MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Murten to Montreaux train ride
-
We are still planning an itinerary for our trip in Sept. Is the train ride from Murten to Montreux via Friborg and Gruyeres a ride with interesting countryside worth seeing? We will be spending the rest of our trip in the mountains and wondered if we should try to see some different terrain.
We will be doing part of the Golden Pass at some point, but it is also worth trying to go on the train from Montreux via Martigny , Sion and Visp , and eventually ending up in Zermatt (definitely want to see the Matterhorn)? We eventually want to end up in Lauterbrunnen for a week before we leave for home from Zurich.Any suggestions and opinions are appreciated. Thanks so much.
-
Hi Vlasta,
Do you use Google Earth on your computer? If so, you will be able to get impressions of terrain and scenery between Murten and Montreux. You can also look at pictures (select Panoramio in the options of Layers). Even looking around on local roads in Streetview (select Streetview in the options of Layers) might be helpful.
The terrain in the Murten-Freiburg-Monteux area is alternating (hills up to about 1,800 m., meadows, woods) and in my view the scenery is very nice but not stunning.
If you are planning to take the Golden Pass I highly recommend the part between Zweisimmen and Montreux!
I would say there’s nothing wrong taking the train between Montreux and Visp (Rhone valley) but the Matter Valley up to Zermatt is very nice indeed.
Just my personal view of course, others might have different ideas.
Enjoy your planning as well as your stay!
Hi Vlasta! I agree with Wandermann: the Golden Pass route is beautiful, especially between Zweisimmen and Montreux. So if you’re able to plan this into your travel scheme, that would be great. I’ve read your previous posts and I’m not sure where and how you’ll be entering Switzerland. If you enter in the north (say, in Zurich or Basel), you could pick up the Golden Pass Panoramic somewhere along the way (for example in Lucerne, Interlaken or Spiez) and use it for your trip to Martigny/Montreux. If you arrive at Geneva, this wouldn’t be an option. In this case you could choose to simply take the Golden Pass Panoramic up to Zweisimmen and then return.
From Martigny, you can take the train to Zermatt indeed. The first section will be in the broad Rhone valley, where you’ll see vineyards and pine trees. From Visp on, the train will gradually ascend into the Matter valley. This is a truly spectacular ride, as you really get into the mountains along the way. So the trip from Montreux to Zermatt definitely offers alternating landscapes.
You may want to travel from Zermatt to Lauterbrunnen for the second part of your stay in Switzerland. If so, please be sure to select the train connection which doesn’t use the tunnel from Visp/Raron to Frutigen, but the RegioExpress that crosses the Lötschberg and stops in Goppenstein and Kandersteg, as this is a scenic route as well. The timetable will come up with this connection if you enter ‘Goppenstein’ as a via-station. Beautiful scenery is guaranteed on this track, too (provided that there aren’t too many clouds of course ;-)).
Thank you both for the wonderful advice. It really helps in our planning. We see that there is also a bus from Oberwald to Meiringen. Is it worth the extra time to take that route after leaving Zermatt headed towards Brienz or Lauterbrunnen for the scenery, even though it is out of the way?. (I suspect that any route taken is beautiful in its own way!) The post bus sounds so appealing, we’d like to take one- somewhere at some point!
Our plans so far include for the first few days-arriving in Zurich- Bern, Murten, Gruyeres, Montreux, Zermatt , 1 week in Lauterbrunnen/Murren for a total of 2 weeks.Of course we could do that in reverse as well going to the mountains first. We will have swiss passes and hope to be able to perhaps hop on and off the trains if we send our bags on ahead. Do you know if the Murten Train station has the fast baggage(?) service? I have a little bit of trouble with the SBB website.
Again thank you!
PS Google earth is amazing!
Hello Vlasta! I’m glad we’ve been able to help you out a bit. As for the post bus ride between Oberwald and Meiringen: yes, that’s a beautiful route (and you’re right: almost any route in Switzerland is :-)). You’ll cross the Grimselpass along the way and find no less than 3 lakes on your left and right side (alternating due to the many hairpin turns). If you’d like to experience a post bus tour, you could indeed pick this one. You’d have to travel from Zermatt to Oberwald first (which is a pretty route as well) and then switch to the post bus. Please note that only a few post buses leave for this route each day and that seat reservations are required. More information can be found through the Swiss Postbus website.
With your Swiss Pass, you’re indeed able to hop ond and off trains and buses, which is a very relaxed way of travelling and allows you to adapt your pleans each day, for example to weather circumstances. Sending ahead your baggage can come in handy indeed. A list of train stations participating in the Fast Baggage Service can be found through the link ‘The connections on which you can take advantage of the ‘Fast luggage’ at the SBB Fast Baggage Service page. Murten isn’t included. Instead, you may use the service from a station nearby, such as Bern.
Have fun preparing your trip!
About those hairpin turns– how bad are they for someone who may be prone to carsickness? Would there be any other postbus routes that would be a nice experience in the areas where we are going?
I missed that Fast Bagage page, thanks for helping me find it. We may have to change our itinerary if we can’t stop off at Gruyeres from Murten to Montreux without bags. Is there a better way to get to see Gruyeres without suitcases in tow?
Hi Vlasta. It’s really hard to say whether post bus routes will cause problems for someone who suffers from carsickness. In general, post buses drive with very moderate speed (they’re way too big to rush on the narrow mountain roads) and these hairpin turns aren’t felt that much. But of course I can’t predict how one particular individual will experience this. Other post bus routes can be found through either this page (which allows you to search with a map) or this page. One option may be the Grandson Castle Route along the shore of Lake Neuchatel, as it’s relatively near to Murten and doesn’t include a mountain pass with many hairpin turns.
As for your luggage: you can hand it over at Murten for the general luggage service, which allows you to pick up your suitcases in Montreux the next day. The same seems to go for Gruyères, where a baggage department is available. They may even be able to store your luggage here or have lockers, but for definitive answers on this you can best contact the SBB.
Hello Vlasta,
For what it’s worth, during many holidays in Switzerland, also taking bus rides in mountain areas, I never have heard of or noticed anyone suffering from carsickness. In case one knows from experience that he or she is prone to get carsick maybe hairpin routes should be avoided. But if there is only a slight chance, you can easily find preventive measures, like taking a light meal before the bus ride, or taking medication.
I hope this helps.
Thank you both. I will check with Gruyeres station to see if they have lockers for storage for a few hours. The hairpins sound do-able!
VlastaHello again! Itinerary problems!! We plan to leave Murten and go to Montreux for 1 night and then Zermatt for 2 nights, but visiting Gruyeres along the way. Is it best to do that on the way to Montreux or from Montreux?
Hi Vlasta. In my opinion, travelling from Murten to Montreux via Gruyères is the more logical option, as it’s less of a detour than travelling from Montreux to Zermatt via Gruyères. Moreover, the trip from Montreux to Zermatt takes longer than the one from Murten to Montreux, so you could spend less time in Gruyères if you’d opt for this route. You can enter both routes (and fill out Gruyères as your via-station) in the timetable and check the connections. This way you can see for yourself which option seems to be the better one for you. Good luck!
- The thread ‘Murten to Montreaux train ride’ is closed to new replies.
