A week in the Alps by train

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 6 min read

A week is enough time to see the Alps properly by train, provided you resist the urge to move every night. This itinerary bases you in three locations across Switzerland and Austria, uses the region's excellent rail network for every leg, and builds in enough unhurried time at each stop to actually experience the mountains rather than just glimpse them from a train window between transfers.

The shape of the week

This itinerary runs Zurich to Interlaken to Innsbruck to Salzburg, covering the central and eastern Alps over seven days with three bases rather than a different hotel every night. It assumes you fly or arrive by train into Zurich and depart from Salzburg or continue onward from there — both cities have good onward rail connections if you are extending the trip. Every leg described is a standard scheduled train; no advance booking of a scenic tourist train is required to complete the itinerary, though one optional excursion (the Jungfraujoch) involves a premium-priced mountain railway.

Day 1: Arrive in Zurich, travel to Interlaken

Zurich itself is a pleasant if unremarkable base — most travellers use it purely as an arrival point. Trains to Interlaken run roughly every half hour to hour via Bern, taking around two hours. Interlaken sits between two lakes, Thun and Brienz, with the Jungfrau massif visible from the town on a clear day. Settle into your accommodation and take an easy afternoon walk along the lakeshore or up to Harder Kulm via the funicular for a first proper mountain view.

Days 2–3: Interlaken as a base — the Bernese Oberland

This is the heart of the week and the reason to allow two full days here rather than one. From Interlaken, narrow-gauge mountain railways fan out into the surrounding valleys:

• Day 2 — Lauterbrunnen and Wengen: the train to Lauterbrunnen takes about 20 minutes and delivers you into one of the most dramatic valleys in the Alps, with waterfalls dropping directly off the cliff faces. Continue up by rail to Wengen, a car-free village with immediate views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. A full day here, walking between the two villages or taking a cable car higher, is easily justified.
• Day 3 — the Jungfraujoch (optional) or Grindelwald: the Jungfraujoch, "Top of Europe," is reached by a rack railway through the mountain itself, ending at Europe's highest railway station. It is expensive and touristy but genuinely spectacular on a clear day — check the weather forecast before committing, as the view is the entire point and cloud cover ruins it. A lower-cost, equally rewarding alternative is a day based around Grindelwald, with cable cars up to First and gentler valley walks.

Day 4: Interlaken to Innsbruck

This is the longest travel day of the week, but still a single comfortable train journey rather than a multi-change ordeal. The route runs east via Zurich or via the Chur/Feldkirch corridor depending on the specific service, crossing into Austria through the Arlberg Tunnel, arriving in Innsbruck in around five to six hours total including the connection. Break the journey with lunch at the connecting station rather than rushing, and treat the day itself as part of the itinerary — the approach into Austria through the mountains is one of the most scenic stretches of the week.

Day 5: Innsbruck

Innsbruck sits directly beneath the Nordkette range, reachable from the city centre by a funicular and cable car combination that takes you from the old town to over 2,300 metres in around twenty minutes — one of the more startling city-to-summit transitions in the Alps. Spend the morning in Innsbruck's compact and handsome old town, and the afternoon up on the Nordkette if weather allows. Innsbruck's rail connections also make it a natural base for a half-day trip further into the Tyrolean valleys if you prefer a change of scene to staying in the city.

Days 6–7: Innsbruck to Salzburg, and Salzburg itself

The train from Innsbruck to Salzburg takes around two hours, a comfortable half-day journey that leaves the rest of day 6 free for exploring Salzburg on arrival. Salzburg's old town, wedged beneath the Hohensalzburg fortress on the Salzach river, rewards unhurried wandering rather than a tightly ticked checklist. Day 7 can be spent on a day trip into the Salzkammergut lake district — Hallstatt, reachable by a combination of train and short ferry crossing in around two and a half hours each way, is the best-known destination, though its popularity means arriving early is worthwhile if you want the quieter version of the view.

Reservations and passes

Most trains on this itinerary — Swiss intercity and regional services, and Austrian ÖBB trains between Innsbruck and Salzburg — do not require advance seat reservations, giving real flexibility to shift plans a day if the weather does not cooperate for a mountain excursion. The exceptions are some premium scenic services and the mountain rack railways (Jungfraujoch, Nordkette), which are priced and sometimes booked separately from ordinary rail tickets. A rail pass is worth costing out against point-to-point tickets for this specific itinerary, particularly if you plan several mountain-railway excursions within the Bernese Oberland, where costs add up quickly.

Budgeting for the week

Switzerland is one of the more expensive countries in Europe for accommodation, food and rail travel, and this itinerary spends three of its seven nights there. Austria is meaningfully cheaper. Budgeting more heavily for the Interlaken days than for Innsbruck and Salzburg reflects this reality — and choosing self-catering or half-board accommodation in Switzerland specifically can offset some of the cost difference. For a deeper look at Switzerland's own rail and boat network beyond this itinerary, see our Switzerland overland guide.

Weather and timing

June to September gives the most reliable weather and the fullest range of mountain railway and cable car operation; some higher routes reduce service or close outside this window. Early autumn (September) often combines good weather with noticeably fewer crowds than peak summer. Whatever the season, build a spare day or a flexible attitude to the Jungfraujoch and Nordkette excursions into your plan — both depend entirely on clear weather for the view that justifies the cost. Switzerland is in the Schengen Area despite not being an EU member, so the crossing into Austria involves no formal border check for most travellers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a car for this itinerary?

No. Every leg described, including the mountain excursions from Interlaken and Innsbruck, is reachable by train, cable car or funicular. This is one of the areas of Europe best suited to a completely car-free Alpine trip.

Is a week enough time, or should I extend it?

A week works well for this three-base itinerary at a comfortable pace. Extending by a few days to add a fourth base — Zermatt or the Slovenian Alps, for example — is a natural next step if you have more time, but is not necessary to make the week feel complete.

What if the weather is bad for the Jungfraujoch or Nordkette?

Both excursions depend on clear weather for their views, and neither is worth doing in heavy cloud. Build flexibility into your itinerary by not fixing a specific day for either in advance — check the forecast a day or two ahead and move the excursion to whichever day looks clearest, using an alternative valley walk or town exploration as the backup activity.

How does this itinerary connect to a longer Alps trip?

This route can be extended at either end — westward from Zurich toward Geneva and the western Alps, or eastward from Salzburg into Slovenia. See our broader guide to crossing the Alps overland for how the wider Alpine arc connects by train and bus if you want to build a longer trip around this week.