Switzerland’s roads are well signposted and maintained, but you should always check conditions before heading up into the Alps, especially in winter. In winter, rental cars are usually equipped with winter tires. The minimum rental age is usually 25 but falls to 20 at some local firms. You’ll find car rental companies at airports and in cities and towns. And the environmental clincher? It’s entirely drivable by electric car. The headline road trip is the 1600km (994-mile) Grand Tour of Switzerland, an epic, efficiently signposted lap of the country that links 12 Unesco World Heritage Sites and shows off the Alpine nation from its most flattering angles. Gotthard Panorama Express: This rail-boat combo starts with a wonderful 2.5-hour cruise across Lake Lucerne to Flüelen, from where a train winds its way through ravines and past mountains to Bellinzona or Lugano.Voralpen Express: Glide between Lake Constance and Lake Lucerne, through St Gallen, Rapperswil and Romanshorn on this route.Mont Blanc/St Bernard Expresses: Go from Martigny to Chamonix, France, or over the sensationally wild St Bernard Pass.Between May and October, you can continue from Tirano to Lugano by bus. Bernina Express: This route negotiates 55 tunnels and 196 bridges as it travels the Alpine valley of Engadine one way from Chur to Tirano in four hours, hitting its high point at 2253m (7392ft) above sea level.Regular trains, without panoramic windows, work the whole route hourly. The journey is in three legs, and you must change trains twice. GoldenPass Line: Skirting the shores of some of Switzerland’s most ravishing lakes, this route links Lucerne to Montreux.The Brig–Zermatt Alpine leg makes for pretty powerful viewing, as does the area between Disentis/Mustér and Brig. Glacier Express: The "wow" never leaves your lips on this legendary Alpine train journey between Zermatt and St Moritz.They all require reservations, with tickets usually sold for a specific leg on the routes rather than the full journey. Primarily aimed at tourists, these named panoramic trains often have cars with extra large windows to make the most of the incredible scenery. Ride the panoramic trains for the best views That said, look out for sizable discounts when booking “supersaver” tickets ahead of travel. Tickets do not need to be bought in advance, and they can be purchased at stations on the day of travel or on the official Swiss Railways website. Most major cities, including Bern, Geneva, Zurich and Basel, are connected by rail with daily services. The famous panorama tourist trains (with big windows) are just tip-of-the-iceberg stuff: regularly scheduled services, which often ply the same routes as the tourist trains, can be just as enjoyable and significantly less expensive. You’ve got to hand it to the Swiss – their trains really are the dream: efficient, slickly modern, eco-friendly and with views that keep you glued to the window for the duration of the journey. Train travel in Switzerland is efficient and reliable © Alessandro Lai / Getty Images Be dazzled by the Swiss scenery when traveling by train
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