Here’s our quick guide to your choice of north-south rail routes if you are traveling from central Europe through Switzerland to Italy.

There are just three routes to choose from: the Simplon, the Gotthard and the Bernina.

The Simplon route

Our rating: **

Used by four daily EuroCity services from Geneva to Milan and by the thrice daily EuroCity trains from Basel to Milan. Not our favorite option as the best of the scenery is missed in tunnels. The Geneva and Basel routes converge at Brig, and then run through the Simplon tunnel into Italy. The trains from Geneva do offer some super views as they skirt the northern edge of Lake Geneva. But the Basel route south through Berne is pretty but unspectacular, and then plunges through the 34km-long Lötschberg tunnel to reach Brig, where you get a breath of fresh air before diving into the Simplon tunnel.

On the plus side, there are some super views of Lake Maggiore as the train cruises through northern Italy towards Milan. Sit on the left for the views. And it is those lake views which are the redeeming factor for the Simplon route. So we give it two stars.

The Gotthard route

Our rating: **

Used each day by seven EuroCity trains from Zürich to Milan (and also one from Basel to Milan). This route is also taken by domestic Swiss services from Basel and Zürich to Locarno and Lugano. Indeed, this is the main north to south rail axis through Switzerland. The approach to the north side of the Gotthard Tunnel is classic Switzerland. Sit on the right side of the train for super lake views with range upon range of mountains edging ever closer.

With the opening of the new 57-km Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, the journey is now even less scenic.

The Bernina Express running right along Lake Bianco. Photo: Terry

The Bernina route

Our rating: *****

Far and away the finest of the three north-south routes from Switzerland into Italy. No ifs, no buts. The Bernina knocks spots off the competition. If you are in a rush to get into Italy, take the Simplon or Gotthard routes. But if you want to see the Alps, the Bernina is the obvious choice. This is the only route that goes over the Alps rather than tunneling through them.

The Bernina is served by Rhaetian Railway services from St Moritz (in the Swiss Engadin) to Tirano (in Italy). Local trains run hourly on this route throughout most of the day, although evening services are very limited. There are also some through trains from Chur and Davos to Tirano (branded “Bernina Express” and with a supplementary charge).

The beauty of the Bernina, particularly if you ride the local trains which stop at every tiny station, is that you have a real sense of engaging with the landscape. There are glaciers and Alpine meadows, with moments of high drama as the train drops down from high mountain terrain into serenely beautiful valleys. Beyond Tirano, the route runs south-west to Milan, skirting the east side of Lake Como for more than an hour.

The time question

So why does everyone not take the Bernina route? It seems to be really a matter of time. Sadly, most travelers are in a rush. And the lure of a direct train tempts folk to the faster Simplon and Gotthard routes. Journeys from the principal Swiss cities to Milan via the Bernina route require several changes of train. Here are some comparison journey times for Zürich to Milan:

via the Simplon route: 4 hrs 15 min
via the Gotthard route: 3 hrs 45 min
via the Bernina route: 10 hrs 05 min

The travel times speak for themselves. Yes, the Bernina journey takes more than twice as long, but it’s so very, very much better that canny travelers give the Alps the time they deserve. Indeed, there are a heap of places along the Bernina route which warrant an overnight stop, so why not spread the journey over two days?

Editor’s Note: Looking for more insider information on train travel across Europe? Pick up a copy of Europe by Rail, now in its 15th edition, it is the definitive guide for exploring the continent by train. You can also follow them on twitter at @EuropebyRail.

The post Crossing the Alps by Train: Three rail routes from Switzerland to Italy appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But every journey deserves time and in our recent meanderings by rail around Europe we’ve made some engaging slow diversions, favoring rural branch lines that really tap into the spirit of local landscapes.

Here are four great rural rail journeys that we have taken over the last four weeks, each one of them a ride to remember.

Pass traditional Trulli in Puglia aboard the FSE train. Photo © hidden europe

Italy: Peaches in Puglia

The regular Trenitalia rail fare from Bari to Taranto is €7.70. The journey between the two cities on the fast Trenitalia route is unexceptional. But for the same fare you can ride the Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) route via Martina Franca.

This really is the Italian outback. The FSE network in Puglia does not feature in most online databases of European rail schedules (not even in the Deutsche Bahn’s celebrated HAFAS system which shows only a subset of all European trains and is by no means as complete as some travelers imagine).

Our FSE train rattled south from Bari, eventually swapping half-built industrial parks for the orchards of the Puglian countryside. Peaches and almonds aplenty, and – as we climbed up into the hills – plenty of the classic Puglia trulli. These are dry stone buildings with distinctive conical roofs.

Czech Republic: Through the Erzgebirge

It is an easy journey from Bohemia to Saxony by train. Comfortable EuroCity services follow the main line through the Elbe Gorge and it is very pretty indeed. The run from Prague to Dresden takes just 2hrs 15mins.

But for a change last Monday, we took to the hills traveling via Karlovy Vary and Zwickau. There are four rail routes that cross the border between the Czech Republic and the German State of Saxony west of the Elbe Gorge, and all are worth a try. Each climbs over the hills, along the way making stops at the tiny villages that rely on the railway for links to the wider world. They are part of a family of routes, some entirely within Germany, marketed under the banner Erzgebirgsbahn – derived from the name of the mountain range that straddles the German-Czech border. The name Erzgebirge means the ‘ore mountains’, a hint of the rich history of mining in the region.

The Karlovy Vary to Zwickau train (with links at either end from Prague and on to Dresden respectively) averaged less than 40 kph (25 mph) on its tortuous and steep journey through hills and forests that this week still had plenty of lingering winter snow.

France: To Switzerland by stealth

We could of course have taken the fast train to Switzerland. Modern French TGV Lyria services streak from Dijon to the shores of Lake Geneva in just a couple of hours.

In mid-March, we opted instead for the slow alternative, taking local trains that followed switchbacks through the folded hills of the Jura. This is an exquisitely beautiful mountain range, the outermost ripples of the Alps that straddle the border of France and Switzerland between the Doubs Valley and Lake Geneva.

Highlight of the journey was the two-hour section from Besançon to La Chaux-de-Fonds. We found this little gem of a route tucked away in Table 376a of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. It is served by modern trains with panoramic windows well suited to sightseeing. Trains runs thrice daily from Besançon to Switzerland via the rural cross-border route, so do check times before setting out.

Germany: Across the Lüneburg Heath

Even tame landscapes have their minor rail routes, so it is always worth checking if there is a credible alternative to the fast train. The Thomas Cook European Rail Map is a good starting point for your research.

The main line from Hamburg to Hanover in northern Germany wins no medals for its scenic charm. Twice-hourly ICE trains speed between the two cities in just 80 minutes.

But there is an alternative. The Heidebahn cuts across the Lüneburg Heath, a sparsely populated area of delicate beauty that you simply miss if you follow the main line. True, you have to change trains along the way (always at Buchholz and sometimes also at Soltau), and the entire run from Hamburg to Hanover takes twice as long as on the fast ICE train. But it’s a chance to see an area rarely visited by tourists.

This rural rail service across the Lüneburg Heath is run by a private company rather than the Deutsche Bahn, but happily the times are shown in the Deutsche Bahn’s HAFAS online information system and schedule planner. Eurail and InterRail passes are valid.

Your favorite rural rail routes

We are always on the lookout for good rural rail diversions that warrant a mention in forthcoming editions of our book Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide for Independent Travellers. If you would like to suggest your personal favorites, we’d love to hear them.

The post Rural Rail Diversions: Choosing slow alternatives to fast trains appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The Bernina option

But let’s say you are in St. Moritz. As one Cheapo, commenting on our post last week, nicely put it “the Bernina route is more amazing and a lot cheaper.”

Tirano (via the Bernina Pass) makes a superb day out from St. Moritz. Trains run hourly and a return ticket from St. Moritz to Tirano costs 58 Swiss Francs ($68). If you have a Eurail or InterRail Pass valid in Switzerland, you’ll ride for free. By contrast, a return run to Zermatt on the Glacier Express is 338 Swiss Francs ($398) and neither InterRail nor Eurail will get you a free ride.

If you do ride the Bernina route and it’s a fine day, opt for the 10:45 a.m. departure from St. Moritz which until August 31 carries open-top carriages. Allow a couple of hours for lunch in Tirano, where the Ristorante Sale e Pepe (right by the station) is a great choice, and take the 3:40 p.m. train back to St. Moritz.

Zürich to Lake Geneva

But let’s assume you are a real rail-hound, keen on long journeys and want to see a lot of Switzerland through the train window. If you are in any of the main cities, and are pressed for time, you could do better than the Glacier Express.

Our favorite Swiss rail route is the seven-hour journey from Zürich via Lucerne, Interlaken and Gstaad to Lausanne on Lake Geneva. The journey is often dubbed the GoldenPass route. It requires changes of train along the way (as the track gauge switches from standard to narrow and back again).

For a map and a table showing the main stages of the journey from Zürich to Lausanne, just follow this link. Distance-wise, this route is much the same length as the Glacier Express, though the overall journey time is about an hour shorter.

The one-way fare from Zürich to Lausanne by this route is 89 Swiss Francs ($104). The Swiss Pass, InterRail and Eurail Pass are all valid for the entire route. And there are no nasty supplements. Major agents such as Rail Europe UK or their US representative can give helpful advice on ticket deals and packages or simply buy your ticket on the Swiss Railways Web site and hop on the next train.

Route highlights

The first part of the ride south from Zürich is tame, but south from Lucerne the hills close in and the train climbs steeply to a summit station at Brünig-Hasliberg, which happens to have in the station building what must surely rate as one of Europe finest bric-a-brac shops. With trains running every hour, it is easy to break your journey.

From Brünig, it’s downhill all the way to Meiringen, a town that claims to be the birthplace of meringue (the confection rather than the Caribbean musical genre of the same name). Then west to Interlaken and Spiez — with fine views over the Thunersee — before climbing the Simmen Valley.

Hills roll into more hills and the train traverses several ridges, passing the resort town of Gstaad, before a spectacular descent down to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. The final part of the journey to Lausanne traverses the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, a wonderful sweep of ancient villages and vineyards that is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Options

From Lausanne, you can continue to Geneva, with five fast trains each hour taking about 40 minutes. Or you can return north on the main line with trains that run every 30 minutes to Berne (1 hr 10 mins travel time) and Zürich (2 hrs 10 mins travel time).

If you want to spread the journey over several days, obvious places for overnight stops are Lucerne, Interlaken, Gstaad and Montreux.

The post Switzerland by Train: Alternatives to the Glacier Express appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.