Feb 10, 2014 - 7:20 PM
in reply to sooslewoosle
Hello Susie, welcome to MySwissAlps,
In general Swiss trains are not overcrowded. Of course there are exceptions such as Saturdays in Winter when everyone is traveling to ski resorts, or when big events take place somewhere. Other than that it should not be a problem to be seated together. Getting to the train in time helps. You will board at Geneva Airport and that's where the trains to Visp/Brig start, so no issue there.
Seat reservations can be made for many trains, but it's not necessary to do so other than for the panoramic trains you mentioned. An estimation of the occupancy of trains can be found in the timetable. It's not available for all trains, but you can check for your connection.
Note that you do not need to switch trains in Visp if you want to enjoy the scenic route. Trains departing from Visp travel through a long tunnel and you won't see anything until you reach Frutigen. Just stay seated until Brig and switch to the local train via Goppenstein and Kandersteg to Spiez. That's much more scenic.
I hope this helps you out.