If you feel drawn to the east, then give the fast trains via Zurich a miss at Lucerne station. Instead, take the direct train to Romanshorn via Biberbrugg – St. Gallen. This is the Pre-Alpine Express. It departs every hour, always at the same number of minutes past the hour.



This isn’t a train of superlatives, more of an insider’s recommendation. It doesn’t conquer the Alps. It shows you the finely-chiselled charm of the foothills to the Alps, the recalcitrant rock faces behind gently-rolling hills. Cosmopolitan resorts are not its thing. Instead of jagged rock faces and deep gorges, the charming hills of the Appenzellerland and Toggenburg will work their magic on you. And then, after having arrived at your destination, a further superlative after all: in Romanshorn, Europe’s largest inland lake – Lake Constance.