Golden Pass Scenic Train In Switzerland

Officially, the Golden Pass links Zurich and Geneva, but its real purpose is to offer travellers a means of exploring the heart of Central Switzerland between Lucerne and Montreux without doubling their tracks. Each of the stops (lucerne-Interlaken-Zwesimmen-Montreux) is a gateway to a choice of extraordinary excursions and activities in the area. The Golden Pass is designed to make them accessible and heavily discounted when the invitation to linger become irresistible. Otherwise, the scenic beauty and variety of the basic five four eighteen-minute journeys is just an exercise in frustration.From Lucerne, you can take a paddle steamer across the Lake to the cog railway up Rigi. At Interlaken, you can take one of several funiculars or mountain railways into the soul of the Bernes Oberland - even to the top of the Jungfrau itself. The onward journey is always magnificent, past the lakes of Brienz and Thun, through Spiez to the Simmen Valley, guarded at Wimmis by a fairytale 15th-century castle.At Zweisimmen, you change trains to the special gauge Golden Pass Panoramic train designed by Ferraris Pininfarina for the best possible views. The train climbs slowly enough to see the intricated and elaborate carvings typical of the regions chalets. These designs change radically from the steep-sided alpine pastoral valleys above Gstaad to the gentler landscapes of French-speaking Switzerland near Chateau dOex (where a perfect sheltered microclimate makes it a world centre for hot-air ballooning). Then, as a visual crescendo of Wagnerian proportions, through the summit tunnel to Les Avants, emerge with the French Alps spread before you, beyond Montreux and the beckoning sparkle of Lac Leman below.When to goApril to October. The service operates year-round, but many of the excursions that make breaking the journey so exciting do not.Duration of the journey7 hours 20 minutes (Zurich to Geneva, including 5 hours 188 minutes Lucerne to Montreux). But the onward Golden Pass Ticket remains valid however long you take to travel its different sections.HighlightsThe pedestrian suspension bridge over one of Europes most spectacular gorges near Aareschlucht Ost, Innerkirchen (part of an excursion. Including the Reichenbach falls).The super-privileged view from the very front of the train (beneath the drivers elevated cab), going up the giant horseshoe curve out of the gorgeous Simmental above Gstaad.The intricate carvings, decorations and paintings on the huge, 113-windowed chalet at Rossiniere, in the distinctive style of the thickly wooded pays dEnhaut pre-Alpine region.The quite stupendous view during the switchback hairpin descent into Montreux - the nearest a railway can get to a mountain road.You should knowReservations are necessary for seats in restaurants and Panoramic cars, and especially for the drivers seats at the front of the train.