Golden Pass Booking Questions

Answer to 4
When you buy the pass it will prompt you to indicate the dates when you will be traveling and using the pass

Great, thanks JT.

Answer to 3
Using just the Goldenpass website, on October 4 in addition to the two departure you state
I see departures from Interlaken Ost to Montreux with a connection in Zweisimmen at 15:08 and 17:08 also.

Thanks, JT. I should have been more clear. I want to arrive in Montreux at noon-ish. 1-sh at the latest. Planning to go to Chillon Castle, and then sleep in Lausanne. So I'm not interested in the later departures.

It looks like one can reserve seats on the goldenpass website, but not purchase tickets? One would buy tickets at SBB?

I think this myswitzerland.com website will help you much more with the schedules and type of trains:
https://traintickets.myswitzerland.com/european-trains/golden-pass/how-to-book.html?_ga=2.258291651.871154373.1503285079-1835027268.1409427235
The VIP seats that you want are only on the Golden Pass "Panorama" trains (one asterisk in the chart), not the Golden Pass "Classic." (two asterisks). The "Panorama" is decorated in modern style and the driver sits in a bubble on top. The "Classic" is decorated in Victorian style.

You only need to reserve the portion of your Golden Pass route between Zweisimmon and Montreux. That's the only part with the VIP seats. And those seats are only in 1st class. All the rest of the Golden Pass route (from Luzern to Interlaken Ost to Spiez to Zwiesimmon) has very large or panoramic windows for every row of seats -- 1st and 2nd class -- and does not require reservations.

The Rail Europe site (not to be confused with the EurRail site) is also helpful:
https://www.raileurope.com/index.html
And you can fill in the Seat Reservations tab for Zwiesimmon to Montreux and get the schedule marked with train types of "Panorama" or "Classic." You should be able to make your reservation on that site now.
However, that site charges $20 for a seat reservation. If you reserve directly with the official Swiss train site (SBB) it will only cost 5 Swiss Francs (CHF) but it won't sell reservations more than a month in advance online. The Rail Europe site does let you reserve in advance. It can also sell you the Half Fare Card, or you can get it at any train station in Switzerland.

The essential official Swiss train site (SBB) is very helpful:
https://www.sbb.ch/en
From Zweisimmen to Montreux I see "Panorama" trains leaving Zweisimmen at 08:25 arriving at 10:13, 10:25-12:13, 12:25-14:13, and more later in the day. The SBB site refers to the Victorian style trains as "Belle Epoque" not "Classic." After filling out your desired route, tap on your choice from the train schedules that pop up, and it will show you the type train on that time and shows the code key.

Linda, thank you so much! Lot of great info here. In particular, the myswitzerland and raileurope sites are more user-friendly than goldenpass.ch and, especially, SBB.

I did not realize that VIP seats were first class. (Silly me.) VIP just seems to be slightly bigger seats that recline, but the views aren’t any better, right? Probably not worth the extra cost. (I notice the Premier column is blank. Are those the seats in the very front?)

If I decide not to reserve VIP seats, is it still wise to buy tickets in advance? I have a specific day and time of day in mind to travel from Interlaken to Montreux, so I don’t want to risk not getting the departures I want.

Thanks again.

Re. your questions:
I did not realize that VIP seats were first class. (Silly me.) VIP just seems to be slightly bigger seats that recline, but the views aren’t any better, right? Probably not worth the extra cost.

The view from all the seats in both classes is spectacular, and is through continuous enormous windows along both sides of all the train carriages in both classes. The VIP seats are only the front row of the first class carriage, and they provide a view of looking directly through the front windshield, unobstructed by the driver who sits in a bubble above. And they are only available from Zweisimmen to Montreux. All the seats in both first and second classes are quite comfortable, but you might especially enjoy the plush reclining seats and special decorator decor of any of the seats in the first class carriage on that Zweisimmen to Montreux part of the route. (It's not only the VIP seats that recline.) To save money, you could buy a second class seat from Interlaken Ost to Zweisimmen and a first class seat from Zweisimmen to Montreux. Or second class for the whole Golden Pass trip with an upgrade to first class for just the Zweisimmen to Montreux leg. In Switzerland the prices are the same whether you purchase the trip in pieces or all together.

(I notice the Premier column is blank. Are those the seats in the very front?)

The Premier column is blank because Switzerland only has two classes on trains (1st and 2nd) not three. "Premier" is not the VIP seats.

If I decide not to reserve VIP seats, is it still wise to buy tickets in advance? I have a specific day and time of day in mind to travel from Interlaken to Montreux, so I don’t want to risk not getting the departures I want.

If you want to be in one of the special first class carriages, you should reserve in advance, whether or not you want a VIP seat. If you're going second class, no advance purchase or reservation is needed.

Linda, thank you again for being so responsive and providing such great information. Really appreciate it. Curious about one thing. You say “If you're going second class, no advance purchase or reservation is needed.” But when I look on the goldenpass website today for the Zweisimmen to Montreux segment that arrives at 12:13 on Oct 4, I see only 20 second class seats available. Since I have a specific departure in mind (day and time), and there are only 20 seats left, this would seem to be an argument for buying seats soon, well in advance. If I wait and buy in Switzerland, there could easily be no second class seats available on this departure. So in this situation, I think it does behoove me to buy tickets in advance, and soon. Do you agree? Thank you again!

I agree, or at least reserve your seats soon. I'm surprised the reserved seats are filling up, off-season. It's a good thing you checked on the Golden Pass web site! I don't know how many non-reservable seats are available in addition, if any, but better safe than sorry!