Coach Hire Across Switzerland

Day Trips by Coach: Passes, Lakes and Panoramic Trains

A good Swiss day trip uses the coach for the parts the train cannot do. The group rides a panoramic line one way, and the coach drives round empty to meet it at the far end.

One leg by train, one by road

The Glacier Express, the Bernina Express and the GoldenPass Express stop at stations a coach can reach: Brig, Andermatt, Chur, St. Moritz, Tirano, Interlaken Ost, Gstaad and Montreux among them. For Zermatt the coach waits at Täsch. Glacier Express seats must be reserved; a party of ten or more goes through the RhB Railservice in Chur rather than the online shop.

Each autumn the Glacier Express stops running for several weeks, from the middle of October into early December. In those weeks, build the day around the Bernina or the GoldenPass, or plan it by road alone.

Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior
Setra 49-seat touring coach, exterior

Passes by season

The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Albula, Flüela and Oberalp close in winter. Open in every season: Julier, Maloja, Bernina, Brünig, Simplon. A summer route over three passes may turn into a motorway day in March.

The motorway limit for a coach is 100 km/h, and pass roads are much slower. Time on the map is not time on the road, so let the operator set the timings.

Rules worth knowing before you book

  • Glacier Express (Zermatt-St. Moritz, about eight hours): groups can join or leave the train at Zermatt, Brig, Andermatt, Chur, Filisur, Samedan and St. Moritz, with a change at Filisur for Davos; seat reservations are compulsory, groups of more than nine book through the RhB Railservice in Chur, and the train takes an annual break from mid-October to early December
  • From 29 October to 13 November 2026, Bernina Express trains 951 and 952 are diverted via the Vereina tunnel (Chur-Landquart-Klosters-Sagliains-Pontresina) because of engineering works
  • On motorways a coach may drive at up to 100 km/h (Art. 5 Abs. 2 VRV); allow for the lower speeds of coaches on pass roads

Town stops and the driver's day

In Luzern, the stops at Schwanenplatz, Löwenplatz and Kasernenplatz need a voucher booked online for the coach's number plate; the Inseliquai needs none. Agree the pick-up point with the group before anyone gets off.

Nine hours of driving is the normal daily maximum, ten hours twice a week, with 45 minutes off after 4.5 hours. A winter return trip from Zürich to Täsch comes close to that on driving alone, so end such a day at the far end or split it.

What organisers ask us

Can the coach meet the Bernina Express in Tirano?

Yes. Tirano is in Italy, and a Swiss coach may cross the border with the group and return. The Bernina Express Bus also links Tirano and Lugano.

Do we book the train seats ourselves?

The coach booking covers the road legs only. Groups book Glacier and Bernina Express seats with the railway, through the RhB Railservice.

How long is the Glacier Express ride?

About eight hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz. In the summer timetable, short sections are possible on certain trains, which suits half a day on the train and half on the coach.

Destinations

Vehicles, each with a driver