The Best Swiss Train Rides

Summer is around the corner and what better way to discover Switzerland than by taking a train and exploring this wonderful country. But where to start?

Help is on hand with “Best Swiss Train Rides”, a new book by British author Diccon Bewes. From the legendary Glacier Express, to the picturesque Centovalli and the Grandiose GoldenPass, it also contains 35 other lesser known and surprising trip suggestions including the train journey from Geneva to Brig.

Diccon Bewes

The book has a large overview map showing all the train trips, individual route maps, practical advice on tickets, choosing the best seats, sights, and stop-overs (Diccon recommends visiting the Château de Nyon among other castles en-route!).

There’s a suggestion of a trip on the Brienzer Rothorn, an historic steam rack railway, which is free to take on your birthday. On the Monte Generoso you can take a train to a mountain top and stand with one foot in and one foot out of the country!

Or how about a less famous, local line train journey where every stop is announced with a string of notes from a harp. These can be heard on the Yverdons-Les Bains to Sainte Croix line. 

Below is a glimpse of two pages from the book. The first is of a train ride from Geneva to Brig. It’s true when he says. “At Cully, the lake is so close you can almost reach out and touch it”. The other image is a description of a ride on the St-Bernard Express.

Regular readers will recall that Living In Nyon often held events in which Diccon came to Nyon to talk about his books on Swiss politics, Swiss maps, Swiss history and travel in Switzerland.

Diccon speaking at an event in Nyon

This book has been published posthumously. Diccon sadly passed away in April 2025 in Bern, in his beloved, adopted country. Diccon became Swiss in 2020. He will be much missed. 

“The Best Swiss Train Rides” is available in English, German and French. 

In French speaking Switzerland, the book is available in Payot, https://www.lelivre.ch 

Books, Books, Books in Lausanne, https://booksbooksbooks.ch  Librairie la liseuse in Sion, Librairie du Baobac in Martigny.

Here’s a link to Diccon’s other books.