Lucerne to St Gallen on the Voralpen-Express: Switzerland Beyond the High Alps

Aerial view of St Gallen, Switzerland

Switzerland’s most celebrated train journeys usually promise glaciers, precipitous mountain passes and panoramic carriages. The Voralpen-Express offers something subtler but no less rewarding.

Travelling between Lucerne and St Gallen, it crosses the rolling foothills of the Alps rather than their highest peaks. Over a little more than two hours, the train passes Lake Lucerne, the distinctive silhouettes of the Rigi and Mythen mountains, protected moorland, traditional farming country, Lake Zurich and the green hills of Toggenburg.

The route connects two of Switzerland’s most culturally interesting cities, with the lakeside drama of Lucerne at one end and the magnificent abbey quarter of St Gallen at the other. Between them lies a Switzerland of orchards, dairy farms, small towns and local railways—the landscapes where much of everyday Swiss life unfolds.

Why this journey is so special

The Voralpen-Express does not rely on a single spectacular moment. Its appeal comes from the constant variety beyond the windows.

Leaving Lucerne, the train travels beside the lake before turning towards the mountains around Arth-Goldau. The Rigi rises above the water, while the twin peaks of the Mythen appear ahead like two steep pyramids.

The route then crosses the high moorland around Rothenthurm. This open landscape of peat bogs, meadows and scattered farmhouses feels remarkably remote despite being at the centre of Switzerland.

At Rapperswil, the train reaches the upper end of Lake Zurich. The town’s castle, old streets and lakeside promenade make it the best place to break the journey. Beyond Rapperswil, the line continues through the Toggenburg countryside towards St Gallen, crossing deep ravines on a sequence of impressive bridges.

The most dramatic is the Sitter Viaduct, which rises 99 metres above the valley and is described by the operator as Switzerland’s highest railway bridge. The entire route covers approximately 125 kilometres and takes around two hours and fifteen minutes.

A railway through everyday Switzerland

The Voralpen-Express is not a tourist train dressed up to resemble public transport. It is a genuine interregional service used by residents, students and commuters as well as visitors.

That is part of its charm. The modern copper-coloured trains offer large windows and comfortable seating, but there is no commentary, formal sightseeing programme or compulsory reservation. You simply board with a normal Swiss rail ticket and watch the country change outside.

The line also reveals landscapes that are sometimes overlooked in the rush towards the high Alps. This is farming Switzerland: neat villages gathered around church towers, wooded hillsides, grazing cattle and farmhouses with broad roofs designed for long winters.

The scenery is gentler than on the Bernina or Glacier Express, but it provides a more intimate view of the country.

From lakeside Lucerne to monastic St Gallen

Lucerne developed at an important meeting point between Alpine trade routes and the lake. Its covered bridges, medieval walls and painted old-town buildings reflect centuries of commerce, while the surrounding mountains helped turn it into one of Europe’s great nineteenth-century travel destinations.

St Gallen tells a different story. The city grew around a monastery traditionally associated with the Irish monk Gallus. Its Abbey District later became one of Europe’s most important centres of scholarship and manuscript production.

The Abbey Library remains the cultural heart of the city, but St Gallen’s prosperity was also built on textiles. From the Middle Ages onwards, linen and later embroidery brought international wealth, leaving behind ornate townhouses, decorative bay windows and substantial commercial buildings.

Travelling between the two cities therefore links more than attractive scenery. It connects the history of Alpine tourism with one of Europe’s great monastic and textile centres.

Cheese, pastries and eastern Swiss cooking

Central Switzerland is known for alpine cheese, lake fish, rösti and Lucerne’s rich veal-filled pastry, Luzerner Chügelipastete.

Around Rapperswil and Lake Zurich, vineyards, fruit farms and freshwater fish become more prominent. Further east, the cuisine reflects the dairy landscapes of Toggenburg and Appenzell.

St Gallen’s most famous speciality is the St Galler Bratwurst, traditionally eaten without mustard because its carefully seasoned flavour is considered sufficient on its own. The region is also known for biber, a spiced honey pastry often filled with almond paste, and for strong Appenzeller cheese produced in the surrounding countryside.

The changing food traditions mirror the journey itself: familiar ingredients interpreted differently from one canton to the next.

Planning your journey

The Voralpen-Express runs directly between Lucerne and St Gallen, generally every hour. The complete journey takes approximately two hours and fifteen to eighteen minutes, and both first- and second-class accommodation are available.

Reservations are not normally required. Standard Swiss rail tickets and eligible travel passes can be used, making the journey easy to include in a wider itinerary.

Sit on the left leaving Lucerne for some of the most attractive early glimpses towards the lake and mountains, although the route changes direction through its curves and there are worthwhile views from both sides.

The train has modern, generously sized windows, so there is little reason to chase a particular seat. Travelling outside the busiest commuting hours generally creates a quieter experience.

Should you stop in Rapperswil?

Rapperswil is the natural place to divide the route. Known as the “town of roses”, it occupies a beautiful position at the upper end of Lake Zurich, with a compact old town climbing towards its castle.

Allow two or three hours to walk along the waterfront, explore the historic centre and look across the lake from the castle hill. A long wooden pedestrian bridge also crosses the shallow water towards Hurden, following part of an ancient pilgrimage route.

Travelling from Lucerne to Rapperswil in the morning and continuing to St Gallen later in the afternoon turns a relatively short railway ride into a rewarding full-day journey.

Rapperswil, Switzerland

Where to stay

In Lucerne, Hotel des Balances (@hotel_des_balances) combines an old-town location with views across the River Reuss. It is close enough to the station for an easy departure, but feels embedded in the historic city rather than functioning merely as a convenient overnight stop.

In St Gallen, Militärkantine (@militarkantinest.gallen) is a more creative alternative to a conventional city hotel. A former military building has been reimagined as a boutique hotel, restaurant and cultural space, with contemporary art and restrained interiors set within the historic structure. It reflects St Gallen’s ability to give new purpose to its architectural heritage.

Where to eat

Before leaving Lucerne, the riverside restaurant at Hotel des Balances (@hotel_des_balances) offers a polished introduction to the city, with Swiss and French influences and a terrace directly above the Reuss.

In Rapperswil, take time for lunch rather than treating the town as a photograph from the train window. Choose one of the restaurants around the old town or waterfront and try seasonal lake fish or local produce before continuing east.

After arriving in St Gallen, Brasserie LOK (@brasserielok) occupies part of the city’s extraordinary former locomotive depot. The historic roundhouse has been transformed into a cultural centre containing theatre, cinema, art and dining while retaining traces of its railway past. The restaurant’s lively brasserie atmosphere makes it an especially appropriate conclusion to a day on the Voralpen-Express.

Alternatively, dine at Militärkantine (@militarkantinest.gallen), where the menu and relaxed communal atmosphere complement the hotel’s mix of heritage, design and contemporary culture.

Real Travel Guides Insight

Many travellers use the Voralpen-Express merely to move between Lucerne and St Gallen. That misses its greatest advantage: because trains run regularly and reservations are unnecessary, the route is particularly easy to explore in stages.

Rapperswil is the obvious stop, but it is also worth watching for the change in landscape around Rothenthurm and Toggenburg. These are not blockbuster destinations, yet they reveal a less commercial and more lived-in Switzerland.

Travel from Lucerne towards St Gallen rather than ending in Lucerne when possible. St Gallen’s Abbey District gives the journey a strong cultural conclusion, and the city rewards an overnight stay. Visit the Abbey Library late in the afternoon or the following morning, then wander through the old town looking for its elaborately carved oriel windows, originally created as displays of wealth by successful textile merchants.

The Voralpen-Express also works throughout the year. Spring brings vivid green hills and orchards in blossom; summer is ideal for combining the train with lakeside walks; autumn colours suit Toggenburg particularly well; and winter gives the farming villages and moorland a quieter atmosphere.

Discover more of Switzerland by rail

The Voralpen-Express proves that a memorable Swiss railway does not need glaciers, compulsory reservations or a luxury dining carriage.

Its pleasures are found in the changing landscapes between two remarkable cities: lakes, moorland, farms, medieval streets, railway engineering and distinctive regional food.

Touring Switzerland by Train combines scenic routes, practical advice, carefully planned itineraries and local recommendations to help you discover both Switzerland’s famous railways and the quieter lines many visitors overlook.

Available on Amazon: https://mybook.to/TouringSwitzerlandByTrain