GoldenPass Express: Route, Fares and Seat Reservations

What the GoldenPass Express Is and Who It Suits

The GoldenPass Express is a daily panoramic train operated by MOB, the Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn, running the full Interlaken Ost–Montreux route. It began service in December 2022, when variable-gauge bogies let the train roll from standard-gauge track onto metric-gauge track at Zweisimmen, so passengers no longer change trains there. For a rail traveler based in Interlaken or on Lake Geneva, it is the simplest way to cross from German-speaking to French-speaking Switzerland in a single seat.

It suits travelers who want the journey itself to be the sightseeing, with oversized windows instead of a hiking trail or a cable car. If your priority is a fast transfer, the same corridor has ordinary trains that take less time and cost less than a panoramic seat. If your priority is scenery from a reserved window, the GoldenPass Express is built for exactly that.

Route: Interlaken Ost to Montreux via Spiez, Gstaad and Zweisimmen

Leaving Interlaken Ost, the train follows the River Aare past Spiez on Lake Thun and climbs into the Bernese Oberland, where painted chalets and white churches mark the Simmental. It continues up to Saanenmöser, drops into Gstaad, then winds through a valley before a zig-zag descent toward Montreux. Lake Geneva comes into view on the final approach, the first proper look at Lac Léman on this route.

The full GoldenPass Line, Lucerne to Montreux, covers 191 km and takes around 5.25 hours when both trains are combined. Treat the two legs as separate rides with separate tickets: the GoldenPass Express handles Interlaken–Montreux, and the Luzern–Interlaken Express handles Lucerne–Interlaken. If you are still deciding when to make the crossing, see our guide to the best time to visit Switzerland for a city break, and if you plan to spend a few days in Lucerne before boarding, our Lucerne city guide covers the Old Town, museums and lake.

How Long It Takes and How It Pairs with the Luzern–Interlaken Express

The GoldenPass Express takes about 3 hours 15 minutes between Interlaken Ost and Montreux. The Luzern–Interlaken Express takes about 2 hours, passing the base of Mount Pilatus and the shores of Lake Lucerne, Sarnersee and Lake Lungern before crossing the Brünig Pass at 1,008 m and descending to Meiringen. Together they make a full west-to-east crossing of Switzerland in a day, if you start early enough.

On the Luzern–Interlaken leg, the right-hand side in the direction of travel gives the better views, and the same applies in both directions because the train reverses at Meiringen. If you are building the ride into a longer plan, a one-page overview of Switzerland itineraries helps you decide whether to break the trip in Interlaken or push straight through, and a full Switzerland itinerary shows how the leg slots into a first train trip.

Timing Your Day: Departure Times and the Lucerne Connection

From Interlaken Ost, the GoldenPass Express departs daily at 09:07, 11:07, 14:07 and 16:07. In the other direction from Montreux, it leaves at 07:33, 09:33, 12:33 and 14:33. Those are fixed daily slots, so the train you want shapes your whole day rather than the other way around.

The Luzern–Interlaken Express leaves Lucerne hourly at six minutes past the hour from 06:06 to 18:06, and from Interlaken Ost hourly at four minutes past the hour from 07:04 to 20:04. To connect all the way through to Montreux, the 13:06 departure from Lucerne is the latest that works. Later Luzern trains run only as far as Meiringen, where you change onto a regular train to Interlaken Ost.

Classes Compared: Second, First and Prestige

Second class has panoramic windows, comfortable seats with sizeable tables, and a bistro car selling snacks and drinks. First class adds more space, larger tables and a quieter carriage, but the view through the glass is the same. Both classes can be reserved, and reservations are recommended rather than required.

Prestige Class exists only on the GoldenPass Express, not on the Luzern–Interlaken Express, and it is a separate product: 18 heated seats that swivel, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a compulsory reservation. If you want the rotating-seat experience, book Prestige deliberately: a first-class ticket alone does not get you there.

Fares in CHF and What Rail Passes Cover

On the Interlaken–Montreux leg, an adult one-way ticket costs CHF 56 in second class and CHF 96 in first class; Prestige Class is CHF 145 including the compulsory reservation fee. The Lucerne–Interlaken leg is priced separately at CHF 34 in second class and CHF 58 in first class. Never add the two and assume a single through fare.

A Swiss Travel Pass covers the GoldenPass Line at no extra cost, and a Eurail Global Pass that includes Switzerland does the same. A Swiss Half Fare Card halves the ticket price but not the reservation fee, so you pay CHF 28 in second class or CHF 48 in first class on the Interlaken–Montreux leg. A Berner Oberland Pass covers the Lucerne–Interlaken stretch and part of the Interlaken–Montreux run, with the remaining Saanen–Montreux section charged separately.

Seat Reservations: When They Are Compulsory and What They Cost

Reservations are not compulsory on either GoldenPass train except in Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express. A seat reservation costs about CHF 14 on the Luzern–Interlaken sector and CHF 20 in first or second class between Interlaken and Montreux; Prestige carries CHF 49. Reserved seats are marked with a red cloth, so you can see at a glance which window seats are already taken.

GoldenPass Express reservations open 92 days before travel. June through September is the busiest stretch, so if you want to sit with companions or guarantee a window, reserve early. Reservations are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged, which is worth weighing before you lock in a specific departure.

Window-Seat and Seating Trade-Offs on the Ride

Window seats sell the journey, and on a full summer departure the difference between a window and an aisle is the difference between watching the Simmental slide past and watching the carriage. The seat reservation fee buys you a specific seat rather than a scramble at the platform. On the Luzern–Interlaken Express, aim for the right-hand side in the direction of travel.

Think about direction too. Heading from Interlaken to Montreux, the Lake Geneva reveal comes at the end; heading the other way, it opens the ride. Either way the light changes through the afternoon, so an early departure tends to give cleaner photographs than the 14:07. Whichever end you start from, our Montreux city guide and our Interlaken city guide show how to spend a few days in Montreux or a few days in Interlaken around the ride.

Baggage, On-Board Service and Comfort

GoldenPass trains have space for suitcases between the seat backs, and larger items fit on racks at the end of the coach; if a case does not stand upright in the gap, lay it on its side. A bistro car sells snacks and drinks, and pre-booked dining options are available. This is a comfortable train for a travel day with luggage rather than a stripped-back commuter service.

Service is thinner on the shorter Panoramic and Belle Epoque runs between Montreux and Zweisimmen, where individual travelers have no on-board service; groups of ten or more can order meals at their seats in advance. If eating properly on board matters to you, plan around the full GoldenPass Express, which has a bistro car and pre-booked dining options.

Belle Epoque and Panoramic Options Between Montreux and Zweisimmen

The GoldenPass Panoramic and the nostalgic GoldenPass Belle Epoque still run the Montreux–Zweisimmen stretch, taking 2 hours 8 minutes, with hourly departures from both ends for the Panoramic and fixed daily departures for the Belle Epoque. On this section there are no obligatory surcharges beyond a valid ticket, and seat reservations cost CHF 10 and are recommended given the limited seats. Travelers holding a Swiss Travel Pass or GA Travelcard ride this route at no extra cost.

If you only have time for a taste of the line, this shorter run gives you the chalets, the Alpine backdrop and the Lake Geneva approach without committing to the full Interlaken–Montreux crossing. It is a different train from the GoldenPass Express, so check which service you are booking before you pay.

Is the Full Interlaken–Montreux Run Worth the Fare?

At CHF 56 in second class, the full run is a serious line item in a Swiss budget, and the honest answer depends on what you would otherwise do with those 3 hours 15 minutes. If you are moving between Interlaken and Lake Geneva anyway, the GoldenPass Express replaces a transfer you already needed, which makes the premium easier to justify. If you are riding it purely as an excursion, compare it against the other scenic trains in Switzerland before committing.

Travelers weighing a second big rail day often compare it with the Glacier Express between Zermatt and St. Moritz, which is a longer and more expensive proposition. The GoldenPass Express is shorter, connects two useful bases, and can be folded into a normal travel day rather than consuming one.

Season matters as much as fare: the same ride in July is crowded and reservation-dependent, while a shoulder-season departure leaves more room to spread out. A broader look at the best time to visit Switzerland helps you place the ride in a workable month.

Practical Mistakes to Avoid When Booking

The most common slip is buying one ticket and expecting both legs: Lucerne–Interlaken and Interlaken–Montreux are separate fares on separate trains. The second is assuming a first-class ticket grants Prestige Class, which requires its own compulsory reservation. The third is leaving Lucerne after 13:06 and hoping to reach Montreux the same day.

Book the GoldenPass Express seats through the GoldenPass booking site and keep the PDF confirmation, because reservations are non-refundable. For the Luzern–Interlaken Express, reservations are made at a Swiss railway station or through the Zentralbahn website, not through the GoldenPass booking flow. If you are comparing this line against others, the Gotthard Panorama Express is a separate route with its own boat-and-rail logic.

Plan Your Visit

Build the day around the departure that fits your route: 09:07 or 11:07 from Interlaken Ost if you want daylight on the Gstaad climb, or an early Montreux start if you are heading east. Reserve a second-class window on the Interlaken–Montreux leg, add the Lucerne train only if you have a full day, and hold the Prestige upgrade for a trip where the seat itself is the point.

Fares, departure times and reservation windows set the shape of the whole day, so check them against the current GoldenPass timetable before you pay. With the booking sorted, the ride needs nothing more from you than a window seat and a free afternoon.