The Belle Époque train in Switzerland is nostalgic experience, with train carriages beautifully styled to evoke the grandeur of early 20th-century travel.
This special train travels on the scenic GoldenPass line between Montreux on Lake Geneva and Zweisimmen, a town nestled in the Bernese Alps. On the way, you’ll pass through picturesque Swiss landscapes, including alpine peaks, vineyards, charming villages, and lakes.
Below we explain how to book the Belle Epoque train and include it in your Switzerland itinerary.
Contents
Summary
- The Belle Epoque train travels between Montreux and Zweisimmen, journey of 2h07.
- Seat reservation not required but recommended. Buy 2 months in advance.
- Train ticket is free with Swiss Travel Pass or SBB Day Pass.
Style of Belle Epoque train carriages
The main appeal of the Belle Epoque train is the stylish interior, with luxurious wood-paneled interiors, plush velvet seats, ornate lighting fixtures, brass accents, and art nouveau décor.
All train carriages on the Belle Epoque have large windows. In 2nd class, there are four seats across. In 1st class, the seats are slightly larger and only three seats across, as shown below.
Some of the Belle Epoque train carriages do not have the light green velvet seats, but wood benches with padding as shown below.
Where does the Belle Epoque train go?
The Belle Epoque train travels between Montreux and Zweisimmen, as shown on the green line below.
The Belle Epoque train is a slow train, stopping many along the way. If you prefer a fast connection, use the GoldenPass Express instead.
Compared to GoldenPass Express and Panoramic trains
The Belle Epoque train travels on the same route as other GoldenPass Line trains. Here are the differences.
The GoldenPass Panoramic travels the same route as the Belle Epoque between Montreux and Zweisimmen, requiring a transfer to continue to Interlaken. Instead of the vintage train carriages, the Panoramic train has modern conveniences and large panorama windows that angle on the ceiling. It has a more frequent schedule, running nine times a day.
The GoldenPass Express is a direct train between Montreux and Interlaken, requiring no transfers. It’s a faster connection, only 2 hours. It requires a reservation, which can be difficult to get during summer season.
Suggested itineraries
Here are a few ideas of how to incorporate the Belle Epoque train into your itinerary.
1. Connect Montreux to Interlaken
The Belle Epoque is a good choice as one leg of the journey between Montreux and Interlaken. In this case, you would use regular trains from Interlaken to Zweisimmen.
2. Day trip from Montreux
If you want to do a day trip from Montreux, we suggest riding the Belle Epoque train one way to either Gstaad or Zweisimmen. Then enjoy a hike or other activity in that area. See ideas for Gstaad.
Then ride the GoldenPass Panoramic train back to Montreux, since it has a more regular schedule, running about every hour.
3. Short ride while visiting the region
The Belle Epoque train makes many stops along the way, including Montbovon, Chäteau-d’Oex, Rougemont, Saanen, Gstaad, and Schönried. If you are spending a few days exploring this region, you may use the Belle Epoque train for short journeys whenever convenient.
For example, we spent several days in Gstaad, doing hikes in the surrounding areas. One day, we took the regular train to Zweisimmen and hikes the Rinderberg ridge trail. We ended the hike in Schönried and caught the Belle Epoque train back to Gstaad. It was a short ride but it took little planning and we still got the experience of the beautiful train.
Schedule for Belle Epoque
The Belle Epoque train runs year round, twice a day in both directions. The limited schedule can make it difficult to fit into your schedule and lead to crowded trains during summer season.
Here is the schedule for 2024. I’ve included the additional train connections required to connect to Interlaken. Check current schedule and status on mob.ch.
Cost for Belle Epoque
To travel on the Belle Epoque train, you need a valid train ticket to cover your desired journey and an optional seat reservation.
Train ticket cost
The cost of your train ticket depends on how far you travel, for example, the full route Zweisimmen to Montreux or shorter distance like Montreux to Gstaad.
Here are some sample fares for train tickets in 2024.
Montreux to Zweisimmen (one way)
- 2nd class one way: CHF 34/Adult Full Fare, CHF 17/Half Fare
- 1st class one way: CHF 58/Adult Full Fare, CHF 29/Half Fare
Montreux to Gstaad (one way)
- 2nd class one way: CHF 28/Adult Full Fare, CHF 14/Half Fare
- 1st class one way: CHF 48/Adult Full Fare, CHF 24/Half Fare
You can purchase this ticket via SBB.ch, the SBB mobile app, or ticket office or a ticket machine at a Swiss train station. Unlike the seat reservation, you don’t need to book the train ticket in advance, just anytime before boarding the train.
Discounts & Travel Passes
This train ticket is free with the following travel cards and passes. If you have one of these passes, you only need to book the optional seat reservation.
- Swiss Travel Pass
- Saver Day Pass, 1-day pass for Half Fare Card, Gemeinde Day Pass
- Eurail and Interrail passes
- SBB GA Travelcard
The train ticket is discounted 50% with the Swiss Half Fare card. No discount on the seat reservation.
Cost for children
Children aged 6 to 15 pay half fare. If you have a Swiss Family Card or Junior Card, these children do not need a train ticket when traveling a parent who has a valid ticket.
Children under 6 do not require a train ticket.
If you want a reserved seat for your child, you pay the same fee as an adult.
Seat Reservations
Seat reservations are not required on the GoldenPass Belle Epoque train. But we suggest reserving a seat, especially during summer season, especially if you want a window seat or to sit together with your group.
You can book seats for the Belle Epoque train up to 2 months in advance.
For the Belle Epoque train, a one way seat reservation costs CHF 10/person. Book those seats on Mob.ch.
Note: Although the train has several carriages, you can only make seat reservations in one 2nd class carriage and one 1st class carriage. Seats in the other carriages cannot be reserved. This means if you can’t make a seat reservation, you can still travel in one of the other carriages without a reservation.
Other important info:
- A seat reservation is only good on a specific train connection – no hop-on, hop-off stops allowed.
- If you are traveling round trip, you will need a round trip train ticket and two seat reservations, one for each direction.
- The Belle Epoque seat reservation is only valid for the Belle Epoque train. If you want a seat on other trains on your journey (like the regular train from Zweisimmen to Spiez), you must book that separately on SBB.ch.
How to book the seat reservation
We suggest booking the Belle Epoque seat reservation separate from the train ticket. The Mob.ch website is a bit confusing and it’s just easier to book the train ticket later via SBB.ch or mobile app.
1. Go to the mob.ch website.
2. When asked “do you already own a valid transport ticket?”, click Yes. You can buy your train ticket later.
3. On the next page, ignore the top section that shows an example of the “only reservation” option. Under the “in which class would you like to travel?” question, choose 1st or 2nd Class. Remember you will need to buy a valid train ticket for the same class of service.
4. On the next page, enter your start and end stations and date of travel. If you are traveling the full line, choose Montreux and Zweisimmen as the end points (in the correct order for your desired journey).
5. Next select the number of travelers and the time you want to depart. If you have a flexible schedule, you can check how many seats are available on other days.
6. Click the down arrow on the right to show the seating chart. The system auto selects seats for you, but you can change your selection. When you are happy, click the Next button.
7. On the “Travellers” page, enter the info for each traveller. Under “Reduction,” choose “Only reservation” if you only want to purchase the seat reservation. Make sure to buy a train ticket later (or buy a Swiss Travel Pass).
8. Complete the purchase process.
If you only bought the seat reservation, make sure to purchase the train ticket later. Remember if you will have the Swiss Travel Pass, that counts as your train ticket and you only need to book the seat reservation.
FAQ
Does the Belle Epoque train have a dining car?
No, the Belle Epoque train does not have a dining car or food service. You can bring your own food and drink on the train. Most seats have a small table for your comfort.
Can I take a dog on the Belle Epoque train?
Yes, dogs are allowed on the Belle Epoque train. Learn more about traveling with dogs on Swiss trains.
Is the Belle Epoque free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
The Belle Epoque train ticket is free with the Swiss Travel Pass. But if you want a seat reservation, you have to pay for that separately.
