5 Reasons to ride the GoldenPass Express

Take your pick from 1st class, 2nd class or treat yourself to one of the 18 Prestige seats. All carriages have their own luxurious touches to ensure a seriously comfortable ride, such as the catering service that gets delivered directly to you, so you won’t have to leave that cosy seat – available in all classes of travel. As you might expect, Prestige seats boost that sense of luxury even further: set in two elevated compartments, these inviting spaces have been specially fitted with heated, rotating seats, meaning you’ll always be able to face the direction of travel. It’s a classy touch.

In just over three hours, you’ll feel like you’ve experienced the whole of Switzerland – and beyond – from the comfort of your carriage. This is thanks to the train moving through some truly outstanding scenery on its route: the palm trees and vineyards of the Lake Geneva region, the thick forests of Fribourg, the traditional wooden chalets of Pays-d’Enhaut, Gstaad’s village scenes, the shimmering lakes and soaring mountains around Interlaken and the Jungfrau region. This is the stuff of dreamy holiday brochures, except that you’re gliding through the middle of it.

Do you know what’ll help you enjoy all that marvellous scenery to the full? Panoramic windows. Because there’s nothing worse than trying to get a glimpse of the beautiful world outside through a tiny, smeared pane of glass, while peering over someone’s shoulder. Best of all you’ll find these gaping panoramic windows in all travel classes – not just Prestige – so whatever ticket you buy for the GoldenPass Express, you’re guaranteed some premium viewing opportunities, making this a truly immersive trip.

Although you’ll be passing through a lot of different areas in quick succession on your ride, that doesn’t mean you can’t explore these places a little more deeply – through your tastebuds, that is. A selection of plates are served onboard the GoldenPass Express, containing regional specialities from the Bernese Oberland and other local treats. There are breakfast boxes available if you want to start the day off with something simple, apéro plates for something more substantial, and Lavaux wines (from celebrated producer Testuz) and craft beers (from Interlaken’s Rugenbräu brewery) for when you want to kick back and indulge.

Although travelling between the scenic regions of the GoldenPass Express is a blissfully simple and smooth experience, it hasn’t always been so easy. Up until December 2022, anyone wanting to travel between Montreux and Interlaken by rail had to change trains twice during the journey, due to differing rail gauges. Thanks to variable gauge bogies and a gauge adapting ramp, the train can now travel seamlessly from one gauge to another, 150 years after the idea of linking Lake Geneva, Gstaad and Lakes Thun and Brienz was first suggested. So, when riding the GoldenPass Express, remember that you’re also travelling along an important piece of railway history.

Get your journey started today by booking your tickets through the official GoldenPass Express website.