by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 11:05 AM ET, Tue August 19, 2025
As the train clicks up the mountain on what feels to be a near vertical incline, barely clinging to the rock face on the left, everyone surges to the windows on the right for a look at the steep valley vista below. I can barely breathe to overcome the vertigo. I paw at my companion with my phone and choose what I imagine to be my last words carefully:
“Can you take a picture for me?”
While Switzerland as a nation may not be designed for the heights-averse among us, anyone who has ever pictured themselves in a fairytale setting will find something to love there. The undeniable beauty outweighs the beast of death-defying elevation.
Gotthard Panorama Express (Photo Credit: Switzerland Tourism)
Swiss Travel Systems and the Swiss Travel Pass
Criss-crossing the gorgeous scenery is the extensive Swiss Travel System, made up of trains, gondolas, boats, and buses — including public transit in 90 towns. I travelled on a Swiss Travel Pass, which granted access to the staggeringly prompt and efficient network, plus admission to more than 500 Swiss museums and attractions.
One of the best ways to take in as much of the country as possible is by embarking on the Grand Train Tour. The tour is made up of five “panoramic” routes. Panoramic refers not only to the striking views on every side, but to the style of train in use. The panoramic trains are built with large windows that curve up onto the roof so your view extends to the sky.
The Bernina Express is perhaps the most famous of the panoramic routes. In 2023 it was deemed “Instagram’s Favourite Train Ride,” boasting the most (nearly 100,000) tags of any train on the platform.
The less-Instagrammed Swiss routes are no less worthy of a journey, though. I rode all four of the others (Glacier Express, GoldenPass Express, Gotthard Panorama Express and Luzern-Interlaken) over the course of a week. It’s a pace that didn’t leave a lot of time to stop and smell the edelweiss, but with reliable timetables, connections were a breeze and I never worried that a late train would mess up my schedule. Swiss train delays are a rarity. The Fairy Godmother should have considered a Swiss train instead of a pumpkin for Cinderella.
Train in Switzerland (Photo Credit: Travel Switzerland)
Selling Switzerland's Grand Tour
The Grand Tour of Switzerland is celebrating its 10th year as a marketing resource and epic journey. Travellers can drive the route or take the train, like I did. The Swiss tourism website also highlights ways the Grand Tour can be tailored for your clients depending on needs and preferences. For instance, there is the Accessible Grand Tour, with options for travellers with limited mobility, and a Culinary Grand Tour, hitting up the decadent and diverse tastes of Switzerland.
For those on the prowl for unforgettable images, the most photogenic spots are highlighted at Grand Tour photo spots, plus culturally significant UNESCO sites are dotted along the way too — something heritage and history buffs will be pleased to know. As part of the country’s commitment to “Swisstainablity,” the Grand Tour is the world’s first national roadtrip that is fully accessible to electric vehicles, stocked along with way with charging stations.
Through Travel Switzerland, travel advisors can order Swiss Travel Systems passes for their clients. Their extensive travel trade platform can be found at corner.stnet.ch/trade-us/ (US and Canada) and at www.travelswitzerland.com/en/about-us/infos-for-agents,
Connections from Canada are easy, with direct flights to Zurich on SWISS/Edelweiss operating from Montreal and seasonally from Vancouver International (YVR) and Calgary International (YYC). Air Canada flies to Zurich and Geneva, and Air Transat operates into Basel.
Don't miss TravelPulse Canada's Switzerland travel guide for more on the destination.
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