[Removed user]

4 November 2019 at 9:18:53 #824367

Hello,

I know many people have posted information on how to do seats reservation for panorama trains. I am looking into Glacier Express and GoldenPass Line in April/May 2020.

For Glacier Express, I am fully aware of its timetable during the duration of my visits. Also just to check for the seats reservation is to be done at shop.rhb.ch/gex_en/spe cials/daytrips/glacier -express? Also the price of the reservation is CHF32? I do not have to indicate that I have a Swiss Travel Pass do I?

For GoldenPass Line, I am still confused about its timetable as I understand about its constructions till 2022. Where can I find its timetable for 2020? Also, I know that the seat reservations are to be done at tickets.goldenpass.ch/. However, may I know how long in advance will I be able to book these journeys? Up till now, I am only able to see till 14 Dec 2019 which means it is less than 45 days in advance.

Thank you everyone in advance for any help given!

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[rockoyster]

4 November 2019 at 10:02:22 #924616

Hello Emz and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

In April/May you probably wouldn’t need reservations on the Golden Pass. They are not mandatory any time of the year.

On the Glacier Express you need to nominate you have a Swiss Travel Pass so you just pay the reservation fee.

[Removed user]

5 November 2019 at 0:27:27 #924617

I have been travelling the Montreux – Zweisimmen (the MOB railway – try not to labour too much on the ‘GoldenPass’ branding) on and off for 59 years (and I’m 59…)

Here’s my personal ‘FAQ’:

The Golden Pass rail route:

Current tourist branding can be confusing

1) The true Goldenpass is just the MOB railway Zweisimmen – Montreux.

2) The Luzern – Interlaken railway is actually the Brünig Pass line operated by Zentralbahn (ZB), which dubs the regular trains “Luzern – Interlaken Express’.

It’s OK but not spectacular scenery

3) The ‘bit in the middle’ (Zweisimmen – Spiez – Interlaken) is two branch lines of the full size main line BLS railway, with a mix of local trains (change at Spiez) and some through services Zweisimmen – Interlaken

** A few facts about the Montreux – Zweisimmen railway – ie the MOB (Montreux-Oberland – Bernois):

The Golden Pass is historically only Montreux – Zweisimmen, only more recent marketing branding takes the ‘Goldenpass route’ east of Zweisimmen to Interlaken and beyond to Luzern.

*MOB pioneered the Panoramic coach concept on Swiss trains, starting in 1976

most modern Swiss trains have large windows, even if not officially panoramic. The key element of a ‘panoramic’ coach is ‘toplight’ windows above your head but in practice very few of the major views from panoramic trains are directly above your head, so the view through the normal side part of windows is normally fine.

You will get roughly the same scenic experience form any train on the MOB and reservation is not obligatory

The 2020 timetable for the Tru Goldenpass section Montreux – Zweisimmen is roughly the same as 2019, with faster trains once per hour

It is very scenic, but the MOB route is far from being the most spectacular (although any dubbing of this nature is going to subjective and personal) in Switzerland.

I recommend using regional trains on the MOB (the real name for the Montreux – Zweisimmen railway). Again, this gives you the flexibility to get on a train at whichever time suits you.

[Removed user]

5 November 2019 at 0:29:52 #924618

Many people make the mistake (having heard of or seen publicity for the Glacier Express) that it is the only scenic train in Switzerland. This is to underestimate the scenery of the rest of Switzerland. If it doesn’t fit your itinerary it is not really necessary to do it. Ordinary trains runs on all the same lines. Just about every railway line in Switzerland is scenic to some degree. And in fact some sections of the Glacier Express route are less scenic than many other lines in Switzerland.

Points to note about the Glacier Express:

Take care with the hyped-up marketing of the Glacier Express. It is not always the best way to ‘see Switzerland’

The Glacier Express runs roughly on an East – West axis in the southern part of Switzerland, and is very well marketed. In practice the Glacier Express is just an ‘exclusive’ train on a normal railway route with plenty of other normal – non supplement , reservation-free trains on it.

To understand the above, it is worth taking a moment to understand the Glacier Express and its history:

It was created (as one train each way daily) with the notion that well-healed travellers taking long holidays in Switzerland in the ‘Belle Epoque’ era (1930s) would stay in Zermatt and then also go and stay in the other fashionable resort of the time, St Moritz. The train was named (mainly) after the Rhone Glacier which has now melted so much that you don’t see it from the train and in any case the train runs under the Rhone Glacier in a base tunnel which replaced the Furka mountain section in 1982.