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The Newest Scenic Train in Switzerland, GoldenPass Express, Crosses the Alps, Lake Geneva, and Lake Thun in Prestige Class on an Unforgettable 3-Hour Journey.
The newest scenic train in Switzerland is one of those rides that seem straight out of a fairy tale. In a single trip between Montreux and Interlaken, you see Lake Geneva disappearing behind you, cross villages with wooden chalets, traverse vineyard regions, and end the journey beside Lake Thun, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It’s an experience that blends sophisticated engineering, maximum comfort, and landscapes that truly look like postcards.
Over just a little more than 3 hours, the GoldenPass Express connects two of the country’s most famous tourist cities, with no need to change trains, even when switching track gauges along the way. And, if you choose to travel in Prestige Class, you’ll feel firsthand why Switzerland’s newest scenic train has become a coveted object for train travel enthusiasts.
Route of the Newest Scenic Train in Switzerland: From Montreux to Interlaken
The journey on Switzerland’s newest scenic train begins at the Montreux station, along the shores of Lake Geneva. The schedule for the GoldenPass Express on the full segment is, for example, from 9:33 AM to 12:48 PM, on a scenic trip of just over 3 hours to Interlaken.
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Right from the start, the train begins to climb the slope with Lake Geneva far below, like a blue mirror surrounded by vineyards and typical little houses. From there, the scenery gradually changes: the lake region gives way to green fields, quiet villages, and, little by little, increasingly higher peaks.
Along the way, the newest scenic train in Switzerland passes charming stops, like Montbovon, Château-d’Oex, Gstaad, and Saanenmöser. In just a few minutes, you leave the French-speaking part of Switzerland and enter the German-speaking region, all without leaving your seat. It’s almost like crossing two different countries in a single trip.
What Is the Experience Like Aboard the GoldenPass Express
The GoldenPass Express, Switzerland’s newest scenic train, offers three classes of seating: 2nd class, 1st class, and the coveted Prestige Class.
In 2nd class, you’ll find a 2–2 configuration, with standard Swiss comfort and large windows. In 1st class, the layout changes to 2–1, providing more space and a quieter environment. But the standout feature of Switzerland’s newest scenic train is undoubtedly the Prestige Class.
In Prestige Class:
- there are only 9 seats per train
- they are located at the front or rear, offering a privileged view
- the area is raised about 40 cm compared to the rest of the carriage
This slight elevation makes a difference. You literally feel “inside” the scenery, with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows and a total immersion in the Alps, lakes, and valleys.
Prestige Class: Maximum Comfort on the Newest Scenic Train in Switzerland
The experience in the Prestige Class of Switzerland’s newest scenic train is designed to be special from start to finish.
The seats have: comfortable upholstery, plenty of legroom, a multifunctional reclining chair, footrest, lumbar support, and an option for seat heating.
Additionally, each seat has two USB ports and outlets in European and Swiss standards, so you can charge your phone, camera, tablet, and whatever else you need during the trip.
The fare in Prestige Class, with the Swiss Half Fare Card, is 97 Swiss francs. It’s a price that draws attention, but the proposal of Switzerland’s newest scenic train is precisely to be a travel experience, not just a means of transport from one point to another.
Postcard-Worthy Scenery: Lakes, Chalets, and Happy Cows
As soon as Switzerland’s newest scenic train leaves Lake Geneva behind, the classic images that many associate with the country begin to appear: green fields, wooden chalets with flower boxes in the windows, grazing cows, and mountains in the background.
Breakfast, for instance, is optional and paid separately, even in Prestige Class. A simple set with orange juice, jam, butter, and a croissant costs 15 Swiss francs. What really makes everything special isn’t the menu, but the scenery: it’s hard to decide whether to have breakfast or grab your camera all the time to capture the landscapes.
Along the route, tourist villages like Gstaad appear, famous for luxury chalets and high-level ski resorts in winter. Even outside of the season, the view is impressive. Chalets with sloped roofs, nestled on green hills or already snow-covered on the highest peaks, create a movie-like feeling.
Further on, near Spiez, Switzerland’s newest scenic train approaches Lake Thun. When the carriage positions itself on the shore, the intense blue water takes up the entire window, with that typical tone of melted glacier, a result of suspended mineral particles that scatter the sunlight.
The Engineering Behind Switzerland’s Newest Scenic Train
Besides the view, Switzerland’s newest scenic train is also a showcase of railway engineering. The GoldenPass Express is the first train in the world to switch between two different track gauges without requiring passengers to disembark or change trains.
This change of track gauge occurs in Zweisimmen. Previously, everyone had to change trains there because the width of the tracks changed. Now, you can simply remain seated in Prestige Class or any other class and watch the process happen.
In Zweisimmen:
- the train stops at the station
- the locomotive is changed to adapt to another gauge and voltage
- the system adjusts the width of the wheels at the bottom of the carriage
Meanwhile, passengers can stretch their legs on the platform, breathe the fresh Alpine air, or observe the locomotive change. It’s a blend of a sightseeing tour with a real-time engineering lesson.
View from the Cabin and Final Moments to Interlaken
In the final stretch of the journey, Switzerland’s newest scenic train approaches Interlaken, passing through the Spiez region and circling Lake Thun. Each curve offers a different frame: vineyards, villas, churches, hills, blue water, and mountains behind all of this.
In some sections, especially in Prestige Class, you can even see the engineer’s cabin, which gives a feeling of “driving” the train through the Alps. It’s a simple detail but makes the experience even more immersive for train enthusiasts.
After about 3 hours, Switzerland’s newest scenic train enters Interlaken, a city whose name literally means “between the lakes,” as it is situated between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It is one of the country’s most loved destinations and a starting point for various other adventures, such as hiking, boat trips, and routes to famous mountains.
Is It Worth Boarding Switzerland’s Newest Scenic Train?
At the end of the trip, the feeling is that the 3 hours flew by. Those traveling in Prestige Class on Switzerland’s newest scenic train take away much more than photos: they take the memory of a route where each window seems like a ready postcard, with lakes, chalets, vineyards, cows, snow, and successive valleys.
The price in Prestige Class is higher, but it includes:
- rare seats, with only 9 places per train
- panoramic windows and elevated flooring
- extra comfort, with heating, leg and back support
- a privileged view of the scenery for practically the entire route
If the idea is to transform a simple transfer into a central part of the journey, the newest scenic train in Switzerland delivers just that.
And you, if you could choose a section to ride on Switzerland’s newest scenic train, which part of this magical route calls you the most: Lake Geneva, the alpine villages, the gauge change in Zweisimmen, or the intense blue of Lake Thun arriving in Interlaken?
Eu pretendo viajar pra lá em breve e quero conhecer o trajeto desse trem! Deve ser muito legal!