Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 61 Transcript

Swiss train news and updates for 2023

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Announcer

Are you dreaming of visiting Switzerland? Planning a trip to Switzerland is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you choose which are the many scenic cities, towns, and villages to visit? Which mountaintop excursions should you take? And what’s the best way to get around Switzerland? And of course, how much of the country can you realistically see within your time frame? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, this is the podcast for you. This is the Holidays to Switzerland Travel podcast. And in each episode, your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, chats with Swiss travel experts to answer your most commonly asked questions, provide practical tips and take you on a virtual visit to the most popular destinations, and of course, some hidden gems to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. You’ll hear plenty of conversations about Swiss cheese and chocolate, too. Are you ready to plan your trip to Switzerland? Well, let’s get started.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Grüezi, and welcome to another episode. Today, we’re welcoming back a frequent guest on the show, Andy Nef from the Swiss Travel System. Andy is going to share with us all the news and updates for the Swiss Travel System in 2023, including details about the exciting new GoldenPass Express. For those listeners who are planning on travelling around Switzerland by train in 2023, Andy Andy is going to give us an update on the Swiss Travel Pass, the fantastic all-in-one ticket for Switzerland. If you’re wondering if there’s going to be any price increases or changes to what’s covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, keep listening, as that’s one question I’ll definitely be asking Andy. As always, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the folks at Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast. Their website, myswitzerland.com, is packed full of helpful resources to help you plan your Swiss vacation. So do go and take a look. Of course, if you need to go on a tour, you need Switzerland. And why not a tour around Switzerland by train? Let’s welcome Andy and see what news he has for us about travelling in Switzerland by train.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Hello, Andy. Welcome back to the podcast for your seventh episode. It’s great to have you here again.

Andy Nef

Hello, Carolyn. I’m very happy to be here again. Thanks very much for the invitation.

Carolyn Schönafinger

My pleasure. And I must mention all the listeners, too, that after recording six episodes, we finally got to meet in person. And amazingly, we’ve actually met twice in person now, once in Switzerland and once in Australia. So it’s been an exciting few months.

Andy Nef

Yeah, things are happening again around the world, and we are finally able to travel more or less freely. So I, of course, took the chance and went all the way down under.

Carolyn Schönafinger

You did, and it was great to see you. I’m looking forward to hearing all the updates that you’ve got for us about the Swiss Travel System. I’d like to ask you actually to start with about an important day on the calendar for the Swiss Travel System, which is 11th of December. Now, when this episode goes to air, it’ll be a couple of days after that. But what can you tell us about 11 December? And why is that such an important day?

Andy Nef

Well, the importance sounds maybe not that important to our listeners. The 11 December is the official date of time timetable change in Switzerland. Well, the listeners have to know that there is only a timetable change once per year, one official timetable change, which applies to all the transport companies in Switzerland. So all the more than 450 carriers who make the Swiss travel system running are changing timetables at only this one day.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So obviously, like everything in Switzerland, it works in with precision and everyone does the timetable changes on the same day.

Andy Nef

Exactly. So that’s part of the network here in Switzerland. That’s part of our cooperation.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Fantastic. So what should people expect about the changes this year? Is there lots of things that are changing?

Andy Nef

There is a lot of preparation involved. That’s just a side information. At the moment, experts are planning the timetable for 2030 plus already. So that’s happening in the background. The change is happening on the 11th of December. These are just minor changes. Well, we talk about minute. That’s how it is on the space travel system. Minutes make the difference.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Are there any important changes that our listeners should be aware of?

Andy Nef

After a few quiet years, there are a few changes this time which are rather important, especially from a touristic view. For example, there will be more and better connections on SBB’s intercity network. I can give you an example here. There is the IC3 Line, that all the intercity lines are numbered in Switzerland. And the IC3 line is actually connecting Zurich with Chur, the capital of in the southeast of Switzerland. And for a change, as of next year, the IC3 trains will run every 30 minutes, especially on the weekends. And that’s a big difference. They used to run every hour only, and now every 30 minutes on the weekend. That’s a very big improvement, providing more fast connections between Zurich and Chur. There is also another very important news from a touristic view. SBB is reinstalling the direct trains between Zurich Airport and Interlaken.

Carolyn Schönafinger

That’ll be very handy to our listeners.

Andy Nef

Absolutely, yes. These Intercity 81s, as they are called, will run every 2 hours, and they are running between in Romanshorn and Interlaken. On this line in between Zurich Airport and Zurich Main Station. So every 2 hours, people can reach Interlaken from Zurich Airport without a change.

Carolyn Schönafinger

A great addition to the timetable for sure.

Andy Nef

It is, absolutely. Well, you may have heard that how to the awareness of sustainability in Switzerland, well, not only in Switzerland, but all over Europe, probably all over the world, has increased a lot. That brings There’s a higher demand of overnight connections. So a few years back, many overnight connections, especially out of Switzerland, ceased to exist. And now, since the demand has increased a lot in the past few years, the railways are installing more and more overnight trains, and there will be a new train between Zurich and Prague as of 11th of December. Well, I think this is really a development into the right direction. Let’s see what the future brings.

Carolyn Schönafinger

What a great way to travel. Not only do you save on or you’re helping the environment, you’re travelling sustainably, but you can also have a journey back into yesteryear with the sleeper carriage, if you want, and also saving on hotel accommodation.

Andy Nef

Yeah. And I think travelling by night train is still a special experience. I mean, sleeping while travelling, for me, that’s something special. And when you wake up in the morning and you open the the window blinds or the curtains, you look out of the window and you are in a new country. Kind of a special feeling, on my opinion. And of course, we can celebrate that, a sundowner before you go to sleep. And normally, they even serve breakfast in the morning. So Well, what else do you want to have?

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, exactly. Will that service between Zurich and Prague, will that run every day?

Andy Nef

That’s running on a daily basis, yes.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Very convenient. So all those services that you mentioned there, they’re all operated mostly, by the Swiss Federal Railways. But what about the private rail companies that form part of the public transport network? Is there any news or updates from them? Have you heard anything of the GoldenPass Express?

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, I have seen a little bit of news about it. That sounds very exciting.

Andy Nef

Well, it is very exciting. GoldenPass Express will start on 11th of December as well. And the special feature about this train is that it will provide direct connections from Montreux to Interlaken. For listeners who have been to Switzerland already and have been travelling between Montreux and Interlaken, they remember that they always had to change in Zweisimmen. That change had a technical reason because there are two different gauges involved. We have the so-called narrow gauge between Montreux and Zweisimmen. That means the tracks are one metre apart, exactly. And between Zweisimmen and Interlaken, we have the standard European gauge, which is 1,435 millimetres exactly. And of course, until now, trains couldn’t cope with both these gauges. But now with this brand new GoldenPass Express, you can travel directly because this train has accessible axles.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Swiss engineering.

Andy Nef

Swiss engineering. And it took quite a while to get everything running. But now everything is ready And this change of gauge will happen without passengers noticing it. Passengers wouldn’t need to leave the train. They stay on the train. It’s a matter of a few minutes. There are some special installations in Zweisimmen, a special track where this train is passing through. And while passing through this change of gauge, this adjustment is happening. And of course, there have been a lot of construction works involved. Zweisimmen railway station was one big construction site in the past few years. Well, now everything seems to be ready. I haven’t tried it out myself, but I hope that I can get that experience very soon.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, it sounds wonderful. So is there any difference in the services that are going to be offered on board the GoldenPass Express?

Andy Nef

Yeah, I almost forget about that as a train enthusiast. Sorry about that.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Come on, that’s what the tourists want to know, Andy.

Andy Nef

Absolutely. No, of course, they’re very special features. I mean, first of all, it’s a brand new train. So you have a state of the art carriage. There is even a special class available, the so-called Prestige Class. This Prestige Class is featuring extra big windows. Now, you remember the panoramic windows on many of these premium panoramic trains here in Switzerland. Of course, also the Golden Pass Express is featuring those big panoramic windows going all the way up the ceiling onto the roof, actually. But this, how to say, Prestige Class is even going farther down.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Right.

Andy Nef

And this is quite a special thing when you travel that you actually see all the landscape below as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So it’s like a floor to ceiling window.

Andy Nef

Yeah, exactly. And you’re floating through the landscape. So it must be very special and I’m quite excited about that. Also, this Prestige class is featuring swivelling seats. So all the seats can be adjusted within a 180-degree angle so that you can enjoy your scenery in the perfect angle.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So if something goes past that you want to look at, you just spin your chair and you can see.

Andy Nef

Well, no, sorry. I have to destroy your imagination. It has to be adjusted before you leave. And once it’s adjusted, it can only be readjusted by the attendant on the train.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay. Well, that makes sense.

Andy Nef

Well, there is also a welcome drink. And of course, you can order food and drinks on the way.

Carolyn Schönafinger

I assume with the Prestige class that that would need reservations.

Andy Nef

Exactly. That’s just a point I wanted to raise. Seat reservations are compulsory. I always say, please, whenever you can, book seats when travelling on these premium panoramic trains, which includes the Golden Pass Express. Because you are coming to Switzerland all the way, it would be such a disappointment if you wouldn’t find seats on the train, right? So better make this reservation in advance and be sure that you can enjoy this whole experience.

Carolyn Schönafinger

And just on that point for the seat reservations for all the premium Panoramic trains, do they need to be made on the website of the actual train operator itself? So in this instance, would that be MOB or could they book those on the SBB website?

Andy Nef

In the case of MOB, I think it’s a good choice to do it on the MOB website.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Now, also on the, In the same vicinity of Switzerland as the Golden Pass Express is the chocolate train, which a lot of people are keen to try out. Is that still going to be operating in the future?

Andy Nef

It’s good news for all the chocolate lovers. Even the chocolate train will run in 2023. No worries. This is running on a different line. It’s running out of Montreux, only running on selected days. Even though it’s called the chocolate train, part of the whole trip is done by coach, since it just makes it more convenient for the passenger. It’s a full day excursion, we always have to keep in mind. And of course, there’s lots of chocolates, but it’s only running on selected dates.

Carolyn Schönafinger

And that’s during the summer season, is that right?

Andy Nef

Mainly in summer season on selected days, depending on which month you’re travelling in. That’s important for our listeners. Make sure the train is running when you are in Switzerland for not to get disappointed. Same applies for the cheese trains, for the cheese lovers. I wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the cheese lovers. I call myself a cheese lover. And the cheese train is normally running in winter, again, out of Montreux, and this should continue to run. We have two very special day excursion, chocolate in summer, cheese in And winter.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Combined with Swiss trains, it’s the perfect day out, isn’t it?

Andy Nef

Absolutely. What else would you like to have?

Carolyn Schönafinger

And what about the Golden Pass Panoramic and the Belle Epoque trains that used to operate on that line? Are they still continuing?

Andy Nef

Yes, of course. Sorry, I didn’t mention that. The Golden Pass Belle Époque and the Golden Pass Panoramic, they are staying in service. So in between those Golden Pass Express connections, they are still the Belle Époque and the panoramic running. They wouldn’t be running between Montreux and in Interlaken. They would be running between Montreux and Zweisimmen, like in the old days. But those trains will not be able to adjust the gauge. But for me, especially the Belle Époque, that’s travelling in style. I like it very much. And travelling in style, sipping on a glass of white wine and enjoy the scenery passing by. So you can still experience that as of next year.

Carolyn Schönafinger

So is there any more news that we should know about the other premium panoramic trains?

Andy Nef

There’s always something going on. I mean, we want to keep the high standard of Swiss trains. Absolutely. So I think worth mentioning is also the establishment of the Glacier Express rolling stock. That has happened in the past few years. So all these Glacier Express coaches are appearing in a brand new interior. It’s a mountain chic style. And I don’t know, have you seen pictures of the Glacier Express Excellence Class?

Carolyn Schönafinger

I travelled on the Glacier Express this summer, but unfortunately, it wasn’t in Excellence Class. It’s very difficult to get seats there.

Andy Nef

So these new coaches will be in the same style as the Excellence Class. So it’s really nice. The good thing is they have also done some extra coaches. I don’t know. Do you know what apres ski is?

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yes, I’m not really a skier, but I do know about the apres ski.

Andy Nef

Well, the good thing about apres ski is that even the non-skiers can do that, right? Apres ski, that’s the drinks we enjoy after skiing. And sometimes it’s more important for the skiers to do apres ski than the real skiing. What Gotthard railways has done, they have converted two former Glacier Express coaches into rolling bars. These coaches are operated on the train between Andermatt and Disentis. And these are two famous ski resorts which are connected by a railway. So you can enjoy your apres ski drinks on this special coach when travelling back to Andermatt or wherever you stay? And well, even the DJ is included. So what else do you want to have?

Carolyn Schönafinger

Exactly. Do they run every day or only on weekends?

Andy Nef

That’s a very good question. I think they are running every day. I haven’t seen anything else, but of course, only during the ski period. So this will be in winter.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Well, thank you for the updates about that. So what about with the Swiss travel system? Are there going to be any changes for that next year?

Andy Nef

Well, I’d say no news is good news. Product range remains the same. We are not changing any of the products. That applies also to the newly integrated six-day Travel Pass, which has has been introduced last year. So we are not changing anything there and we are not changing the prices. So there is no price increase for 2023. And that’s great news, I think. That’s, on my opinion, the right decision to restart tourism in Switzerland. So that means the Swiss Travel Pass remains the perfect option to discover Switzerland by train bus and boat.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Now, for those listeners who aren’t familiar with the Swiss Travel Pass or perhaps just don’t quite know exactly what it covers, would you like to give us a bit of a recap of the Swiss Travel Pass?

Andy Nef

Yes, with pleasure. So I mean, the Swiss Travel Pass, we call it the all in one ticket for Switzerland. It includes all the trains, buses, boats, and city transportation. You have to know that in Switzerland, we have the world’s densest public transport network. You can literally reach any place in the country by train, bus, and boat. That makes travelling by public transport so easy. With the Swiss Travel Pass, you have for the perfect travel companion. You just get on and off whenever you like and wherever you like.

Carolyn Schönafinger

I think you mentioned a number at the start of this episode. There’s more than 450 transport companies that all integrate into the public transport network, which is just amazing.

Andy Nef

Yeah, very difficult to think of, right? We are such a small country, but we have such a variety of public transport here, and that makes it pretty unique.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Absolutely. Well, that’s great news. I’m sure everyone listening will be pleased to know that the prices are staying the same in 2023 and that they still have that great choice of, what is it, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 15 day Swiss Travel Passes? What did I get wrong?

Andy Nef

 It’s 3, 4, 6, 8, and 15 days.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Close.

Andy Nef

Close. So you see there is pass for almost everyone’s needs. I think you have experience by yourself how convenient it is in summer to travel with this Swiss Travel Pass around the country. You just get on and off whenever you want. And well, you just enjoy the sceneries.

Carolyn Schönafinger

It’s brilliant. It really is. It’s just like, as you’ve said before on other episodes, it’s a hop on, hop off ticket for the whole country. It’s wonderful. I agree, yes. Yeah. No, it’s great. All right. So before I let you go, is there anything else that you think we should know about?

Andy Nef

Yes. There’s one last thing I want to share. I mean, it was in the news all over the world. The world record of the Rhaetian Railway, the world’s longest passenger train was running in… Well, it was in October, if I’m not mistaken, and it was a success. So the world’s attempt actually turned to be out successful. And well, the new world record for the world’s longest passenger train is now with the Rhaetian Railway. That’s a railway which is operating the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express. And well, I think most of you have seen the pictures. They were in the news all over. It was this, how to say? It was this enormous red snake, as I would call it. Almost two kilometres long train in red on this Albula railway. And for the listeners who have not been travelling on the Albula railway, which is part of the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage railway because it was a masterpiece of engineering when they built it. It’s many, many viaducts, bridges, tunnels, and even spiralling tunnels. That’s how the railway is actually going up that valley to cross through to the end of in a valley on the other side. And now you see this almost two kilometre long train consisting of 25 train sets, which is like a snake in the landscape. Well, for me, as I I said, as a train enthusiast, very special, very special to see.

Carolyn Schönafinger

And the photos that I saw made the red really stood out, too, because the larch trees just had the golden leaves. And then there was the green forest and the red train. It was just beautiful. Yeah, that would have been something very special to witness for sure.

Andy Nef

Absolutely. And there were only, I think, about 100 people travelling on that train, only very VIP people, and of course, a lot of journalists and media people. And of There was a lot of journalists and media people, but of course, there were hundreds of people witnessing this world record attempt along the railway line.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Wonderful. Well, thank you very much, Andy, for sharing all that with us today and for coming back onto the podcast. I know your voice is probably nearly as familiar with our listeners as mine is.

Andy Nef

Thank you very much. Always a great pleasure to be on your podcast.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Thank you very much, and I look forward to chatting to you again in 2023.

Andy Nef

I hope so. Thank you very much.

Carolyn Schönafinger

I hope you found all Andy’s updates helpful. I was certainly happy to hear about the new direct service between Zurich and Interlaken. It’ll be a lot more convenient being able to travel from either Zurich or Zurich Airport directly to Interlaken without needing to change trains. I think that’s going to be a really popular service because the Jungfrau region being one of the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland, that service will certainly get a lot of traffic. I know many of you, like me, will be keen to experience the brand new Golden Pass Express train between Interlaken and Montreux. The scenery on this journey is spectacular. Now that the need to change trains in Zeiswimmen has been eliminated, this trip will be that little bit more special. When you take into account those floor to ceiling windows that Andy mentioned, well, what better way to see those views than on the Golden Pass Express? If riding on the Golden Pass Express or any of the premium Panoramic trains is part of your travel plans, then I highly recommend buying the Swiss Travel Pass for your trip. All of the premium Panoramic trains are covered with the pass, although on three of them, seat reservation fees are additional, and it’s just a great way to travel around Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger

What’s also great is to hear that the prices for the pass will remain the same in 2023. That really is good news. Now, if you’d like to know even more about the Swiss Travel Pass or the Swiss Travel System, you’ll find links in the show notes to previous episodes of the podcast where Andy has covered these in greater detail. Also in the show notes are links to helpful articles about travelling by train around Switzerland, and in know about where to buy your Swiss Travel Pass. You can find those show notes at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode61. Thanks very much for joining me today. Until next time. Tschüss.

Announcer

If you’d like more great resources to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland, there are lots of ways to connect with us. Visit our website, holidaystoswitzeland.com, sign up for our monthly newsletter, or join our friendly, helpful community of past and future travellers in our Switzerland Travel Planning Group. You’ll also find the links to connect with us in the show notes for this episode. Show notes and the list of all previous episodes are available at holidaystoswitzerland.com/podcast. Don’t miss out on your fortnightly dose of Swiss Travel Inspo. Hit the Subscribe button on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a rating. That’s all for this edition of the Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast. Thanks for joining us and happy travel planning.

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.