pt-br Leia em Português
Shall we go for a train ride? Meet Golden Pass, one of Switzerland’s famous scenic trains
Bern daytrips and Activities Lucerne Transportation Valais Vaud

Shall we go for a train ride? Meet Golden Pass, one of Switzerland’s famous scenic trains

08 Feb 2020

How about riding a train and admiring the Swiss landscape through huge panoramic windows and different angles; this is possible on the Golden Pass line.

The Golden Pass line is a panoramic train connecting the German and French regions on the Lucerne-Montreaux route passing through cities such as Interlaken, Gstaad, and others. 

www.railtour.ch

The entire route takes almost 6 hours, in three different trains, which take you through beautiful landscapes of Switzerland. The most exciting segment is between Zweisimmen to Montreaux and can be done either on the Golden Panoramic Pass (modern and golden train) or the elegant Golden Pass Belle Époque train.


When to go 

The trip is recommended all year round, we went at the end of Autumn and saw some early snow on the way;  a very special charming trip. 

Tickets

Because the Golden Pass line takes you on different trains, the ticket price will depend on the chosen route. To see the values, click here. GA, Halbtax, Swisstravelpass and Gemeinde Tageskarte are valid.

The trip

We started our trip at the Golden Panoramic Pass in Montreaux, as we spent a weekend in the region and reconciled with this stretch. We chose to travel in one of the 8 VIP seats located in the front of the train, i.e., the nose of the train because we wanted to have an unrestricted view of the landscape.

Sitting in VIP seats is an experience that I highly recommend, to get the literally front row seat to watch the tracks from the engineer’s perspective and to see Switzerland from another angle.  It certainly is a privileged view of a dazzling landscape that changes daily according to the seasons.

VIP seat reservation is mandatory and costs CHF 15 in addition to the first class ticket you will need. Seat reservation for other cars is not necessary but recommended, mainly during the high season, and costs CHF 9.

Leaving Montreaux behind, the train starts to climb and travel through beautiful landscapes and alpine cities scattered along the way.  Besides the beautiful scenery, the train passes through the great Rossinière chalet considered one of the oldest in Switzerland, dating from the 18th century, located in Rossinière and classified as a historical monument with its 113 windows. Here the cities begin to change  names between German and French, pass by Saanen just 5 km from the famed Röstigraben language border. Before arriving at its destination, the train passes by renowned Gstaad, a city known for its glamour. Finally arriving in Zweisimmen, we begin the second part of the journey.

The second leg of the route from Zweisimmen to Interlaken East is a regional express crossing the beautiful region of Berner Oberland with the traditional chalets with richly painted and carved facades, typical of the region.

The third part of the route takes us from Interlaken East to Lucerne; the train is  the modern Lucerne-Interlaken express, which travels toward the Brunig alpine pass. A truly magnificent stretch, as the train passes along Lake Thun, Brienz, Lungern, and arrives at beautiful Lucerne. 

When we planned the Golden Pass trip, we chose a shorter route. One of the advantages of all the panoramic routes is that you can choose where to get on and get off.

The last part of the route took us on a regional train with a faster connection to our home and it was great that we planned the trip this way. We arrived home happy and full of memories.

A tip: In any trip or tour, always take into account your child’s age, condition, and affinity for loooong train trips. So both the trip and the ride is enjoyable for every family.

I hope you enjoy this trip just as we did. Then come back here to tell us! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

With affection,

Rita

More information: www.goldenpasslinie.ch



With love, Rita
Share this post
Leave your comment