Travelling to Switzerland

Switzerland is connected to international destinations such as Paris and London via rail network. Although expensive, the rail network connects major cities of the country such as Zurich, Bern, Geneva and Basel to international destinations.

For those travelling from UK, the quickest train route is through Eurostar to Paris and then to French TGV. The entire journey from UK to Geneva is approximately 9 hours and to Zurich is 10 hours approximately.

There are many trains in a day from Paris to Geneva, Bern, Zurich and Basel. The journey from Paris to Geneva takes 3½ hours and from Paris to Bern, it is around 4½ hours by TGV. Zurich, which is Switzerland's busiest international terminus, has four daily trains operating to Munich. Most train connections from Germany pass through Zurich and Basel.

Those travelling from Austria can avail two daytime trains of 9 hours duration and one night train leaving from the country for Switzerland. On the other hand, all the train connections from Italy pass through Milan before reaching Zurich, Bern or Lucerne.

Trains are also available for travelling within the destination, covering more than 5000 kilometres. Some of the most popular routes within the destination include the Bernese Oberland railway that goes up to Jungfraujoch which is the highest train station in Europe. Another popular route is the Glacier Express that operates from Zermatt to Saint Moritz.

Train routes in Switzerland
Swiss cities like Zurich, Bern, Basel and Geneva can be reached from international destinations like Paris and London via train. One of the busiest rail links extends from Paris to Lausanne and Geneva. Most of the trains operating on these routes form part of Europe's network of high-speed trains which are also known as TGV.

Four trains depart a day from Paris's Gare de Lyon for both Geneva and Lausanne. Trains from Paris to Zurich depart three times daily from Paris's Gare de l'Est. From London, there are two options available -- via the Hook of Holland, or across or under the Channel through Pass. The EuroCity Express route starts from Liverpool Street Station located in London, then travels via Cologne in Germany and finally terminates at either Zurich or Basel.

The other option available is to take a rail link from London or under the English Channel to Paris. From there one can board trains to several cities of Switzerland such as Zurich, Bern, Basel and Geneva.

From UK to Geneva, the fare is generally between 244 USD and 325 USD for adults who are 26 to 59 years old. Discounts are given to those who are below 26 and more than 60 years old.

The TGV trains operating between Paris to Zurich and Basel offer several facilities for passengers such as power sockets for laptops and mobiles, baby changing facilities and wheelchairs spaces. One can also find cafe bars on these trains.