It’s Valentine’s Day, so picture the hell out of this. You’re lounging back with all the fine wines and cheeses your heart desires, in an ornate vintage train with huge windows. Gliding through the Swiss countryside, you pass rolling grassy hills, snowy Alpine peaks and hundreds of absurdly pretty hamlets. Sounds pretty damn romantic, right?
That’s the GoldenPass Belle Époque: a dreamy route that runs between Montreux, a town on the shores of Lake Geneva, and Zweisimmen, a valley village and a gateway to Switzerland’s Gstaad resort region.
The line is inspired by the Golden Mountain Pullman Express trains from the 1930s, and combines old-style luxury with modern fittings and service. It’s named after the glitzy Belle Époque period of European history (circa 1870 to 1914), and incidentally, Montreux contains many glamorous palaces and hotels from that era.
Inside, the carriages are decorated with elegant wooden panelling, gold plating and plenty of chic furniture. One of the carriages even has a wine cellar where guests can sample some of the region’s finest bottles.
The two-hour Belle Époque route is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, and if you want to make sure you get a seat, we’d recommend booking online here. Happy travels!
Did you see you can take a luxury champagne train from France to Italy this summer?