From the Mountains to the Lake: Zweisimmen to Spiez by Train

March 15, 2024September 20, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This article shows you what it’s like to travel by train on the Zweisimmen to Spiez railway line, which is part of the Golden Pass rail route.

From Zweisimmen to Spiez by train

After a fantastic ride from Montreux on the GoldenPass Belle Époque Train, I had arrived at the station in Zweisimmen.

The next segment of the scenic Golden Pass rail route, along which I was traveling, would be the railway line from Zweisimmen to Spiez.

In contrast to the narrow-gauge railway line between Montreux and Zweisimmen, the line between Zweisimmen and Spiez is standard-gauge.

Although there is a break of gauge between the two railway lines, it’s easy to connect trains at Zweisimmen, as my onward train to Spiez was waiting at the opposite side of the platform from where the GoldenPass Belle Époque train from Montreux had arrived.

The five minutes I had to change trains at Zweisimmen might have looked like a tricky short connection on paper, but given that Swiss trains are usually on time and scheduled to provide seamless connections, it was enormously straightforward and unhurried in reality.

goldenpass railway Belle Époque train montreux zweisimmen golden pass — *A first class carriage of the Belle Époque train between Montreux and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

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

GoldenPass Belle Époque train view switzerland mountains — *View from the GoldenPass Belle Époque train somewhere between Montreux and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

zweisimmen railway station — *At Zweisimmen, it was an easy connection to my onward train to Spiez. ©Paliparan*

BLS trains

If you’re not traveling on the GoldenPass Express, which utilises automated gauge conversion to traverse both the narrow-gauge railway line between Montreux and Zweisimmen and the standard gauge railway lines between Zweisimmen, Spiez, and Interlaken, you’ll be on BLS-operated RegioExpress (RE) train when traveling between Zweisimmen and Spiez.

BLS stands for Bern Lötschberg Simplon Railway, and the company uses modern trains to operate the regional service between Zweisimmen and Spiez.

Although I would only take the train as far as Spiez, some of these trains actually continue onward to Bern.

BLS operates modern electric multiple unit (EMU) trainsets along the route from Zweisimmen to Spiez.

In the first-class section, seating is arranged in a highly spacious and comfortable 1-2 configuration, while second-class seats are arranged with two seats abreast.

As seat reservations aren’t possible on regional trains in Switzerland, you simply take whatever available seat you prefer on board.

Having a first class Interrail Pass, I took a solo seat in the first class section of the train.

Although you will find power sockets in both classes, the train wasn’t equipped with Wi-Fi internet.

bls train zweisimmen spiez 2nd class — *Second class on the BLS train between Zweisimmen and Spiez. ©Paliparan*

bls train zweisimmen spiez 1st class — *First class on board the BLS train between Zweisimmen and Spiez. ©Paliparan*

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

bls train zweisimmen spiez — *The modern BLS train was highly comfortable. ©Paliparan*

Zweisimmen to Spiez by RegioExpress Train
Train RE 6820 – Departure: 12.02pm – Arrival: 12.47pm
Duration: 0h45m – Distance: 35 kilometres

railway line zweisimmen spiez map — *The route between Zweisimmen and Spiez. ©OpenStreetMap/Paliparan*

Departure

The journey between Zweisimmen and Spiez is a relatively short one, with the train taking 45 minutes to cover the 35 kilometres distance.

After experiencing the mountainous beauty along the railway line from Montreux to Zweisimmen, the train journey to Spiez felt like a brief interlude along the Golden Pass rail route.

Riding through the valley, I could still see some picturesque mountains from both sides of the train, though the views didn’t quite match the stunning views from my previous train journey – or those yet to come, as I would later discover.

It wasn’t a bad thing though, as it gave me the opportunity to just sit back and relax for a while, which was exactly what I did soon after departure.

zweisimmen railway train view — *View after departure from Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

switzerland mountains zweisimmen spiez railway train — *Between Zweisimmen and Spiez, the train rides through a valley, with high mountain peaks being visible in the distance. ©Paliparan*

mountain view switzerland — *Mountain view. ©Paliparan*

church railway line — *Beautiful church along the railway line. ©Paliparan*

swiss scenery — *View from the train. ©Paliparan*

Buffet car

On the BLS trains between Zweisimmen and Spiez, you can find a small buffet corner with a vending machine, coffee machine, and four dining tables.

While it’s not a substitute for a proper dining car where you can enjoy a full meal, it does offer the option to purchase a drink or a small snack to enjoy during the journey.

Indeed, I found the coffee to be of good quality and at 2.50 CHF (€2.60) it was certainly reasonably priced, especially considering the generally high prices in Switzerland.

BLS train vending machine coffee — *Coffee and vending machines on the BLS train. ©Paliparan*

dining tables bls train — *Next to the buffet counter, there are also four dining tables which you can freely use. ©Paliparan*

coffee machine bls train — *It was straightforward to buy a cup of coffee by contactless card payment. ©Paliparan*

bls train zweisimmen spiez switzerland — *Enjoying a cup of coffee while watching out of the window. ©Paliparan*

Rural views

Between Zweisimmen and Spiez, the train halts at a couple of small village stations, with only a handful of people disembarking the train or getting on board at each stop.

The scenery remained largely unchanged, as the railway line continued to follow the course of the River Simme through a green and fertile mountain valley.

view — *View from the train. ©Paliparan*

river simmen railway train zweisimmen spiez — *The railway line follows the course of the River Simme through a beautiful valley. ©Paliparan*

simmen valley — *View over the Simmen Valley. ©Paliparan*

train river simmen railway spiez zweisimmen — *At some locations along the route, the railway line runs parallel to the Simme River and you have some great views over it from the train. ©Paliparan*

Toilets

The modern BLS trains between Zweisimmen and Spiez do have toilets on board, of course.

As expected from Swiss trains, the toilet was as immaculately clean as the rest of the train.

toilet train switzerland — *Toilet on the modern regional train. ©Paliparan*

Arrival in Spiez

After a pleasant journey, we slowly approached the outskirts of the town of Spiez.

Here, the railway line from Zweisimmen joins the Bern-Thun-Interlaken mainline.

Shortly afterwards, we reached the railway station of Spiez right on the dot.

At Spiez, you can connect to trains towards Thun and Bern, or towards Interlaken if you want to continue on your trip along the Golden Pass rail route.

However, Spiez is a fabulous little town which makes for a great place to break up your journey along the Golden Pass rail route.

I therefore decided to take some time to explore the town before continuing towards Interlaken.

Already from the moment you emerge from the underground station passage, you are treated to some gorgeous views over Spiez and Lake Thun.

bern-thun-interlaken mainline — *Just before Spiez, the railway line from Zweisimmen joins the Bern-Thun-Interlaken mainline. ©Paliparan*

spiez station — *Arriving at the station of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

spiez station bls trains — *BLS trains at the station of Spiez. ©Paliparan*

passage railway tracks — *Passage underneath the railway tracks. ©Paliparan*

*As you emerge from the station passage, you will be treated to some beautiful views over Spiez. ©Paliparan*

spiez view — *View over Spiez from the railway station. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

Although the train journey from Zweisimmen to Spiez isn’t the most exciting bit of the Golden Pass rail route, it is still a highly pleasant trip.

The railway line follows the course of the River Simme through a picturesque valley, and there are beautiful mountain views from both sides of the train.

The trains on the railway line between Zweisimmen and Spiez are operated by BLS using modern trainsets, with comfortable seating in both first and second class and a buffet counter where you can get a coffee, drink, or small snack.

If you travel the length of the Golden Pass rail route, it’s highly recommended to make a stopover in the beautiful town of Spiez before continuing your trip, which is something I will discuss in the next chapter of this trip report.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Scenic Trains Around Switzerland and the Italian Lakes‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Bergamo: A Visit to Lombardy’s Beautiful Hilltop Town
2. Travelling From Bergamo to Milan by Train
3. From Milan to Varenna and Tirano By Trenord Regional Train
4. A Varenna Visit: A Day Trip to Lake Como’s Most Beautiful Town
5. Tirano: The Italian Gateway to the Bernina Railway
6. Bernina Express Train: Guide to Switzerland’s Most Scenic Railway
7. Review: Swiss InterCity (IC) Train Chur to Zurich and Basel
8. From Zurich to Geneva on a Swiss ICN Tilting Train
9. Cheap Geneva Hotel: Stay Across the Border in Annemasse!
10. Around Lake Geneva by Train: From Geneva to Montreux
11. A Visit to Montreux and the Freddie Mercury Statue
12. Golden Pass: Guide to a Scenic Railway Route Across Switzerland
13. Swiss Chique: The MOB GoldenPass Belle Époque Train
14. From the Mountains to the Lake: Zweisimmen to Spiez by Train (current chapter)
15. Spectacular Spiez: A Visit to a Scenic Swiss Town
16. Spiez to Interlaken by Train: A Trip on the Lake Thun Railway Line
17. Review: Interlaken to Lucerne by Zentralbahn Train
18. Lucerne: Exploring One of Switzerland’s Most Beautiful Cities
19. From Lucerne to Locarno: By Train Across the Gotthard
20. A Visit to Locarno and the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso