Zermatt to Zurich via Via Kandersteg

2025Visitor

We plan to travel this route in August, not sure if we need reservations. When I use the SBB app i am having trouble finding this specific route (Zermatt, Brig, Kandersteg, Zurich), is this because it is not a very direct route? If we have already traveled from Interlaken to Zermatt, does this make sense or would we be repeating a travel path? We have a bit of time to get to Zurich, but probably not enough for the full Glacier Express route. Thank you for assistance and recommendations!

RolandP

Hello 2025Visitor

Welcome to the SBB Community.

I suggest that you should look at the rail network map:

https://maps.trafimage.ch/ch.sbb.netzkarte?baselayers=ch.sbb.netzkarte,ch.sbb.netzkarte.dark,ch.sbb.netzkarte.luftbild.group,ch.sbb.netzkarte.landeskarte,ch.sbb.netzkarte.landeskarte.grau&layers=ch.sbb.geschosse2D&lang=en&x=874431.94&y=5850740.4&z=10.34

You will notice that Zermatt-Brig-Kandersteg-Spiez-Zürich is not the most direct route. It is the old route, before the Lötschberg basetunnel was opened in 2009. The direct route now goes Zermatt-Visp (change) Visp-Spiez, trough the Lötschberg basetunnel.

What you want to see is the now called (old) panoramic route over the mountains. For this, you have to travel from Zermatt to Brig (change), Brig-Bern or Brig-Spiez (change) Bern or Spiez-Zürich.

You have to work with Via’s (Settings) in the timetable query:

The fastest connection is 4h 22min.

When you travel from Interlaken, you probably will take the IC line via the basetunnel, to Visp. So no, you will travel two different routes between Visp and Frutigen.

Kind regards.
Roland