Palm Express (rail service)

Route: St Moritz-Lugano-Locarno-Ascona (one night's accommodation)-Domodóssola-Brig-Visp- Zermatt or vice versa (at present only runs in summer).

Length of journey: about 300km/186mi; total duration of journey two days (travel by postal bus from St Moritz to Ascona or vice versa about five hours).

Highlights: This journey by the Palm Express which links the Engadin and Upper Valais with Ticino, or St Moritz and Zermatt with Ascona (overnight accommodation) and Locarno and Lugano, provides wonderful views of Swiss mountains and glaciers as well as sub-tropical lakeside scenery.

Special features: The Palm Express is a combination of postal bus and railroad; the various stretches are operated by the Swiss Postal Bus Service, the "Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinese (Centovalli Railroad, FART) and the Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Gornergrat Railroad (BVZ).

Further information can be had from Swiss Travel Bureaux where you can also obtain the leaflet "Palm Express"; the relevant authorities in Ascona, St Moritz and Zermatt and Swiss Railroads can also provide information.