If you had ever told me that we’d make an early morning train from the Zurich Airport to St. Anton, I would have said “bull.” Travel is always a learning experience and we’ve learned the hard way that planes are late, train personnel go on strike, one bag is missing, no trains are available because it’s a holiday and everything is completely booked…and on and on…

Because of that, I made reservations on a 1:15 p.m. train even though our United Airlines flight was supposed to arrive in Zurich by 8:20 a.m. The first possible train left Zurich Airport at 9:20 a.m., arrived in the Zurich Bahnhof (main train station) at 9:36 a.m., and the direct train to St. Anton then left at 9:40 a.m. To anticipate cutting it this close was foolhardy.

church from the train into Austria
Our United flight landed at 8:20 a.m. promptly, took the Skymetro between terminals to the main terminal, a short wait at customs since Continental had landed minutes before us, bags came off promptly, threw them on a cart and raced through the terminal to the Bahnhof inside Zurich Airport to collect pre-ordered tickets. FYI: For all the ins-and-outs of train travel, order Sheila’s Guide to European Train Travel. It couldn’t be easier once you get the hang of it.

Now our hearts were pounding because it actually looked as if there was a chance to make that 9:20 a.m. train. By the time the young reservationist (why do we always get trainees…) was done printing out the tickets and collecting an additional 10 Swiss Francs for seat reservations, it was 9:15 a.m. Raced down one more set of escalators, train roared in and off to the main Hauptbahnhof in downtown Zurich. The train pulled into the Hauptbahnhof at 9:34 a.m. giving only six minutes along with palpitations to race along the platform (in boots with backpacks on) and find the right track. The board showed only one train departing at 9:40 a.m. heading to Vienna.

Praying that was our train, we pulled suitcases, ran down a level, yanked the bags up another flight of stairs and galloped alongside the train looking for Car 306 where our seat reservations were. In Car 306, hyperventilating and praying fervently that this train stopped in St. Anton, we threw ourselves in our seats, sweating profusely and…there was a timetable in the compartment. This was our train! The Transalpin bound for Vienna with a stop at St. Anton am Arlberg. It was about time a little luck came our way after that last disastrous train day in France when I neglected to make prior seat reservations.

Now it was time to relax and enjoy the 2+ hour train journey, past lakes steaming in the cold, mountains with frozen waterfalls, little villages and the 14 km/8.7 mile journey through the Arlberg Tunnel, one of the longest in the world.

signage inside the St. Anton train station, Austria
Welcome to St. Anton am Arlberg…

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