June to August is the best time to visit Switzerland for hiking, lakes and mountain scenery, with the warmest weather and longest days. December to March is the best time for winter sports, when the Alps are covered in snow. April to June and September to October offer a quieter, more affordable alternative to summer, with mild weather. There are highlights year-round: Basel's Fasnacht carnival fills the streets with masked parades every February, the Alpabzug sees flower-decked cows paraded down from mountain pastures every autumn, and chestnut festivals warm up towns across Ticino as the season turns.

The best things to do in Switzerland include riding the Bernina and Glacier Express routes, hiking in the Alps, and exploring cities like Zúrich, Lucerne and Geneva.

• Riding the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express route from Chur to Tirano, crossing 196 bridges and 55 tunnels of Alpine scenery

• Taking the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St Moritz, an eight-hour journey past the Matterhorn and Piz Bernina (or travelling on local trains along the same route)

• Riding the Treno Gottardo over the Gotthard panorama line, or the Jungfrau Railway and Gornergrat Railway for high-altitude Alpine views

• Hiking or skiing in the Swiss Alps, around resorts like Zermatt and Interlaken

• Exploring Lucerne's medieval Chapel Bridge and old town

• Wine tasting in the Lavaux vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Lake Geneva

• Riding the GoldenPass Line from Lucerne to Montreux, past lakes and vineyards in Belle Epoque-style carriages

• Touring Château de Chillon, a moated medieval castle on the shores of Lake Geneva

• Sampling Swiss chocolate and cheese, from Zurich's chocolate workshops to Appenzell's cheese dairies

• Watching the thundering waters of the Rhine Falls, Europe's largest waterfall, near Zurich

Switzerland is reachable by train from London via a change of trains in Paris, with connections onward to Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Sleeper train services also connect Switzerland with Amsterdam, Vienna, Rome and Berlin. Within Switzerland, an extensive and very reliable rail network connects all major towns and cities.

Local trains follow the same routes as the Glacier and Bernina Express routes, offering the same panoramic views with more flexibility. They run more frequently, allow hop-on hop-off travel, and require no seat reservation or extra fee, since they're fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass or Interrail.

Switzerland's most scenic train journeys include the Bernina Express, the Glacier Express route, and the GoldenPass and Gotthard panorama routes.

• The UNESCO-listed Bernina Express route runs from Chur to Tirano, crossing 196 bridges and 55 tunnels of uninterrupted Alpine scenery

• The Glacier Express route connects Zermatt and St Moritz in around eight hours, winding through the Alps from Piz Bernina to the Matterhorn across 291 bridges and 91 tunnels

• The GoldenPass Line runs from Lucerne to Montreux past lakes and vineyards, with Belle Epoque-style carriages on some services

• The Treno Gottardo crosses the Gotthard panorama line, with mountain views throughout

• The Gornergrat and Jungfrau railways are private mountain railways that climb into the high Alps, making for a perfect day trip among some of the highest and steepest railways in Europe

Yes. Switzerland's trains are among the most punctual and reliable in the world, with clear timetables and multilingual signage at stations. Apps like SBB Mobile, along with passes such as the Swiss Travel Pass and Interrail, make planning and ticketing straightforward for visitors.