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Need advice on rail travel from Florence to Switzerland

We will be flying into Florence, Italy (our niece is there for a semester) and want to take a train to Switzerland to see the alps. I have searched various train websites and see different speed trains, passes, etc. We really don't care which city in Switzerland we go to. Is one city easier/faster and more economical to get to than the others? Which train? Would it be best to take a quick one and then take a scenic tour type train? Are there (few hour) scenic train rides where you depart and arrive back at the same place? Any help is appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Gayle Conran on September 28, 2011 at 3:00pm

Rail Europe is a good resource for planning your train travels. Also visit MySwitzerland.com for more on the legendary train routes, most of which are not circuitous, most take you from point A to point B. The Glacier Express is the most famous and magnificent. Most major cities in Switzerland will have good connections to these scenic journeys.Once you do one rail trip in Switzerland you will yearn for more. Enjoy!

http://www.raileurope.com/index.html

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Permalink Reply by Teresa Ellis on September 28, 2011 at 6:59pm

Thank you for your kind response! Much appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Nayaz Noor on October 13, 2011 at 5:18am

You may also want to check the Swissrail website (http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en ) for accurate train timings within Switzerland. If you are spending a few days in Switzerland, it may be best to get yourself a Swiss Pass which allows you to travel not only by train, but by bus, trams, boats etc.

The Ticino area ( Lugano, Locarno, Bellinzona etc) which you will pass en-route from Italy to central Switzerland, is beautiful and worth breaking your journey for a couple of days if you have the time.

The Glacier Express takes you to Zermatt in the west and the Matterhorn is absolutely stunning. I was there last month and the journey is scenic and from the summit you can actually see the Italian as well as the French Alps.

The Gornergrat rail is also worth it if staying in Zermatt. You get yet another beautiful view of Matterhorn and the surroundings.

Nayaz Noor