Grand Train Tour in Switzerland

WE EXPERIENCED A GRAND TRAIN TOUR IN SWITZERLAND

It is one of the best European countries that lends itself perfectly to a special train trip. With an efficient rail system, breathtaking views, and beautiful trains, we want to tell you about one of the Grand Train Tour in Switzerland. 

 

The Grand Train Tour Switzerland

If you’re a little familiar with the Swiss landscape, you probably know that there is no shortage of beautiful views. In Switzerland, there is no better way to travel than by train. Perfectly connected, spacious, and clean trains take you past countless lakes, 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 1280 kilometers of magnificent locations. On the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, you will travel on several panoramic trains to all the highlights and sights of Switzerland, year-round. We experienced one of these scenic train routes that run from Montreux past Interlaken and finally to Luzerne.

Explore Switzerland by train Map

From the Netherlands

From Amsterdam (if there are no rail-works), there is a direct train to Basel, where you change trains to Montreux. You immediately notice the difference when you arrive in Switzerland. The trains run exactly at the designated time, they are more spacious and look a million dollars.

The Swiss Travel Pass

If you decide to take an extended train trip across the country, then purchasing a Swiss Travel Pass is really a must. After all, this purchase allows you to hop on public transportation anywhere, including ferries, buses and, of course, trains. With a single ticket, you can choose whether you want to travel by train, bus and boat throughout Switzerland for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days. You also get free admission to more than 500 museums and the Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos mountain expeditions are included for free.

GoldenPass Express in Rougemont, Waadtland.

For a 4-day Swiss Travel Pass, you pay CHF 281 for 2nd Class and CHF 447 for 1st Class. Young people under 25 traveling through Switzerland by train, bus and boat save 30% off the regular price with the Swiss Travel Pass Youth. Children under 6 travel for free, and kids between the ages of 6 and 16, accompanied by at least one parent, also travel for free with the free Swiss Family Card. Plenty of reasons to purchase!

Golden Pass Express

Now all trains in Switzerland are very good – normal trains even have a coffee machine on board, but the Golden Pass Express really takes the cake. If you are in Montreux, then you must take this train. In fact, this train really takes you through the mountains, past Swiss villages, waterfalls, lakes and valleys. Also not unimportant; the Golden Pass Express has panoramic windows, for an extra special experience.

Service in Golden Pass Express

The train runs from Montreux to Interlaken and will start running 4 times a day starting in June 2023. In addition, you can order breakfast, coffee/tea or a plate of local specialties such as cheese, crisp vegetables and sausage. The showpiece of the new train is the new “Prestige” travel class. In this prestigious travel class, you can enjoy extra comfort in the luxurious, heated leather seats. These seats can be rotated 180 degrees and sit 40cm higher than in the other travel classes so that you can completely immerse yourself in the scenery. A reservation in this class is needed and costs CHF 35 euros p.p

Golden Pass Express, Switzerland

CITY STOPS

Since you can get off wherever you want, it’s nice to spend 1 or 2 nights in one of the Swiss cities you pass. Each city has something special that we would like to tell you about.

Montreux

This city is known as the Swiss Riviera. Stately buildings, filled with well-kept flower beds, and the large lake. Montreux is also known for the annual Montreux Jazz Festival, which is the 2nd largest jazz festival in the world. The festival – which has more like 400 concerts and DJ sets, runs from June 30 to July 15, 2023.

Montreux, Switzerland

Not there during this period? Not to worry, you can also enjoy the long promenade, with its nice terraces, restaurants, and statues along the Waterfront. We slept at the luxurious Montreux Suisse Majestic hotel overlooking the lake, but there are other options such as. Luxury dining is done at the Jazz Cafe or for delicious Italian/Swiss go to Rouvenaz which is also reasonably affordable. The castle of Chillon is also worth a visit, never before have I seen such a well maintained and traditional castle. You really imagine yourself in the Middle Ages. You can enter for free with your Swiss Travel Pass.

Grand Train Tour, Montreux
Riding past the wine fields of Montreux

Interlaken

This area is perfect for hikers and daredevils. The paragliders fly across the skies, and everyone is outdoors. There are a huge number of hiking trails to be found, and so is the perfect place to do something active. Unfortunately for us, it can get very crowded in the summer months, but of course we did some research to find the less touristy places to eat.

If you feel like getting active, book a kayak session at HighTide, where you can kayak in Lake Brienz. This turquoise glacier lake is large and easy to spend 2 hours on.

Kayak Lake Brienz, Switzerland

Lucerne

One of our favorite towns in Switzerland! We liked it so much, we could live there and this is why; Luzerne is surrounded by mountains and sits on a large blue lake. Almost every building has a special detail like a French balcony, a beautiful statue, or a mural. The place is clean, public transportation is well regulated and runs on electricity. If you want to see the whole city, easily walk from the center to one of the 9 castle towers. A beautiful view is guaranteed!

Lucerne Switzerland from above

 

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Visit Mount Rigi

Get out by first taking the boat to Vitznau, a nice trip which takes about 1 hour. From there, use your Swiss Travel Pass to hop on the cogwheel railway, the world’s first mountain railroad. This fun little train runs diagonally uphill and stops at several places. The Rigi is a popular mountain destination because of its location between three lakes and hiking opportunities. We got off at Rigi Kalbad and hiked up where we enjoyed a healthy lunch at Lok7 with a beautiful view. It’s fun to go back by a different route. To do this, take the historic train towards Goldau, where you ride down through the forest with waterfalls and mountains. From there you can easily get back on the train to Luzerne.

Historic train mount Rigi

Are you not convinced yet? Check out these 5 reasons why you should explore Switzerland by train

More can find more articles and tips about Switzerland below!

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