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Grimmelwald add a night and skip Montreaux/Golden Pass route?

Train Trip Mid-Late May 2023.
I'm excited to get two nights in Grimmelwald, and am thinking of dropping Montreux to stay a night longer in Grimmelwald.
If we add a night in Grimmelwald, we would have to skip the "Golden Pass" route to Montreux and a visit to the Chillon Castle. Note we are not reserving Panoramic seats on trains, rather just following the 'routes' of them.

Should I add another night to Grimmelwald?
Is the trip on the Golden Pass / visit to Chillon Castle 'worth' an overnight in Montreaux to experience more of the Alps?

Itinerary:
Fly into Zurich - Train to Lucerne
Lucerne - 2 nights (explore Lucerne / do Mt Rigi Ferry trains/cable car)
Then, Travel to Gimmelwald via Lucerne-Interlaken

Gimmelwald (2 Nights) -
Then, Travel to Montreaux via Golden Pass route (Or STAY ANOTHER NIGHT IN GRIMMELWALD and skip Montreaux?)

Montreaux - 1 night (Or Stay 3 nights in Gimmelwald?)**
Then, On way to Zermatt from Montreaux stop at Castle Chillon for a tour - a main reason to go to Montreaux, including the Golden Pass route.

Zermatt - 2 nights
Then, Depart Zermatt to travel on Glacier Express route to Chur (or other town along the way for another night)
Then, Chur (or other - near Disantis / St Moritz) to Tirano (to experience Bernina Express). I am still working on this leg of the journey after Zermatt.

Our final destination out of Switzerland is Tirano, Italy where we will train to Milano to rent a car.

Posted by
66 posts

For my taste, I would spend as long as you can in gimmelwald, for a couple reasons:
1) no place like it on earth. Just infinite natural beauty. It’s so relaxing.
2) if the weather is bad, you at least have an extra day to do hikes you didn’t get to do, etc.

I have been to Montreux before and don’t remember much of the castle. Murren/gimmelwald are unforgettable.

If I can offer some additional advice, if you have the option, I would take off the post-Zurich part of your trip, and simply add more nights to Murren/gimmelwald if you’re able. But I haven’t been to chur or that area at all, so maybe I’m the one missing out!

Posted by
4853 posts

The castle is quite interesting, the city less so. The train to Interlaken is pretty amazing.

Posted by
2493 posts

May is out of season, so Gimmelwald will be even quieter than usual. You will be terribly bored there. Don't miss out on Chillon castle.

Also: the panoramic trains on the Golden Pass are normal trains. Reservations not required.