SWITZERLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 544

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Monday-Friday, 0930-1700 Saturday-Sunday

Dollar for dollar, or franc for franc, this day excursion is one of the best train-travel
values in Europe. The Lucerne-Interlaken-Montreux rail route provides an excit-
ing variety of landscapes and cultures. The Montreux-Bernese-Oberland Railroad
(MOB) operates the Golden Pass Panoramic Express. Visit www.mob.ch . This
train offers an unobstructed view of the breathtaking scenery between Zweisim-
men and Montreux.
Before departure, check with Bern Tourismus. Inform them you are going on The
Golden Pass trip and pick up the booklet Bern Excursions . (The booklet is usu-
ally available in the train information office as well.) Trains run through The Golden
Pass rather frequently, and you may want to follow a different schedule. We se-
lected the Golden Pass Panoramic, a luxury first-class train with panoramic-view
windows and bar car on the portion of the route from Zweisimmen to Montreux and
vice versa.
There is ample time for a leisurely lunch at the Majestic Hotel (located between
the rail station and the city pier) in Montreux before boarding a lake steamer to
Chillon. Disembark and go ashore to visit its famous castle. Château de Chillon
is a beautifully restored 11th-century castle that was made famous by Lord Byron
in his poetic story of the imprisonment of François de Bonivard. After touring the
castle, board another lake steamer back to Montreux. Then, ride the funicular adja-
cent to the steamer dock to the Lausanne train station, and board your train back
to Bern. Whew! It's a day loaded with extras.
Check the weather report the night before embarking on this day excursion. The
clearer the day, the better. You will be viewing some of the Alps' most spectacu-
lar scenery, and if it's shrouded in clouds, it just might spoil your day. To get the
weather report in English, dial 162 on any Swiss telephone.
InterCity trains usually depart from the Bern railway station on Track 6, but
double-check just to be sure. The destination of this train is Brig, and it makes a
stop at Thun (pronounced “tune”) before it arrives at Spiez. At Thun, the beautiful
Lake of Thun comes into view. As you approach Spiez, you'll see Mount Niesen
(7,750 feet) towering over this quiet town on the southwestern shore of the lake.
In Spiez you have 11 minutes to cross a platform to board the next train—time
enough to enjoy the breathtaking view. Zweisimmen, the next stop and transfer
point, lies almost halfway between Spiez and Montreux. When you depart Spiez,
you will enter The Golden Pass.