Switzerland in 7 Days: A Scenic Rail Itinerary

Switzerland rewards travellers who let the train do the work. With a Swiss Travel Pass and a loose plan, a week is enough to string together glaciers, lakes, and cities without ever renting a car.

Days 1–2: Zurich. Land, adjust, and use the extra half-day to walk the Altstadt and ride the ferry across Lake Zurich — a gentle way to shake off jet lag before the itinerary gets busier.

Days 3–4: Interlaken and the Jungfrau region. Base yourself in Interlaken and take the cogwheel railway up to Jungfraujoch, or the cheaper (and arguably prettier) ride to Grindelwald and Männlichen for a ridge-top panorama of the Eiger.

Days 5–6: Lucerne and the Golden Pass route. The Golden Pass line between Lucerne and Montreux is the itinerary's centrepiece — panoramic windows, and a route that runs along lakes for most of the journey.

Day 7: Geneva, and the flight home. If your international fare allows an open-jaw (flying into Zurich, out of Geneva), it saves a full backtrack across the country.

Booking tip: Switzerland's fares don't fluctuate the way flight prices do, but flights there do — compare Saver and Flexi fares if your dates aren't fixed yet, since a one-day shift either way can move the price noticeably.