GoldenPass Line
Lake Geneva vineyards to the Bernese Oberland, in Belle Époque style.
Route
Montreux → Interlaken
Duration
~3 hrs
High point
1,279 m
Reservation
Not required
Pass coverage
Swiss Travel Pass & Swiss Half Fare Card
Best months
May, June, July, August
The GoldenPass links Lake Geneva at Montreux to Interlaken, and on to Lucerne, threading terraced vineyards, pre-Alpine chalet country, the polish of Gstaad, and a string of mountain lakes across the breadth of western Switzerland. Its showpiece is the GoldenPass Express, which since 2022 has run Montreux to Interlaken direct, with no change of train, thanks to an ingenious variable-gauge bogie that switches between the narrow-gauge and standard-gauge lines on the move, a world first in regular passenger service. Up front, the elevated Prestige carriages sit passengers in the nose of the train with rotating seats and an almost driver's-eye view of the track ahead. It's the gentlest and most genteel of the great Swiss panoramic routes, lower than the high-mountain lines but unmatched for stitching Lake Geneva to the Bernese Oberland without a car.
Is it worth it?
A lovely, lower-altitude alternative to the high-mountain panoramic trains, and the easiest, prettiest way to connect French-speaking Lake Geneva with the Jungfrau region without a car. You trade glaciers and high passes for vineyards, chalet valleys, and lakeshores, a softer kind of beautiful that suits a relaxed day. Splurge on Prestige Class for the elevated, swivelling front seats, the best on the line, and treat it as a scenic link between regions rather than a there-and-back excursion.
Insider tips
- The new GoldenPass Express runs Montreux–Interlaken direct, no change of train
- Prestige Class raises the seats for a better view, worth it on this route
- Continue from Interlaken to Lucerne to ride the full historic GoldenPass corridor
- The Interlaken–Lucerne leg is a separate train, the Luzern–Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass, an easy cross-platform change
What you'll see
The signature sights of the line, roughly in the order you'll pass them.
- 1
Montreux and the Lake Geneva Riviera
The line starts on the palm-fringed riviera at Montreux, with the Belle Époque lakefront and the medieval Château de Chillon close at hand.
- 2
The Lavaux vineyards
UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards dropping to Lake Geneva on the climb out of Montreux.
- 3
The Pays-d'Enhaut
Rolling pre-Alpine pastures and the chalet country around Château-d'Œx.
- 4
The Saanenland and Gstaad
The polished mountain-resort valley near Saanenmöser, the high point of the run.
- 5
The descent to Lake Thun
Down through the Simmental to the turquoise lake and Interlaken, set between its two lakes.
- 6
The Brünig line toward Lucerne
Carry on past Interlaken and the corridor climbs the rack-railway Brünig Pass above Lake Lungern and Lake Brienz, its quiet eastern half.
Bases on this line
Towns that make a natural start, finish, or overnight on this journey.
Questions, answered
- Do you need a reservation for the GoldenPass?
- Not necessarily. The GoldenPass is covered by Swiss rail passes and you can often just board. Reservations are optional but recommended in high season, especially if you want Prestige or First Class on the GoldenPass Express, whose premium seats are limited.
- What is the GoldenPass Express?
- It's the direct Montreux-to-Interlaken service that launched in December 2022. Before it, the trip meant changing trains at Zweisimmen, because the two railways are built to different track gauges. The GoldenPass Express uses an ingenious variable-gauge bogie that adjusts on the move, so it runs straight through without a change, the first regular passenger service in the world to do it. The result is a seamless three-hour-plus run with optional elevated Prestige seating up front.
- How long is the GoldenPass journey?
- The direct GoldenPass Express covers Montreux to Interlaken in about three and a quarter hours. To ride the full historic corridor on to Lucerne, you change at Interlaken onto the Luzern–Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass, adding roughly two hours. Most people ride one section as a scenic link between regions rather than the whole corridor in a single day.
- GoldenPass, Glacier Express, or Bernina Express?
- The GoldenPass is the gentler, lower-altitude option, and that's the point. The Glacier and Bernina Express deliver high-mountain glaciers and passes; the GoldenPass trades those for vineyards, chalet country, and lakeshores at a more human scale. Choose it if you want a relaxed, genteel ride or, just as usefully, an easy car-free link between Lake Geneva and the Bernese Oberland. It's covered by Swiss passes with no mandatory reservation, which makes it the most flexible of the panoramic routes.
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