Wine trains in Switzerland
If you are too tired, old or lazy for wine walking (I was all three on the day of my visit!) in Switzerland you can enjoy the vineyards by train.
The “Train des vignes” (vineyard train) runs on a fantastic route through the terraced vineyards of Lavaux, the landscape high above Lake Geneva, with views of the Savoy and Valais Alps.
The route is spectacularly beautiful. An hourly regional train from Vevey station to Puidoux-Chexbres offers the unusual experience of travelling across the terraced vineyards of the Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From Chexbres-Village station, where the train stops along the way, there are many footpaths through the magnificent, steep terraces. A signposted educational trail tells the story of the vineyard and the grape varieties grown there.
At the Chexbres station, the Lavaux Panoramic Tourist Train, separate from the “Wine Train” (on rubber tires) takes visitors through the vineyards. On the tour, visitors can enjoy the spectacular scenery of the lake at closer hand. This trip is also very much worth it.
At one point, I was awaiting the Train des vignes at Vevey, when I noticed the Star Train which runs up the mountain from Vevey to Les Pléiades. So I took it. You initially pass through vineyards and then well up into the mountains.
Departing from Vevey, the Star Train climbs 1,000 metres to Les Pléiades, and the climb is frighteningly steep. But as an old girlfriend told me, “you can always trust the Swiss”.
I was told that there is a mountain restaurant at Les Pléiades – a good reason for a return visit.