Portfolio - Special Edition Switzerland

47 Special Edition Switzerland of the world? For starters, Italy, France, and Germany have large high-speed trains to serve their large, high-speed countries. Ours are cozy, slow, and scenic. They are hydro and electric-powered, so infinitely more efficient and sustainable than England’s romantic, but diesel guzzling carriages. And our corduroy upholstered seats and carpeted floors, and windows that open to fresh mountain air are roomier and more flexible than the fluorescent lit and overheated Shinkansen saunas that bullet through Japan. According to the Swiss constitution, public transport must reach every single Swiss village, and the staggeringly precise train schedule which is a balletic matrix of timing and punctuality, does a good job of that, working closely with busses, boats, funiculars, and cog railways to get people around. If all that weren’t enough, our diner cars boast Art Deco-styled banquettes where you can order a glass of local wine and hot meal often served with porcelain tableware and plastic- free. This is our standard commuter train. Dining cars, conductor whistles, romantic goodbyes on platforms, and coffee and hot chocolate trolley service are part of everyday life for all Swiss. GLACIER EXPRESS While most trains in Switzerland are for locals, some scenic trains are specifically designed for tourists, which are most accessible with a Swiss Travel Pass. If one wants to experience all panoramic trains in one trip, then it’s best to embark on the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, which is a route combining the most scenic train lines of the country. The first is the Glacier Express, a seven-hour journey that travels from Zermatt to St Moritz across Switzerland’s alps. I’ve taken it a few times but recently experienced its newly launched Excellence Class on a rainy October day. We departed from Zermatt at 9 a.m. while the Matterhorn was still radiating pink from its morning alpenglühen. Porters greet passengers in Excellence Class at a red carpet on the platform. Mine took my luggage and coat and brought me the menu, a hot towel, and a glass of welcome champagne within minutes of leaving the station. The carriage itself is the first thing I notice. It is decked with leather, silver, crystal, glossy-wood tones, and copper- hued light. The two-two seat configuration means that two white chocolate leather seats face each across wooden tables on both sides of the train. If the oversized panorama windows weren’t big enough, the ceiling is also glass. There are iPads programmed with interactive maps and detailed local information, plugs for charging your own devices, and free satellite Wi-Fi. A glitzy maple wood bar at the back of the train was stocked with whiskey and wine bottles that gloriously rattled like something out of an Agatha Christie novel as we crept past various ravines and valleys. The route is one of the longest within Switzerland, a whopping 7.5 hours, which most Swiss themselves would never sign up for considering a four hour trip from most Swiss stations can get you to Paris, Milano, Munich, or Innsbruck. Top tips to keep in mind when getting around Switzerland. CLIMB THE ALPS VIA SWISS MOUNTAIN RAILS The mountain trains, cog railways, and funiculars include Stanserhorn and its Cabri-O, a convertible double-decker gondola, Ticino’s Monte Bré, Zermatt’s Gornergrat, Jungfrau Railways, Rigibahn, and Stoosbahn. SHIP YOUR BAGS FROM HOTEL TO HOTEL WITH SBB’S LUGGAGE DELIVERY Touring Switzerland by public transport allows you to try out SBB’s convenient luggage service. Send your suitcase from one destination to the another while you leisurely discover the country’s many delights via train, bus, and boat. Luggage insurance included. sbb.ch/luggage ACCESS THE NATION’S RAIL NETWORK WITH A SWISS TRAVEL PASS The Swiss Travel Pass is the ideal all-in-one ticket for foreign visitors, which offers unlimited travels by train, bus, and boat within Switzerland – including admission to hundreds of Swiss museums and the use of panoramic trains. myswitzerland.com/rail AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH