What is the difference between all the GoldenPass trains?
Xiaosi and friends are planning a trip to Switzerland, arriving in Geneva on June 8. They want to travel from Geneva Airport to Bern through Montreux and Interlaken, and they need to know about train connections and which trains to take for their journey while planning to buy the Swiss Travel Pass.
- You can travel from Geneva to Bern by changing trains at Montreux and Zweisimmen, and the journey will take around five hours.
- For scenic views, the GoldenPass route is recommended, but be aware that the Belle-Epoque and Panorama trains only go to Zweisimmen, so you'll need to switch to another train to get to Interlaken.
- Make sure to check the Swiss timetable for the right trains and routes before your trip, as the schedules can vary.
AI-generated summary-
What are the different between Golden line express, Golden pass line , Golden pass panoramic and Belle-Epoque train ?
My friends and I are going to Switzerland on the 8th of June 2025. We arrive at Geneva airport at 10:15 am on the 8th. We would like to travel to Bern from Geneva airport through Montreux to interlaken then to Bern. Is it possible to do it?
I have been searching the route on the internet and have found the above 4 different names of the train, and not sure what are the different . Do we have to change the trains and where to change ? We will buy the STP
Thank you
Xiaosi
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Hi Xiaso
Going from Geneva airport to Bern via Montreux, Zweisimmen and Spiez is certainly ‘doable’. Looking at this year’s timetable the journey will take nearly five hours. For example, if you were travelling tomorrow and left Geneva at 12 19 you would get to Bern at 17 21, changing at Montreux and Zweisimmen, If you left at 13 01 you would get to Bern at 17 54, changing at Montreux and Spiez. (Obviously the timetable may be a bit different next June.)
Regarding the names of the trains, that can be very confusing! But do not worry. The MOB railway which runs the line from Montreux to Zweisimmen loves to give its trains different names. But they all take the same route from Montreux to Zweisimmen. Just note that the’Belle Epoque’ trains are largely made up of carriages dating from about 1930, and a change at Zweisimmen will be required. By contrast, the ‘Golden Pass Express’ is ultra-modern high-tech carriages which run through from Montreux to Interlaken Ost. (For Bern you will need to change at Spiez.) All the other trains are modern carriages, but you will need to change at Zweisimmen. (The interchange is usually from one side of the platform to the other.)
Best wishes
Roger
Hi Xiaosi,
The main GoldenPass scenic train route runs between Montreux and Interlaken. The GoldenPass Express is a direct service between Montreux and Interlaken. The GoldenPass Panorama and GoldenPass Belle-Epoque only run between Montreux and Zweisimmen. You will have to change to a different train to continue to Interlaken. The Luzern-Interlaken Express rail line is also considered part of the GoldenPass route, extending from Interlaken to Lucerne.
You can find further explanation on each GoldenPass train service on our page here: https://www.myswissalps.com/activity/goldenpass/
Regards,
Anna
Roger and Anna thank you for your reply.
Can we travel from Geneva airport to Montreux the change MOB railway, Golden pass Belle Eqoque and Goden Pass Panorama to Zweisimmen then change the train (what train should we change to ?) to Interlaken then Bern?
Because we only have 3 days in Bern ,so we would like to travel a part of Golden pass route on the first day then on the second we can travel from Bern to Interlaken to Lucerne or Bern to Lucerne to Interlaken. Is it possible?Candy
Hi Candy,
Yes, you can. What I suggest you do, is plan your train journeys, using the Swiss timetable. That way you can research what you think would work for you and your group.
Here’s the link to the timetable:
Just be careful when researching the routes for the GoldenPass section. Depending which type of train you wish to be taking, make sure the right one is displayed on the timetable. All explained in the GoldenPass link that Anna provided above. See the section “Operation dates, schedules and timetable”.
Kind regards,
Yolanda
Hello Candy and Xiaosi
Day One
Please get out a map of Switzerland and with the help of that map study the route I recommended in my reply one. I recommended that on day one you go from Geneva to Bern via Montreux, Zweisimmen and Spiez. I would stress that it is the ROUTE which matters, not the (rather confusing) names the MOB gives to its trains.. You could try to add Interlaken to this day one, but that is unnecessary and would make your first day in Switzerland too long and very tiring. (In particular remember that on landing in Geneva you will have to go through frontier fomalities. That may take some time.)
Day Two
Stiill with the map in front of you, I recommend you go from Bern to Interlaken Ost, and spend some time there. The funicular up to Harder Kulm goes from very close to Interlaken Ost station. From Interlaken Ost take the scenic train to the historic city of Lucerne. Finally return to Bern on the train which carries the route number RE7, and takes a scenic route through Entlebuch and LANGNAU. Again, it is the route which matters. You want the scenic route via Langnau, not the far less scenic route via Zofingen.
Kind regards
Roger
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