The best way to combine the Glacier Express with private transfers is to be driven from Geneva Airport to Täsch, about 231 km and 2 h 35, stay in Zermatt, ride the train across the Alps to St. Moritz, and be collected there for your onward journey. St. Moritz is about 400 km and 5 h from GVA by road, so a chauffeur can also carry your heavy luggage round while you travel light. AirportsTransfers.ch can organise both road legs and the luggage run.
- Start: Zermatt, reached via Täsch (about 231 km / 2 h 35 from GVA)
- Train: the Glacier Express, a full day across the Alps
- Finish: St. Moritz, about 400 km / 5 h from GVA by road
- Booking: seat reservations are required and popular dates fill early
- Border crossing: none, the route stays in Switzerland
What the Glacier Express is
The Glacier Express is a panoramic train linking Zermatt and St. Moritz, often described as the slowest express train in the world. The journey takes most of a day, crossing hundreds of bridges and passing through many tunnels, with the Oberalp Pass as its highest point. Along the way it follows the upper Rhône valley through Goms, climbs to Andermatt and the Oberalp, descends past Disentis and the Rhine Gorge, known as the Swiss Grand Canyon, and finishes through the Albula line with its famous viaducts, including the Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur. Large panoramic windows and meals served at your seat make it a journey to enjoy rather than endure.
Because it runs on narrow-gauge mountain lines, there is limited space for large luggage on board. That is where a chauffeur becomes useful.
Leg one: Geneva Airport to Zermatt
Your journey begins at GVA, where your chauffeur meets you and drives along Lake Geneva, up the Rhône valley via Martigny and Sion, then into the Mattertal. Zermatt is car-free, so the car stops at Täsch, about 231 km and 2 h 35 from the airport, and the shuttle train takes you up in a few minutes. Spend at least one or two nights in Zermatt: a trip up the Gornergrat railway or to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise gives you a close view of the Matterhorn before the long train day.
The luggage question
Many travellers carry large suitcases for a multi-week trip, and these are awkward on a panoramic train. Several approaches work:
- Travel with a small overnight bag on the train and have your chauffeur drive your main luggage from Täsch to St. Moritz, arriving before or around the same time as you.
- Use rail luggage forwarding services, where available, and keep a car for the final leg only.
- If you will return to Geneva after St. Moritz, leave non-essential items at your Geneva hotel.
The first option is the most flexible, especially for families or anyone with skis, golf bags or bulky cases. The road route from Täsch to St. Moritz is long, so your driver sets off early in the day.
Leg two: from St. Moritz onward
When the train arrives in St. Moritz, your chauffeur can meet you at the station and take you to your hotel. After a stay in the Engadine, enjoying the lake, the Corviglia and Corvatsch areas, or the Muottas Muragl funicular, you have several choices. You can drive back to Geneva Airport, about 400 km and 5 h, ideally with a lunch stop. You can continue south over the Maloja Pass towards Lake Como and Milan, both a few hours' drive. Or you can join another scenic train, such as the Bernina Express towards Tirano, with the car waiting at the Italian end.
Timing your trip
The Glacier Express runs all year, and each season has its appeal: snowy landscapes in winter, green valleys and clearer passes in summer and early autumn. Popular summer dates and holiday periods book up, so reserve train seats first, then fit your transfers around them. Allow a buffer day at each end rather than connecting tightly to flights.
It is also worth deciding which direction suits you. Travelling from Zermatt to St. Moritz, as described here, starts with the shorter drive from Geneva and ends in the Engadine, a good base for continuing to Italy. Going the other way, from St. Moritz to Zermatt, means a long first transfer but a shorter final drive back to GVA from Täsch, which can be helpful if your return flight is early. The scenery is equally impressive either way, so let your flights and onward plans decide.
Reserve the road legs with AirportsTransfers.ch
Book your GVA to Täsch transfer, the luggage run and the St. Moritz pick-up online. Each leg has a fixed price per vehicle, shown before you pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your chauffeur tracks your arriving flight, meets you in the terminal with a name sign and waits if you land late. The E-Class Business Sedan suits two passengers and three bags, the S-Class adds extra comfort for long drives, and the V-Class Van takes up to seven with ten bags. Child seats are available on request. To coordinate times with your train, message or call AirportsTransfers.ch on +41 78 346 56 77.
