Scenic train travel from Bern to Montreux

Good evening,

Myself and three friends are coming to Bern on Saturday 3rd December and on Monday 5th December we would like to catch the train to Montreux.

We would like the most scenic route please but I am finding it difficult to find information on a scenic journey.

Any advice please?

We will be staying in Montreux for two days and then traveling back to Geneva.

Thank you,

Look at the Golden Panorama Train which runs from Montreux to Luzern and from Luzern to Bern I'm sure you could find another scenic train

Look at the website below

http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/goldenpass-line.html

hope this helps Maria

That's indeed a good tip. You can first travel from Bern to Spiez and pick up the Golden Pass line to Montreux there. You could even take the local train from Bern via Schüpfheim to Lucerne and then take the entire Golden Pass line, but that takes a lot of time and daylight hours are short in December.

You'll find all details here: myswissalps.com/ goldenpass.

And welcome to MySwissAlps, Devonteam!

Hi Devonteam-

You have gotten good advice already.

These two links may help you refine your choices:

www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

and,

map.search.ch/

On the latter map, if you zoom way in, you can see the rail lines. And, under Points of Interest/Traffic, you can turn on or off icons for the transport stations.

On the map, you can see that the most direct route from Bern to Montreux is via Fribourg and Lausanne. That is main line routing, with faster trains. It goes via Lausanne, where you may change trains, and , as you near Lausanne, just after the very short tunnel after Puidoux, a magnificant view appears on the left, of the lake and the alps. The last stretch into Lausanne goes through the vineyard towns. Sit on the left.

Via Luzern -

If you go as suggested, to Luzern, you have two route choices to get to Luzern. Faster, about 1 hour on the hour, or about 1 1/2 hours by other trains on the route via Zofingen and or Olten. The fastest one bypasses Olten.

Or, also as noted, you may take the slower and scenic route through the Emmental via Langnau im Emmental (traditional Swiss farm country, rolling hills, striking farmsteads.)

Going via Luzern adds a lot of time to the journey; in return you gain the scenic stretch from Luzern to Meiringen over the Brunig Pass as you head back to the west.

After you reach Luzern, the trains on the Golden Pass Route via Sarnen, Giswil, Brunig, Meiringen, Interlaken, Spiez, Zweisimmen and on to Montreux offers particularly scenic stretches as you approach the Brunig Pass and descend from it to Meiringen. That is meter gauge line, if you care.

The most scenic part of the Golden pass route is the stretch from approximately Montbovon downwards into Montreux with views of the vineyards and lakes. Arno's suggestion to go from Bern to Spiez- a pleasant ride that can take either of two parallel routes - will let you access the Golden Pass route by catching a train at Spiez to Zweisimmen. You save the time spent going to Luzern. Change trains at Zweisimmen and continue to ride the rest of the Golden Pass Route route to Montreux via Montbovon on one of the most scenic parts.

I've not suggested a route from Bern via Romont to Bulle to Gruyerz to Montbovon to Montreux. But, it is possible, uses lots of secondary lines and could include a visit to Gruyerz on the way to Montreux. It certainly is a possibility, and can pick up the very last stretch of the Golden Pass route from Montbovon to Montreux.

You can work out times with the timetable for all of these combinations.

Slowpoke

Thank you very much for your replies.

We are certainly looking forward to our first trip to Switzerland.

Hi Devonteam-

You are quite welcome.

A s you can see, you have a lot of options.

I just thought of one more. Catch the "Lötschberger" train from Bern to Brig, via Kandersteg. Once per hour.

It avoids the new, boring "Lötschberg Basis Tunnel" and has quite nice views as you go up the Kandertal to Kandersteg from Spiez. After the short upper tunnel, you emerge at Goppenstein, and the route proceeds to Hohtenn and then descends by the historic "Südrampe" route along the south wall of the Rhone Valley to Brig. Change there for a train to Montreux.

The Rhone Valley offers pleasant scenery, and after Martigny and Villeneuve, soon goes along the shores of a short stretch of Lake Geneva to Montreux.

I have attached a screen grab showing that route, which takes 3 hours and 8 minutes., once per hour.

The direct route from Bern to Montreux via Lausanne takes 1 hour and 33 or 1 hour and 35 minutes every half hour at xx04 and xx34.

I have also attached the first part of a discussion of a well-known hike that parallels the rail line as it descends the valley of the Rhonetal. The first few images show what the valley is like. Not that I expect you to take the hike; it is probably closed for the Winter. ;-) Come back in the summer.

Plenty of time to get off and explore Brig or other towns on the way. Once you get to Montreux, you could even make the run up to Montbovon and return to catch the very scenic part of the Golden Pass line, and go on to Gruyere, if you wish to add some more scenery.

Let us know if you have questions about the timetable. Clear and simple on the surface, it has great depth and complexity as you dig in to the various menus.

Slowpoke

Forgot to add this link to the last post-

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/bls-sudrampe-trail

Slowpoke