← Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon·3 nights

Glacier Express: Zermatt to St. Moritz

An eight-hour seated crossing of the Oberalp Pass and the Landwasser Viaduct, with two nights in St. Moritz and one in Chur on the way back.

Duration3 nights
TransitGlacier Express, about 8 hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz
DepartsZermatt

After the Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon: The Glacier Express

The Route: Zermatt → St. Moritz → Chur → Zürich Airport Logistics: The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz takes about eight hours with a reserved seat. The return is by Rhaetian Railway to Chur, then mainline train to Zürich. Marathon Month: July Duration: 3 nights

Zermatt ──(Glacier Express, about 8 hrs)──> St. Moritz ──(Rhaetian Railway)──> Chur
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Zürich Airport (ZRH) ◄──(train via Zürich HB, check sbb.ch)──────────────────────┘

The Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon is run on a Saturday in early July, and the Glacier Express leaves Zermatt the next morning. It is a seated eight hours, which makes it the lowest-effort way to cross a mountain range after a race that climbed one.

July in the Alps: the high sections are open and green, with snow still on the peaks, and the days are warm. Carry water and a hat for the sunny side of the carriage, and a layer, because the route climbs to altitude.

Night one: St. Moritz

A seat reservation is required on the Glacier Express, so book as soon as the timetable opens and well before the marathon. The train runs about eight hours between Zermatt and St. Moritz. It crosses the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m, the highest point on the line, and later the Landwasser Viaduct, which is 65 m high with a span of 142 m. Check the departure time and fare at glacierexpress.ch before booking.

St. Moritz sits at the head of a lake, and the lakeside is the flat part of the town. Hotels are plentiful and expensive in summer, so compare rates early. Eat the local barley soup and nut cake of the Engadin if they are on the menu, and ask about opening hours for the evening.

Night two: St. Moritz

Use the second day as a rest day. Walk the paved lakeside path at an easy pace, and avoid the steep streets above it. Everything in town is within a short ride, so luggage and the train station are close.

Night three: Chur

Take the Rhaetian Railway to Chur, the hub of the network. Chur's old town is compact and cobbled, so a slow walk and a Bündner dinner of capuns or pizokel fits the day. Choose a hotel close to the station, because the departure the next morning is the point of the stay.

Getting home

For Zürich Airport (ZRH), take a mainline train from Chur to Zürich HB, then the airport line. Check the times at sbb.ch and leave a generous buffer before check-in.