In Switzerland, Trains Offer Great Scenery. But Here's a Heads-Up on Other Aspects of the Experience.
Hello from Switzerland where I'm celebrating a milestone birthday — and not traveling anywhere by cruise! Instead, I’m taking a train, Switzerland’s SBB (the national railroad) today, from Zurich to Zermatt. It's a 3.5 hour or so ride on two different train routes, and I love traveling this way, so all's good.
Thanks so much to travel writing pals who were at a conference here a month or ago or so, I was was excited about booking an indulgent day on the touristic scenic railway (Matterhorn Express et al). But, as the trip came together rather last minute, all seats were taken. All in all, though, the more pedestrian train ride, through Bern and then via a change in Visp, was incredibly beautiful. Heart-stopping, really, ranging from pastoral meadows and rolling hills to sparkling lakes to the edgy Alps. It was particularly special when the gloomy, surly day we started with in Zurich, blossomed into unexpected sunshine after Bern, just in time to catch a glimpse of the Alps. Magic.
Here's what I learned: You don't need the magic touristic trains in Switzerland to enjoy otherworldly views. They come with the territory! Having said that, I don't think the Swiss SBB's high falutin' reputation matched my expectations. No Wi-Fi. I bought a first-class ticket on the website but there's no way to secure a seat, which required a 15-minute wait at an SBB office -- and a 5 CH franc subsidy. And then, about 20 minutes into our ride, it was announced, rather cavalierly, that our train did not have a restaurant car on this particular route, so if you were hungry (or your sugar levels were warring with your emotional spirits) well, tough luck.
The lack of a restaurant car, especially with no notice whatsoever, was unfortunate. And yet, as I learned on the return trip to Zurich, where the train did have that service, that maybe I'd been a bit too hard on Swiss' SBB. The restaurant car was a true dining option, with white linen tablecloths and table service. There was even an at-your-seat bar waiter. It was so marvelous I wanted to order food even though I wasn’t hungry.
Definitely, that restaurant car experience on a two-hour train ride is miles ahead of Amtrak, but just a heads up that it SBB is not as consistent as it could be (in some cases there are plugs at the seat, others there are no plugs, sometimes you need the Swiss adapter, sometimes the Euro plugs work just fine). So just be prepared. And temper those expectations, just a skosh.
The views, coming and going, remained consistently magnificent.