Scenic Switzerland by Train Reviews

We thought it was the best trip. The group wasn't big which was great, the tour leader Marco, was the best, the itinerary was great and we couldn't fault it...The trip was relaxed and we weren't rushed. Thank you.

We had good prompt service from Rachel at Global Journeys and a wonderful Tour Guide, Tina, travelled with us - very happy, funny and knowledgeable, however, it went downhill from there. As train enthusiasts we had a few disappointments along the way.

Cosmos brochure stated that the highlight of the tour would be travelling on the Glacier Express ...read more and Bernina Express. We did not step foot on the Bernina Express, no explanation given, very disappointing. Eight hour day on the Glacier Express was very long, not allowed to wander anywhere to stretch our legs or take photos except in our carriage. Thank goodness for the amazing scenery. We read that the bar/dining carriage has special non-glare windows so you could take clear photos of the amazing scenery - we were not allowed to enter that carriage so photos from our seats were not as good as they could have been - we asked different train staff members if we could just sit there to take photos, did not want any service... no not allowed.

The day before our 8 hour journey on this train we were told there would be no food service on board so we needed to shop for our lunch and snacks the day before leaving Zermatt. Strange for such a prestigious train not to serve lunch etc. On the day however train staff came through our carriage to take orders for lunch and was told we all had already purchased our food the day before. Train staff were confused and disappointed - as we were as there was obviously food service available - would have been much nicer than a day old sandwich.

Tour accommodation started very nicely at Novotel Zurich, most hotels after that were obviously chalets for skiers than general tourists. Had a bad back by the end of our tour due to old beds that needed replacing. Special mention of the accommodation at Zermatt: half the group stayed in the listed hotel, the other half were taken across the road to a different building. During conversation on the train the next day it was discovered that those travellers 'across the road' had a coffee machine, kettle, fridge... the rest of us had nothing but a bed and bathroom. No fridge to put our food for the train trip - was told by hotel staff to put our bag of food on the ledge outside our window, will be cold enough! Agro hotel staff were not helpful or sympathetic at all.

Cosmos needs to book a different hotel in future. Also this hotel was the provider of the second group dinner as part of our tour package. It was the most disgusting meal we have ever had. McDonalds two doors down the road did a booming trade that night. The third dinner in the tour package was supposed to be the farewell dinner on our arrival back in Zurich - it did not happen and no explanation or apology was given. The obvious attempt to cut corners did nothing but damage the Cosmos brand. There are lots of tour companies that run Swiss rail tours, Cosmos needs to lift their game.

Reply From Cosmos: We certainly regret to learn of the disappointment experienced due to unforeseen operational circumstances resulting in the Glacier Express and Bernina Express being unavailable on this specific departure. We sincerely apologise for any miscommunication that may have occurred in this regard, and in addition, for any disappointment experienced as a result. We are not aware of any further operational circumstances that may impact remaining 2023 departures. Furthermore, please be assured that our European operations team constantly review our contracted Hotels, taking on feedback provided by our guests. Specifically, your feedback concerning the ‘Derby’ Hotel in Zermatt, has been duly noted. We trust you will appreciate that the problems you have encountered in this instance are extremely rare and we sincerely hope that this experience does not deter you from travelling with us again.

I could not fault this trip.. so well organised, professional in all aspects! Our guide was beyond knowledgeable he was fun helpful and really took care of us. It was an experience I will never forget!!
I am so so pleased I found Global Journey’s .. would highly recommend. Thank you so much

Our Cosmos Train Tour of Switzerland could not have been more enjoyable. Our tour director Fiorenza (Flo) was brilliant in providing detailed background to the scenery we were enjoying. Her instructions were clear so that no one kept the group waiting and all particular needs were remembered and catered for.

Swiss trains are extremely comfortable. ...read more We were in First Class most of the time with luxurious panoramic windows to enjoy the snow covered Alps, the rushing mountain streams, the amazing viaducts and the cute Swiss villages dotted across the alpine terrain. The Swiss engineering which makes such a tour possible is incredible.

Our hotels were very good with only one in Krienz below our standard. The breakfasts were always tasty with an extensive selection, and the included dinners much appreciated. Flo always directed us to somewhere for lunch with inexpensive but healthy options. In particular, Flo had a very positive influence over the group so that we travelled together very harmoniously, making our tour fun for everyone.

Marco, our tour director was excellent and I would highly recommend this trip. You do have to walk to the hotels but they were always close to the station and anyone except those with mobility issues would not have a problem. I really liked the itinerary and having two nights in Zermatt. I loved the included excursion to the Gornergrat Railway. I was ...read more not so impressed with the Swiss Cultural evening which was loud with OK food. The Chillon Castle was a very good optional tour. The tour director gave great advice about where to eat in such an expensive country saving us a lot of money and travelling by train was very different to a coach and gave us the freedom to move around whilst on the move. A very enjoyable tour, very well organised and run. Would use Cosmos again.

I had a magnificent trip around Switzerland by train. We viewed fantastic snow capped mountains with lovely relaxing villages among the mountains and lakes. The trains we went on were comfortable and relaxing. We had many highlights but the one that stands out for me was the day we went up to Gornergrat on the highest rack railway in Europe to view ...read more the majestic MATTERHORN. It was a beautiful warm sunny clear day about 23 degrees. The MATTERHORN stood out clear and majestic in all its glory.

The town of Zermatt was another of my favourites. The museum was very interesting and the Mountaineers Cemetery was very profound with many mountaineers in their 20's. One grave had written on it "We Chose To Climb". You could feel the love they had for the Mountain. We enjoyed the famous towns of Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Lausanne, Montreux, St.Moritz, and Tirano.

The accommodation was very good and the fellow travellers were very friendly and a good mix. Booking online was a first for me and was easy and the Global Journey people were friendly and helpful and would recommend dealing with Global Journeys again. Thanks Global and Cosmos for a wonderful adventure!!!!!

Exceeded my expectations. Whilst we were on the move a lot the trains were comfortable. Accommodation was first class and the included meals were excellent. Flo,the tour director was the best I have had in 12 tours.

Magnificent scenery. It's hard to believe one small country is so blessed with such views. A variety of trains, all extremely comfortable and running like the proverbial 'Swiss watch'. They were also much easier to move around on than coaches. Tunnels and bridges in places you would think it was impossible to be and trains going to places you would ...read more think they couldn't get to. In Zurich, there were more shops selling Swiss Army Knives than souvenirs. Stations were all central but on one or two days the walk from the station to the hotel was a bit difficult for people with walking problems. Cosmos could do better on this but we will never forget our wonderful tour.

"Switzerland by Train" went far beyond our expectations. In a nutshell - breathtaking scenery, perfect weather, fantastic guide, great group.

Our tour guide, Mihaela was excellent; friendly and supportive and always positive. The itinerary was great. One could always add something else but we would not replace any of the trips or places we visited. Accommodation was great and in a number of the places, we could have comfortably stayed much longer. The highlights of the trip were the two ...read more big name train journeys; the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express to Tirana. Included Cosmos meals were okay but appreciated because of the cost of Switzerland. Would highly recommend the trip.

This was the highlight of our overseas trip. A great way to see Switzerland - by train. Very well organized. Excellent Tour Guide. Hotels were good close to railway stations. Luggage looked after meeting us at each hotel when we arrived from trains. Because there were only 17 in our party it was a great atmosphere and interaction between us as travellers. ...read more Tomas our guide even organized incredibly wonderful weather! I would recommend this tour to everyone. Well done Cosmos!

Excellent. It was so good, it would have been nice to have had a included dinner the last night to say goodbye to everyone. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone.

My holiday preference is to travel in a small group, so being in a group of 40 people was daunting! However, because all our travel was on trains it was not so bad, because we had room to move around and weren't having to get on and off a coach all the time. There was not that feeling of being herded about like cattle!

Everything went very smoothly and was very well run. Thank you for making it all so seamless. It was a very enjoyable holiday.