GoldenPass Express 2026: Montreux to Interlaken, Prestige Class and Prices

The GoldenPass Express from Montreux to Interlaken costs CHF 56 in second class and CHF 96 in first class in 2026, plus a seat reservation of CHF 20; Prestige Class costs a CHF 49 reservation on top of a first-class ticket, CHF 145 in total. With a Swiss Travel Pass you pay only the reservation. The train runs up to four times a day in each direction, takes about 3 hours 15 minutes and is the only panoramic train in Switzerland that changes track gauge on the way, at Zweisimmen. Add the Luzern-Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass and you cross half the country, from Lake Lucerne to Lake Geneva, in one scenic day. We have not ridden the GoldenPass Express; we drove through the Bernese Oberland in July 2026 and stayed in Brienz, where the Luzern-Interlaken Express stops, and wrote this guide from the operators’ and Swiss Activities’ 2026 prices. It belongs to our comparison of Swiss scenic trains.

GoldenPass Express prices 2026

A one-way ticket from Montreux to Interlaken Ost costs CHF 56 in second class and CHF 96 in first class. The reservation adds CHF 20 in first or second class and CHF 49 in Prestige Class, so you pay CHF 76, CHF 116 or CHF 145 in total without a travel card.

Swiss Activities sells all three parts separately: the ticket Interlaken Ost to Montreux from CHF 56, the reservation for first or second class from CHF 20 and the Prestige Class reservation from CHF 49. The ticket price matches the 2026 fare. Reservations are not discounted with the Half Fare Card or the Swiss Travel Pass. Children from 6 to 15 travel at half price or free with the Swiss Family Card when a parent has a pass or Half Fare Card.

Compared with the Glacier Express, the GoldenPass Express is a modest outlay: in second class with a pass you pay CHF 20 for three hours of lakes, vineyards and alpine pastures, instead of CHF 54 for the Glacier Express.

Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card and Bernese Oberland Pass

The Swiss Travel Pass covers the GoldenPass Express completely, you only pay the reservation. With a Half Fare Card the ticket costs CHF 28 in second class, and the Bernese Oberland Pass includes the GoldenPass Express and the Luzern-Interlaken Express according to Swiss Activities.

For travellers with a Swiss Travel Pass the GoldenPass Express is an obvious transfer day: Montreux or Lausanne to Interlaken is a journey you would make anyway, and the panoramic train turns it into the day’s sightseeing. A first-class pass lets you book Prestige Class for CHF 49. With a second-class pass you can only book Prestige after paying for a first-class upgrade, which makes it expensive.

If you base yourself in the Bernese Oberland for several days, compare the regional Bernese Oberland Pass, which we calculated with our own July 2026 week, and the national Swiss Travel Pass. All passes side by side are in our guide to Swiss rail passes.

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Prestige Class: worth the extra?

Prestige Class is worth the extra CHF 49 if you want the best view and a quiet seat, because the Prestige section sits about 40 centimetres higher than the rest of the train, has heated leather seats that turn 180 degrees and floor-to-ceiling windows. For most travellers first or second class is enough, since every class has large panoramic windows.

• Seats: heated leather seats that staff can rotate in the direction of travel, in two small compartments at the ends of the train.
• Height: the Prestige floor is raised about 40 cm, according to MySwitzerland, for a better view over the landscape.
• Reservation: mandatory in Prestige Class because of the few seats; strongly recommended in first and second class.
• Service: drinks and snacks can be ordered; dining must be booked in advance. Swiss Activities notes that the trains have no power outlets and no Wi-Fi.

The honest comparison: in second class with a Half Fare Card you pay CHF 48 for the same windows and the same scenery, in Prestige CHF 97. If the trip is a special day and you hold a first-class pass, CHF 49 for Prestige is fair. If you travel on a budget, the money is better spent on a mountain ticket.

The route and the gauge change at Zweisimmen

From Montreux the GoldenPass Express climbs steeply above Lake Geneva and its vineyards, crosses the Pays-d’Enhaut via Château-d’Oex, passes Gstaad and Saanenmöser to Zweisimmen, then follows the Simmental down to Spiez on Lake Thun and the lakeshore to Interlaken. At Zweisimmen the carriages change from metre gauge to standard gauge while you stay seated.

That gauge change is what makes this train special. Until December 2022 everyone had to change trains at Zweisimmen. Since then the carriages run on variable-gauge bogies: on a special track at Zweisimmen the wheels are moved to the other gauge and the height of the car body is adjusted, while a different locomotive takes over, a BLS locomotive for the standard-gauge section to Interlaken. The stop takes a few minutes.

• Montreux and Lake Geneva: the first minutes give you the widest view over the lake and the vineyards above Montreux.
• Pays-d’Enhaut and Château-d’Oex: wooden farmhouses, green pastures and the region known for its hot-air balloon week.
• Gstaad and Saanenmöser: the most famous resort of the line and the highest section.
• Simmental and Lake Thun: the descent to Spiez, where the castle stands above the bay, then along the lake to Interlaken.

We know the last part from our own week. On July 7, 2026, we stood on the terrace of Spiez Castle at 18:07 and looked down on the marina; the railway line runs above the town, and the GoldenPass Express stops at Spiez station. From there it is about 20 minutes to Interlaken.

Timetable and reservation

In 2026 the GoldenPass Express runs four times a day in each direction: from Interlaken Ost at 09:07, 11:07, 14:07 and 16:07, and from Montreux at 07:33, 09:33, 12:33 and 14:33, according to the 2026 timetable published by holidaystoswitzerland.com. Always check the SBB app for your date, because times can change with the December timetable.

The reservation is linked to a specific train. MySwitzerland describes it as mandatory in Prestige Class and strongly recommended in first and second class. In summer we would always reserve, because the train is short and popular. Swiss Activities lists its GoldenPass reservations as binding, so book once your plan is fixed.

Which side to sit on matters less than you might think: the windows are large on both sides and the line winds a lot above Montreux. A window seat is what counts, so book early enough to get one.

Luzern-Interlaken Express: the other half

The Luzern-Interlaken Express links Lucerne with Interlaken Ost in about two hours, every hour, over the Brünig Pass, past Lake Lungern and along Lake Brienz. A second-class ticket costs CHF 34, CHF 17 with the Half Fare Card, and a reservation is optional; it is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass and the Bernese Oberland Pass.

Combined with the GoldenPass Express this is the classic “GoldenPass Line” from Lucerne to Montreux, about five and a half hours of scenic travel with one change in Interlaken. The Luzern-Interlaken Express also stops in Brienz, where we stayed for our week in July 2026; the line runs along the lakeshore through the village. Reservations cost CHF 12 to 16 per route depending on the season, as we noted in our Bernese Oberland Pass guide; outside the busiest summer days you rarely need one.

On our own arrival from southern Germany on July 4, 2026, we drove over the Brünig Pass and stopped above Lake Lungern at 13:37. The railway runs through the same valley, partly as a rack railway on the steep section. Coming from Zurich Airport, this is the scenic route into the Bernese Oberland; our guide from Zurich Airport to Interlaken compares it with the faster route via Bern.

Cheaper ways along the same line

You can ride the same line without the GoldenPass Express: the GoldenPass Panoramic and Belle Époque trains run between Montreux and Zweisimmen, and regular BLS trains continue from Zweisimmen via Spiez to Interlaken. You pay the normal ticket and need no mandatory reservation, at the cost of one or two changes.

• GoldenPass Panoramic: Montreux to Zweisimmen, direct, roughly hourly through the day and all year, with large panoramic windows. Reservation optional at about CHF 10.
• GoldenPass Belle Époque: the same section in carriages styled after the early 1900s, twice a day on most days.
• From Zweisimmen: change to a regional train to Spiez and on to Interlaken.

What you save is mainly the CHF 20 reservation, and you gain flexibility because you are not tied to one of four trains a day. Unless you want the comfort of no change, the Express is worth the reservation; on a tight budget or with a flexible day, the Panoramic plus regional trains is the clever alternative.

Is the GoldenPass Express worth it?

Yes, if you travel between Lake Geneva and the Bernese Oberland anyway: for CHF 20 extra with a pass, or CHF 76 in total without one, you turn a transfer into a scenic day without changing trains. It is not a must if you stay only in one region, and it is less dramatic than the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express, with gentle pastures instead of glaciers.

Who should take it: travellers on a Geneva, Montreux, Interlaken, Lucerne loop, families, because three hours are manageable, and dog owners, because dogs are allowed. Who can skip it: anyone with only a few days who stays in the Bernese Oberland; for them the Jungfraujoch or a boat on Lake Thun gives more for the money.

Our tip for a two-day loop: day one Lucerne to Interlaken on the Luzern-Interlaken Express, a night in Interlaken or on Lake Brienz, day two the GoldenPass Express to Montreux. With a Swiss Travel Pass the whole loop costs you CHF 20 to 36 in reservations.

FAQ: GoldenPass Express

How much is the GoldenPass Express in 2026?

Montreux to Interlaken Ost costs CHF 56 in second class and CHF 96 in first class, plus a CHF 20 reservation. Prestige Class costs a CHF 49 reservation on top of a first-class ticket, CHF 145 in total.

Is the GoldenPass Express included in the Swiss Travel Pass?

Yes, the ticket is covered. You only pay the reservation: CHF 20 in first or second class, CHF 49 in Prestige Class with a first-class pass.

Do I have to change trains at Zweisimmen?

No. Since December 2022 the GoldenPass Express changes gauge at Zweisimmen with you on board. The stop takes a few minutes while the locomotive is changed.

How long does the GoldenPass Express take?

About 3 hours 15 minutes between Montreux and Interlaken Ost. Lucerne to Montreux with the Luzern-Interlaken Express takes about five and a half hours.

Is Prestige Class worth it?

For a special day with a first-class pass, yes: CHF 49 for raised, heated, rotating seats. On a budget, second class has the same large windows.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes. Small dogs up to 30 cm shoulder height travel free in a carrier, larger dogs need a half-price second-class ticket or a dog day pass.

Check GoldenPass Express tickets and reservations →

Plan the GoldenPass Express as the scenic link between Lake Geneva and the mountains, and book the reservation once your route is fixed. The other famous lines are compared in our scenic train guide, and our Bernese Oberland guide covers what to do once you arrive in Interlaken. More trips start on the Swiss Detours home page.