What the Swiss Travel Pass covers on panoramic trains
Every panoramic fare is covered in full. That's the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express including its bus leg down to Lugano, the GoldenPass Express, the Gotthard Panorama Express, the Centovalli Railway, the Voralpen-Express and the Lötschberg mountain line. You walk on with your pass and the transport itself costs you nothing extra.
What's never covered is the seat reservation. Every compulsory supplement comes out of your pocket on top of the pass, and those run from CHF 20 on the GoldenPass Express to CHF 54 on the Glacier Express. If you want the full picture of how supplements work across the network, see seat reservations.
Two exceptions to plan around:
- Gotthard Panorama Express, the train portion is entirely first class. With a second class pass you'll need a class upgrade on top of the CHF 24 reservation. The boat leg across Lake Lucerne is covered outright.
- Chocolate Train, not a covered route at all. It's an all-inclusive excursion, and the pass buys it down rather than covering it. More on that below.
What each panoramic train reservation costs in 2026
Reservation prices don't scale with distance on most of these routes, the Glacier Express charges the same CHF 54 whether you ride one hour or all eight. If it's down to those two, we've put them side by side in Glacier Express against Bernina Express. Here's every supplement in one place.
| Route | Reservation | Compulsory? |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Express | CHF 54, either class, any distance, all year | Yes, for everyone including pass holders |
| Glacier Express Excellence Class | CHF 540 | Yes, and needs a first class pass |
| Bernina Express, Chur–Tirano | CHF 44 high season (2 May–25 Oct 2026), CHF 40 rest of year | Yes, on the panoramic cars |
| Bernina Express, St Moritz–Tirano | CHF 32 year round | Yes, on the panoramic cars |
| Bernina Express bus leg | CHF 16 high season, CHF 14 low | Yes |
| Bernina Express, both legs high season | CHF 60 | Yes |
| Gotthard Panorama Express | CHF 24 (same for children 6–15, free under 6 without a seat) | Yes on the train, no on the boat |
| GoldenPass Express, Montreux–Interlaken | CHF 20 first or second class, CHF 35 Prestige | Recommended, compulsory only in Prestige |
| GoldenPass Panoramic (classic, same run) | Around CHF 10 | Optional |
| Centovalli Railway | None | No |
| Voralpen-Express | None | No |
| Lötschberg mountain line | None | No |
GoldenPass Express reservations open 11 months ahead, and children 6 to 15 pay the full adult rate there, no discount.
Panoramic train fares with and without a Swiss Travel Pass
The gap is big on the Bernina Express and the GoldenPass. Here's what you'd pay at the ticket window versus what you actually pay holding a pass.
| Route | Full fare, no pass | With the pass |
|---|---|---|
| Bernina Express, Chur–Tirano | CHF 125 second class / CHF 218 first | CHF 44 reservation (high season) |
| Bernina Express, St Moritz–Tirano | CHF 66 second class | CHF 32 reservation |
| GoldenPass Express, Montreux–Interlaken | CHF 160 in either class | CHF 20 reservation |
| Chocolate Train | CHF 89–99 per adult by season and day | CHF 59 second class, or CHF 69 with a Half Fare Card |
Every scenic route, and what you actually get
Reservation requiredZermatt to St Moritz · 8 hoursGlacier ExpressThe fare is covered in full, so the reservation is the entire bill: CHF 54 in either class, any distance, all year. Excellence Class is CHF 540 and needs a first class pass.Reservation CHF 54See Glacier Express →
Reservation requiredChur to Tirano · 4 hoursBernina Express122km over 196 bridges and through 55 tunnels, topping out at 2,253m, UNESCO listed since 2008. Reservations sell out weeks ahead from May to October.Reservation CHF 44See Bernina Express →
Reservation optionalMontreux to InterlakenGoldenPass ExpressThe only one of the big four where you can turn up without booking. A reserved seat is CHF 20 in either class, and CHF 35 in Prestige, where it is compulsory.Reservation CHF 20See GoldenPass Express →
Reservation requiredLucerne to Lugano · 5h 30minsGotthard Panorama ExpressA Lake Lucerne boat joined to the historic Gotthard rail route. The boat needs no reservation, but the train is entirely first class, so a second class pass pays a class upgrade on top.Reservation CHF 24See the Gotthard →
FreeLocarno to Domodossola · 3h 30mins through to MontreuxCentovalli RailwayFifty bridges and viaducts, and half the line runs through Italy with the pass still covering it. No reservation, no supplement.See the Centovalli →
FreeSt Gallen to Lucerne · 2h 20minsVoralpen-ExpressAcross the pre-Alps with no supplement and no booking. The scenic train nobody counts as one, which is exactly why it is quiet.See Voralpen-Express →
FreeBern to Brig, and on to DomodossolaLötschberg mountain lineCovered outright, reservation free, and it runs through to Italy. Ask for the mountain line rather than the base tunnel, or you will see the inside of a tunnel.See the Lötschberg →
Not coveredMontreux, Gruyère and Broc · May to OctoberChocolate TrainAn all-inclusive excursion rather than a route, so the pass buys it down rather than covering it: CHF 89 to 99 becomes CHF 59 in second class. Belle Epoque carriages, a cheese dairy and a chocolate factory.With a pass CHF 59See Chocolate Train →When to book each panoramic train
The Bernina Express runs year round with morning and afternoon departures, and reservations sell out weeks ahead from May through October. The Gotthard Panorama Express is seasonal. The Chocolate Train runs May to October, with 2026 dates published on sbb.ch in January or February, and Saturdays in July and August go well in advance.
If you're building a trip around several of these, work in this order:
- Fix the Glacier Express date first, it's the longest day and the least flexible.
- Book the Bernina Express next, especially for any date between May and October.
- Slot in the Gotthard Panorama Express once you've confirmed it's running that season.
- Add the GoldenPass Express last, since reservations are only recommended and you can adjust late.
- Leave the Centovalli, Voralpen-Express and Lötschberg unbooked, turn up whenever suits you.
Once your scenic days are locked, fill the gaps with the free attractions your pass already includes.
