The guides are part of the joint marketing campaign Swiss Bliss. Four people with close connections to Switzerland have each been asked to create a trip that they would recommend.
Rail Europe and Swiss Travel System are launching four travel guides for train travel in Switzerland during the autumn and winter. The initiative aims to highlight less obvious travel routes and combines trains with buses and funiculars, among other things.
Among them are Rail Europe CEO and Bern resident Björn Bender, Swiss Travel System expert Thomas Hoffmann and Rail Europe's Chief Technology Officer Ilgün Ilgün. Also Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries, authors of Europe by Rail, participates.
The idea is to show parts of Switzerland other than the most well-known tourist routes and at the same time highlight trips that work during both the autumn and winter seasons.
From Bern to Ticino and the Bernina Railway
One of the trips starts from Bern and goes via Montreux and Lausanne on Lake Geneva and on to Lötschental and Lauchernalp at an altitude of almost 2,000 meters.
Another goes from Zurich to Locarno and Ascona in Ticino and continues, among other things, through the Maggia Valley and with the Centovalli Line to Intragna and Bellinzona.
The third route has a food and local products theme. It runs from Basel via Vevey and Montreux to Gruyères and Broc, focusing on wine, cheese and chocolate, among other things.
The fourth journey starts in St. Gallen and goes via Landquart, Zernez and Val Müstair to Pontresina and Alp Grüm. From there, the Bernina Railway continues over the Alps to Tirano in Italy.
Want to attract train travel outside the peak season
What the routes have in common is that they combine rail with stops and excursions along the way. Several routes also include PostBus and cable cars to reach smaller towns and mountain areas.
The initiative has been specifically designed for autumn and winter. Rail Europe and Swiss Travel System are highlighting autumn's wine regions and color changes, as well as the opportunity to combine Swiss cities with snowy landscapes during the winter.
The four journeys have also been illustrated as postcards and sent to content creators who have been allowed to follow and document the routes.
According to the organizers, the trips can be carried out with, among other things, the Swiss Travel Pass, separate train tickets and regional passes.
