Hello from Zermatt, Switzerland!

Today was one of the most complicated days of travel as I had multiple connections. But everything went smoothly and felt rather relaxed overall.

First up, my train from Lyon to Geneva, Switzerland. It’s a regional train that made multiple stops along the way. A regional train with “La Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes” on its side, parked at a station platform.

My first class cabin.

Interior of a train carriage with empty seats, patterned divider, overhead luggage compartments, and passengers seated further down.

After about 2 hours, I arrived in Geneva! Switzerland is not in the EU, so there’s technically a border crossing between France and here. I did see the border/customs while exiting the platform, but they weren’t stopping anyone to check passports or scan bags.

I had about an hour here, which was more than enough time to have lunch and coffee and do a small bit of sightseeing just outside the station.

Indoor corridor in a modern building with people walking, shops on the right, decorative wood paneling on the ceiling, glass facade on the left, and hanging clocks.

Gotta love the bike parking!

Red double-decker bus parked beside a crowded bicycle rack, with apartment buildings in the background and street art on a building wall.

Next was a Swiss regional train headed to Brig, but I’d be transferring at Visp.

A red and white train at a station platform with overhead electrical lines and a blue commuter train visible in the background.

Another first class cabin. Nothing too special, but totally comfortable.

Interior of a modern train carriage with red and grey upholstery, overhead storage, and large windows. A television screen shows an advertisement. Passengers are by the door, and a worker is visible through the window.

As we rose further into the Alps, the landscapes became more dramatic. There’s some very beautiful looking towns on the way from Geneva to Visp. Looking at the map, I realized I’m following the Rhône river all the way from Lyon to Visp. The river valley in the Alps makes for some great scenery.

A scenic view of agricultural fields under a cloudy sky, with raindrops visible on the surface from which the photo is taken, suggesting it was shot through a window.

A verdant landscape with a solitary house, lush green fields, and a backdrop of towering, mist-shrouded mountains, partially obscured by power lines in the foreground.

A scenic landscape featuring a lush green field, possibly a vineyard, with rows of plants leading towards a mountain range in the background. Low clouds or mist partly envelop the lower section of the mountains, and an electricity pylon stands on the right side

At Visp, I had a short stop to transfer to the train destined for Zermatt, which is the end of the line.

A red and white train at a platform with mountains in the background and a partly cloudy sky above.

Interior of a modern train carriage with empty seats and large windows, featuring a bright orange and white color scheme.

It’s steep enough in sections that there are cogs between the tracks. I have no idea if my train uses these, but interesting to see nonetheless.

View from a train window showing train tracks with cogs and lush green trees in the background.

In about an hour, I’ve arrived in Zermatt and, wow, is it beautiful! It’s a million chalets, sporting shops, a river, and mountains. Zermatt is essentially car free. Tourists must park in one town lower in the valley and take the train up.

Tourists with luggage walking down a street lined with Swiss chalet-style buildings and shops, including a Rolex store, with mountains in the background.

At 5,276 ft (1,608 m) of elevation, we are certainly up in the mountains!

A tennis court in a mountainous region with players on the court, surrounded by buildings and trees, with snow-capped mountains in the background and various international flags displayed.

Just steps from where I’m staying.

A river flowing through a channel in a mountain town with buildings on either side and snow-capped mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

The view from the small balcony on my room, incredible!

Alpine village with chalet-style buildings nestled between green mountain slopes under a cloudy sky.

That’s all from me today. I’m hoping to have an early dinner and an early night so I can clock a full 8 hours. Tomorrow, I’ve booked a gondola to take me up to one of the highest gondola accessible points in Europe. There should be views of the Matterhorn and many other peaks.

Goodnight!