+funicular from St Moritz/Samedan/Pontresina.  I have never seen a more spectacular view out of any hotel window over breakfast

To reach the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl , take a local train from St Moritz to Punt Muragl Staz , see Muottas Muragl train route map , or you can get off the Glacier Express at Samedan (the stop before St Moritz) and take a local train to Punt Muragl .  It's then a 250m walk from either of these unstaffed halts to the lower station of the funicular railway which climbs up the mountain to the Hotel Muottas Muragl.  To check train times, simply use the journey planner at www.sbb.ch and run an enquiry from anywhere in Switzerland to Muottas Muragl , that's the name of the upper station of the funicular right next to the hotel.

London to Liechtenstein

Vaduz (the capital of Liechtenstein) has no rail station, but buses link it with Buchs & Sargans stations in Switzerland every 30 minutes, and with Feldkirch station in Austria every hour.  The website for all these bus services at www.lba.li .

For travel between Swiss cities & Vaduz, catch a train to Sargans, then the bus to Vaduz, Post .

You can check times & buy tickets between any Swiss city and Vaduz, Post at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee), or at the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch .

For travel between Austrian cities & Vaduz, catch a train to Feldkirch, then the bus to Vaduz, Post .

You can check times & buy tickets between any Austrian city and Vaduz, Post at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at .

The main Zurich-Innsbruck railway cuts through Liechtenstein, but the expresses don't stop at any of the four local stations within the principality.  Schaan-Vaduz is the most important of these stations, served only by somewhat irregular Buchs-Feldkirch local trains.  You can check train times at www.sbb.ch but will need to look carefully for trains rather than buses - look for departures marked R or RE, not BUS.  Schaan-Vaduz Bahnhof is just 11 minutes by frequent bus from Vaduz itself.

London to Vaduz

Step 1, travel from London to Zurich by Eurostar & TGV-Lyria as shown above .

Step 2, take a regular Swiss domestic train from Zurich to Sargans, these run twice an hour, journey time 55-67 minutes, check times & prices at www.sbb.ch .  No reservation necessary, just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on the next train.

Step 3, catch a bus from outside Sargans station to Vaduz Post Office, every 30 minutes, journey time 32 minutes, check times at www.lba.li .  No reservation necessary, buy a ticket from the driver, fare around CHF 7, children under 16 half price.

London to Switzerland via Brussels

Going via Brussels takes significantly longer than going via Paris as shown above , but it avoids having to change trains & stations in Paris by metro or taxi.  The changes of train at Brussels Midi & Cologne Hbf are straightforward same-station changes taking only take a couple of minutes getting off one train and onto another.  This might be important to you if you have lots of luggage, kids, or a mobility issue.

London ► Basel

Option 1:  London depart 09:01 every day, arriving Basel SBB 18:47:   Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 09:01, arriving Brussels Midi at 12:05.  Make a quick change onto the 12:25 high-speed ICE from Brussels to Cologne, and change at Cologne Hbf onto another high-speed ICE to Basel SBB 18:47.

Option 2:  London depart 11:04 every day, arriving Basel SBB 20:47:   Leave London St Pancras by Eurostar at 11:04 arriving Brussels Midi at 14:05, make a quick & easy change (usually a simple cross-platform change on this departure) onto the 14:25 high-speed ICE from Brussels to Cologne and change at Cologne Hbf onto another high-speed ICE to Basel SBB arriving 20:47.

Change at Basel SBB for Zurich HB , Luzern and all other destinations in Switzerland.

Basel ► London

Option 1, departing Basel SBB at 07:13 every day, arriving London at 16:57:   Leave Basel SBB at 07:13 by high-speed ICE train to Cologne Hbf , change at Cologne onto another high-speed ICE train to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto the 15:56 Eurostar to London St Pancras , arriving 16:57.

Option 2, departing Basel SBB at 09:13 on Sundays, arriving London at 18:57:   Leave Basel SBB at 09:13 by high-speed ICE train to Cologne Hbf , change at Cologne onto another high-speed ICE train to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto the 17:56 Eurostar to London St Pancras , arriving 19:10.

Option 3, departing Basel SBB at 11:13 Mondays-Fridays, arriving London at 19:57:   Leave Basel SBB at 11:13 by high-speed ICE train to Cologne Hbf , change at Cologne Hbf onto another high-speed ICE train to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto the 18:52 Eurostar to London St Pancras , arriving 19:57.

Option 4, departing Basel SBB at 13:13 daily except Saturdays, arriving London at 21:57:   Leave Basel SBB at 13:13 by high-speed ICE train daily except Saturdays to Cologne, change at Cologne Hbf onto another high-speed ICE train to Brussels Midi , change at Brussels onto the 20:52 Eurostar to London St Pancras , arriving 21:57.

London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in standard class, £97 one-way, £140 return standard premier (1st class).

On Eurostar, children under 4 go free, children under 12 travel at a child rate.  On Brussels-Switzerland trains, children under 6 go free, children under 15 half price (but if booked at bahn.de, free when accompanying an adult on a Sparpreis fare).  On Swiss domestic trains, children under 6 go free, children under 16 at half price.  The more generous child age limits can be an advantage on this route!

Buy tickets from London to Switzerland at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com .

Anyone from any country can use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com , in plain English, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem.  There's a small booking fee.

Tip:   To get the route via Brussels, click via (Trainline) or More options (Raileurope) and enter Brussels Midi as a via station.

You print your own ticket, or you can load the Eurostar ticket into the Eurostar app, and show the DB ticket on your laptop or phone.

Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, less than this when the mid-December timetable change intervenes.  More about when booking opens .

Booking tips

Fares are dynamic like air fares, so book early for the cheapest prices and avoid busy days such as Fridays or Sunday afternoons.

To get the route via Brussels, click via (Trainline) or More options (Raileurope) and enter Brussels Midi as a via station.

Is it a through ticket?

No, there are no through tickets from London any more, DB's Sparpreis London fares were discontinued in March 2020 .  www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com will seamlessly sell you a Eurostar ticket to Brussels plus an onward ticket from Brussels to anywhere in Switzerland.

One-way or round trip?

On Eurostar , return fares are significantly cheaper than two one-ways.  On German & Swiss trains, returns are simply two one-ways.  So for a round trip you should book London to Switzerland & back as a return journey, or for more control over the booking, book London-Brussels as a return journey to benefit a Eurostar return fare, add to basket, then book Brussels to Switzerland one way, add to basket, then Switzerland to Brussels one-way, add to basket & check out.

Seat reservations

About the 20-minute connections between Eurostar & ICEs at Brussels Midi

The slick 20-minute connection in Brussels between Eurostar and an onward ICE, sometimes a little less than this, is usually a recognised connection which lots of people make.  It's not usually a problem, especially if you use the Brussels Midi short cut between platforms .

Even though the system sells you separate tickets either side of Brussels, you are protected by the Railteam Promise/HOTNAT so if there's a delay and you miss the connection you will be allowed to travel on later onwards trains at no extra charge.

The system is programmed to know which connections are acceptable and which are too tight - if you intend booking your Eurostar and ICE tickets separately (which I often do to check prices for Eurostar and onwards trains separately, and to retain more control over the booking) it's wise to run a London-Cologne enquiry first just to check that the system does indeed recognise that specific Eurostar as connecting with that specific onward ICE, on that specific date.

How to buy a connecting ticket from other UK towns & cities:  See the advice on special add-on tickets here .

Another way to buy tickets

This is a little more work, but no booking fee.  Obviously, do a dry run on both sites first to check availability & prices.

Before booking for real, check that your outward Eurostar & ICE are indeed a recognised connection by checking that they appear together when you run a London to Cologne enquiry at int.bahn.de , as explained in the paragraph about the 20-minute connections in Brussels in the previous section.

Step 1, book the Eurostar from London to Brussels (and back, if returning) at www.eurostar.com and print your own ticket, or load it into the Eurostar app to show on your phone.

Eurostar return fares are significantly less than two one-ways, so if you're coming back, make sure you book this as a round trip.  After booking you can use the Eurostar Manage Booking system to select an exact seat on Eurostar .

Step 2, book from Brussels to Basel, Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland at the German Railways website int.bahn.de .

You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone.  A round trip is just two one-ways, so book one way at a time as it's easier.  Look for journeys with the fewest changes.

I recommend registering when prompted so you can log in and check your bookings or re-print tickets at any time.

An advantage of booking direct with int.bahn.de is that you can select an exact seat on ICE trains from a seating plan.

Take the Rhine Valley scenic route

Booking engines normally route you via the modern Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed line as this is obviously fastest.  However, if you don't mind the extra hour, you can take the original, classic Rhine Valley line, snaking along the River Rhine past castles, vineyards and the famous Lorelei Rock.  Learn more about the classic Rhine Valley route here .

To book tickets via the Rhine Valley route, simply add Koblenz Hbf as a stopover.  If using www.raileurope.com , click More options and enter Koblenz Hbf, leaving duration zero.  If using int.bahn.de , click Stopovers and enter Koblenz Hbf leaving length of stay as 00:00.

What's the journey like?

1. London to Brussels by Eurostar

Eurostar trains link London & Brussels in just 2 hours, travelling at up to 300 km/h (186 mph).  There are two bar cars, power sockets at all seats and free WiFi.  Standard Premier and Business Premier fares include a light meal with wine (or breakfast, on departures before 11:00).  There's a 30-minute minimum check-in as all border formalities are carried out before you board the train.  More about Eurostar & check-in procedure .  St Pancras station guide .  Brussels Midi station guide & short cut for changing trains in Brussels .

2. Brussels to Cologne & Cologne to Switzerland by ICE3

Germany's superb ICEs have a restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  In 1st class, food & drink orders are taken at your seat.  50 minutes after leaving Brussels the ICE calls at Liège, where you can admire the impressive station designed by celebrity architect Santiago Calatrava.  As you approach Cologne Hbf you'll see the twin towers of Cologne Cathedral on the right, next to the station.  More about ICE3 trains .  Brussels Midi station guide .  Cologne Hbf station guide .

An ICE3neo at Brussels Midi with restaurant car, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  More about ICE trains .  Photo above courtesy of Christian Hunt.

London to Switzerland by ferry from Harwich

You might prefer the idea of cruising overnight in a comfy en suite cabin on the Stena Line superferry ( watch the video !), then taking a superb German ICE train to Switzerland next day, and this route is useful If you live in East Anglia, want to avoid the Channel Tunnel, if the French are on strike again, or if all the cheap Eurostar fares have sold out.  It's one of the routes shown in dark blue on the route map above .

Incidentally, I don't recommend Dover-Calais.  Although it's more direct, it's has no through ticketing and long walks or taxis are required between station & port in both Dover & Calais.  The Harwich-Hoek route has seamless train/ferry connections & one ticket covers the British train and the ferry.

London, Cambridge & Harwich ► Switzerland

Switzerland ► harwich, cambridge & london.

Day 1, travel from Switzerland to Utrecht by train.

You can leave Basel SBB at 10:13 by high-speed ICE train to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf arriving at 13:08.  Change in Frankfurt onto the 13:26 high-speed ICE train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Utrecht Centraal, arriving 17:23. 

Times may vary, but it's always possible to do this journey with just 1 change.  Check times & prices from almost anywhere in Switzerland to Utrecht at int.bahn.de ( Tip:   Click Stopovers and enter Frankfurt(Main)Hbf).

Alternatively, you could leave Switzerland the previous evening on the new Nightjet sleeper train from Zurich HB & Basel SBB to Amsterdam Centraal overnight in an economical couchette or private sleeper, and spend the day exploring Amsterdam, see here for details .

Day 1, travel from Utrecht to London overnight by Stena Line Rail & Sail .

You take a frequent Dutch intercity train from Utrecht Centraal to Rotterdam Alexander and change there onto the frequent metro to Hoek van Holland Haven. 

At Hoek, the ferry terminal is right next to the station.  Taking the 10:13 from Basel gives you plenty of time to connect with the overnight ferry, so you could stop off in Utrecht or Rotterdam for dinner.  Just make sure you reach Hoek before 21:00, ferry check-in closes 45 minutes before sailing time.

At Hoek van Holland, check in at the Stena Line desk then walk onto the luxurious superferry Stena Britannica and sail overnight to Harwich in a snug private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV.

The ferry sails from Hoek at 22:00 and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning, UK time.

In the morning on Day 2, Take a train from Harwich to London Liverpool Street arriving around 08:56, or from Harwich to Cambridge arriving 09:41 (10:39 on Sundays).  See the Stena Line Rail & Sail page for full details .

; ; How to buy tickets

Step 1, buy a Stena Line Rail & Sail ticket from London to Hoek van Holland as shown on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page .

Buy the metro ticket from Hoek van Holland to Rotterdam Alexander as shown on that page.

Step 1, London to Holland by train & ferry

A train takes you from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The superferry Stena Britannica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  The journey from London to Holland is explained in detail on the Stena Line Rail & Sail page .  See the video .

The Stena Hollandica boarding at Harwich, a floating hotel with private cabins, restaurant, bar, lounges, shop & kennels.

Above left, a standard outside cabin.  Larger photo .   360º photo .  Above right, the Stena Plus lounge with complimentary red & white wine, tea, coffee & snacks.

Above left, the bar on 9 deck. Above right, a Captain's Class cabin with complimentary minibar, toilet & shower.

Step 2, from Holland across Germany to Switzerland by ICE high-speed train

At Hoek van Holland, you walk off the ship, through passport control and straight onto the station for the frequent metro train to Rotterdam Alexander.  Change at Rotterdam Alexander for a train to Utrecht Centraal.  Then take a superb German ICE train from Utrecht to Cologne and on to Switzerland.   More about ICE trains .

An ICE3neo at Amsterdam Centraal.  Click on the interior images for larger photos.

London to Switzerland via Portsmouth

This route is ideal if you live on the south coast.  It's also a good alternative to Eurostar from London if you want to avoid the Channel Tunnel or if Eurostar is expensive (for example, at short notice) - although the train/ferry/train transfers are much easier via Harwich & Hoek van Holland as stations & ferry terminals are integrated, on the Portsmouth-Caen route a taxi transfer is needed between train & ferry in Portsmouth, and a bus or taxi transfer in Caen.

Step 1, travel from London or Portsmouth to Paris overnight by train & ferry .

You leave London around 18:00 by train to Portsmouth, take a taxi to the Continental Ferry Port and sail overnight from Portsmouth to Caen with Brittany Ferries, sleeping in a cosy private cabin with shower & toilet 22:45-06:45.  Next morning, transfer to Caen station by bus or taxi and take a train into Paris St Lazare , arriving around 11:05.

Step 2, travel from Paris to Switzerland on any afternoon train.

Look up Paris-Switzerland trains at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee) or www.sncf-connect.com (in €, more fiddly).  Just make sure you allow at least 2hours between trains in Paris.

Scotland & North to Switzerland

If you live in the North of England or Scotland, option 1 is to take a train up to London and travel from London to Switzerland as described above.  This may well be the quickest & easiest option.  Here's some advice on buying connecting train tickets to London .  If you live in Scotland, the Caledonian Sleepers will get you up to London in time for a morning Eurostar & afternoon TGV to Switzerland.

But consider option 2, by-passing London by taking a luxurious overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam run by DFDS Seaways or a similar overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam run by P&O Ferries , then taking a fast comfortable train to Switzerland.

Scotland & the North ► Amsterdam ► Switzerland

Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.

In Hull, transfer to P&O ferry terminal and sail overnight from Hull to Rotterdam by P&O cruise ferry, with bus/train connection to Rotterdam Centraal & Amsterdam Centraal.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details of schedule, fares & tickets, see the Hull-Rotterdam page .

In Newcastle, transfer to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields and sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam by DFDS Seaways cruise ferry.  The ferry has bars, restaurants & cosy en suite cabins.  For details of schedule, fares & tickets see the Newcastle-Amsterdam page .

Day 2, travel by fast comfortable train from Rotterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Centraal to anywhere you like in Switzerland.  You can easily check train times & prices at the German Railways website int.bahn.de - just make sure you allow plenty of time, both to cover any likely delay to the ferry and for the bus transfers from ferry terminal to station.  I suggest booking trains leaving around midday.

Switzerland ► Amsterdam ► Scotland & the North

Day 1, take a Swiss train from anywhere in Switzerland to Rotterdam Centraal (for P&O to Hull) or to Amsterdam Centraal (for DFDS to Newcastle), you can check times & prices at the German Railways website int.bahn.de .  Just remember to allow plenty of time, meaning hours not minutes, for any likely delay to the train, for the bus transfer to the ferry terminal, and for the ferry check-in.

Alternatively, you could leave Switzerland the previous evening on the new Nightjet sleeper train from Zurich HB & Basel SBB to Amsterdam Centraal in an economical couchette or private sleeper, and spend the day exploring Amsterdam, see here for details .

Day 1 early evening, transfer by DFDS bus from Amsterdam Centraal to IJmuiden (for the DFDS ferry to Newcastle) or by P&O bus from Rotterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Europoort for the P&O ferry to Hull.

Day 1 evening, sail overnight by luxurious cruise ferry from Rotterdam Europoort to Hull with P&O Ferries or from IJmuiden to Newcastle with DFDS, whichever UK port is most convenient for where you live, arriving next morning (day 2).  Transfer to the station and take a train home. 

For details of timetables, fares & how to buy tickets from Amsterdam to the UK via these ferry routes, see the Hull-Rotterdam page or the Newcastle-Amsterdam page .

To check train fares and buy train tickets to Hull or Newcastle , use www.nationalrail.co.uk or any train operator website such as tfw.wales .

To check ferry fares & book the ferry online, go to www.dfds.com (Newcastle-Amsterdam), www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam).

To check train times & prices and to buy tickets from Rotterdam or Amsterdam to any station in Switzerland, use the German Railways website int.bahn.de .  You print your own ticket.

1. Newcastle to Amsterdam (DFDS) or Hull to Rotterdam (P&O) by overnight cruise ferry

Both ferries have private en suite cabins, restaurants, bars, cinema, a floating hotel.  If travelling with DFDS from Newcastle, a transfer bus takes you from IJmuiden ferry terminal to Amsterdam Centraal station next morning.  If travelling with P&O from Hull, a transfer bus takes you from Rotterdam Europoort ferry terminal to Rotterdam Centraal , from where frequent Dutch trains run to Utrecht.

2.  From Holland across Germany to Switzerland by ICE high-speed train

Take an ICE train from Amsterdam or Utrecht to Cologne or Frankfurt, then another ICE to Basel, Zurich with connections all over Switzerland.  There are power sockets at all seats, free WiFi and a restaurant serving drinks, snacks and meals.  More about ICE trains .

G uidebooks

Buy from amazon.co.uk or amazon.com.

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website , from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

European Rail Timetable & maps

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map .  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

Hotels in Switzerland

In Zurich , for something special, look no further than the superb Hotel Schweizerhof , located right next to Zurich station.  One of my favourite hotels, they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road.

In St Moritz , The Hotel Waldhaus am See is an easy 4 minutes walk from St Moritz railway station, see walking map .  It has friendly staff, a cosy, family-run atmosphere and the restaurant/breakfast room has a lovely view over the lake.  It's also about as affordable as hotels in St Moritz get.  Alternatively, the Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl is a truly amazing place to stay perched on the top of a mountain, with clean simple and (for Switzerland) inexpensive rooms.  It's reached via the Muottas Muragl funicular railway from Punt Muragl station, between Pontresina & St Moritz.

In Zermatt , The Monte Rosa Hotel is the most famous place to stay if your budget allows.  It was from here that Edward Whymper set out on the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865.  It's in the centre of the town 400m from the station with a superb 9/10 review score.  Otherwise (if your budget won't stretch to the deluxe Grand Hotel Zermatterhof , opened in 1879), a much more affordable choice close to the station in Zermatt's main street is the clean & comfortable Hotel Garni Testa Grigia .

Hotels in Paris near the station

Recommended hotels near the Gare du Nord:   Libertel Gare du Nord Suede (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 2-star, doubles €135), 25 Hours Terminus Nord (formerly the Mercure Terminus Nord, now refurbished in a decidedly funky style, 3-star, directly across the road from the station);  Art Hotel (3-star);  Avalon Hotel (2-star);  Hotel Cambrai (5 min walk from Gare du Nord, 1-star).

Recommended hotels near the Gare de Lyon:   Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon (part of the station itself next to the clock tower, 4-star, see the photo below);  the Hotel Terminus Lyon (right in front of the station, 3-star);  the Novotel Paris Gare de Lyon (opposite the station, 4-star);  Mistral Hotel (800m from Gare de Lyon, 1-star);  Hotel 26 Faubourg (5 min walk from Gare de Lyon, 2-star);

The Mercure Hotel entrance, next to the Gare de Lyon's famous clock tower.  Handy for early train departures!

AirBnB:  www.airbnb.com

www.airbnb.com began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travellers looking for a place to stay.  AirBnB is a platform which connects hosts with guests, so you can now book a room in people's homes, or an apartment, flat or house which people want to rent out.  It can be nicer than a hostel, cheaper than many hotels.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelworld.com

www.hostelworld.com :  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Holidays to Switzerland by train

If you want a holiday to Switzerland by train not plane, but want someone else to organise all the train tickets & hotels for you, several specialist companies do just that, for a holiday with no airport hassles and no long days in cramped coach seats on motorways.

Railbookers, railbookers.co.uk

Railbookers are a train travel specialist who can put together a tour or holiday for you as a package, including rail travel, hotels & transfers.  On their website you'll find a range of suggested tours & holidays which can be varied or customised to your own requirements.  And as you're booking a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens to one part of the itinerary such as a strike or delay.  They get very positive reviews.  For example, they can do a 2-night short break to Geneva or a 4-night trip including the famous Glacier Express and the equally amazing Bernina Express.

Byway, byway.travel

Byway ( Byway.travel ) is a UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating .  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a holiday to Spain for you as a package, including train travel from the UK and hotels, starting from any British station you like.

Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

Tailor Made Rail, tailormaderail.com

Travel insurance & other tips, always take out travel insurance.

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here .  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list .  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data .

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:   1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android .  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card , they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explained .  ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com .

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

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Related Content

How to take a thrilling high speed rail journey from Zurich to London

Share this journey with a friend..., zürich / zurich to london by train.

The quickest option for a Zurich to London journey by train is to take a combination of a Lyria train + a Eurostar train and travel via Paris. Though this route via the French capital involves making a cross-city transfer between stations. This transfer can be avoided by taking a much longer route via Frankfurt and Bruxelles, but this journey option isn't typically sold by the ticket agents - hence a lack of agents being available when clicking its Purchase Tickets button.

Routes you can take to go from Zürich / Zurich to London

When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.

Choose one of the following options:

Looking for connections, route information, via stations: paris gare de lyon / paris lyon and paris gare du nord / paris nord, option 1: travelling via paris, station guides.

Travel Time (approx)

Travel info.

4 x connections per day are usually available

Purchase Tickets

ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on SNCF Connect ticket sales. SNCF Connect doesn't charge booking fees and is the online booking service of the national rail operator in France. It also sells tickets for direct high speed trains between France and Belgium, Germany, Barcelona, London, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

SNCF Connect Guide

SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them. Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.

Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.

And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service. You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.

Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.

SNCF Connect on Google Play

SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store

SNCF also operates RailEurope , which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe. If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so. Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase

ShowMeTheJourney earns a small commission on Rail Europe ticket sales. It can be a particularly good option when booking international journeys with connections and for travellers who don't reside in western Europe. Use the easy options on its home page if you will be booking tickets with a railcard: Or purchasing rail pass reservations.

Other Ticket Providers

Travel information.

Departing from Zurich

The train will depart from a gleis (platform / track) which is by the main concourse.

Connect in Zurich when travelling by train to London from a swathe of Swiss destinations including Chur, Lugano, St Gallen and St Moritz.

Arriving at the Gare De Lyon

On this route via Paris and you will need to make the transfer between the Gare De Lyon, where the Lyria train will arrive, and the Gare Du Nord, from where the Eurostar will depart.

On the usual timetable the first five departures of the day to Paris all connect into Eurostar trains on to London, which depart from the Gare Du Nord around 1hr 30 mins after the Lyria train from Zurich will have arrived into the Gare de Lyon.

Checking-in at the Gare Du Nord:

At the Gare Du Nord the check in and waiting area for the Eurostar (the 'Hall Du Londres') is at an upper level, above the main concourse. The access to this upper level is some distance from the voie/platforms/tracks that the Eurostars depart from. The escalators leading up to Eurostar departures are located at the rear wall of the station building, on the opposite side of the concourse to voies/platforms/tracks 14 - 15.

When the service is operating normally, the transfer across Paris by the RER train will take less than 25 mins, from stepping off the TGV at the Gare De Lyon to being on the concourse at the Gare Du Nord. So if the train from Zurich arrives in Paris on time and the RER is as it should be, you will be at the Gare Du Nord around one hour prior to the departure of the Eurostar.

However, Eurostar recommends that holders of Standard Class And Standard Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 90 minutes before departure. Which may explain why Trainline doesn't typically sell this Zurich to London journey as and end-to-end booking. Because if the train is from Zurich is delayed by 30mins, making the connection into the Eurostar will become a race against the clock.

Though as access to Eurostar is closed off from 30 mins prior to departure, being at the Gare Du Nord one hour before departure, as per the usual schedule will allow enough time to make the Eurostar.

Eurostar recommends that holders of Business Premier tickets should arrive at the Gare Du Nord 30 minutes before departure, with access to check-in being closed off from 15 mins prior to departure.

The Eurostar on to London:

Final Destination: London St Pancras

Note that these trains will no longer be calling at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International, until an unspecified date likely to be in 2025 at the earliest.

Note that London is in a different time zone to mainland Europe, it is one hour behind; hence what can seem like a discrepancy between the journey time and the interval between the departure and arrival times.

Our guide to arriving by Eurostar in London is here .

This journey is made up of 1 change.

You will be travelling on one of these trains....

Journey Features

This is a journey of four distinct parts.

1: The first part of the journey from Zurich to Mulhouse is on conventional tracks. 2. Between Mulhouse and Dijon there is a high speed line. 3. The train switches to conventional tracks north of Dijon - the most scenic part of the journey 4. Finally the train will travel on the high speed line north to Paris.

Good to Know

Most departures are by the e320 trains, but the e300 trains cab also be used.

It's not a scenic journey, but it is a journey with distinct phases and highlights:

1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in France, particularly after Lille (the trains to Paris will rush through Lille Europe station).

2: The train will slow down as it approaches The Channel Tunnel.

Announcements are no longer made that the train is about to enter the tunnel.

The journey through the tunnel will take around 22 mins.

3:  As the train nears Ebbsfleet International station, comes the scenic highlight of the journey - the crossing of the River Medway on a high bridge.

4: After Ebbsfleet International (which can only be seen from the right) the train will enter a tunnel under the River Thames.

As the train exits this tunnel, from the left, the Queen Elizabeth II road bridge can be seen.

5: For most of the final 8 -10 mins of the journey the trains use tunnels to enter London (Stratford International station is located between the tunnels).

Book Early And Save : Yes

Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of of the travel date

Eurostar does not sell tickets for this journey.

Seat reservations are automatically included when booking tickets for both trains.

Your ticket will not include the RER train across Paris from the Gare De Lyon to the Gare Du Nord.

Making the connection in Paris:

There is relatively new E.U. legislation which protects travellers against financial loss in the event of missed connections due to train delays, but it only applies to 'through tickets' . The Eurostar terms and conditions specifically state that when booking journeys which combine Eurostar + Thalys trains 'through tickets' will be issued. However, 'for all other journeys that combine a Eurostar Service and a service provided by another carrier(s), including when purchased in a single commercial transaction, those tickets will be separate contracts and issues regarding delays, missed connections, cancellations, compensation, and the management of aftersales will be handled accordingly'.

Though both SNCF and Eurostar are members of The Railteam Alliance which offers a Hop on the next available train ( HOTNAT ) policy. It 'allows travelers to take the next high-speed service leaving from the same station as originally planned when a delay on or cancellation of a preceding Railteam member’s high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-planned connection. This service is free of charge and is subject to the following conditions:

• HOTNAT only applies at the station at which the passenger originally planned to change trains and in cases of train delays and train cancellations.
• The approval of HOTNAT is subject to the available capacity on board each train . Seats are not guaranteed'.

So 'issues regarding missed connection and cancellations' should be 'handled' by Railteam's HOTNAT policy.

Though HOTNAT can't be applied if the arrival into Paris after the final Eurostar of the day has departed for London.

Via stations: Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel Zuid

Option 2: travelling via frankfurt (main) and bruxelles.

10hr 45min (approx)

up to 1 x optimum connection per day

This routing is more than three hours longer than travelling via Paris, but it:

• avoids the need to make a transfer between stations across the French capital
• and is a cheaper option for users of Eurail and InterRail passes as the only mandatory reservation on this route is for the Eurostar - so the fairly expensive mandatory rail pass reservation fees to travel by the Lyria train can be avoided.

However, for those who won't be travelling with rail pass, separate tickets will be required for the Zurich to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to London journeys - but they can both be booked on Trainline Though if you can set off from Zurich before 08:00, you can de-risk the possibility of having to re-book a last-minute ticket for the Eurostar, by booking three journeys, with the third being a later departure on from Bruxelles.

The usual* combination of trains to take is the:

• 07:59 from Zurich to Frankfurt (Main)
• 12:26 from Frankfurt (Main) to Bruxelles-Midi - the connecting time between trains in Frankfurt (Main) will be 36 mins
• the 16:51 Eurostar from Buxelles-Midi to London St Pancras - the time to make the transfer in Bruxelles-Midi will be around 1hr 15mins.

*= A journey of this length can be subject to schedules having to be altered.

This journey is made up of 2 changes.

These trains use the high speed line between Offenburg and Karlsruhe and they also reverse direction on departure from  Basel SBB station.

Journey description:

This route showcases high speed train travel at it's finest, the journey between Frankfurt Flughafen and Seigburg/Bonn in particular can fuel adrenalin!

For virtually the entire train journey from Frankfurt to Bruxelles the trains, will either be travelling at up to 290 km/h on purpose built high speed lines, or up to 200km/h on section of railway, that has been re-engineered to allow trains to travel faster.

It is a journey of eight distinct phases:

• Until Frankfurt Flughafen the train will snake its ways through the city's suburbs
• The train will then spend around 40 minutes travelling at more than 270 km/h on the high speed line. The video was taking on a train travelling in the opposite direction, but it gives a sense of what a thrill this train ride can be; this is a journey when it's especially obvious that you're travelling on a high speed train!

• Between Koln and Aachen the trains travel at up to 200 km/h on a re-engineered stretch of railway.
• Then for most of the the 25 min journey between Aachen and Liege the train will travel at up to 290 km/h on a high speed line; this is also the most scenic part of the trip.
• Then for around five minutes after departure from Liege, the train will travel fairly slowly on a route which ascends from the city.
• Next up is the HS2 Belgian high speed route as far as Leuven, in theory the ICE and Thalys trains can accelerate back up to around 290 km/h on this part of the trip.
• From Leuven to just north of Brussel-Nord station the maximum speed is 200 km/h.
• For most of the journey between Brussel-Nord and Brussel-Zuid the railway crosses the city centre in a tunnel.

Please support ShowMeTheJourney

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help. We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you .

1: There is little to see from the high speed lines in Belgium and France.

Separate tickets will be required for the Zurich to Frankfurt and Frankfurt to London journeys - but they can both be booked on Trainline Though if you can set off from Zurich before 08:00, you can de-risk the possibility of having to re-book a last-minute ticket for the Eurostar, by booking three journeys, with the third being a later departure on from Bruxelles.

Help keep us advertising and paywall free!

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.

We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.

See if there’s a unique journey guide for your trip, featuring info on the trains, tickets & stations.

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Here's what to expect from Europe's new age of high-speed train travel

With an increased demand for rail travel, the rollout of new tracks and trains is in full swing across Europe — with use expected to double in the next five years.

As the sun rose over France on the day of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, there was almost unbelievable news from SNCF, the state rail company. Saboteurs had planned night-time arson attacks to hit the four high-speed rail lines that radiate from the capital. Three of the attacks were successful in their mission to close the lines.

For people in Britain, where high-speed rail is both limited and a political hot potato, the news was a reminder of just how integral the network has become in countries such as France.

In Europe, rail is having a bit of a moment. Across the Channel, a new line from Paris to Bordeaux slashed journey times in 2017, while six further projects are underway to expand the TGV network, with the Bordeaux-Toulouse extension expected to open first in 2032. Work will also begin this year on a high-speed line between Porto and Lisbon in Portugal. The first 89-mile phase between Porto-Campanha and Soure will be complete by 2028.

In Spain — where nearly 2,500 miles of high-speed track make it the second-biggest network in the world, surpassed only by China — two new lines have opened over the past three years, while other projects, including the ‘Basque Y’, are underway. The number of high-speed train passengers in the country hit 23.7 million in 2022 — up 76% year on year.

Even further east, where rail connectivity in the past has been lacking, plans are afoot for a rail revolution. In the Czech Republic, the government has drawn up plans for new high-speed routes that will connect major cities and link into the wider European network. Construction on six new lines — five from Prague, one from Brno — will start in 2026.

And a new route between Budapest, in Hungary, and Belgrade, the Serbian capital, is being built, with the first stretch open, as is a line linking Athens Airport and Patras in Greece.

“There’s been a really big focus on high-speed networks,” says Christian Wolmar, a rail expert and host of the Calling All Stations podcast. “There’s been huge investment in lots of European countries and with it has been a massive improvement in fast services, although the downside is that, in places, there’s been some neglect of the existing networks.”

Officials in Brussels have drawn up bold plans to double high-speed rail use by 2030 and triple current passenger levels by 2050. In 2022, the EU agreed to pump €5.4bn (£4.6bn) into 135 transport projects to help achieve these goals. In July this year, it pledged a further €7bn (£6bn) in grants, with a focus on rail infrastructure for the bloc’s planned Trans-European transport network (TEN-T), which includes roads, rail, shipping and aviation.

Wopke Hoekstra, European commissioner for climate action and transport, says: “The projects will help transform Europe’s transport network, making cleaner transport modes more efficient and attractive for both passengers and freight while also enhancing safety.”

Industry leaders, as you’d expect, are throwing their weight behind the plans. Demand, they say, is already there. Across the EU, passenger rail traffic jumped 50% between 2021 and 2022 as pandemic restrictions lifted and borders reopened. At 245 billion miles travelled, use of the network was just 5% shy of 2019.

The numbers are expected to climb further in 2023, supported in part by initiatives such as the ban of some domestic flights in France. Routes where the same journey can be made by train in under 2h30m have been outlawed, although connecting flights are unaffected.

Soaring demand

“There’s currently more demand than there is supply,” says Alberto Mazzola, executive director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), a Brussels trade body. “This is especially the case when it comes to long distance, as people want to travel sustainably.

“But we need to improve our infrastructure and that’s a challenge in some countries. While there’s been a lot of investment, we need more cross-border connectivity and also more consistent maintenance. This has been a big problem in Germany.”

The current lack of cross-border collaboration is certainly a topic of contention. “I think most people would agree that cross-border trains could link up better,” says Mark Smith, founder of The Man in Seat 61, a rail travel advice website.

“Back in the 1980s, all the trains from Paris to northern Spain crossed the border to Irún and connected with Spanish services. Now, TGVs from Paris to Hendaye, on the French side, aren’t authorised to go to Spain so can’t cross the one stop to Irún.”

The same is happening between France and Italy, says Smith, due to the lack of cooperation. “There’s no longer a direct service between Nice and Milan; passengers have to change in Ventimiglia.”

CER also wants reforms to the way train ‘paths’ — a time slot and route allocated to a train for its journey — are assigned, crucially agreeing timetables much earlier.

“At the moment, we get about four months’ notice,” says Mazzola. “We’d like to see a process where the schedule is set one year in advance. That will help the railways compete with the airlines.”

A desire for more sustainable travel, as well as a burgeoning network of sleeper services in Europe, is also helping drive demand across the continent.

Eurostar, which operates cross-Channel services as well as Franco-Belgian services following a merger with Thalys, has ambitions to carry 30 million passengers a year by 2030.

Passenger numbers on services from London during 2023 were up by 38% to Amsterdam, by 33% to Brussels and by 25% to Paris year on year. Eurostar also faces the threat of competition on the line, which will be good news for fares, says Smith. Evolyn, a new Spanish operator, announced last year it had agreed a deal with Alstom, the train manufacturer, for between 12 and 16 trains to run from London to Paris.

Yann Leriche, director general of Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel, said the deal “confirms the economic and technical attractiveness of Eurotunnel as well as the huge potential for growth in high-speed rail traffic.”

Tour operators are also reaping the rewards. “France is by far our biggest seller by rail because it’s the quickest to reach and has one of the most reliable rail systems in Europe,” explains Kylie Anderson, who oversees the rail programme for Inntravel. She says the three most popular routes in France are those with direct connections from Paris or Lille — the Dordogne, Provence and Alsace.

The frequent connection between Paris and Zurich — direct in 4h5m — is also popular with Brits. “Some opt for an overnight stay in Zurich before taking a scenic journey down to Milan, where you can connect to high-speed services throughout Italy,” she says.

Sunvil reports almost 10% of holidays it sells to Spain are now to people looking to take the train. “The increased promotion of no-fly holidays alongside developments on Europe’s high-speed network in recent years have led to heightened demand,” says Rachel Jelley, the company’s sales manager, adding that the “Spanish programme has benefited most from the high-speed routes”. Travellers can take a morning Eurostar from London, connect in Paris and catch a mid-afternoon TGV to arrive in Barcelona by 9.30pm.

In the future, they may be able to take the Eurostar to Brussels and catch an overnight sleeper to the Catalonian capital. At least if European Sleeper, the newest night train operator, gets its way. It launched from the Belgian capital to Berlin in 2023 before extending to Prague in March.

ÖBB, the Austrian operator, has expanded its sleeper routes with Nightjet trains crisscrossing Europe; they now also operate on routes such as Munich to Bologna, Salzburg to Florence and Vienna to Rome. There are also a growing number of overnight trains in France after President president Emmanuel Macron, pledged to revive services.

Others have been less successful. Midnight Trains, a Paris start-up, had planned ‘hotels on wheels’ from the French capital to Spain and Italy to launch from next year. However, announcing the “death of a dream” in June, Adrien Aumont, the co-founder, bemoaned a sector that favours legacy operators. He urged the EU to “build a railway capable of welcoming new, innovative companies … so that other entrepreneurs can succeed in creating new uses and improving the train travel experience.”

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Vienna-Zurich night train ÖBB nightjet 466

The ÖBB nightjet overnight train NJ466 connects Vienna and Zurich with a journey time of 10 hours and 41 minutes. Ticket prices start at EUR 29.90. Important stops along the route are Linz and Salzburg. The train has seats, couchettes and sleeping cars. The night train is family-friendly: children up to the age of 5 travel free of charge. Children from 6 to 14 years of age receive discounted tickets. And there are private compartments in the seating and couchette carriages. The train saves you a night in a hotel.

Timetable Vienna-Zurich

Information on the Night train from Zurich to Vienna .

The following categories are available in Nightjet NJ466.

• Seat 2nd class
• Berth in a 6-berth compartment
• Berth in a 4-bed compartment
• Sleeping car berth in 3-bed compartment
• Sleeping car berth in 3-bed compartment with private shower/WC
• Sleeping car berth in 2-bed compartment
• Sleeping car berth in 2-bed compartment with private shower/WC
• Sleeping car berth in 1-bed compartment
• Sleeping car berth in 1-bed compartment with private shower/WC

Travel time

The journey time of the NJ466 from Vienna and Zurich is 10 hours and 41 minutes.

Ticket prices Vienna-Zurich

The ticket price depends on your Travel date and Purchase date . The sooner you book, the higher the likelihood of a Economy rail/savings fare ticket to receive. If you choose Departure day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday are fewer travellers on the train, which also results in a cheaper ticket price leads.

Where to buy a ticket?

You can buy your ticket either at Omio ( Instructions how to buy the right ticket), NS International , the ÖBB or the German Railways Buy

Up to 5 years : Children up to 5 years old travel free of charge if they share the pitch with an adult. If they need their own place to sleep, they can travel with the Favourable ticket "Child travel.

Ideally it is a Own compartment on the train to book. For more information, see "Private compartment".

Private compartment and families

Would you like to go out with your family or friends alone in a compartment travel, without other travellers you can book your own compartment. This is possible in the seating car, couchette and sleeping car.

Own compartment in the seat carriage from 99 euros

You can have your own seat compartment for Maximum 3 persons for an all-inclusive price starting at 99 euros. These three people can be adults or at least one adult with a maximum of two children up to 14 years. With three travellers, you can pull out the facing seats a bit, put your legs up and quite comfortable and really very good value travel overnight!

Own compartment in couchette car from 199 euros

Your own couchette compartment is Ideal for families or a Group of friends . You can book a private compartment for a maximum of 6 people from 199 euros. Of which maximum 3 persons adult be, or maximum 5 children up to 14 years old. So it works wonderfully: two parents with one to four children.

Your own compartment in the sleeper car from 159 euros

Buy a ticket from vienna to zurich.

Buy fast , secure and simply your night train ticket on the official ÖBB nightjet website.

At Omio you will find a list of many train connections.

NS International, as the Dutch state railway, offers the secure purchase of international train tickets.

The booking page of Deutsche Bahn.

Groups of 6 or more get a discount on the standard price for a seat. These can be requested from ÖBB Customer Service on the following telephone number (in Austria): +43 5 1717

Dog and animals

You can take your dog or pet with you. However, you have to book a whole compartment, just for you or shared with friends/family members. Your dog will travel with 29 euros calculated. Simply add it under "who is travelling" on the ÖBB booking page.

You can simply add the ticket for your bike on the ÖBB booking page ("wer fährt"). The bicycle in a bicycle parking space is charged with 12 Euro extra calculated. Of course, you can also take your bike disassembled or folded up in a bag as normal luggage. However, I recommend a private compartment.

Car and motorbike

You cannot take your car (passenger car) or motorbike on this train.

For train connections with this option, you must specify the model. You can make the booking online or by phone: +43 5 1717 Loading can only take place at certain stations. These are always the start and end stations.

Photos ÖBB nightjet

Sleeping car, couchette car, seat carriage.

Daytime train connection from Vienna to Zurich

You can also travel the route from Vienna to Zurich during the day. The Journey time is 07:52 hours . You can buy train tickets from EUR 39 Buy

Videos ÖBB nightjet

Where can I book the ÖBB nightjet from Vienna to Zurich?

You can buy your ticket for the night train from Vienna to Zurich on Omio ( Instructions how to buy the right ticket), NS International , at which German Railways and the ÖBB Buy

What does a couchette coach in the ÖBB nightjet Vienna-Zurich look like?

A couchette car is a compartment with two or three couches on top of each other - on the left and on the right side. The middle is free. You can reach the upper berths with a ladder.

What does a sleeping car in the ÖBB nightjet Vienna-Zurich look like?

A sleeping car is a compartment with a maximum of three beds. Depending on the occupancy, these are folded out or fixed to the wall. There is always a washbasin in the compartment. In the slightly more expensive deluxe compartments, you also have your own private shower and toilet. Otherwise, this is in the corridor.

How much does the ÖBB nightjet from Vienna to Zurich cost?

You can buy seat tickets from 29 EUR. A 6-seater couchette compartment is available from 49 EUR. For a seat in a 4-seater couchette, you pay from 59 EUR. And a bed in the Sleeping Car costs from 89 EUR (in a Triple), from 109 EUR (in a Double) and from 159 EUR (in a Single). The prices depend on your travel date and how far in advance you book.

Which is cheaper: flight or train from Vienna to Zurich?

On average, the train is cheaper. When making an honest calculation, also take into account the departure to and from the airport to the city centres. In addition, you need one hotel night less with the night train. Besides: the environment you damage with a flight is priceless.

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Interrail and Eurail reservations

You can use the ÖBB nightjet from Vienna to Zurich with your Interrail/Eurail Pass. However, you will need to buy a reservation. In return, you save travelling time and an overnight stay in a hostel or hotel.

What is Interrail/Eurail?

Interrail/Eurail is a train ticket that allows you to travel by train for a flat rate of up to three months in up to 33 European countries. You can find all information about Interrail here.

Night train regulation

You only need to enter the departure date in your Interrail/Eurail Pass. Not the date of arrival. You will therefore spend on your pass only one travel day which is the day of departure. You can also use other trains on this departure day.

Example: you travel from Graz to Vienna in the morning of 5 July. Spend the day sightseeing in Vienna. And in the evening you get on the night train to Zurich. You arrive in Zurich in the morning of 6 July. The day of travel you enter is only 05 July.

Flight from Vienna to Zurich

Of course you can also fly the route from Vienna to Zurich. The flight takes around 2 hours. Plus the journey from Vienna city centre to the airport. The same in Zurich, from the airport back to the city centre. Be there on time, check-in, etc.

Sustainable is of course not just sitting in a subsidised plane for a short time. Everyone has to decide for themselves at what point they start to do something for planet Earth. And on this route, from Vienna to Zurich, it's really easy.

On the night train you save transfers and waiting times . In addition, a Night at the hotel which is not really cheap in both cities. It is simply a relaxed shape to travel. Definitely more relaxed and communicative than in a tightly squeezed plane .

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Zurich in Three Days

There is plenty to discover in Switzerland’s largest city. A city trip over a long weekend allows you to discover the different facets of Zurich – and also to head out into the beautiful surrounding region.

Travel Cheaply in Zurich

At the start of their three-day trip, clever urban explorers purchase a Zürich Card : the 72-hour pass covers all forms of local public transportation and also includes numerous discounts.

Day 1: Explore the Old Town

Walk Through the Old Town

Grossmünster

Fraumünster

Harald Naegeli’s Stick Figures

Lunch in the old town.

Bauschänzli

Zurich’s beer garden enjoys a prime location on the River Limmat between the Old Town and Lake Zurich.

Café Bar Odeon

Enjoy breakfast, lunch, brunch, or drinks while observing the passers-by outside on Bellevue.

Kronenhalle

The Kronenhalle at Bellevue is absolutely legendary. Not just for its food, but for its art, too.

Kunsthaus Zürich

Culinary Delights on Lake Zurich

Opera House

Day 2: enjoy the view from the uetliberg.

Weekend Brunch

Restaurant Hillz

Museum Rietberg

Wiedikerli Grilled Bratwurst

Pavillon Le Corbusier

Dinner above the rooftops of zurich.

• • • Rooftop Restaurant

The Rooftop Bar offers a great view of Bahnhofstrasse – as well as delicious drinks.

George Bar & Grill

High above the city rooftops, right in the center. Elegant restaurant with bar, lounge, and terrace.

Hiltl Dachterrasse

Vegetarian and vegan buffet – also to take out – with a view over the Bahnhofstrasse.

Day 3: Chocolate Tour & Explore Rapperswil

Chocolate Tour

Lake Cruise from Thalwil

Lunch in Rapperswil

Restaurant Quellenhof

Swiss-Austrian cuisine in the heart of the Town of Roses, Rapperswil.

Restaurant Jakob Rapperswil

Gourmets can indulge in very special culinary treats in the heart of Rapperswil.

Restaurant Lennox

Discover international street food dishes in the former fire station in Rapperswil.

Restaurant Falkenburg

Tradition-steeped restaurant with excellent, seasonal, and fresh cuisine in Rapperswil’s Old Town.

Ristorante La Scala

A treat for the taste buds in beautiful surroundings and with classy background music.

Soak up the Sun with a Lake View

Eat at a Cult Restaurant

Important information about the city of zurich.

How to Get There

Eco-friendly and efficiently to one of the most beautiful main train stations in Europe – a particularly pleasant way to travel to the City on the Limmat.

Getting Around in Zurich

Travel sustainably in the city, too: whether by public transportation, on foot or by bike, travelers can explore the city in a particularly calm and relaxed way.

Public Holidays in Zurich

What could be better than discovering local traditions on your travels? On one of the 12 special public holidays, guests can experience Zurich’s culture and history up close.

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On foot, on wheels, by public transportation, or by car: this is how to get from A to B in Zurich.