MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Golden Pass hopping on & off?
-
Hello again,
Regarding Golden Pass route Luzern to Montreux. Is it possible to stop in Gstaad and spend some time there during the trip? On the timeline, it doesn’t seem to show this stop though it is mentioned in the description. I don’t think we want to rush to change trains on the journey and would enjoy a stop along the way. I believe we will send our luggage along ahead so we don’t have to deal with it. We are traveling April30,2018 and will stay in Montreux that evening and the next.
Also, heading from Montreux to Wengen May 2 and would prefer to see other sights and not backtrack on the train. Any thoughts on the best route to Wengen that wouldn’t duplicate our route from Luzern to Montreux?
Thanks again for your help!
Tami
-
Hi Tami-
Partial answer.
If you reserve seats on the Golden Pass trains, you can’t then switch in mid-stream. (Although, I guess you could reserve on two differernt trains).
However, if you don’t reserve seats, there is nothing to prevent on and of travel on the day that you travel.
There is some kind of track work on that route near Montbovon in March or April.
Don’t remember the details, but it ought to show up in the SBB timetable. A bus is substituted for part of the trip.
<<“Also, heading from Montreux to Wengen May 2 and would prefer to see other sights and not backtrack on the train. Any thoughts on the best route to Wengen that wouldn’t duplicate our route from Luzern to Montreux?”>>
A combination of this map and the SBB timetable can help. I think you may have used the SBB timetable already, from you comment about time line.
If not, this will help. Use “Advanced” to put in more than one “via.”
http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
The map:
map.search.ch/?pos=676352,160768&z=2
Make use of the via box, after you look at the map. On this map, if you zoom in to zoom level 32, the train tracks appear.
map.search.ch/?pos=579544,107704&z=32
You can see routes through Lausanne, Fribourg, and Bern, back country routes via Montbovon+Gruyeres, and a route through Martigny and Visp ( faster) or Martigny and Brig+Kandersteg ( more scenic.).
Along the northern routes, Gruyers and Fribourg could make an interesting break if you want to take the time, as could Bern.
Slowpoke
Hi Tami,
The trains will stop in Gstaad. You should find it on the timetable when you hit the + sign to expand the train. For luggage service click here to read about your options.
Hi Tami,
Slowpoke mentioned some construction work. For details read here http://www.mystsnet.com/filea dmin/doc/01_News/Const ruction_works_MOB.pdf
You won’t be able to make reservations in April.
Thanks, everyone. I do see the bus section. However, when I put in the timeline there is no mention of a stop in Gstaad. If I wanted to reserve a seat on the Zweissemen to Montreux Panoramic section, should I just reserve a later train to allow time if we get off in Gstaad? I would just like to break up the travel and maybe get lun ch somewhere. Thought Gstaad might be an attractive option. Any insight is appreciated. I’m getting a little frustrated. 🙃
You won’t be able to make reservations at the time you are travelling. See my earlier post.
Hit the + sign next to the train from Zweisimmen ( on the SBB timetable) to see the stop at Gstaad as Lucas mentioned.
Attached example shows bus. BE code alongside it means “replacement bus service”.
Attachments:I finally figured out the plus sign and truly appreciate your posting the image. Thanks! Hoping we will still get the same “panoramic” views coming into Montreux…
Would it be better to stop off in Zweisimmen or, since we won’t have seat reservations, does it really matter where we hop off, as long as we can get another train later? What would be your suggestion to have a lunch stop on our trip to Montreux?
Hi Tami,
I don’t have any recommendations for lunch spots along the way.
Stick with your a Gstaad plan. Especially if you are there around lunchtime and don’t mind an extra train change.
Thanks again. You are all such a great source of information, and I appreciate your patience!
Hi Tamival,
Gstaad is a glamorous resort characterised by chalet architecture and luxury boutiques. I would definitely prefer it to Zweisimmen for a stroll en route.
If you decide to get off at Gstaad, here is a village map that will show you where the pedestrian area is:
http://www.gstaad.ch/en/gstaa d/maps-village-maps.html
There are luggage lockers and a left luggage service at the station if you decide to take your luggage with you. Details here:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/railway-stations/further-stations/station.1399. html
Alpenrose
Thanks! I think we will stop in Gstaad. Appreciate your help Alpenrose.
Hi, Just saw your post. We have done this route a few years back and booked the special train at that time for the Gstaad>Montreux part of the Golden Pass.
We departed the train at Interlaken Ost and walked to the next stop – Interlaken West. Not very far and very beautiful. We had lunch in a sidewalk cafe. My husband was worried we wouldn’t make the connection to get the special scenic train in Gstaad to Montreux.. we did and now he tells everyone to do it.
We are making this same trip in June and have decided to just do all normal unreserved trains, so we are not bound to a timetable. It is the most beautiful train journey we have ever been on and all our European travel has been by train. Only other comparable one is in Scotland going from Mallaig on the west coast to Fort Williams. The train then goes onto Glasgow. We drove from Edinburgh to Aberdeen then Inverness, overnighting in each. Took a train to the Isle of Sky and took a 4WD tour of the island that afternoon – we don’t like tours but this was the best way to get around and cover everything. We were dropped back at our Portree accommodation. Next day took the local bus then ferry to Mallaig.. Highly recommend this.
We didn’t realise this last time in Switzerland, but you can jump off the train any time and make a stop wherever. We have a Euro Global Pass as we are doing this for a solid month. You can book your luggage in at your starting point and pick it up at the end – did this last time from Zurich but most stations have this option. Worked a treat as we only had to take our backpack and my handbag with camera. Can do this all over Switzerland – they will even pick your luggage up from your accommodation, though need 2 days I think for this.
Hi Carolyn –
The rules keep changing. Many, many years ago you could check your luggage when you got on the train, and pick it up when you got off. That service is no longer available, but others are:
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/lugg age-and-flight-luggage.html
For the same day service you need”Express Luggage” for 12 CHF per piece:
Slowpoke
I believe you can still check luggage in at the station for a reasonable price, as we are doing this trip again in June, 2018. Last time we had to check the luggage in by 8 am from memory.
On the Swiss Rail site there is information on it. When we did it last time they said the luggage would be there by 6 pm. I think we got to Montreux at 4.30 pm and it was there waiting for us. They obviously send it on a more direct route.
My husband didn’t want to jump on and off the trains, let along walk through Interlaken, but once we could check our luggage in at Zurich, where we boarded for the Lucern to Montreux, Golden Pass route, it was so easy.
Cheap rate is drop off day 1. collect day 3.
http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/lugg age-and-flight-luggage/luggage/luggag e.html
plus CHF30 for same day service
<<“
Jan 27, 2018 – 9:53 PM
I believe you can still check luggage in at the station for a reasonable price, as we are doing this trip again in June, 2018. Last time we had to check the luggage in by 8 am from memory. “>>
I think our posts crossed in the mail.
I linked you to the exact information.
Slowpoke
Ok thanks. Sorry to have crossed over. I checked the luggage situation out a few months ago and it seems to be more available than on our last trip. Most stations seem to have this option and you can pick it up by midnight, where as last time had to pick up by 6 pm.
We ar going to leave our luggage in Zurich accommodation when we spend the night in Montreux. Hoping we can get away with a backpack so walking around Geneva won’t be difficult. Have a lock on the backpack and I have a PacSafe handbag.
Going to book our luggage in in Zurich to St Moritz when we go from Zurich to Chur for a few hours and then onto St Moritz for the night.
For same day delivery you can pick up luggage at destination AFTER 6pm.
Same day service is CHF12 per piece plus CHF30 flat additional charge for the benefit of same day delivery. St Moritz Luggage Office closes at 19:15. Not sure if that means delivered luggage not available after that but don’t bank on too many places (apart from bigger cities) offering pick-up until midnight.
Dear Rockoyster
I plan on getting into St Moritz at 1 pm as just going from Zurich. I just want to walk casually around Chur, probably for only a couple of hours. Our hotel will pick us up from station, so hoping our luggage is there by 1 pm. As I said last time they said after 6 pm, but luggage was there at 4.30 pm when we arrived. I assume they put it on the fastest train so our 1 pm pickup should be okay. Last time I looked they said the luggage operates until midnight. I checked the St Moritz office and they have luggage pickup to that station. Will check it out before we leave Zurich and if I have to will just not go to Chur. Know there are lockers at Chur, but hubby hates the messing around with that…
We generally like to just travel with hubby’s backpack and my PafeSaf shoulder bag, so no worries of pick pockets. Wish more countries had the luggage service. Hubby worries about getting a place for our two suitcases in the cabin in the train. I have promised this time to use a smaller suitcase, so lifting is easier for him… Wish me luck with that one.
Does anyone know whether a cold winter in the northern hemisphere like this year will mean spring/summer comes on any later please? We will be in Moscow on 25 May and weather could be 8-19 or may hit 30!! For 2 Australians who live in Brisbane that is pretty cold.. the 8-19 I mean. Mind you last time we did our 105 days we had 3 days of rain – 2 in Berlin, half a day in Dresden and Edinburgh. Even Ireland in the 11 days we were there had no rain, which apparently is unheard of. St Ives in souther western England had no rain when we were there. It was the first time in 9 years they had had a day without rain… I told them it was the charm of we Aussies.. Cannot be so lucky again I would think. Apparently Moscow has rain every second day but that just cannot happen when we are there, as I have too much planned.
It is hard to say about the weather this spring in the towns etc. Certainly it will be a late spring (and summer) in the mountains I would expect, due to all the snow we are getting right now – nothing in Zurich though :(.
The weather lower down should be pretty normal for May – and similar to Moscow: 10-20 ish. It is always so hard with Spring! When you go into the mountains (where possible due to some maintenance closures at that time of year) I would expect it to be under 5 degrees and above 3000 meters to be below 0.
Crossing fingers for your Moscow trip – they had a record 6 minutes of sunlight in December (!) so hopefully May will make it up to those poor Muscovites.
Dear Lucas
Thank you very much. Do not know at all how the weather works in the Northern Hemisphere… 8 seems very cold for Australians in the warmer part of our country, but guess we just have to dress for it. I don’t think we will be going to many mountains as we are older and don’t snow ski anyway. Snowy Mountains, where snow ski-ing happens in Australia, is 1361 km from where we live, has snow in winter, if lucky, so unless you go there every year not a lot of snow ski-ing in Australia. Now water ski-ing there is plenty of that.
Fingers crossed the weather will be good for us on our 9 weeks adventures.
Again thank you for your predicted weather forecast – even the weather bureau cannot get t right can they, so your information is most useful to me.
- The thread ‘Golden Pass hopping on & off?’ is closed to new replies.
