Voralpen Express

The Voralpen Express (sometimes called the Prealpen-Express) begins its journey in the charming city of Lucerne and heads northeast, ending the trip in Romanshorn. This is not a spine-tingling adventure where the train zigzags over high mountain passes, but rather it is a gentle, three-hour journey of great scenic beauty. The train has panoramic windows so that you can relax in your comfortable seat and soak in the lovely landscape as it glides by. If you want a snack, there is a bistro and a mini-bar on the train. This is a very popular route—trains leave almost every hour. If you zip directly between the two cities, the trip takes a bit less than three hours. However, there are many interesting places to visit along the way where you can get off for sightseeing and hop back on a later train, or make connections to another destination of your choice. One stop you might enjoy is Rapperswil, a town on the north shore of Lake Zürich that is overlooked by a mighty 13th-century castle. The nickname of the town is “City of Roses” and during the season, you will enjoy seeing roses throughout the town, including an outstanding garden in the Capuchin Monastery. As the train continues north from Rapperswil, the scenery changes as you approach the region called Appenzeller Land, an exceptionally picturesque area with pretty rolling hills, high mountain peaks, lush pastures dotted with cows, and charming villages. You might want to make another stop in Saint Gallen where you can visit the its imposing Saint Gallen Cathedral, and, of special interest, its amazing Baroque library in the Benedictine Abbey. Then, the train rolls on to Romanshorn, where the trip ends on Lake Constance (also called the Bodensee). From Romanshorn, you can continue your adventures in Switzerland, or take the ferry across the lake to Germany.