Review: Interlaken to Lucerne by Zentralbahn Train

June 13, 2024September 20, 2024 Koen 0 Comments

This review covers a trip on a Zentralbahn train along the Brünig Railway Line between Interlaken and Lucerne (Luzern).

From Interlaken to Lucerne by train

The Brünig Railway line between Interlaken and Lucerne (known as Luzern in German) is one of Switzerland’s most scenic train journeys.

This railway line is part of Switzerland’s famous Golden Pass rail route, which takes you from Montreux to Lucerne, or vice versa.

I had started my trip along the Golden Pass rail route by taking the historic Belle Époque train from Montreux to Zweisimmen, where I connected onto a regular train between Zweisimmen and Spiez.

After a quick look around the beautiful lakeside town of Spiez, I took a train on the Lake Thun Railway Line from Spiez to Interlaken.

It was now time to travel the final stretch of the Golden Pass rail route by boarding a train that would take me from Interlaken to my destination of Lucerne.

goldenpass Belle Époque — *A first class carriage of the Belle Époque train between Montreux and Zweisimmen. ©Paliparan*

lake thun railway — *On board a Spiez-Interlaken train on the Lake Thun Railway Line. ©Paliparan*

lake thun view — *View over Lake Thun from a train between Spiez and Interlaken Ost. ©Paliparan*

Interlaken Ost station

Interlaken, a popular Swiss tourist destination, has two stations.

Of the town’s two railway stations, Interlaken West is the more centrally located, while Interlaken Ost (Interlaken East) is the main station.

Besides being the terminus of the standard gauge Lake Thun railway line, which connects Interlaken with Spiez and Thun (and onwards to Bern), Interlaken Ost station is also the terminus of the narrow-gauge Brünig Railway to Lucerne.

When travelling between Interlaken and Lucerne, you will therefore use Interlaken Ost station.

At Interlaken Ost station, you can find luggage lockers and a small Coop supermarket, which is handy if you want to stock up on supplies for the journey.

interlaken ost railway station lake thun spiez train — *The main station building of Interlaken Ost. ©Paliparan*

Train tickets

If you haven’t bought your train ticket beforehand, you can purchase it from the ticket office or the ticket machines at Interlaken Ost railway station.

Although train tickets never sell out, they are likely to be cheaper if you buy them in advance.

Therefore, it’s advisable to book them online as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the day of travel.

Swiss train ticketing can be a complex subject due to the variety of options available, and determining the best or cheapest ticket depends on your specific itinerary and overall travel plans in Switzerland.

Read our Golden Pass guide if you want to learn more about the various types of Swiss train tickets, including information on using your Interrail or Eurail pass on the Interlaken-Lucerne train.

You can then book your Interlaken-Lucerne train tickets online with SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, or through third-party booking website Omio.

Omio‘s search engine is generally more user-friendly for foreign tourists, accepting all foreign debit and credit cards, and they offer train tickets at the same price.

Since Omio has access to the internal booking systems of almost every national railway company in Europe, you can use this highly rated website (4.3 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot) to book all your bus and train tickets for your European trip in one go!

The train arrives

While waiting for the train to arrive on the platform, I could easily see the difference in width between the narrow-gauge railway on track 4 and the standard-gauge railway on the opposite side of the island platform at track 5.

Shortly after a sleek ICE high-speed train bound for Germany pulled into platform 5, my train to Lucerne arrived at Interlaken Ost station on platform 4.

interlaken ost station lucerne luzern train Brünig Railway — *Waiting on the platform of Interlaken Ost station for my train to Luzern (Lucerne) to arrive. ©Paliparan*

ice train interlaken ost — *A German ICE high-speed train arrived at the opposite side of the platform. ©Paliparan*

zentralbahn interlaken ost lucerne luzern golden pass Brünig Railway — *A Zentralbahn metre-gauge train to Luzern (Lucerne) arrives at the station of Interlaken Ost. ©Paliparan*

zentralbahn train interlaken ost — *Boarding my Zentralbahn train to Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

On board the Zentralbahn train

All trains on the narrow-gauge Brünig Railway line between Interlaken and Lucerne are operated by a transport company called Zentralbahn, which translates to Central Railway.

The direct Zentralbahn trains between Interlaken and Lucerne are classified as InterRegio (IR) trains, and this is how they will be displayed on station departure boards.

However, in some online timetables, the Interlaken-Lucerne trains are categorised as PE (Panorama Express) trains because they feature panoramic carriages with large windows and sunroofs.

Seating in second class is arranged in a 2+2 configuration, with seats typically grouped in bays of four.

In first class, seats are arranged in a 1+2 configuration, offering slightly more privacy, space, and typically a quieter environment.

Seats in both classes have power sockets, although the Zentralbahn train wasn’t equipped with Wi-Fi internet.

Luggage can simply be placed on overhead racks or special luggage racks near the doors.

Seat reservations are possible for an additional fee on Zentralbahn trains between Interlaken and Lucerne, although the great majority of foreign tourists (as well as each and every one of the Swiss locals travelling on board) don’t bother with this, as there are usually plenty of seats available.

The great majority of Zentralbahn trains between Interlaken and Lucerne feature a dining car, which is a real treat.

Check in advance on online timetables or at the departure boards at the station to see which services feature a dining car – they are denoted by a knife and fork symbol.

zentralbahn train 2nd class seating Brünig Railway — *Second class seats on the Zentralbahn narrow-gauge train between Interlaken and Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

first class zentralbahn — *Walking to the first class carriage of the train. ©Paliparan*

zentralbahn train 1st class seating Brünig Railway — *First class seats on the Zentralbahn narrow-gauge train between Interlaken and Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

dining car zentralbahn train golden pass lucerne interlaken Brünig Railway — *The dining car on the Zentralbahn train between Interlaken and Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train dining car Brünig Railway — *A meal in a dining car of a Swiss train is a real treat. ©Paliparan*

Spiez to Interlaken Ost by InterRegio Train
Train IR 2931 – Departure: 3.04pm – Arrival: 4.55pm
Duration: 1h51m – Distance: 73 kilometres

Brünig Railway Interlaken Lucerne map — *Map of the Brünig Railway between Interlaken and Lucerne. ©OpenStreetMap/Paliparan*

Departure

As I was travelling with a first class Interrail pass in hand, I took a seat in one of the first class carriages of the train.

The Zentralbahn train would take 1 hour and 51 minutes to cover the 73 kilometres of railway line between Interlaken Ost and Lucerne.

With an average speed of just under 40 kilometres per hour, that’s certainly not fast.

However, given the mountainous terrain and steep gradients that the Brünig Railway has to traverse, it’s quite clear why the train cannot go faster.

Besides, the mountain scenery is one of the primary reasons why foreign tourists choose to travel along the Brünig Railway.

Soon after departure from Interlaken Ost, the train crosses a viaduct over the River Aare, which connects Lake Brienz with Lake Thun.

On your right-hand side, you can enjoy sweeping views over Lake Brienz, as well as some fine views over the ruins of the Ringgenberg Castle Church, nestled on a hill between the town of Ringgenberg and the lake.

interlaken ost mountain — *Craggy mountain views upon departure from Interlaken Ost. ©Paliparan*

river aare view interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train brünig railway — *Crossing the Aare, a river that flows from Lake Brienz. ©Paliparan*

Best side of the train to sit on

Between Interlaken and the halfway point of the line in Meiringen, the best views are on the right-hand side of the train in the direction of travel, while during the second half of the journey from Meiringen to Lucerne, the best views are on the left-hand side in the direction of travel.

However, it’s important to note that the train reverses direction in Meiringen and continues towards Lucerne in the opposite direction, so you don’t need to switch seats halfway in order to enjoy the best views.

When you sit on the right-hand side of the train in the direction of travel when departing Interlaken, your seat will automatically become a seat on the left-hand side after the train reverses direction in Meiringen, so you will still sit on the side with the best views as the train continues to Lucerne.

Similarly, when travelling in the opposite direction from Lucerne to Interlaken, ensure you sit on the right-hand side of the train in the direction of travel upon departure for the best views throughout the entire journey.

lake brienz interlaken-lucerne train Brünig Railway — *View from the Interlaken-Lucerne train over Lake Brienz. ©Paliparan*

Along Lake Brienz

The scenery during the first part of the train ride from Interlaken to Lucerne is dominated by Lake Brienz, which can be seen on your right-hand side.

The turquoise blue waters of Lake Brienz, known as the Brienzersee in German, look absolutely stunning from the train window.

On your left-hand side, you will see impressive mountain peaks seemingly rising straight from the lakeshore, though the views over them are somewhat limited by the forested slopes.

Brünig Railway Line Lake Brienz — *View over Lake Brienz from a train along the Brünig Railway Line. ©Paliparan*

lake brienz view interlaken — *When seated on the right-hand side of the train upon departure from Interlaken, you can enjoy these lovely lakeside views. ©Paliparan*

mountain peaks train panorama wagon — *High mountain peaks on the left-hand side as seen through the panoramic windows and sunroof of the Zentralbahn train. ©Paliparan*

lake brienz view interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train — *Lake Brienz. ©Paliparan*

lake brienz switzerland — *View over Lake Brienz and the surrounding mountains. ©Paliparan*

A visit to the dining car

As I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, I decided to visit the dining car of the Zentralbahn train almost immediately after departure from Interlaken.

Having some food or enjoying a couple of drinks in the dining car of the Interlaken-Lucerne train while you take in the fabulous views is perhaps the best way to enjoy the scenery along the Brünig Railway.

Tables in the dining car are all unreserved, so you are free to take any available spot you can find, or alternatively, take food or drinks back to your original seat if all places inside this bistro- and restaurant wagon are occupied.

The dining car accepts Swiss francs or euros in cash (any change will be given in francs), as well as debit and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and AmEx are all accepted).

interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train dining car restaurant wagon — *Seats in the restaurant wagon on the Interlaken-Lucerne Zentralbahn train. ©Paliparan*

Brünig Railway Line Interlaken Lucerne Golden Pass train — *View from the dining car as we ride along the shores of Lake Brienz. ©Paliparan*

zentralbahn dining car switzerland — *Dining car table. ©Paliparan*

Lunch

The food and drinks menu in the Zentralbahn dining car is the same as that in the restaurant wagons of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) trains.

On my previous journeys across Switzerland, such as on the InterCity from Chur to Zurich or the Zurich-Geneva train, I had already sampled some of the food and drinks offered in the Swiss dining car.

The quality of the food is good, and the prices are quite reasonable compared to what you would pay in a Swiss restaurant, although they are obviously more expensive than in German or Austrian dining cars.

This time, I ordered the Thai green curry, which I paired with an Eidgenoss amber beer.

For the meal and drink together, I paid just under 30 CHF (€31).

The food was certainly tasty, and with the fabulous views over Lake Brienz from the window, the dining car experience couldn’t have been better.

swiss train dining car — *Enjoying a Thai green curry in the dining car of the Zentralbahn train between Interlaken and Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

dining car view — *Fine views from the dining car over Lake Brienz as I enjoy my food. ©Paliparan*

station brienz — *Stop at the station of Brienz. ©Paliparan*

From Brienz to Meiringen

Leaving Brienz and its lake behind, the Brünig Railway follows the River Aare through a wide mountain valley towards Meiringen.

The stop at Meiringen lasts a bit longer than at other railway stations further down the line, as the train will reverse direction here.

Since the Zentralbahn train is an EMU (electric multiple unit) trainset, this simply means that the driver will take place inside the cab at the other end of the train.

If you are seated on the right-hand side of the train as it approaches Meiringen, just remain seated on that side, as you will still have the best views when the train continues its journey in the reverse direction towards Lucerne.

lake brienz zentralbahn interlaken lucerne train Brünig railway — *Final views over Lake Brienz. ©Paliparan*

aare river — *The railway line follows the Aare River through a mountain valley. ©Paliparan*

aare river view interlaken lucerne train — *View over the River Aare from the Interlaken-Lucerne train. ©Paliparan*

valley switzerland river aare — *Valley view. ©Paliparan*

green pastures — *Green pastures in the valley. ©Paliparan*

meiringen station zentralbahn — *Stop at the station of Meiringen opposite a slower regional train of Zentralbahn. ©Paliparan*

Up the Brünig Pass

Shortly after departing from Meiringen, the train starts its climb up the Brünig Pass.

The stretch between Meiringen and the top of the pass is by far the steepest section of the Brünig Railway, and our Zentralbahn train needs to use a rack rail to overcome the gradient.

The maximum incline of the rack railway on this section of the Brünig Railway is 12%.

Needless to say, there are some fantastic views from the train over the valley as it climbs up the mountain.

At this point, I had returned to my seat in the first-class carriage, where I opened a Swiss beer that I had bought beforehand at a supermarket (it’s perfectly fine to bring along your own drinks on trains in Switzerland for consumption at your seat).

As we neared the top of the pass, the terrain levelled out, and the craggy mountainside and forested slopes gave way to green mountain pastures.

The station of Brünig-Hasliberg, situated at 1,008 metres (3,307 feet) above sea level, marks the summit of the Brünig Pass.

meiringen switzerland — *View after departure from Meiringen. ©Paliparan*

Brünig pass meiringen valley switzerland interlaken-lucerne train — *Climbing up the Brünig Pass from Meiringen. ©Paliparan*

Brünig railway rack rail climb zentralbahn — *The train climbs up the mountain with the help of a rack rail. ©Paliparan*

Brünig railway — *Climbing higher up the Brünig Pass. ©Paliparan*

zentralbahn train interlaken lucerne Brünig railwa — *The Zentralbahn train sneaks its way up the mountain through the twisting curves of the Brünig Railway. ©Paliparan*

mountain pasture switzerland — *Lovely mountain pastures as we approach the summit of the pass. ©Paliparan*

beer swiss train — *Enjoying a beer as we climb up the mountain pass. ©Paliparan*

Brünig-Hasliberg station railway interlaken lucerne — *Brünig-Hasliberg station, located at the highest point of the Brünig Railway and the top of the pass. ©Paliparan*

Down the pass

Right after departing from Brünig-Hasliberg station, the railway line descends down the other side of the Brünig Pass.

While the northern side of the Brünig Pass isn’t as steep, there are three sections of rack railway here instead of just one on the southern side.

The first two rack rail sections are located between the top of the pass and Lake Lungern.

As I was seated almost completely towards the back of the train, it was pretty impressive to look forward when entering a corner and see how the front of the train was seemingly diving down these steep sections of the railway line.

The pine forests, pastures, Swiss chalets, and mountain peaks along this stretch of the railway line also provided some highly scenic views.

Brünig pass railway — *Heading down the Brünig Pass towards Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

Brünig pass railway interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train — *Beautiful mountain views from the train as we head down the northern side of the Brünig Pass. ©Paliparan*

Brünig pass railway interlaken lucerne zentralbahn train switzerland — *Swiss mountain vistas as seen from the train. ©Paliparan*

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

Lake Lungern

Perhaps the most beautiful section of the Brünig Railway line is the moment when Lake Lungern (called Lungerersee in German) appears in the distance on your left-hand side.

At this point, the train continues its descent down the mountain using a rack railway until it reaches the shores of the lake.

If you look back towards the direction you came from, you can see mountain peaks such as Höch Gumme and the Brienzer Rothorn rising high above the lakeshore.

lake lungern Brünig railway interlaken lucerne — *After a while, Lake Lungern comes into view on your left-hand side. ©Paliparan*

interlaken luzern zentralbahn train Brünig Pass golden pass railway line — *The Interlaken-Luzern Zentralbahn train descends down the Brünig Pass towards Lake Lungern. ©Paliparan*

lake lungern switzerland — *Beautiful Lake Lungern as seen from the train. ©Paliparan*

lake lungern zentralbahn interlaken lucerne train Brünig railway — *Riding high above the shores of Lake Lungern. ©Paliparan*

alpine mountain peaks — *Impressive Alpine mountain peaks surrounding Lake Lungern. ©Paliparan*

Lakeside views

The Brünig Railway runs along the eastern shoreline of Lake Lungern, and since the railway line is situated a few metres above the lake, you have terrific views over the lake and the surrounding area.

As the train follows the eastern lakeshore, it gradually descends to the water level through numerous curves.

switzerland alps mountains lake lungern — *Some final views over Lake Lungern. ©Paliparan*

Towards Giswil

At the far end of Lake Lungern, the third and final section of rack railway begins as the train descends the mountain towards Giswil.

As the valley widens here, there are sweeping views over Giswil and the surrounding countryside, with the mountains taking on a more gentle appearance compared to the high, craggy peaks around Lake Lungern.

mountain valley giswil Brünig railway interlaken lucerne train zentralbahn — *Fantastic view over the mountain valley and the town of Giswil. ©Paliparan*

golden pass railway route brunig pass train lucerne — *Descending towards Giswil. ©Paliparan*

giswil station — *Giswil station. ©Paliparan*

Around Lake Sarnen

Shortly after departure from Giswil, Lake Sarnern (called the Sarnersee in German) appears on your left-hand side.

Although the views over this lake are certainly pretty, they pale in beauty compared to the previous stretches along Lake Brienz and Lake Lungern.

lake sarnen giswil — *Soon after departure from Giswil, Lake Sarnen comes into sight. ©Paliparan*

lake sarnen — *Riding along the shores of Lake Sarnen. ©Paliparan*

lake sarnen train view — *View over Lake Sarnen from the train. ©Paliparan*

Brünig railway zentralbahn train lucerne — *Passing by a Zentralbahn train going in the opposite direction towards Interlaken on the Brünig Railway. ©Paliparan*

lake sarnen zentralbahn train interlaken lucerne — *View from the Zentralbahn train over Lake Sarnen. ©Paliparan*

Final stretch towards Lucerne

Once we leave Lake Sarnen behind, the railway line continues in a valley alongside a motorway, and the mountain views become more distant.

If there are seats available on the other side of the train, you may want to quickly switch to the right-hand side for the best views on approach to Lucerne.

Shortly after, Lake Lucerne appears on the right-hand side, and there are some fine views from the window over the lake and surrounding cliffs.

Although known as Lake Lucerne in English, in German this body of water isn’t called the ‘Luzerner See’ as you may expect, but is named the Vierwaldstättersee, which literally means ‘Lake of the four forested settlements’.

*Distant mountain views as we get closer to Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

lake lucerne zentralbahn train — *View over Lake Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

lake lucerne interlaken train Brünig Railway — *On its final stretch before reaching Lucerne, the Brünig Railway runs right along the shoreline of Lake Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

Lucerne approach — *Approaching the station of Lucerne. ©Paliparan*

Lucerne station

After a short ride through the suburbs of Lucerne, our Zentralbahn train pulls into the city’s large central railway station.

It not only marked the end of my journey on the Brünig Railway but also the conclusion of the Golden Pass rail route, having completed the entire journey from Montreux to Lucerne.

Lucerne once had a magnificent old railway station of cathedral-like proportions, but it sadly burned down in a large fire in 1971.

The modern-day railway terminus that replaced the old station in Lucerne is made of concrete and is decidedly less beautiful, although the train shed still adds a touch of grandeur.

In front of the modern-day station building, you can still admire the original arch of the old railway station.

Lucerne’s railway station is situated at the entrance of the old town right next to the lake, and you can walk from your train to the city’s main attractions, such as the famous Chapel Bridge, in just 5 to 10 minutes.

luzern lucerne train station golden pass railway — *The train station in Lucerne marked the end of my trip along the Golden Pass rail route. ©Paliparan*

lucerne railway station train golden pass rail route zentralbahn — *The arch of the old railway station of Lucerne stands in front of the modern station building. ©Paliparan*

chapel bridge lucerne switzerland trip report — *From the train station, the main sights of Lucerne such as the famous Chapel Bridge are just a short walk away. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

The Brünig Railway line between Interlaken and Lucerne, which is part of the Golden Pass rail route, offers one of Switzerland’s most scenic train journeys.

Trains on the narrow-gauge Brünig Railway line are operated by Zentralbahn, which offers modern panoramic coaches with comfortable first and second class seating.

Most train services along the Brünig Railway also feature a dining car, and there’s nothing quite like enjoying a meal or a drink while watching the beautiful mountain scenery between Interlaken and Lucerne pass by.

The narrow-gauge Brünig Railway features four sections of rack rail to overcome steep gradients of up to 12%.

Although this railway line isn’t the highest in Switzerland, with the summit of the Brünig Pass being “only” 1,008 metres (3,307 feet) above sea level, there are still some excellent views to enjoy over craggy mountain peaks and turquoise Alpine lakes.

Make sure that you take a seat on the right-hand side of the train in the direction of travel to enjoy the best views along the Brünig Railway.

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
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 (current chapter)
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