As you know Glacier Express takes a route from St. Moritz to Zermatt or in opposite direction. What people usually do to get to starting point and then to return home?
We live in Zurich and would like to do the trip when our parents visit us. However if we drive to St. Moritz and leave car there, after the trip is finished in Zermatt someone should return to St. Moritz to collect a car :-)
So is the only option to take a train to St. Moritz (or Chur to shorten the day), do a trip to Zermatt and then buy another ticket for return train to Zurich?
What are your tips for doing Glacier Express trip efficiently within one day from Zurich (not necessarily entire route)? Or is it unrealistic and we should stay for a night?
It isn't realistic to manage the Glacier Express from Zurich in one day. As Pashosh said, it needs two or three days. Visit Chur on day one then on to St Moritz. Glacier Express to Zermatt on day two. See Zermatt on day three and then return via Visp and the Lotchberg tunnel to Bern and on to Zurich.
In my opinion the best of the Glacier Express is from Preda to Chur (part of the Bernina Express as well), heading down into Andermatt and Brig to Zermatt. There are several quite long sections when the scenery is fairly ordinary by Swiss standards. The name Glacier Express is a bit misleading as you don't actually see the Aletsch Glacier that the train passes close to.
A far better trip is the Bernina Express. The route includes one of the best sections of the Glacier Express. There are several threads here about it. The trip is just about possible in one day from Zurich but it would be much more sensible to spread it out over two days, perhaps stopping in Chur overnight. Bernina Express and to Zurich Same Day
It is a long day, but its doable in one day IF you don't add the hassle of driving . I know visitors who start first train from Zurich - Chur, catch Glacier express from there, reaching Zermatt in the evening and then taking last train back to Zurich. It obviously does not give you extra time in any of the cities, but if the purpose is to see the glaciers through train, it can be done.
We did it this winter with my parents as part of a ski trip. You can easily do the same in summer, with sightseeing/walking instead of skiing.
- Took the train to St. Moritz. Spent 7 nights in Sils Maria (can also recommend Pontresina in summer).
- Glacier Express to Zermatt
- Zermatt, one week of skiing, then train back to Zürich.
At the very minimum I would spend 1 night in St. Moritz and Zürich, makin it a 3 days and 2 nights trips. Ideally I would do 3 nights in each place to visit/hike. Or longer, but I'm a sucker for both areas and never get tired of the scenery.
Or we prefer to go to Belalp. Its about a 3 hour trip by car but the route on the car ferry through the alps breaks up the journey. Once there you can take a short cable car then walk down to the glacier its self. http://www.belalp.ch/en/index.php
It IS possible to do it in one day from Zürich, but you would have to get on in Chur as mentioned, meaning you miss out on the St. Moritz-Chur stretch, effectively 2.5 hours/one third of the journey - I don't really see the point in that.
Secondly, it's not possible that the journey from ZH to St Moritz and/or return from Zermatt to ZH are included in the ticket price, those two journeys alone cost a total of around 200chf (without half tax)
It's a journey I keep meaning to do but never get around to doing - I have a GA so the journey would only cost whatever the seasonal seat reservation costs, it's just always finding the right time to do it, as I would certainly spend a night in both Zermatt and St Moritz at either end. Not been to St Moritz yet, but have been to Zermatt many times and can never tire of the place!!