Swiss Chique: The MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque Train

February 11, 2024November 24, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This review shows you how the journey is like on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque, a historic train with Orient Express-style grandeur that plies the railway line between Montreux and Zweisimmen.

A trip on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque

There are many highly scenic train trips you can take in Switzerland, such as riding the Bernina Express.

The Golden Pass, a famous Swiss rail route between Montreux and Lucerne (Luzern), also attracts train travel enthusiasts from all over the world.

Today, I would embark on a journey along the entire length of the Golden Pass rail route, which involves taking four different trains on four distinct railway lines.

If you begin your journey in Montreux, the first part of the Golden Pass rail route you will traverse is the narrow-gauge Montreux to Zweisimmen Railway Line, which actually extends beyond Zweisimmen to Lenk im Simmental.

All trains on this metre-gauge railway line are operated by a company called MOB, an abbreviation for Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway.

In addition to regular commuter trains, MOB also operates special trains on this route, including the state-of-the-art GoldenPass Express, the GoldenPass Panoramic with large panorama windows, and the antique GoldenPass Belle Époque train, which I would be taking.

MOB Belle Époque train montreux — *You can take the MOB Belle Époque train on the railway line between Montreux and Zweisimmen, which is part of the longer Golden Pass rail route between Montreux and Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

Montreux station

My journey began at the railway station of Montreux, where I had arrived by taking the train from Geneva.

Platforms 1 and 3 of Montreux station are standard-gauge railway tracks on the Simplon Railway Line from Geneva to Lausanne, Montreux, Sion, and Brig, to the Italian town of Domodossola across the Alps.

On the other hand, platforms 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are the narrow-gauge railway tracks for the MOB trains to Zweisimmen, as well as trains from another narrow-gauge railway company (MVR, Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera) to destinations like Rochers-de-Naye.

It was an easy cross-platform change from my arriving train from Geneva to my onward MOB train bound for Zweisimmen.

montreux station — *The standard gauge railway tracks at Montreux station. ©Paliparan*

mob train golden pass montreux — *Narrow-gauge passenger trains at the station of Montreux. ©Paliparan*

montreux train station — *A standard-gauge (left) and narrow-gauge train (right) at the station of Montreux. ©Paliparan*

Boarding the GoldenPass Belle Époque train

After a short wait on the platform, the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque arrived at the station of Montreux.

The train comprises several first and second-class Belle Époque coaches, but it is actually pulled by a modern EMU (Electric Multiple Unit).

It’s important to emphasise that the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque isn’t a luxury tourist train, but rather is a regular scheduled departure that happens to have a couple of special Belle Époque coaches attached.

The choice is yours whether to take a seat in the modern EMU carriages pulling the train, or in the old-fashioned Belle Époque coaches, as no extra charge is applied.

You will therefore not only find tourists on board the GoldenPass Belle Époque, but also regular commuters.

At the time of writing (2024 timetable) these GoldenPass Belle Époque carriages are attached to the 9.50am and 2.50pm departures from Montreux to Zweisimmen, and to the 12.02pm and 5.02pm departures from Zweisimmen back to Montreux.

However, it is always advisable to double-check the departure times on the MOB website, especially since there are a few dates in the year when the GoldenPass Belle Époque doesn’t operate.

MOB train — *My MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway) train to Zweisimmen arrives at the station of Montreux. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train MOB — *One of the special Belle Époque carriages of the MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois) Railway. ©Paliparan*

decorative element belle epoque — *Beautiful decorative element on the train. ©Paliparan*

golden pass railway emblem montreux zweisimmen — *Golden Pass Railway emblem. ©Paliparan*

train boarding — *Boarding the train. ©Paliparan*

First class

First class is a real treat on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train, as you will travelling in some highly elegant carriages reminiscent of the times of the Orient Express.

From the plush azure blue seats to the beautiful wooden panels, carpeted floors, and gilded luggage racks, every detail of this train exudes Belle Époque charm.

All seats are centred around fold-out tables, with duo seats facing each other on one side of the aisle, while bays of four are situated on the other side.

The only modern touch you can find are the power sockets at every seat.

It’s an absolute delight to travel in these old-fashioned coaches of the Belle Époque train, as they transport you back to the golden era of rail travel, offering great comfort along the way.

GoldenPass Belle Époque train first class montreux zweisimmen — *Entering one of the first class carriages on the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

golden pass Belle Époque train montreux zweisimmen goldenpass railway line — *The wonderful interior of a first class carriage on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train from Montreux to Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

first class seats — *First class seats. ©Paliparan*

MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train first class montreux zweisimmen — *In first class, seats are arranged in bays of four at one side of the aisle, and as duo seats at the other side of the aisle. ©Paliparan*

MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train — *One of the bays of four seats in first class on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque. ©Paliparan*

wooden train details — *Fine wooden details adorn the train interior. ©Paliparan*

gilded luggage racks MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train zweisimmen montreux — *Gilded luggage racks and power sockets. ©Paliparan*

Second class

Compared to the magnificent first class coaches, the second class carriages of the GoldenPass Belle Époque are a bit more modest and look decidedly less impressive.

If I had a second-class ticket, I might have considered paying the fare difference to upgrade to first class, or I might have even opted for a different train on the Montreux-Zweisimmen Railway Line, such as the GoldenPass Express or GoldenPass Panoramic.

second class Belle Époque mob train — *Second class seats on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

Other facilities

The GoldenPass Belle Époque train does not have a dining car or any on-board catering service, so it’s recommended to bring your own food and drinks on board.

There is also no Wi-Fi internet on the train.

Of course, there are toilets on the train, and you can find one in the vestibule of each carriage.

Seat reservations and tickets

Just like many other trains in Switzerland, seat reservations are optional on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train and not compulsory.

You are therefore free to take any available seat, which shouldn’t be much of a problem on most days of the year, especially when you start your journey in Montreux or Zweisimmen and ensure you are one of the first to board.

However, you may want to consider making a seat reservation when travelling during busy school holidays or other peak travel weekends.

You can make a seat reservation for the GoldenPass Belle Époque train at the MOB website, which allows you to specify the exact seat you want from a seat map.

This service costs an additional 10 CHF (€10.70) in both 2nd and 1st class.

Note that a seat reservation in itself is not a valid ticket, but rather an optional extra that can be purchased in addition to your normal ticket or rail pass.

In my guide about the Golden Pass, I’ve provided more detailed information about all the different ticket options and how to use rail passes such as the Swiss Day Pass, Interrail, or Eurail on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque and other trains.

seat reservation train — *For a small additional fee, you can reserve a seat on the train. ©Paliparan*

Which side of the train to sit on?

Although there are great views from both sides of the train, I find the scenery slightly better overall from the right-hand side when traveling from Montreux to Zweisimmen (the left-hand side when going in the other direction from Zweisimmen to Montreux).

This way, you’ll enjoy the best views over Montreux and Lake Geneva, as well as over the mountains of the Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut Natural Park.

Once the train descends down the mountains from Gstaad to Zweisimmen, the best views will however be on the left-hand side in the direction of travel (right-hand side in the direction of Zweisimmen to Gstaad and Montreux).

No matter which side you end up sitting on, you can always switch sides on board the train if you find some empty seats on the other side if the better view happens to be from there during a certain stretch.

Alternatively, you can simply walk to the vestibule and take some pictures through the window in the door if the train is full.

Koen GoldenPass Belle Époque train — Yours truly on the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan

Montreux to Zweisimmen on the GoldenPass Belle Époque
Train PE 2214 – Departure: 9.50am – Arrival: 11.57am
Duration: 2h7m – Distance: 62 kilometres

map goldenpass route montreux zweisimmen railway — *The route of the GoldenPass Belle Époque train between Montreux and Zweisimmen, with the most important intermediate stops being shown. ©OpenStreetMap/Paliparan*

Departure from Montreux

Upon departing from Montreux, you will immediately experience one of the highlights of a journey aboard the GoldenPass Belle Époque train.

Immediately after departing, the train climbs up the hills surrounding Montreux, offering breathtaking views of the town, Lake Geneva, and the French Alps on the opposite side of the lake.

When travelling in the opposite direction from Zweisimmen to Montreux aboard the GoldenPass Belle Époque train, the final descent towards Lake Geneva will serve as a brilliant finale to your journey along the Golden Pass rail route.

Despite the rather gloomy weather this morning during my journey, I still immensely enjoyed the climb up.

As the train zigzags up the mountain in horseshoe curves, there are intermittent views of Montreux and Lake Geneva from both the left and right-hand sides of the train.

From the right-hand side of the train, you’ll however enjoy both the longest views over the lake as well as from the highest point up the mountain.

montreux departure goldenpass belle epoque — *View upon departure from Montreux. ©Paliparan*

montreux lake geneva view — *As the train sneaks up the mountain, you are treated to some gorgeous views over Montreux and Lake Geneva. ©Paliparan*

montreux view — *View over Montreux. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train — *The old GoldenPass Belle Époque carriages are pulled up the mountain by a modern EMU. ©Paliparan*

Hilltop stations

The hills and mountains in the hinterland of Montreux are fairly built up, and the train stops a few times at suburban stations along the way.

At one point, we passed a GoldenPass Panoramic train coming in the opposite direction from Zweisimmen to Montreux.

This train, along with the GoldenPass Express, offers a great alternative to the GoldenPass Belle Époque if you’re drawn to their unique characteristics or if their departure times better suit your schedule.

After a while, we were treated to some more beautiful views over Montreux and Lake Geneva from the right-hand side of the train, with some low-hanging clouds floating between the mountains.

fontanivent station — *Fontanivent station. ©Paliparan*

mob goldenpass panoramic train — *Passing by a MOB GoldenPass Panoramic train as it travels in the opposite direction from Zweisimmen to Montreux. ©Paliparan*

chernex railway station — *Chernex railway station. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train lake geneva view montreux — *Lake Geneva view from the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

montreux railway — *In the foothills around Montreux, you’ll encounter numerous grand hotels and luxurious apartment complexes. ©Paliparan*

montreux hills mist lake geneva — *Low-hanging clouds in the hills around Montreux. ©Paliparan*

montreux lake geneva train view goldenpass railway — *Some more beautiful views over Lake Geneva as we climb out of Montreux. ©Paliparan*

lake geneva railway view — *Some final glimpses over Lake Geneva. ©Paliparan*

Into the mountains

Once you’re high up in the Montreux hills, the truly high mountain tops slowly start to appear around you.

Although Montreux is still a short distance away as the crow flies, the train has already covered quite a distance through all the horseshoe curves that were necessary to conquer the elevation difference.

The landscape also couldn’t be more different from the hills around Montreux, as everything around oozed the typical Alpine valley atmosphere.

There were only a few small villages around, with the scenery alternating between Alpine pastures, high mountains, and deep pine forests.

swiss mountains montreux MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train — *Wonderful mountain views from the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

forest switzerland train — *Riding through a mountainside forest. ©Paliparan*

MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train montreux zweisimmen — *The GoldenPass Belle Époque train crosses a viaduct. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque — *View towards the front of the train. ©Paliparan*

Slow speeds

Even in the mountain valley where the terrain levelled out a bit and the gradient of the climb was only gentle, the speeds remained slow due to the numerous curves in the railway line.

This isn’t a bad thing though, as you ride the trains on Switzerland’s mountain railways for their great views, and not necessarily for their speed.

Indeed, the slow speed of the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque (averaging only 29 kilometres per hour, or 18 miles per hour) is actually a benefit, as it makes the ride incredibly relaxing and allows ample time to enjoy the mountain scenery.

I particularly enjoyed the view of the low-hanging clouds in the deep forests and all the chalets with their traditional Alpine architecture.

train mvr switzerland — *Passing by another train in the opposite direction. ©Paliparan*

window view — *View from the window. ©Paliparan*

mountain pasture forest switzerland — *Lush mountain pastures and forests. ©Paliparan*

forest clouds MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train montreux zweisimmen — *Clouds hanging in the forests. ©Paliparan*

Towards Montbovon

There were more fine views over forests and mountain peaks as we made our way to Montbovon.

Montbovon is an important stop on the railway line from Montreux to Zweisimmen, as you can change trains here for Gruyères, renowned for its medieval old town, castle, and, of course, its famous cheese.

As our GoldenPass Belle Époque train halted for a couple of minutes at this station, it provided a good opportunity to stretch my legs on the platform and to take a few pictures of the train and surroundings.

Allières railway station — *Allières station. ©Paliparan*

montreux zweisimmen railway line train — *The railway line from Montreux to Zweisimmen runs through a beautiful mountain valley. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train Les Sciernes station montreux zweisimmen — *The GoldenPass Belle Époque train calls at Les Sciernes station. ©Paliparan*

koen montbovon train switzerland — *The stop at Montbovon was lengthy enough to stretch my legs a bit on the platform. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train Montbovon railway station montreux zweisimmen line — *The GoldenPass Belle Époque train at the railway station of Montbovon. ©Paliparan*

From Montbovon to Château-d’Oex

After departing from Montbovon, the GoldenPass Belle Époque will enter a series of avalanche galleries designed to protect the railway line from avalanches and heavy snowfall.

The scenery on the stretch between Montbovon and Château-d’Oex is beautiful, offering views of lakes, forests, and mountains.

On its way to Château-d’Oex, the train picks up speed as the railway line becomes straighter and more level.

As the train enters Château-d’Oex, do make sure to spot the town’s lovely hilltop church on the right-hand side in the direction of travel.

avalanche gallery switzerland — *Riding through an avalanche gallery. ©Paliparan*

MOB Belle Epoque golden pass train — *Orient Express-like vibes on the MOB Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

mountain hut switzerland MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train — *Mountain hut as seen from the train. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train Château-d'Oex montreux zweisimmen railway — *The hilltop church of Château-d’Oex as seen from the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

Château-d'Oex railway station — *Château-d’Oex railway station. ©Paliparan*

From Château-d’Oex to Gstaad

Once you depart from Château-d’Oex, you’ll notice that the mountain tops gradually become higher and more impressive.

Besides the Alpine scenery, you can enjoy fine views over picturesque Swiss villages, such as Rougemont with its many chalets and beautiful church.

Between Rougemont and Saanen, the Belle Époque train crosses the border between the Canton of Vaud and the Canton of Bern, which also marks the language border between the French-speaking part of Switzerland and the German-speaking part of the country.

Soon after, the train reaches Gstaad, which is a major stop on the Montreux-Zweisimmen railway line.

Gstaad is a popular ski resort, particularly among the high society and international jet set, and many visitors reach the town by train.

Château-d'Oex Gstaad Zweisimmen Montreux railway line GoldenPass Belle Époque train — *High mountain peaks along the railway line from Château-d’Oex to Gstaad. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train view switzerland mountains — *View from the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

gstaad train railway line — *Making our way towards Gstaad. ©Paliparan*

switzerland chalet mountains — *Chalets and farmsteads in the mountain valley. ©Paliparan*

GoldenPass Belle Époque train first class seats — *Bay of four seats in the first class carriage of the GoldenPass Belle Époque train. ©Paliparan*

train view montreux zweisimmen — *View from the train. ©Paliparan*

rougemont switzerland church — *Beautiful Swiss church in the town of Rougemont. ©Paliparan*

railway station rougemont — *Stop at the railway station of Rougemont. ©Paliparan*

swiss chalets rougemont — *Swiss chalets near Rougemont. ©Paliparan*

saanen train station mob goldenpass belle epoque — *The train station of Saanen. ©Paliparan*

saanen gstaad — *View between Saanen and Gstaad. ©Paliparan*

gstaad railway station montreux zweisimmen railway line — *Gstaad railway station. ©Paliparan*

The final stretch towards Zweisimmen

After the stop in Gstaad, the railway line descends down the mountain valley towards Zweisimmen.

While there are good views from both sides of the train, the left-hand side offers better views during this stretch.

As quite a lot of new passengers boarded the train in Gstaad, there weren’t any empty seats left for me on the other side of the carriage, making it difficult to take pictures.

It was even hard to make my way to the vestibule in order to take pictures from the door window because a family of Mexican-American tourists had barricaded the entire gangway with suitcases the size of castles.

Nevertheless, with a bit of effort, I was still able to take some good pictures as we descended the mountain towards Zweisimmen.

Just like on the climb up in Montreux, the railway line uses some horseshoe curves built into the side of the mountain to navigate the elevation change.

At some points, you can see the railway line ahead of you down in the valley, which our train would traverse a few minutes later.

Just before reaching the station of Zweisimmen, the Montreux-Gstaad-Zweisimmen railway line merges with the Lenk im Simmental-Zweisimmen line.

chalets gstaad summer — *Chalets in the outskirts of Gstaad. ©Paliparan*

gstaad zweisimmen view — *View between Gstaad and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

montreux zweisimmen railway line mob goldenpass belle epoque — *At some points, you can see the lower parts of the railway line down in the valley. ©Paliparan*

horseshoe curve valley zweisimmen railway — *The train descends down into the valley via a number of horseshoe curves. ©Paliparan*

zweisimmen railway line — *View on approach towards Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

zweisimmen railway — *Approaching Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

Lenk im Simmental zweisimmen montreux railway — *Just before reaching Zweisimmen, the railway line from Montreux and Gstaad joins the Lenk im Simmental-Zweisimmen Railway. ©Paliparan*

Zweisimmen station

Zweisimmen is the terminus station of the narrow-gauge railway lines from Montreux and Lenk im Simmental.

At this station, you can change to trains on the standard-gauge railway line towards Spiez.

Although I only had 5 minutes to make this connection, it was extremely easy to do so as the standard-gauge train to Spiez waited on the opposite side of the platform from where my GoldenPass Belle Époque train had arrived.

Swiss railway timetables are incredibly efficient and designed to facilitate such short connections between trains, so don’t worry if you only have a few minutes to change trains.

zweisimmen railway station — *At Zweisimmen, you can connect to standard-gauge trains towards Spiez and Interlaken. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

I tremendously enjoyed my ride on the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque train, which has a magnificent old-world charm that brings back to the glory days of rail travel.

These Orient Express-like carriages are an absolute delight to travel in and make for a beautiful train journey.

The views along the Montreux-Zweisimmen Railway Line, which is part of the longer Golden Pass rail route, are also sublime.

Especially the views from the GoldenPass Belle Époque over Montreux and Lake Geneva, as well as the high Alpine peaks around Château-d’Oex and Gstaad, are truly wonderful.

The great aspect of the MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque is that you don’t need to pay any supplement to ride this fancy old-world train, as it’s part of the regular railway timetable between Montreux and Zweisimmen, meaning that any normal ticket suffices.