Glacier Express — SWITZERLAND

THE GLACIER EXPRESS IS ALSO KNOWN AS

"THE SLOWEST EXPRESS TRAIN"

OFF TO A FUN START //

Our Glacier Express ride began at the train station in Zermatt where the kind man at the ticket booth asked where we wanted to go. Coty said "Chur" pronouncing it like "Sure." The man laughed and said, "where"? He said, "Do you mean KOO R?" We laughed and said hmm. "We think, is it spelled C-H-U-R?" We got two tickets for 8AM the following morning from Zermatt to Chur. The tickets were pretty expensive, just under 200 swiss franks.

While this trip was a little expensive, this was the one thing I was really looking forward to before we left the states. We almost decided to take the cheaper train until we realized it was only about 50 franks less for the train that traveled through the tunnel most of the way. I'm so happy we stuck to the plan. This certainly hit our pockets hard, at the end of a rather long trip, but we asked ourselves when we'd ever be here again! Sometimes you need to live in the moment and realize that there are always ways to make more money back home. If you are on the fence about an experience, more often than not, you should do it!

We met a couple from the states the night before, and they suggested skipping the lunch that could be purchased for an extra $45/person. Instead, they said to go to the market get some snacks and a bottle of wine. AND that's just what we did. ;)

THE TRAIN ITSELF //

The train itself was modern, clean, comfortable and each carriage offered panoramic views of the breathtaking mountain landscapes through the Swiss Alps. They offer 1st class seats, but we opted for the cheaper seats and couldn't justify the additional costs.

When boarding, there is a place to stow away your bags at each end of the train. At your table, you'll find a pair of headphones so you can plug into a socket at your seat. This allows you to hear more about the landscape and the culture of the people who live there. Every time the gong rings during the journey, information plays on your headphones, which is available in many languages. I almost wish they were continuously sharing information about the areas as you were passing through. I had so many questions about the landscapes, populations of these remote towns, etc.

POINT A > POINT B //

We started in Zermatt and took the Glacier Express to Chur, which took about 6 or so hours. Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland; it's a lively modern town with a wealth of historical architecture. If we had to plan the trip again, I would have given ourselves at least one night somewhere else, like Chur or St. Moritz. Unfortunately, once we arrive in Chur, we boarded another train immediately to Zurich, where we were flying out of a couple of days later.

THE VARYING LANDSCAPES //

My favorite part of the train ride was seeing the varying landscapes. Snow-capped mountains visible from every direction, whether we were trekking through the middle of them or they were off in the distance. The saturated green grass fields were full of cows wearing bells and wandering sheep. Passing through the small villages and looking down from above felt like we were a bird in the sky. They looked cozy and quaint and something straight out of a storybook. The base of the mountains were often a hazy blue and felt like they were so far away. The forceful, bright blue waters appeared as if they were mirroring the blue skies. The roads winded and intertwined with the natural elements. We laughed about how many car commercials were filmed there.

Let me take a moment to gush about this handsome man that used to be by my side for the last 8.5 years. Traveling and getting to see the world with him has been priceless. We've struggled together, we've succeeded together, and we've always made the most of what we have. We've made experiencing new cultures, meeting people different from us, and traveling a priority in our lives. We find inspiration all around us and hope to inspire those around us to live their dreams.