Scenic Train Rides In Switzerland
Winter train journeys in Switzerland offer a quieter, more reflective way to experience the Alps. When the light softens, the days shorten, and the landscape feels hushed and expansive, travelling by train becomes more than transport. The journey itself becomes the experience.
If you find yourself in or around Geneva or Montreux this winter, here are two train journeys that stand out, each as an experience in its own right. One is the main event. The other is a beautiful addition if you have the time.
The essential journey is the GoldenPass Express. The second, the Rochers-de-Naye Railway (the night train) is slower, and quietly atmospheric.
The GoldenPass Express: Montreux to Interlaken in Winter
Before boarding the GoldenPass Express, I spent a quiet hour by the lake watching the early sunlight rise over Lake Geneva.
A brief conversation with a local about winters in Montreux, the trains, and the rhythm of daily life, offered a reminder of why once I’m in Switzerland I choose to experience the country by train. From the café, it was a short walk to the station, where the GoldenPass journey toward Interlaken begins.
In Switzerland, trains are never just transport. They are deliberate, calm, and designed for looking out rather than looking ahead.
The GoldenPass Express captures this perfectly.
The route runs from Montreux to Interlaken, taking just under four hours if you travel the full length. The first daily departure is usually around 8:30am. The pace is moderate, the carriages panoramic, and the experience immersive. One that fits neatly into a single day, allowing onward connections to Bern or Zurich.
What makes this train ride special is not drama, but the ease with which it carries you through winter scenery. The gentle curve and bend of the train. The way the landscape gradually unfolds. Nothing feels rushed.
Another coffee brought on board or served by the first-class steward as the train moves through the Alps with fresh snow still resting on rooftops and peaks, is quietly memorable. Swiss chalets appear and disappear. Alpine villages slip past the windows.
The scenery feels continuous rather than staged. On my journey, the carriage was peaceful, surprisingly vacant for a Sunday morning.
I’m not sure whether it was the time of year or simply good fortune, but the quiet heightened everything. Travellers were reading, taking photographs, drinking coffee, and gazing out at the passing views. There was a strong sense of serenity and stillness.
A collective presence, where everyone seemed content simply to be there. In first class, there were only a few of us travelling for the experience itself. A couple from Florida, an Italian couple, and myself. A handful of locals came and went as we stopped along the way, folding this remarkable route into everyday life.
One of the quieter pleasures of the GoldenPass Express is repetition. Those continuing onward to Bern or Zurich once they change trains onto SBB Swiss Federal Railways services, will notice the landscape subtly give way to a more inland character. For those with the time to retrace the route, the return journey offers something different. Approaching Montreux again, the views change depending on where you were seated earlier.
Details emerge that may have gone unnoticed. The shape of the Alps, a sudden turn in the track, the reappearance of Lake Geneva below, the way the train almost loops as it climbs and descends. At certain points, you’re facing inwards toward the mountain, with no sign of water or valley at all. Then, almost without warning, the lake is right there beneath you. It doesn’t matter which side you sit on. The views are generous on both.
You can also break the journey if you wish. Gstaad makes for an elegant pause. Lunch, a short walk, before taking the train back to Montreux. If your curiosity about this polished alpine village is brief, the option is there.
For anyone visiting Switzerland on business, non-skiers, or for those who simply want to take in alpine beauty without effort, this journey is deeply satisfying.
If the GoldenPass Express is the centerpiece, the Rochers-de-Naye train is its quieter counterpart.
A Slower Ascent. The Rochers-de-Naye Railway
This is an old, cogwheel slow train, and that is precisely its appeal. It creeps and crawls, and sometimes it even sounds like a groan! Above Lake Geneva, climbing steadily from Montreux toward the summit. The train climbs steadily for just under an hour, topping out at 2,042 metres above sea level. By the time you reach the summit, Montreux and Lake Geneva feel far below, replaced by open rock, snow, and a distinctly high-alpine stillness. Those living further up in the Alps still use this train, so the stops are purposeful with an every day feel.
Most local passengers disembark along the way. Nearing the summit, those still on board are travelling to the top.
On my ride, my notes were few but vivid: a steep ascent, small alpine villages, snow-dusted chalets and peaks. As the villages fell away, the Alps opened up, wide and expansive.
Because winter days are short, timing matters. Boarding before 10 a.m. allows time to enjoy the ascent fully and still return to Montreux in time for dinner and drinks by the lake.
At the top, there’s a panoramic restaurant right by the station, making it easy to step off the train and warm up with a coffee or something simple before the descent. The route runs year-round, but the atmosphere shifts with the season. In winter, the summit feels hushed and snowbound, while during the holiday period it takes on a lighter, more playful tone, with seasonal touches that make it popular with families. Either way, it’s a rare experience. A true mountain summit reached by train, with time to pause before heading back down.
Taken together, these two train rides offer something rare. Pleasure without pressure. No need to ski. No need to plan heavily. Just movement through amazing alpine landscapes.
If you have a winter weekend in Switzerland, particularly in Montreux, you could easily fill a Saturday or Sunday with either of these journeys. The GoldenPass Express is essential. The Rochers-de-Naye is a graceful addition if time allows. Both work just as well for a short winter stay. When I took these rides I was reminded that some of the most rewarding travel experiences come from sitting still, watching the landscape pass, and allowing the journey itself to do the work.
The GoldenPass Express and the Rochers-de-Naye winter routes favour ease over drama, offering a softer way to experience the Alps. Sometimes, that’s enough.
These two train rides are just one way Switzerland reveals itself by rail. The Bernina Express offers another.
Where To Next
Have you experienced Switzerland by train in winter when the pace slows and the journey itself becomes part of the stay?
If you have, I would like to hear about your experience.
Until next time!
Travel well. Return not only with memories, but with connections that endure.
