. It consisted of 100 wagons and four engines, stretching for 1.91km, and proved that records can be both big and beautiful. If the stunt has you itching to explore the country by rail, here are five of the finest flight-free options. Take the 8:01am Eurostar and after a dash across Paris to the Gare de Lyon you could be in lakeside Geneva by 15:29pm, leaving plenty of time to explore the atmospheric Old Town and find somewhere for dinner. Geneva is gastronomic nirvana, but you'll still find tucked-away bistros serving menus-du-jour for around £15. Our guide to the best hotels has you covered for accommodation. Trains follow Lake Geneva's northern shore to Lausanne, another medieval gem that's renowned for its nightlife. Beyond it is Vevey, a genteel resort that won the approval of Charlie Chaplin – his old villa, Manoir de Ban, is now the centrepiece of Chaplin's World, a museum dedicated to his life and legacy. Finally, visit Montreux, famous for its summer jazz festival. The perfectly preserved Chateau de Chillon nearby has been drawing visitors ever since Lord Byron carved his name on the dungeon walls and composed his poem '){kind=link}
As a new world record highlights the magnificence of the Swiss railways, here are five epic flight-free journeys for 2023
Few countries can match Switzerland when it comes to travelling by rail. Its network runs like clockwork and includes not only epic high-altitude journeys – like the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz and the Bernina Express that crosses the Alps to Italy – but also a bevy of routes that link its handsome cities and kiss its glittering lakes.
Furthermore, taking the train to Switzerland itself is relatively simple, with services from London to Zurich, Geneva and Basel all taking around seven hours. Once you factor in the time it takes to navigate two airports and reach your final destination, that’s not much longer than flying.
In case the magnificence of the Swiss railways was ever in doubt, this week saw Rhaetian Railway, which operates the Bernina Express, set a new world record for the longest passenger train (pictured above). It consisted of 100 wagons and four engines, stretching for 1.91km, and proved that records can be both big and beautiful.
If the stunt has you itching to explore the country by rail, here are five of the finest flight-free options.