How to Find ‘Travel Dupes’ for Switzerland’s Popular Panoramic Trains

When I discovered that seats on Switzerland’s panoramic Bernina Express trains were sold out for my May travel dates, I panicked.

Then I began researching other luxury trains like the GoldenPass Express, which travels between the snow-glazed peaks of Interlaken and the lakeside beaches of Montreux.

I also studied the schedules of regional and intercity trains that crisscross the country, connecting cosmopolitan cities with mountain villages.

You’ve probably heard about “travel dupes,” or less crowded alternatives to European cities like Barcelona and Dubrovnik. Similarly, there are ‘train dupes’ in Switzerland, which are less popular but equally picturesque rail routes.

Bernina and Glacier Express Top Bucket Lists

“Train dupes” offer mesmerizing views comparable to those on the world-renowned Bernina and Glacier Express trains. The best part: They often cost less and don’t require reservations, adding a sense of adventure to your journey.

I didn’t know I needed alternatives. Spring is considered the shoulder season in Switzerland—after the slopes close to skiers and before they fill up with hikers. But the popularity of this landlocked country in central Europe has soared in recent years.

More than 20 million international visitors tramped through its picture-book mountain scenery in 2024.

If you’re passionate about exploring by rail, “train dupes” offer similar experiences that are comfortable, punctual, and scenic year-round.

Here are some options to ensure your Swiss train adventure fulfills your expectations.

Panoramic Trains Deliver Luxury Experience

Visitors flock to the domed-roof carriages of the Bernina Express and Glacier Express trains for their unobstructed mountain views and luxurious amenities.

Expect floor-to-ceiling windows, plush seats and audio guides. Attendants deliver three-course meals and premium Swiss wines to your seat on some routes.

Marketed as “once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” these Swiss trains require seat reservations even if you have a Swiss Travel Pass or a Eurail Pass. Reserved seats cost $20 to $75 per person, depending on the train.

If riding on either train is on your bucket list, snag seats as soon as possible. Seats can be reserved six months in advance.

Thankfully, Switzerland also offers several other panoramic trains on routes with similar luxuries and equally stunning views of the mountains, lakes and glaciers that draw visitors to Switzerland every year. Plus, these trains often don’t require advance seat reservations.

Other Scenic Panoramic Trains

GoldenPass Express: The country’s newest panoramic train travels between the mountain town of Interlaken and the très chic city of Montreux on Lake Geneva. The journey takes just over three hours and does not require a train change. Reservations are recommended.

Lucerne-Interlaken Express: This route runs through the heart of central Switzerland, passing five glacial lakes and numerous waterfalls that flow from mountain peaks. Part of the GoldenPass railway, panoramic trains on this route link Lucerne and Interlaken, two of the country’s most popular destinations.

A bistro-style dining car serves full meals as well as snacks, sandwiches, and adult beverages. The two-hour ride can be combined with the GoldenPass Express route between Interlaken and Montreux. Don’t expect the dramatic landscape of the Interlaken-Montreux route, however.

Gotthard Panorama Express: This panoramic train loops through the Alps and includes a steamboat cruise across Lake Lucerne. The train follows one of the oldest north-south routes through Switzerland, linking Lugano in the south and Lucerne in the center of the country.

Entertaining multilingual guides on the train recount the construction of the nine-mile Gotthard Tunnel in the 1880s. Snacks and beverages are served on the train, while full meals are on the boat.

The combined train-boat route, available from April to October, takes about five hours.

Read More: The Gotthard Panorama Express: An Unforgettable Journey Through Switzerland’s Soul

Vigezzina-Centrovalli Railway: Vigezzo Vision trains with trapezium-shaped windows travel through the secluded valleys of southern Switzerland.

Tall, slanted windows offer stunning views of some 80 bridges and multiple tunnels on the route between Locarno, on the north shore of Lake Maggiore, and Domodossola in neighboring Italy. Audio guides provide commentary on the two-hour ride. Seat reservations for the two-hour trip are recommended.

Best Switzerland Tours & Excursions

Regional Trains Run Frequently

When we had our hearts set on a particular route, such as the Bernina Express, and the domed-car train was booked, we boarded a regional train instead.

Although not as luxurious as panoramic trains, they travel on the same tracks, run more frequently, and are rarely crowded, except on summer weekends.

You can often open the windows for better photos without glare and get on and off to discover new places along the route.

Regardless of the trains you choose, the Swiss Travel Pass is key to a stress-free and flexible Swiss adventure. With unlimited travel by train, bus, and boat for consecutive periods of up to 15 days, and a Flex Pass for non-consecutive days, the pass simplifies your journey.

This pass empowers you to explore Switzerland at your own pace, without the hassle of buying individual tickets.

Additionally, the pass covers most museums and offers a 50 percent discount on many mountain railways and gondolas. Prices vary depending on the card, the number of days, and whether the seats are in first class or second class.

Swiss Travel Pass Adds Flexibility

The 15-day pass, which costs about $900 per adult, fits our travel plans perfectly. We used it after our flight landed in Basel to take a train to the Swiss capital of Bern and for a city tram to our final stop, the airport in Zurich.

In between, we spent 14 delightful days riding gondolas up sheer mountains, cruising on paddlewheel boats across glacier lakes, hopping on trams in larger cities, and perusing a dozen museums, most of which were either free or discounted with the pass.

As we learned, the Swiss Pass does not guarantee a seat on a panoramic train. But it covers rides on all regional or intercity trains. No reservations needed.

Travel Guide to Switzerland

Matterhorn Shines on Ride to Zermatt

Panoramic trains aren’t even an option on some routes. Only regional trains travel between Montreux and Zermatt, where we hoped for clear skies to see the iconic Matterhorn.

The train skirted the eastern edge of Lake Geneva before climbing through the vineyards near Aigle to Visp.

A Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn regional train took us through the Vispa River Valley, where we gaped at steep peaks rising on both sides of the tracks. The best part: arriving in car-free Zermatt with the sun shining on Europe’s most recognizable peak.

After repeated failed attempts to book seats on the Bernina Express panoramic train, we found plenty of room on a regional Rhaetian Bahn Railway.

We boarded in the upscale ski town of St. Moritz for the ride south to Tirano, Italy. All of Rhaetian’s trains, including the Bernina Express, traverse the same awe-inspiring route over the nearly 8,000-foot Bernina Pass.

Considered an engineering feat when completed in 1910, the route earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2008.

Empty Seats on the Bernina Regional Train

We spent most of the 2.5-hour trip as the only passengers in a first-class carriage. When we stopped at a station next to the cherry-red cars of a Bernina Express train heading in the opposite direction, I noticed that the domed carriages were packed. I felt smug as I stretched out across two seats.

Switzerland’s highest transalpine rail route doesn’t disappoint. Sun-lit glaciers spill down peaks, towering 10,000 feet, into ice-blue lakes.

The train glides through more than 50 tunnels, crosses dozens of bridges and loops 360 degrees around the Brusio Spiral Viaduct.

Almost dizzy from the thrilling journey, we debarked in Tirano to explore an elegant Renaissance palace and dine on spicy eggplant parmigiano.

Then we hopped on another regional train back to St. Moritz. With a glass of wine purchased in the dining car, I watched Switzerland’s glorious scenery glide past my ordinary-sized window with no regrets.

If You Go

The Swiss Federal Railways SBB’s website is invaluable for plotting train trips and making reservations on all trains traveling throughout Switzerland.

Need a hand planning your trip? Here are the sites and services we rely on most, from booking tools to travel products we love.

Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:

• Top Things to do in Geneva, Switzerland
• All Aboard the Swiss Dream: A Grand Circle Train Tour Through Enchanting Switzerland

Author Bio: Barbara Redding, a Texas-based freelance travel writer and photographer, brings a fresh perspective and storytelling style to her stories. Her enthusiasm for international destinations is matched by her delight in revisiting familiar haunts in the U.S. An award-winning journalist, her travel portfolio includes articles in Travel Weekly, TravelWeekly.com, SheBuysTravel, GoNOMAD, Food Wine Travel Magazine, fyi50+, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Miami Herald, and other publications. She is a member of IFWTWA.

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