Scenic Train Ride & Switzerland!

OKTOBERFEST 2025! MUNICH, GERMANY!

What an incredible experience detailed in the last episode!

Thousands of people singing, enormous beer mugs, incredible food, and the BIGGEST PARTY I’VE EVER ATTENDED!

But after a couple of those massive German beers, a giant pretzel, and enough partying to last me a lifetime…

I’D HAD ENOUGH!

Two nights in Munich, one unforgettable day at Oktoberfest, and another bucket-list experience checked off!

And we’re picking up exactly where we left off!

I packed my bags, checked out of my Oktoberfest campground, and headed for the train station.

Because I had another incredible bucket-list adventure waiting!

THE SWISS ALPS!

I’d been dreaming about taking one of those spectacular train journeys through Switzerland.

Snow-covered mountains, deep valleys, incredible bridges, and trains disappearing into tunnels carved directly into mountainsides!

ESPECIALLY THAT FAMOUS CURVED STONE BRIDGE!

I’d watched the videos and thought…

ONE DAY, I’M GOING TO DO THAT!

Thanks to my Eurail Pass, that day had finally arrived!

Yesterday, I was raising giant beer mugs in Munich.

Today, I’m chasing trains through the Swiss Alps!

My first destination was Chur, Switzerland, roughly four to five hours away by train.

WELCOME TO CHUR!

Considered Switzerland’s oldest city, Chur has thousands of years of history and was an important gateway through the Alps during Roman times.

But I needed somewhere to sleep before the next day’s railway adventure.

And Switzerland isn’t exactly famous for cheap accommodation!

So I found myself a room in a former PRISON!

That’s right!

After twenty-five years working toward financial freedom, I voluntarily paid to spend the night in JAIL!

The old Sennhof prison had been transformed into a hostel.

But the history was still there!

Heavy steel cell doors, former prison rooms, and that unmistakable feeling of being somewhere that once kept people locked inside!

The difference?

This time, I had the key!

And nobody was stopping me from leaving!

The following morning, it was time for the MAIN EVENT!

THE BERNINA EXPRESS!

One of the most spectacular railway journeys in the world!

Traveling from Chur toward Tirano, Italy, the route crosses 196 bridges and passes through 55 tunnels!

ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-SIX BRIDGES!

Built through some of Europe’s most challenging mountain terrain, these historic railway lines are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And once you see the engineering firsthand, you’ll understand why!

Mountains towering above us!

Deep valleys below!

Forests, waterfalls, beautiful Alpine villages, and snow-covered peaks stretching across the horizon!

Every time I thought I’d seen the best view, another incredible scene appeared!

And then came the moment I’d been waiting for.

THE LANDWASSER VIADUCT!

Imagine a magnificent curved stone bridge standing more than TWO HUNDRED FEET above the valley!

The train winds across six enormous arches, suspended high above the ground!

And directly ahead?

THE TRACKS DISAPPEAR STRAIGHT INTO A TUNNEL CUT THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN!

UNBELIEVABLE!

I had my camera working overtime, trying to capture the train curving across that bridge before entering the tunnel!

This is where you discover whether your camera’s memory card was big enough!

And yes, you can watch my actual Swiss railway adventures on the NorthAmericanDarrell YouTube channel!

But the famous bridge was only one part of this extraordinary journey!

The railway continued climbing through the mountains, twisting through valleys and incredible spiral tunnels.

Those engineers weren’t just building train tracks.

They were figuring out how to move trains through mountains that seemed practically impossible to cross!

Higher and higher we climbed!

Eventually reaching the Bernina Pass, where the railway rises to approximately seventy-four hundred feet above sea level!

Up here, the scenery was spectacular!

Glaciers, mountain lakes, rocky peaks, and breathtaking views in every direction!

Near the summit, Lago Bianco stretches across the Alpine landscape.

And what makes this railway so remarkable is how dramatically the scenery changes.

From snow-covered mountains and glaciers to green valleys and picturesque villages!

Looking out across those mountains, I couldn’t help thinking about how fortunate I was to be experiencing this.

For years, travel meant squeezing adventures into whatever vacation time I could get.

Now I was crossing the Swiss Alps by train, following a route I’d dreamed about for years!

No meetings.

No office waiting for me.

Just me, my Eurail Pass, and a camera getting one hell of a workout!

And the engineering wasn’t finished!

THE BRUSIO CIRCULAR VIADUCT!

Imagine a train traveling around an enormous stone spiral!

Instead of heading straight down a steep mountainside, the railway loops around to gradually lose elevation.

A train going around in circles!

And for once, nobody was lost!

Eventually, the Bernina Express reaches Tirano, Italy.

From the glaciers of Switzerland to the warmer landscape of northern Italy!

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE TRAIN RIDE!

And my adventure continued toward Milan.

After two unforgettable days of railway travel through the Alps, I finally arrived!

MILAN, ITALY!

And wouldn’t you know it?

MILAN FASHION WEEK!

Designers, models, expensive clothes, and people dressed to impress!

And then there’s NorthAmericanDarrell!

Cargo shorts, comfortable shoes, a bucket hat, and a backpack!

I was a SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE!

After Oktoberfest and the incredible Swiss Alps, Fashion Week wasn’t exactly my scene.

Besides, I had another bucket-list destination in mind.

VENICE!

I’d been in Italy just a few months earlier and missed my opportunity to visit!

And now Venice was only about 167 miles away by train!

With direct high-speed services taking around two and a half hours, it was practically on my doorstep!

Forget Fashion Week!

Give me an Aperol Spritz, a slice of Italian pizza, and somewhere to sit beside a beautiful Venetian canal!

NOW THAT’S MY KIND OF ITALIAN ADVENTURE!

But we’re saving that story for Episode FIFTY-TWO!

Looking back, crossing the Swiss Alps was everything I’d hoped it would be.

The incredible bridges, mountain tunnels, breathtaking scenery, and extraordinary railway engineering!

And let’s not forget my unusual overnight stay in jail!

I came to Switzerland for the trains and somehow ended up with a criminal accommodation history!

These are the experiences that remind me why I love travel even if it was not the slow travel I preach.

Sometimes the greatest adventures aren’t about reaching your destination.

They’re about everything you experience along the way!

This is NorthAmericanDarrell!

Solo slow traveler, freedom-driven global geoarbitrage storyteller, and a legend in my own mind!

Visit NorthAmericanDarrell.com to READ, WATCH, and LISTEN!

And check out my Swiss Alps train videos on YouTube!

NEXT STOP — EPISODE FIFTY-TWO!

VENICE, ITALY!

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!

ALL ABOARD!