Walk-Up Reservations for Glacier Express?

Simple answer - don't take the "name" trains. Take the local trains which do the same route, in the about the same time,cheaper, and allow you to have the windows open where on the "special" trains you are shut in a glass dome with all the other rich tourists. You can do that out of Chur, on the Golden Pass route between Luzern and Montreux (changing trains 3 times because of the gauge), on the Centovalli, on the Gottard Pass, and out of Brig. Just walk up and buy your ticket. Or buy a pass and just walk on. Siimples!! You can always walk up to the lake steamers, too.

I am willing to acknowledge Andre L.'s more recent knowledge than mine. I'm sad that the trains that I know and love have been replaced. ¶ I have, in the past few years travelled on standard, non name, trains from Luzern to Montreux, Brig to Chur, and the entire RhB and I have never been in a carriage where I could not open the window. Sometimes I have had unhappy local ladies who just had their hair done behind me and we have to move elsewhere in the train but I absolutely love seeing, smelling, and especially hearing the forests, waterfalls and mountains from my slowish moving box seat. I also take photos and when I have no glass between me and the subject I get much better pictures. And no reservations.

I kindly disagree. Some stretches of the Glacier Express are not meant for regular train traffic, hence there is no way to travel there. This includes some of the highest/most scenic areas near the Fürka pass, where regular scheduled trains take a long tunnel instead of climbing the old railway (if it snows a lot in winter, Glacier Express will bypass it and take the tunnel too). Moreover, most trains in Switzerland (thank God) have central heating/cooling as they are refurbished, to there is no "window" to open.

Personally I would rather be out IN that wonderful Swiss Scenery rather than sitting on my rear in a train carriage that does not even have windows that open. The GE has been called the slowest moving passenger freight train in the world. Yikes. There's so much MORE in Switzerland than just sitting for hours and hours on a train.