Pilatus Mountain Railway
The cogwheel railway on Mount Pilatus has a maximum gradient of 48 degrees, making it the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. Starting from the Lucerne pier, take a boat to the foot of the mountain and then take the train up. Since it ascends at an angle, we chose seats in the first row to face the front of the train as it climbs.
Golden Pass Line
The Golden Pass Line is the world's first scenic train with panoramic windows, designed by the designer of Ferrari. The entire journey takes 5.5 hours, passing through the essence of the Alps. The Golden Pass Line is jointly operated by three different companies, and due to the different track gauges of these three sections, passengers must transfer trains at Interlaken and Zweisimmen. Since we were heading from Interlaken to Leukerbad, we only took the segment from Lucerne to Interlaken. Although this segment is said to have the best scenery, the train's exterior is not golden at all; it is red, white, and black like an ordinary train. It has panoramic windows, but the view is not as stunning as the pictures in the travel guides.
Chocolate Train
There is a discount for Swiss Travel Pass holders, 69 CHF for adults and 49 CHF for children. The Chocolate Train has panoramic carriages. The Chocolate Train is a commercial travel route, departing from Montreux at 8:30 AM, and includes a full day of visits to the Nestlé chocolate factory, the cheese factory, and the castle in the town of Gruyères. The entire experience is very enjoyable, especially seeing various mechanical production lines, free chocolate tastings, and a room full of cheese. The Chocolate Train has only three carriages in total, with the last one being a panoramic carriage and the first two being vintage carriages. You can choose your seat when booking in advance on the website.
Jungfrau Sightseeing Train
The train to Jungfrau is a private railway, so it requires an additional fee and is quite expensive. Fortunately, the scenery along the way is so beautiful that we didn't want to blink. Some of the train heads on this track have very interesting decorations, and there is a 10-kilometer section that passes through the rock of the Eiger, showcasing the immense and difficult engineering work involved. Remarkably, this railway was built over a hundred years ago. Tickets can be purchased at the platform or in advance at the hotel where you are staying. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance at the hotel so that you can board the train immediately upon arrival without having to figure things out at the platform.
Glacier Express
The Glacier Express is very long, with large glass windows from the roof to the body of the train. It travels at a speed of 40 km/h, earning the title of 'the world's slowest train.' Along the way, there are Chinese audio guides available through headphones. Passengers can order meals, enjoy leisurely wine tasting, and explore different carriages at a relaxed pace.
Bernina Express
The Bernina Express is a famous high-altitude narrow-gauge train. The panoramic windows offer views of the Alps. This route connects the cold north with the warm south, passing through 55 tunnels and crossing 196 bridges, with an altitude difference of 1828 meters. Along the way, you can see glaciers, alpine lakes, forests, snow scenes, and pastures, offering a highly diverse visual experience.
