Ticket prices for traveling on the luxury MOB Golden Pass panoramic, historic Belle-Epoque, and express trains from Montreux to Zweisimmen and Interlaken are amongst the cheapest of all the panorama railways in Switzerland. Seat reservations are recommended but not obligatory.
All trains on the panorama railway line between Montreux and Zweisimmen (or on to Interlaken) use regular ticket prices. There is no surcharge for the special luxury trains (Express, Panoramic, Belle Epoque) from Montreux on Lake Geneva to Zweisimmen via Château d’Oex, Gstaad, and Zweisimmen in the Swiss Alps with easy connections to Interlaken, Lucern, Bern, and Gruyeres. Seat reservations are not obligatory but sensible on Golden Pass trains. All regular railway passes and discount offers are valid. Special savings deals and packages are often available while the Chocolate Train and Cheese Train are popular day trips from Montreux.
→→ See Travel on the Golden Pass Line Trains from Montreux for more on the railway routing and Luxury Golden Pass Panoramic Trains for the different trains and travel classes. Ticket prices vary only for the class of travel, not by the type of train so pick the best.
Ticket Prices for Golden Pass Trains from Montreux
Standard one-way ticket prices on the Golden Pass Line trains when traveling from Montreux are for example:
| From Montreux to: | Second Class (CHF) | First Class (CHF) |
| Château d’Oex | 22 | 37 |
| Gstaad | 26 | 46 |
| Zweisimmen | 34 | 58 |
| Interlaken Ost | 59 | 96 |
| Luzern (transfer) | 92 | 157 |
Return ticket prices are simply double one-way fares but some special excursion deals, especially including further services, may be available.
Tickets must be bought before boarding the train. This is now the norm on Swiss trains and even lake boats with fines for traveling without a ticket very high. Tickets are available from any outlet selling Swiss railways tickets or best directly from MOB GoldenPass.
Seat Reservations on Golden Pass Trains from Montreux
Seat reservations on Golden Pass trains, in contrast to many other panoramic trains in Switzerland such as the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, are not obligatory. Although seat reservations are optional, it is strongly recommended, especially in the high season.
Seats on the Belle Epoque and Golden Pass Express trains are often booked out in the summer season while seats are far easier to get on the older and more frequent Panoramic trains. First-class often book out faster.
Reserving seats and buying tickets may be done in two separate steps if preferred and up to two months in advance. At MOB Golden Pass make a booking and select the option of already owning a valid ticket. (This is not done under oath — the actual ticket may be bought later, or not at all, but the reservation fee is never refunded.)
As it is possible to see on the website exactly which seats are available on every train, travelers in quieter periods may simply select a fairly empty train and take any empty seat (except Prestige Class). While Golden Pass Express and Belle Epoque trains often book out — sometimes at surprisingly short notice — seats are mostly available on regular Panoramic trains.
Seat reservations are CHF20 on the Golden Pass Express trains and CHF10 on the Golden Pass Panoramic and Belle Epoque trains. The reservation fee is the same for first or second-class seats and distance traveled. Seats may be reserved for the same fee for children traveling for free (under 6) or on a Junior Card or any traveler with a valid ticket or pass. Swiss train reservation fees are never discounted or refunded.
Prestige Class with large leather seats always facing in the direction of travel (if preferred) is only available on the Golden Pass Express trains. Reservations for Prestige Class seats are obligatory — CHF35 in addition to the regular first-class ticket fee.
→→ See Luxury Golden Pass Panoramic Trains for more on the different trains and travel classes.
Savings Deals for Golden Pass Trains from Montreux
MOB Golden Pass trains on the narrow-gauge railways between Montreux and Zweisimmen are privately operated but are an integral part of the regular Swiss public transportation system. As a result, all usual savings deals and passes may be used.
The best deal for families is the Junior Card, which may be added for free as the Swiss Family Card to many passes for international travelers. Children with the Junior Card travel for free with named parents having a valid ticket for the particular class.
Special savings tickets are sometimes available if booked at Swiss Railways. However, bear in mind that the default at SBB is usually set for owning a half-fare card — take care to change results to full fare if necessary. Also, savings tickets are usually bound to a specific train — the ticket becomes worthless if the train is missed.
Double-check that SBB tickets are for the Golden Pass trains — on longer journeys, the default may be for faster, less scenic routings. Adding a “via” on the Golden Pass route such as Montboven, Gstaad, or Zweisimmen may force the Golden Pass routing.
A very good vacation transportation deal is the Regional Pass Léman-Alpes aimed at tourists and leisure travelers in the Lake Geneva region. It is valid for 5 (or 7) days allowing for unlimited travel on any two (or three) days and discounted travel on the other days. It is especially useful for visitors who enter Switzerland in Geneva and not traveling long distances through Switzerland while on vacation in the Lake Geneva region. It covers the Golden Pass trains from Montreux to Zweisimmen (and a 50% discount if continuing to Spiez or Interlaken. It is available from any train station or larger manned boat landing in the region.
Save with Excursion Day-Trip Tours
MOB Golden Pass has seasonal combination deals that may offer significant savings.
- Popular combinations include a cruise on a CGN Lake Geneva boat with the Golden Pass panoramic train.
- The Chocolate Train excursion (Le Train du Chocolat / Der Schokoldenzug) by MOB is worth considering as it makes it easy to combine many sights in a single day. The basic route is by Golden Pass train from Montreux to Montbovon and then the rest of the day transportation is by luxury tour bus. First a visit to lovely Gruyères (cheese production and medieval village) then a short ride to Broc to visit the Cailler chocolate factory (unlimited free sampling) and returning to Montreux late afternoon by bus.
- The Cheese Train excursion (Le Train du Fromage / Der Käsezug) excursion includes a train Golden Pass train from Montreux (or Zweisimmen) to Château d’Oex for a cheesemaking demonstration and fondue lunch all within easy walking distance of the station.
More on MOB Golden Pass Trains from Montreux
- Travel on the Golden Pass Line Trains from Montreux for more on the railway routing that connects Montreux with Lucerne via Zweisimmen and Interlaken.
- Luxury Golden Pass Panoramic Trains for the different trains and travel classes.
- Ticket Prices and Booking Tips for Golden Pass Trains — reservations are optional but sensible.
- Book Excursions and Day-Trip Tours from Montreux
- Book Golden Pass Train Tickets at MOB.