High rolling

I was aboard the Glacier Express, winding its way up towards Zermatt, when one of Europe's legendary mountains suddenly loomed into view.

But my eyes had already been transfixed, looking skywards for the majority of the previous eight hours.

That's how long the "slowest express' train in the world", as the Glacier Express is billed, had taken to travel the 195 miles from St Moritz to Zermatt across the roof of the Swiss Alps.

Time passed quickly, though, because it was a mesmerising journey, made even more remarkable by the sheer beauty of the unspoilt mountainous terrain as we passed through it.

You couldn't help but marvel at the engineering feats of the men that built the railway (between 1890 and 1930) as the train crossed 291 bridges or viaducts and went through 91 tunnels.

The Glacier Express had pulled out of St Moritz, 1,775m above sea level, at 9.02am sharp.

By the time it arrived in Zermatt, bang on schedule at 5.04pm, it was back at 1,604m, but only after dipping into Chur (585m), rising again to cross the Oberalp Pass (2,033m), and dropping to Visp (650m).

Our October trip was made all the more enjoyable by the superb view we enjoyed from our window seats in the new panoramic carriage - and the scrumptious three-course meal and wine served to us on the move.

As soon as you leave St Moritz, you join the spectacular Albula Line, which repeatedly doubles back on itself like a roller-coaster as it descends more than 400m in only five kilometres.

Then it's over the Landwasser Viaduct, through the Schin Gorge, past churches, fortresses and castles, into Chur and through the Rhine Gorge until you get to Disentis (1,130m).

That's where you get 30 minutes to stretch your legs on the platform as our electric engine is switched to a cogwheel locomotive to overcome the steep gradients of the Oberalp Pass on the descent to Andermatt.

Then it's 20 minutes in darkness as the train goes through the 15-kilometre Furka-Basis Tunnel before emerging into the Rhone Valley.

Another highlight is the 270-degree loop tunnel through which the train spirals 150m down into the valley before the final ascent to the Mattertal Valley begins in Brig.

Then it's up to Zermatt on cogwheels before an epic journey ends in the village famous for lying in the shadow of the Matterhorn. Phew, what a journey!

If you love mountains and railways, then the Glacier Express is a treat you really shouldn't miss.

The scenery doesn't flash past too quickly because the train never exceeds 30mph. Your eyes have time to settle on the landmarks, the little hamlets, villages or towns in the valley, cows and sheep in the high pastures, and mountain peaks.

Make sure to use the maps on the coffee tables next to the windows, and listen to the free English audio commentary (which is how I came to realise the Swiss have the only square national flag, even though I'd been looking at them fluttering from houses for hours.) My Glacier Express trip was part of a four-day stay in the country, using a Swiss Pass to get around.

I was impressed. From arrival at Zurich Airport on day one, to departure from the same place on day four, the railways worked like clockwork.

In fact, it took less than 25 minutes to get off the plane, go through customs and board a double-decker express from the airport to Chur. That's the quickest I've ever got out of any airport and on my way.

All forms of travel - trains, buses, boats and planes - connect so well in Switzerland, and it made a pleasant change not worrying about missing connections through running late.

I stayed one night in fashionable St Moritz, one of the world's most glamorous wintersports resorts - and summer retreats. Next to the Moritzersee Lake, it is famed for enjoying 322 days of sunshine per year.

Spending two nights in Zermatt, I enjoyed a whole day exploring, with a cable-car trip to the peak of the Klein Matterhorn (3,820m), and railway journey to the top of the Gornergrat (3,135m) the pick.

Factfile

Phil Chard travelled as a guest of Switzerland Tourism. For more information on Switzerland, visit MySwitzerland.com or call Switzerland Travel Centre free on 00 800 100 200 30.

• Phil stayed at Hotel Schweizerhof, St Moritz (00 41 81 837 0707 or schweizerhofstmoritz.ch) and Hotel Perren, Zermatt (00 41 27 966 5200 or hotel-perren.ch). Also visit stmoritz.ch and zermatt.ch

• Swiss International Air Lines - Swiss operates daily flights from London Heathrow, London City, Birmingham and Manchester to Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Fares start from £77 return, including all airport taxes. For reservations call 0845 601 0956 or visit swiss.com/uk

• Swiss Travel System - provides a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad. No matter if you plan a trip through the entire country by train, bus and boat, or only a round-trip between the airport/Swiss border and your destination, Swiss Travel has the right ticket for you. For the ultimate Swiss rail specialist, call Switzerland Travel Centre on 00 800 100 200 30 or visit swisstravelsystem.co.uk