Swiss Rail question
Jul 12, 2004 | 12:15 pm
#1
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Swiss Rail question
Is there more than one train line which goes from Geneva to Gstaad via Montreux and back the same day? Or is it only one train (The Golden Pass?) as described here... http://www.goldenpass.ch/GPL/accueil.htm I wasn't sure if there were a regular train which may be more reasonably priced than a tourist train. Is there competition along that route?
Jul 12, 2004 | 2:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,566
Best place to check up on European rail connections is www.bahn.de. Just had a quick look for you, and there seem to be several trains every day - journey time 2.5 to 3 hours each way.
Jul 12, 2004 | 3:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SYD NSW AU
Posts: 118
Do yourself a favour - for travel between Montreux and Gstaad (in the uphill direction) do NOT try it on the cheap, rather pay First class on the Panoramic train and book the only reservable seats - the ones looking out of the front, with the driver's compartment above you. The views are worth every centime of the cost for the 29 km.
Tony Bailey
Tony Bailey
Jul 12, 2004 | 3:59 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,673
There is only one train line, and one company, running on this segment. Competition is not something commonly found on mainland Europe...
Actually, apart from the reservation fee for the panoramic train, ticket prices are the same for all of the many daily trains, be they local, direct, or panoramic.
You can check schedules and train types at http://www.rail.ch/index_e.htm (the panoramic trains have a special symbol). I also do recommend the panoramic train.
Unless Gstaad has a special appeal to you or your fiance (tennis perhaps?), I would ride the extra half-hour to Zweisimmen, which has the merit of being an authentic, if not exceptional, Bernese Oberland village. Gstaad and its snobbish crowd have little rustic Swiss character left.
Actually, apart from the reservation fee for the panoramic train, ticket prices are the same for all of the many daily trains, be they local, direct, or panoramic.
You can check schedules and train types at http://www.rail.ch/index_e.htm (the panoramic trains have a special symbol). I also do recommend the panoramic train.
Unless Gstaad has a special appeal to you or your fiance (tennis perhaps?), I would ride the extra half-hour to Zweisimmen, which has the merit of being an authentic, if not exceptional, Bernese Oberland village. Gstaad and its snobbish crowd have little rustic Swiss character left.
Jul 13, 2004 | 2:54 am
#5
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Location: CH-3823 Wengen Switzerland
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there is absolutly no competition between the state owned SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen) and several 'other' (but in it's majority still also owned by the state or cantons) Railway companies.
The GoldenPass panoramic trains from Montreux to Interlaken are run by the BLS-company (Bern-Ltschberg-Simplon, the majority of shares are owned by the canton of Bern through the partially privatised Berner Kantonalbank)
The following GoldenPass panoramic train from Interlaken to Lucerne (over the Brnig Pass) are run by the Brnigbahn company (owned 100% by SBB = Schweizerische Bundesbahnen = Swiss federal railways; the Bnigbahn has just announced this weekend that they will merger with the Luzern-Engelberg Bahn into the new Innerschweiz Railways).
But all this different companies are of no concerns for us as costumers when buying tickets or ticket-passes.
The Golden-Pass panoramic trains offer regular first and second class tickets for the same price as any other train (and other trains run on the same segments more than every hour) but only run about every two hours. In high season it may be recommendable to reserve your seats (costs SFr 10 per rail segment) but myself I never did any reservation in 2nd class last week and had no problems when I took it on 9 return trips to Gstaad for the Swiss Tennis Open (and this was 'rush-hour' on these trains because of the Tennis event).
There are about 9 special front-seats (called VIP seats with a view through the front window, the driver sitting above you) on the Montreux-Zweisimmen Golden Pass segment only. For that you need a first-class ticket and the reserved VIP seats cost SFr 20 instead of SFr 10. These VIP seats sell out very fast - and can't be reserved online (but any train station in Switzerland can handle such a reservation).
If you travel more than on just one day in Switzerland, overseas visitors can buy at all airport train stations or at major downtown train stations, showing their passport, a 1/2-price pass valid on trains, buses, trams, ships, cable-cars etc. etc. in Switzerland 30 days for all public transportions in Switzerland at half price (1/2 price applies on second and first-class tickets, not on reservation fees) - this half price pass costs SFr 99.
If you plan to visit Switzerland more than once, there are half-price passes available to everyone (no only visitors from overseas) for the price of SFr 150 (validity 1 year), SFr 250 (validity 2 years), SFr 350 (validity 3 years). About 90% of all swiss citizens travel for half price with such a card.
The GoldenPass panoramic trains from Montreux to Interlaken are run by the BLS-company (Bern-Ltschberg-Simplon, the majority of shares are owned by the canton of Bern through the partially privatised Berner Kantonalbank)
The following GoldenPass panoramic train from Interlaken to Lucerne (over the Brnig Pass) are run by the Brnigbahn company (owned 100% by SBB = Schweizerische Bundesbahnen = Swiss federal railways; the Bnigbahn has just announced this weekend that they will merger with the Luzern-Engelberg Bahn into the new Innerschweiz Railways).
But all this different companies are of no concerns for us as costumers when buying tickets or ticket-passes.
The Golden-Pass panoramic trains offer regular first and second class tickets for the same price as any other train (and other trains run on the same segments more than every hour) but only run about every two hours. In high season it may be recommendable to reserve your seats (costs SFr 10 per rail segment) but myself I never did any reservation in 2nd class last week and had no problems when I took it on 9 return trips to Gstaad for the Swiss Tennis Open (and this was 'rush-hour' on these trains because of the Tennis event).
There are about 9 special front-seats (called VIP seats with a view through the front window, the driver sitting above you) on the Montreux-Zweisimmen Golden Pass segment only. For that you need a first-class ticket and the reserved VIP seats cost SFr 20 instead of SFr 10. These VIP seats sell out very fast - and can't be reserved online (but any train station in Switzerland can handle such a reservation).
If you travel more than on just one day in Switzerland, overseas visitors can buy at all airport train stations or at major downtown train stations, showing their passport, a 1/2-price pass valid on trains, buses, trams, ships, cable-cars etc. etc. in Switzerland 30 days for all public transportions in Switzerland at half price (1/2 price applies on second and first-class tickets, not on reservation fees) - this half price pass costs SFr 99.
If you plan to visit Switzerland more than once, there are half-price passes available to everyone (no only visitors from overseas) for the price of SFr 150 (validity 1 year), SFr 250 (validity 2 years), SFr 350 (validity 3 years). About 90% of all swiss citizens travel for half price with such a card.
Last edited by Rudi; Jul 13, 2004 at 3:24 am
Jul 13, 2004 | 12:28 pm
#6
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Rudi and Zaccaggie were two of the snobbish tennis crowd in Gstaad last week to see Roger Federer play tennis. Had fun, compliments of Rudi (also had a sidecar) Thanks Rudi!