{"id":7938,"date":"2022-12-06T10:39:47","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T09:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowtrex.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=7938"},"modified":"2026-04-07T17:28:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T15:28:55","slug":"ski-by-train","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowtrex.co.uk\/magazine\/sustainability\/ski-by-train\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking the train to a ski resort: Which ski resorts can be reached by train?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just leave the car behind and take the train to the mountains for a ski trip\u2014it not only saves you a lot of stress, valuable time, and hard-earned money, but it\u2019s also better for the environment. After all, many attractive ski resorts in the Alps and elsewhere in Europe are now easily accessible by train! Reason enough for SnowTrex<\/a> to show winter sports enthusiasts where they can travel comfortably by train to the ski resorts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n \"By<\/a>
\u00a9 Wikilmages\/pixabay.com<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
By train on a ski holiday: Red train in front of a white mountain backdrop – a familiar image in the Alps.<\/div>\n <\/div > \n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n Index\n <\/div>\n
\n Traveling by train to winter sports destinations in Switzerland<\/span><\/a>Travelling by train to winter sports destinations in Austria<\/span><\/a>Travelling by train to winter sports destinations in France<\/span><\/a>Travelling by train to winter sports destinations in Italy<\/span><\/a>Travelling by train to winter sports destinations in Germany<\/span><\/a>FAQ’s \u2013 Travelling to ski resorts by train<\/span><\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Traveling by train to winter sports destinations in Switzerland<\/h2>\n

Bern<\/h3>\n

Accessible destinations\/ski areas<\/strong>: Adelboden-Lenk, Grindelwald, Interlaken, Jungfrau Region, M\u00fcrren, Wengen<\/p>\n

Switzerland is at the forefront when it comes to travelling by train to ski resorts. Almost all ski resorts are well connected and accessible by public transport. What\u2019s more, winter sports enthusiasts will also find a number of car-free ski resorts<\/a> in Switzerland: here, cars are parked in a car park in the village just before the resort, and visitors continue their journey by shuttle train or horse-drawn carriage. With these options in mind, skiers are best advised to leave their cars at home and start their ski holiday in a relaxed manner by train.<\/p>\n

Nestled in the heart of the Bernese Oberland lies one of Switzerland\u2019s most beautiful ski destinations: the Jungfrau Region<\/a>. Around ski resorts such as Grindelwald<\/a>, Interlaken<\/a> and M\u00fcrren<\/a>, winter sports enthusiasts can let off steam on countless, perfectly groomed slopes in the mountains or make the pilgrimage to Wengen<\/a> \u2013 the Mecca of the Alpine Ski World Cup<\/a> \u2013 in the shadow of the Eiger, M\u00f6nch and Jungfrau. As cars are generally not permitted there, skiers can only reach the resort by train anyway. It is therefore no surprise that travelling to the canton of Bern by train is well worth it \u2013 and indeed it is for winter sports enthusiasts. When travelling to and from the Jungfrau Region with SBB, winter sports enthusiasts can benefit from the \u2018Ride&Slide\u2019 advantages as well as use the \u2018Snow\u2019n\u2019Rail\u2019 ticket.<\/p>\n

Graub\u00fcnden<\/h3>\n

Accessible destinations\/ski areas<\/strong>: Arosa, Davos, Disentis, Klosters, Laax, Lenzerheide, St. Moritz<\/p>\n

The special Alpine trains operated by the Rhaetian Railway to Davos<\/a> and Klosters<\/a> are very well known and correspondingly popular. The Rhaetian Railway, or \u201cRhB\u201d for short, offers several routes along Switzerland\u2019s most beautiful mountain ranges. Over bridges and through mountain tunnels to the main ski resorts. Thanks to these good rail links to many winter sports resorts, there is sometimes no need to change trains.<\/p>\n

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\n \"In<\/a>
\u00a9 Alessandro Colle\/shutterstock.de<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
In Switzerland in particular, the rail network is utilised to the full, even in the mountains.<\/div>\n <\/div > \n

Among the top destinations in Graub\u00fcnden are, of course, Arosa<\/a> and Lenzerheide<\/a>, Scuol and Andermatt<\/a>. With hundreds of kilometres of slopes and a wide range of off-piste activities, they delight winter sports enthusiasts year after year and are also pioneers in the field of sustainable ski tourism. Together with three other ski resorts, they are part of the \u201cRide&Slide\u201d project. This is intended to encourage skiers to travel to the mountains by train rather than by car. So anyone travelling by train from another country to one of the six ski resorts can enjoy a number of benefits there. For instance, on presentation of a train ticket, there is up to a 30% discount on lift passes and ski lessons, or reduced-price equipment hire. Via the stations in Chur, Lucerne or Interlaken, the ski resorts in Graub\u00fcnden are connected via Switzerland\u2019s excellent public transport network and can be reached daily from Germany, Italy, France and Austria with just a few changes.<\/p>\n

Another real highlight for train travel in Graub\u00fcnden is the \u201cBernina Express\u201d panoramic train. It departs from Chur and winds its way along the highest railway line in the Alps via Davos and St. Moritz<\/a> to Tirano in Italy.<\/p>\n

Obwalden<\/h3>\n

Accessible destinations\/ski areas<\/strong>: Engelberg<\/p>\n

Although the canton of Obwalden itself is relatively unknown, Engelberg<\/a> \u2013 the largest winter holiday destination in Central Switzerland \u2013 awaits skiers here. And if they wish, they can choose to leave their cars at home entirely and take the train to the ski resort instead. This is because, along with five other Swiss ski resorts, Engelberg is also part of the \u201cRide&Slide\u201d project. So, on their way to the world-famous monastery town, winter sports enthusiasts can take a train from their home town to Lucerne. And from there, the Lucerne-Engelberg Express takes them almost straight to the slopes in just 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

Another option for skiers to travel to Engelberg by train in a relaxed and comfortable manner is the \u201cSnow\u2019n\u2019Rail\u201d ticket. This is an offer from Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) modelled on the Austrian combined tickets. When travelling to any of the 27 participating ski resorts across the country, including Laax<\/a>, Crans-Montana<\/a> and Adelboden-Lenk<\/a>, winter sports enthusiasts receive a 20% discount on their journey when purchasing the SBB ticket. On top of this, there is a discounted lift pass and a further 15% discount on equipment hire at \u201cIntersport Rent\u201d.<\/p>\n

Valais<\/h3>\n

Accessible desinations\/ski areas<\/strong>: Crans-Montana, Fiesch, Les 4 Vall\u00e9es, Les Portes du Soleil, T\u00e4sch<\/p>\n

Skiing in the French-speaking part of Switzerland offers more than just linguistic and culinary experiences off the slopes. Here, winter sports enthusiasts can also enjoy action-packed hours on skis and snowboards on the runs in the vast Les Portes du Soleil<\/a> ski region (580 kilometres of slopes) or in Verbier within the Les 4 Vall\u00e9es<\/a> ski area. And for the journey there and back, they can do without a car entirely and take the train instead. This is because the major ski regions in Valais also offer convenient and fast connections by bus and train, where skiers can save money with the \u201cRide&Slide\u201d benefits or a \u201cSnow\u2019n\u2019Rail\u201d ticket.<\/p>\n

Unlike the sometimes dead-straight routes planned for long-distance trains, however, there are also railway lines in Valais that are a touch more spectacular. Such as that of the \u201cGlacier Express\u201d, which operates on the Rhaetian Railway network as well as that of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. It takes 8 hours to travel from St. Moritz through the Albula Valley and the Rhine Gorge to Zermatt. Alternatively, there is also a regional connection via Davos to Filisur.<\/p>\n

The following film should make it clear why the legendary \u2018Glacier Express\u2019 is known as the \u2018window to the Swiss Alps\u2019:<\/p>\n

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GLACIER EXPRESS - Window to the Swiss Alps - Vollversion<\/div><\/div>
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