Gotthard Panorama Express 2026 planning guide: prices, reservations, route, schedules, alternatives 

This table shows sample prices for the Gotthard Panorama Express journey: by boat from Lucerne to Flüelen in 2nd class and by train from Flüelen to Lugano in 1st class, or vice versa. All prices are explained in detail below.

The basics: this is what you need for the Gotthard Panorama Express

You need several things for the boat and train of the Gotthard Panorama Express:

• Boat:
  • A 1st or 2nd class ticket or rail pass. If you have a point-to-point ticket, it must specifically be valid for the boat stretch (as that's more expensive than a train ride between Lucerne and Flüelen).
  • Seat reservations aren't required. You can reserve a table in the restaurant if you want.
• Train (which only has 1st class seats):
  • A 1st or 2nd class ticket or rail pass. If you have a 2nd class ticket or rail pass, you'll also need an upgrade ticket for the train as it has 1st class seats only. An upgrade ticket for the train ride Flüelen-Lugano costs CHF 34. It's discounted for Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) and Swiss Half Fare Card holders: CHF 17.
  • A surcharge or supplement: CHF 24. This includes the train seat reservations and the extra services. The surcharge must be paid on top of whichever pass or ticket you travel with. You can best book the Gotthard Panorama Express supplement well in advance, because reservations can run out.

2026 Gotthard Panorama Express prices with a Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Travel Pass Flex

If you have a 1st class Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Travel Pass Flex, you don't need additional tickets for the Gotthard Panorama Express. You only have to pay the obligatory train reservation supplement (CHF 24). With a 2nd class pass, you also need a discounted upgrade ticket to 1st class for the train (CHF 17).

A 1st class Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) allows you to make the boat ride in 1st class too.

2026 Gotthard Panorama Express prices with a Swiss Half Fare Card

Swiss Half Fare Card plus discounted 1st class Saver Day Pass

With a Swiss Half Fare Card, the Gotthard Panorama Express journey realistically costs at least CHF 73. This price is based on:

• a discounted 1st class Saver Day Pass for the lowest possible fare (from CHF 49)
• the obligatory train reservation (CHF 24)

A 1st class Saver Day Pass also grants a 1st class boat ride.

Swiss Half Fare Card + discounted 2nd class Saver Day Pass + upgrade ticket

Instead of a discounted 1st class Saver Day Pass, you can buy a discounted 2nd class Saver Day Pass. The total price would be at least CHF 70, based on:

• a discounted 2nd class Saver Day Pass for the lowest possible fare (from CHF 29)
• a discounted upgrade ticket for the train (CHF 17)
• the obligatory train reservation (CHF 24)

This is only slightly cheaper than the 1st class Saver Day Pass option. However, 2nd class Saver Day Pass does not allow you to make the boat trip in 1st class. The 1st class Saver Day Pass does. So if you can find a low-priced 1st class Saver Day Pass for your travel date, that's what I recommend.

Swiss Half Fare Card + discounted point-to-point tickets

If you can't find a cheap Saver Day Pass, you can buy discounted normal tickets with your Swiss Half Fare Card. The ride will then cost CHF 91.50 in total, based on:

• a discounted 2nd class ticket for the boat (CHF 26.50). You can buy a discounted 1st class boat ticket (CHF 41) instead of course.
• a discounted 1st class ticket for the train (CHF 41)
• the obligatory train reservation (CHF 24)

Discounts offered by other rail passes

Apart from the Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) and the Swiss Half Fare Card, several other passes provide discounts for the Gotthard Panorama Express as well. Find a full overview here.

2026 Gotthard Panorama Express prices without a rail pass

1st class Saver Day Pass

If you don't have a rail pass, the lowest possible price of the Gotthard Panorama Express realistically is CHF 112 one way. This price is based on:

• a full-fare 1st class Saver Day Pass for the lowest possible fare (from CHF 88)
• the obligatory train reservation (CHF 24)

You can travel in the 1st class boat segment as well.

2nd class Saver Day Pass + upgrade ticket

Instead of a 1st class Saver Day Pass, you can buy a 2nd class Saver Day Pass and an upgrade ticket for the train. The total price will then be at least CHF 110, based on:

• a full-fare 2nd class Saver Day Pass for the lowest possible fare (from CHF 52)
• a full-fare upgrade ticket for 1st class train seats (CHF 34)
• the obligatory train reservation (CHF 24)

This is only slightly cheaper than the 1st class Saver Day Pass variant. But with a 1st class Saver Day Pass, you're also allowed to make the boat journey in 1st class. So if you don't have a rail pass, my advice is to check 1st class Saver Day Pass fares for your travel date as early as possible.

Full-fare point-to-point tickets

If you can't get hold of an economical Saver Day Pass for your travel date, you should buy full-fare normal point-to-point tickets instead.

The Gotthard Panorama Express ride will then cost CHF 159, based on:

• a 2nd class ticket for the boat ride (CHF 53). Of course, you can opt to buy a 1st class ticket for the boat (CHF 82) instead.
• a 1st class ticket for the train ride (CHF 82)
• the obligatory seat reservation (CHF 24)

When and where to make your reservations

From March, you can reserve your Gotthard Panorama Express reservations for the entire operating season April-October. Use the reservation links listed here or here.

Reservations for the boat aren't required. You can optionally reserve a table in the board restaurant: use the link provided here.

The journey is described from north to south. You can travel in the opposite direction too. The journey can be found on the below map as well.

Section 1: Lucerne to Flüelen by boat

North-western Lake Lucerne

You will board a historical paddle steamer or motorboat in Lucerne. The Alps pass by slowly while you enjoy lunch in the ship restaurant (this is optional). The trip starts with views of the city of Lucerne and Mount Pilatus. A bit further on you can see Mount Rigi on your left; a beautiful area to hike.

South-eastern Lake Lucerne: the Urnersee

Between Brunnen and Seelisberg, the boat will turn right into the southern end of Lake Lucerne: the Urnersee. You're getting closer to the higher peaks now, and steep forested rock walls rise up from both sides of the lake. The next destination of the trip, the snow-capped peaks surrounding the Gotthard Pass, can already be seen from here.

You will pass the Tell's Chapel on your left. It marks the place where, according to the legend, Wilhelm Tell escaped from the boat of the Austrian bailiff Gessler. His escape allowed him to kill Gessler a bit later. That paved the way to the formation of the Swiss Confederation on August 1, 1291. This happened at Rütli, a meadow on the opposite side of the lake. August 1 is still the Swiss national holiday.

This historic importance explains the former name of the Gotthard Panorama Express journey: until 2016, it was called the Wilhelm Tell Express.

Nearly 3 hours after departing from Lucerne, you will reach the village of Flüelen.

Section 2: Flüelen to Göschenen by train

Changing from boat to train in Flüelen

The boat trip has come to an end. After a 1-minute flat walk to the station, your journey continues by train. The next 2.5 hours will be full of mountain scenery and impressive railway engineering of the famous Gotthard railway.

The climb to the Gotthard Pass

This second section of the Gotthard Panorama Express route runs through the valley of the river Reuss. The valley floor is relatively wide in the beginning, but once you have reached the village of Amsteg, it is very narrow. It's interesting to see how the river, railroad, expressway, and local road all fit into the little available space.

Another challenge for the trains is that they have to gain a lot of altitude in a short distance: about 670 m in just 30 km. In order to make that possible without slow cogwheel trains, several spiral loops have been carved in the rocks in order to lengthen the railway. That becomes really obvious when you're passing the village of Wassen and its little white church three times, because of the two loops here.

The train then reaches the entrance of the Gotthard tunnel in the village of Göschenen, at an altitude of 1106 m.

Section 3: Göschenen to Lugano by train

The Gotthard train tunnel and northern Ticino

The train continues into the tunnel, which dates back to 1882. There is a light show inside the 15 km-long tunnel.

Airolo, at the other side of the tunnel, is the highest point of the route at 1141 m. You have passed the highest peaks of the Alps, and you may encounter entirely different weather here. You're now in the canton of Ticino. Language and culture are no longer German, but Italian.

The climate is considerably milder and drier here, but still there are interesting variations between northern and central Ticino: the valley floor has 3 different levels and 3 different climates.

The first section has an altitude of around 1000 m. The second section starts north of Faido with an altitude of around 700 m. Just before Giornico, the train reaches the lowest level: under 400 m. It is considerably warmer here. You're now in a wine-growing area, and you'll see some palm trees for sure! Several spiral loops help the train descend to this level.

From Bellinzona to Lugano

In Bellinzona, you can see one castle on the right and two on the left. If you get off here, you can switch trains for Locarno. The lowest point of the route at 230 m is just south of Bellinzona. A bit further you can see the Lago Maggiore (the lowest place in Switzerland) and Locarno on the horizon.

Fast trains take the 15.4 km long Ceneri Base Tunnel here, but the Gotthard Panorama Express takes the classic route to its destination Lugano, in the south of the Ticino.

The best side to sit on for the boat and train

If there are few passengers on board and you can move around in empty seats that are not reserved, these are the suggested sides for each section of the route:

• Section 1, Lucerne-Flüelen (boat): you can sit anywhere on the boat. Seats are generally not reserved. Exceptions may apply to reserved seats in the ship restaurant. But the views are great from all sides!
• Section 2, Flüelen-Göschenen (train): the left side of the train offers a slightly better view to our taste.
• Section 3, Göschenen-Lugano (train): the view is a bit better from the right side of the train.

Gotthard Panorama Express operation dates 2026

The Gotthard Panorama Express train and boat operate daily from 18 April to 18 October 2026.

Planning the Gotthard Panorama Express journey with the timetable

You can find each section in the Swiss timetable. Always double-check your journey there, as it contains up-to-date information for your travel date. Don't just count on the schedules I explain further below, as those are subject to change.

Finding the boats in the Swiss timetable

1. Enter "Lucerne" and "Flüelen" as your from and to stations, or the other way around.
2. Use the "Settings" to select boats as the only means of transport.
3. Check the departure times listed below to see if it's the Gotthard Panorama Express boat that connects to the train.

Finding the trains in the timetable

• Enter "Flüelen" and "Lugano" as your from and to stations, or the other way around.
• The timetable presents the quickest route by default which mostly is not the Gotthard Panorama Express route. Add "Göschenen" as via-station. This way, you'll force the timetable to show routes over the Gotthard mountain pass.
• Trains labeled "PE" ("Panorama Express") are the Gotthard Panorama Express trains. The full name of the train will also be displayed once you click on this connection for details.
• You can also check the train numbers: trains 3092 and 3093 are the official panoramic trains.

The Gotthard Panorama Express schedules

On all operation dates, there's one Gotthard Panorama Express boat and one Gotthard Panorama Express train in both directions. Apart from that, there are many other boats and trains on the same route. I explain about those further down this page.

Boat and train numbers

The boats have a course number and a route number. The trains are numbered too. You'll find these same boat route numbers and train numbers in the general Swiss timetable.

The Gotthard Panorama Express schedule for the direction north-south (Lucerne-Flüelen-Lugano)

The boat (course 13):

• departure from Lucerne at 11:12
• arrival in Flüelen at 13:55

The train (3093). The train already departs from Arth-Goldau, which is at a 30-minute ride from Lucerne. You can use this as a quicker alternative to the boat stretch Lucerne-Flüelen.

• (departure from Arth-Goldau at 13:35)
• departure from Flüelen at 14:09
• arrival in Lugano at 16:41

The Gotthard Panorama Express schedule for the direction south-north (Lugano-Flüelen-Lucerne)

The train (3092). This train continues all the way to Arth-Goldau, at a 30-minute ride from Lucerne. This is a quicker alternative to the boat stretch Flüelen-Lucerne.

• departure from Lugano at 09:18
• arrival in Flüelen at 11:35
• (arrival in Arth-Goldau at 12:00)

The boat (course 18):

• departure from Flüelen at 12:00
• arrival in Lucerne at 14:47