What the Swiss Travel Pass covers on the Glacier Express
Your pass pays the fare, and the fare is the big number. A Zermatt to St Moritz ticket is CHF 159, and with a Swiss Travel Pass in your pocket that drops to zero. The travel itself is included, in either class, the same way it is on any other train in the network.
What isn't included is the seat. Every passenger on the Glacier Express needs a reservation, and that means you too, pass or no pass. It's CHF 54, and it never moves, whatever class you hold and however far you ride. So a Glacier Express day costs a pass holder CHF 54.
Excellence Class sits outside all of this. It's CHF 540 on top of a first class pass, and it's really a separate product rather than an upgrade you drift into.
How much the Glacier Express seat reservation costs in 2026
The fare is covered and the seat is not, so this is the whole of what you actually hand over.
| What you're booking | Cost with a Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|
| Fare, Zermatt–St Moritz | CHF 0 (covered in full) |
| Seat reservation, 2nd class | CHF 54 |
| Seat reservation, 1st class | CHF 54 |
| Short leg, e.g. Chur–St Moritz | CHF 54 (still) |
| Excellence Class | CHF 540, 1st class pass required |
| Lunch | Extra, served at your seat |
Because that CHF 54 buys the same seat whether you ride 291 bridges or three, a short hop is poor value and the full run is the only version where the number really makes sense. If you're only after a taste of it, you're better off riding regional trains and spending the money on lunch. More on how reservations work across Switzerland is on our seat reservations page.
What eight hours on the Glacier Express actually gives you
Eight hours and twenty-three minutes, Zermatt to St Moritz, across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, with around 20 stops along the way. The stretches people book it for are the Oberalp Pass at 2,033m, the Rhine Gorge, and the Landwasser Viaduct on the Albula line.
Between those, you get the panoramic glass, the commentary, and lunch brought to your seat. It's a slow, comfortable, well-narrated day, and the whole point is that you don't have to change trains once.
First class buys you a wider seat for those eight hours. It doesn't buy a different route or different views, so if your pass is second class, you're not missing the scenery, just some elbow room. See the rest of the scenic train lineup if you're deciding between routes.
Glacier Express or regional trains: which is worth it with a pass?
Here's the part nobody mentions at the ticket desk. The Glacier Express doesn't have its own track. Regional trains run the identical rails, Zermatt to Brig to Andermatt to Disentis to Chur, then the Albula line down to St Moritz, past the same viaducts, through the same gorge, over the same pass. Hourly, every day of the year, including the weeks the Glacier Express doesn't run. And your pass covers all of it with nothing to reserve.
| Glacier Express | Regional trains | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost with a pass | CHF 54 | CHF 0 |
| Journey time | 8h 23mins | About 7h 46mins |
| Changes | None | Four |
| Reservation | Compulsory | None |
| Windows | Panoramic, sealed | Smaller, but they open |
| Commentary | Yes | No |
| Food | Dining car, at your seat | Bring your own |
| Breaking the journey | No | Anywhere you like |
| Runs in the maintenance break | No | Yes |
So you're trading the glass roof, the commentary and the dining car for windows that open and the freedom to stop in Andermatt for lunch and carry on afterwards. One warning: search Zermatt to St Moritz in a journey planner and it'll route you round via Zurich. Search the legs separately instead.
You don't have to choose one for the whole day. The CHF 54 is the same whatever distance you ride, so you can spend it on the Chur to St Moritz half and get there on regional trains for nothing:
- Take regional trains from Zermatt as far as Chur, breaking the day wherever you fancy.
- Board the Glacier Express at Chur for the Albula line, which is where the Landwasser Viaduct is.
- Pay one CHF 54 reservation and keep the rest of the day flexible.
You still pay the full flat fee for that shorter leg, so it's not a saving, it's a swap. You're buying the best hours and keeping your morning loose.
Glacier Express timetable, season and boarding points
It runs daily in both directions, year round, apart from a maintenance break from 11 October to 4 December 2026. Summer brings three morning departures a day; in winter there is only one.
The classic run leaves Zermatt at 08:52 and reaches St Moritz at 16:37. You can join or leave at Brig, Andermatt, Disentis or Chur, just remember the CHF 54 doesn't shrink to match. If you're heading for Davos, Filisur has a connection straight through.
How to book the Glacier Express with your Swiss Travel Pass
- Pick your date and direction, remembering winter runs one departure a day.
- Decide whether you want the full Zermatt–St Moritz run or just the Chur–St Moritz half.
- Book the reservation only, selecting the class that matches your pass.
- Pay the CHF 54 and keep the confirmation on your phone.
- Bring your pass too, the conductor checks both.
- Decide about lunch, which is extra and served at your seat, or pack something and save the money.
The Bernina Express is the other scenic train that needs a reservation. It runs four hours against eight, and the seat is CHF 44 from Chur in high season, or CHF 32 if you start from St Moritz.
