Geneva to Bern Train Route Options: Direct or via Golden Pass Route from Montreux to Spiez?

Why don't you by pass the Eurail Planner all together. Pick the route you want at www.sbb.ch/en. With a Eurail Pass, you do not need to "book" anything, you just board the train and show your pass to the ticket inspector when they come by.

To book a seat reservation on the Golden Pass section. Go to https://www.mob.ch/en/routing/routing-goldenpass-panoramic

@Sam. Apparently, not all Panoramic Express Routes in Switzerland are included in the Eurail Pass. It was more cost effective to buy Eurail passes since we are on a 4-week European trip and only traveling for 2 days in Switzerland. Almost all Swiss train routes are covered by the Eurail Pass but not some of the GoldenPass trains - hence the need to use the Eurail Planner (I am doing comparisons with the SBB app). I'm having a hard time determining which GoldenPass trains are included in the Eurail Pass. The SBB app refers to these trains variously as the GoldenPass Bell Epoque, the GoldenPass Panoramic, or the GoldenPass Express. Confusing.

I believe that all of the trains are covered by the Eurail Pass, It is only the seat reservation fee that is extra. As far as the different types of trains, you can see these in the MOB website.

The Belle Epoque trains are made of classic old railway carriages for a nostalgic journey

The Golden Pass Express trains have special carriages able to travel on both standard gauge and meter gauge tracks, since the tracks are meter gauge from Montreux to Zweisimmen, and standard gauge from Zweisimmen to Spiez. Therefore they can run all the way from Montreux to Spiez without changing trains at Zweisimmen.

Golden Pass Panoramic trains have panoramic windows and only run between Montreux and Zweisimmen.

You can see that the route is covered by the Eurail Pass at https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/railway-map

After more research it appears that the Eurail Pass does cover all trains on the GoldenPass Express route and that seat reservations are optional. I know that in general seat reservations are not needed in Switzerland. Is there any possibility of being denied passage on the trains between Montreux and Spiez in early May due to crowded conditions and the lack of a seat reservation?

If you’re going to take the time to do this, then your routing is incorrect. You go from Geneva to Montreux and then take the Golden Pass Express direct all the way to Spiez. From Spiez you change to Bern. The forcing point is the direct train from Montreux to Spiez via Zweisimmen.

Personally I find the GPE just okay in comparison to other train rides I’ve done in Switzerland, but if it’s on your list then you can take the extra 2 hrs 40 minutes and extra 2 changes in order to do it. It’s not a bad way to spend a day.

When we did it (September) we reserved seats in first class and were glad we did, as open seats in second class were very few and I’m unsure my husband and I would have been able to find 2 seats together.

@wanderweg If Zweisimmen is included as the forcing point, it seems that I have several opportunities to exit the Panoramic Express train at Zweisimmen and transfer to a local train that then travels directly from Zweisimmen to Bern via Spiez without any need to transfer at Spiez. If I use Spiez as the forcing point I only have one option for a direct PE train from Montreux to Spiez within my time window for travel and I have to transfer at Spiez to a train to Bern.

Is there any possibility of being denied passage on the trains between
Montreux and Spiez in early May due to crowded conditions and the lack
of a seat reservation?

No, this will not happen. It would have to be the most unusual circumstances before you were denied entry onto a train here - in over eight years of living here taking only public transportation to get anywhere, I have never had it happen that I was denied entry onto a train.

Ways to find a seat even when the train looks full:

• Walk to the end of the train - it is usually far less busy there
• Look for people who have their bags on the seat beside them and ask if you can sit there, lots of people will not move their things unless you ask them
• There are many stops along this route. When people get up to leave you can take their seat before others get on the train at that stop

I personally have always found a seat on this route, especially in May, but of course for peace of mind you can reserve a seat if you want to.

If you’re going to take the time to do this, then your routing is
incorrect. You go from Geneva to Montreux and then take the Golden
Pass Express direct all the way to Spiez. From Spiez you change to
Bern. The forcing point is the direct train from Montreux to Spiez via
Zweisimmen.

No, what you have done is correct. Via Gstaad works perfectly fine.

On SBB (Swiss train website) for May 11 I see:

12:32 - non stop to Spiez on the Golden Pass Express (reservation recommend shows up)

Or, in my opinion better would be your choice of:

12:43 - train to Zweisimmen, change, train to Bern. This will follow the exact same scenic route as the one above.There is no seat reservation recommended and you will not need to change in Spiez but can continue on to Bern.

I guess I just don’t understand the desire to get out of your reserved seat on the direct train with panoramic windows, wait staff service at your seat, etc. If you’re going to go that much out of the way for a scenic train experience, I would have assumed you wanted to ride the official train the whole way to justify the extra time.

If not, sure your plan works, but in switching to a regional train I’d just do the quick direct to Bern from Geneva option, as I don’t personally find the views alone justify the hassle and time when you only have a 1 night stay ahead of you.

wait staff service at your seat, etc

You only get this if you pay the big bucks for it. I bring snacks along and sit in second class.

Early May means you will still have beautiful snow capped mountains, green fields with cows grazing, it’s a beautiful time to go and a very scenic route.

That route is scenic enough, but if you have done the really scenic Swiss trains already will it be somewhat of a meh? I've done that bit on regional trains and it was ok, but the very scenic part is the last few minutes before Montreux, going westbound and down the hill, especially from the very few very expensive forward facing seats. Much less impressive eastbound leaving Montreux.

For me personally if I had family to get to and spend time with I'd be on the fast direct train. But maybe you don't really want time with the family and prefer a longer train ride ;-} ?