Trip of the week: a bus journey through Switzerland’s high passes
This summer marks the centenary of a most remarkable route through the country’s valleys

Switzerland’s trains are famed for their spectacular routes and their efficiency. But the true “heroes” of the country’s high valleys, connecting remote communities and taking hikers to the most distant trailheads, are the humble PostBuses – and this summer marks the centenary of their most remarkable route, says Andrew Eames in the Financial Times.
Starting and ending in the resort town of Meiringen, the Vierpässe circuit traverses four great mountain passes, including the Nufenen (Switzerland’s highest, at 2,478m) and the Gotthard, the so-called “king of the passes”. It’s a glorious journey that takes nine hours, with a long lunch break, a tea break and stops at viewpoints.
The first motorised PostBus ran from Bern to Detligen in 1906, and by 1920, it had been joined by 100 or so more on other routes. These early vehicles often carried milk pails and sometimes even chickens, but the Vierpässe circuit was established in 1922 as a summer “adventure” for leisure travellers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Today, the state-owned company has a fleet of 2,500 buses, known for their three-note horn-call (based on the overture to William Tell) and their distinctive bright yellow colouring, derived from the arms of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian, who established a postal service in the 15th century. Together with Milka chocolate’s purple and Ovomaltine’s orange, it is one of only three colours protected by trademark in Switzerland.
The Vierpässe bus leaves Meiringen every morning from late June to mid-October, first climbing through the “ravishing” Bernese Oberland to the Grimsel pass. Next is the Nufenen, and a descent into the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. After lunch in the town of Airolo comes the Gotthard. Finally, there’s the Susten pass, the most “unassumingly scenic” of all, its sides “braided with waterfalls”.
Tickets cost from CHF168 (postauto.ch). Or get a Swiss Travel Pass, allowing unlimited journeys on public transport, from CHF267 (mystsnet.com).
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Taliban wages war on high-speed internet
THE EXPLAINER A new push to cut nationwide access to the digital world is taking Afghanistan back to the isolationist extremes of decades past
-
The US and Colombia renew their feud over the drug war
In the Spotlight The US has accused Colombia of failing in its drug-fighting efforts
-
‘The problem isn’t solved by simply swapping out the faces on screen’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues – laughs are sadly ‘thin on the ground’
Talking Point Disappointing sequel to the classic rock’n’roll spoof
-
Tosca: thrilling new Puccini staging has ‘tremendous emotional force’
The Week Recommends Controversial Russian soprano Anna Netrebko returns to the stage with ‘white-hot passion’ in starring role
-
The Girlfriend: irresistibly twisty drama starring Robin Wright
The Week Recommends ‘Deliciously unhinged’ show pits a son’s mother against his ‘cagey’ new girlfriend
-
Islands: gripping thriller ‘shimmers, convinces and thoroughly absorbs’
The Week Recommends Sam Riley stars in Jan-Ole Gerster’s mystery about a washed-out tennis coach at a Fuerteventura resort who falls under the spell of a married guest
-
What We Can Know: Ian McEwan’s ‘most entertaining and enjoyable novel for years’
The Week Recommends The acclaimed writer’s ambitious new book sets out a ‘richly imagined’ vision of post-apocalyptic Britain
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imagination
Feature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacy
Feature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful north
The Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts