Frequently asked questions

We understand that you may have questions about the Brienz Rothorn Railway or the Brienzer Rothorn and we want to provide you with all the information you need to plan your experience with us in the best possible way. Our FAQ page provides answers to a variety of questions on topics such as timetables, ticket prices, bookings and much more. We have collected the most frequently asked questions from our customers and compiled answers. If you have a question that is not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Season 2024

From 8 June to 20 October 2024, we will travel eight times a day from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased in our online store and at the station in Brienz.
To avoid waiting times, we recommend that you buy the ticket including seat guarantee in advance: Webshop.

The return journey for adults without a discount costs CHF 96.00. For people with a Half Fare Card or a Swiss (Travel) Card, a return journey costs CHF 48.00.
Children up to the age of 5 or with a Junior Card travel free of charge. From 6 to 15 years, the ticket for children costs CHF 10.00.

Holders of the Bernese Oberland Regional Pass, the Tell Pass and person on their birthday receive a free ticket.

Holders of a Half Fare Card, the Swiss (Travel) Card or day pass receive a 50% discount.

Holders of the Brienz Guest Card and the Bernese Oberland Camping Card receive 20% off the standard fare and 10% off the Half Fare Card or Swiss (Travel) Pass fare.

The discounts and reductions are not valid on extra journeys or journeys that have already been reduced.

The capacity for guests is limited and on nice summer days there may either be longer waiting times or all trains may even be sold out. To avoid these inconveniences, we recommend that you buy the ticket including seat guarantee in advance. This gives you direct access to the platform and a guaranteed seat for the desired departure time: Webshop.

Holders of day tickets (day ticket with Half Fare Card, day ticket without Half Fare Card, municipal day ticket, Coop day ticket, Post Office day ticket, Duo day ticket, etc.) pay half the price of regular tickets.

One dog per person travels free of charge, each additional dog costs CHF 10.00. Please note that the steam train makes noise and steam and this can cause stress for your dog. A seat not in the immediate vicinity of the locomotive is recommended.

No. The seats are not numbered and therefore freely selectable. If you arrive at the specified admission time, you will have more seats to choose from.

Yes, persons travel free of charge on the day of their birthday on presentation of ID. To avoid waiting times and inconvenience, we recommend that you book the seat guarantee for the desired departure times in advance: Webshop.

If you have a reduction or it is your birthday, you can also buy just the guaranteed seat for CHF 8.00 and purchase the ticket at the ticket office on presentation of an ID card or on presentation of the reduction card.

No, booked seat reservations can no longer be canceled or changed.

Once the purchase process has been successfully completed, it is binding and cannot be canceled. The terms and conditions of Brienz Rothorn Railway apply.

This can actually happen on particularly beautiful summer days.

The Brienz Rothorn Railway is a historic steam cogwheel train. The journey to Rothorn Kulm takes around an hour and the number of compositions per departure time is limited to a maximum of three, partly due to the length of the crossing. The line is single-track and has only a few places where trains can cross. For these reasons, the number of trains that can travel up the Rothorn in one day is limited. Therefore, on nice summer days, there may either be longer waiting times or even all trains may be sold out.

To avoid this inconvenience, we recommend that you buy the ticket including seat guarantee in advance. This gives you direct access to the platform and a guaranteed seat for the desired departure time: webshop.

The railway line and the Brienzer Rothorn

The journey from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm takes one hour. The Planalp middle station is halfway along the route and the journey takes 30 minutes.

This is entirely up to you. The minimum stay on the Brienzer Rothorn is approximately 30 minutes.
Important: the last departure time from Rothorn Kulm to Brienz is at 5.40 pm.

As a rule, we expect a temperature difference of minus 10 degrees compared to Brienz.

The Brienzer Rothorn is located at 2'350 meters above sea level.

The Planalp middle station is located halfway along the line (after a 30-minute ride). The steam locomotives are refueled with water at Planalp and the stop lasts about 5 minutes. Onward travelers are asked to remain seated during the break.

This depends on the length of stay on the Rothorn. But the minimum duration of the entire excursion is 2.5 hours.

During the season up to Rothorn Kulm from June to the end of October, the cable car runs eight times a day. You can find the exact timetable here.

The Brienz Rothorn Railway and the Brienzer Rothorn are synonymous with slowing down. There are two restaurants (the mountain hotel Rothorn Kulm and the Rothorn summit restaurant) and numerous hikes and walks around the summit. The Brienzer Rothorn boasts many beautiful viewpoints.

Culinary delights on the Rothorn

Yes, our mountain hotel Rothorn Kulm is open around the clock during the railway season.

Yes, the mountain hotel  has cozy rooms (single, double, triple and family rooms) with up to 100 beds.

Rooms can be booked under the following link: Book a room.

Hiking

The hike from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm or vice versa takes around 5-6 hours. However, it is possible to walk only as far as the Planalp middle station and take the train the rest of the way. You can find more information here.

The hike from Brienz - Planalp and Planalp - Rothorn (or vice versa) takes around 2.5-3 hours.

General information

Yes, the train also runs in the rain.

Trains may be canceled in the event of insufficient frequency due to "bad" weather or if safety cannot be guaranteed.

Parking spaces are available in the immediate vicinity of the Brienz valley station and are signposted. The parking spaces are subject to a charge.
A whole day costs CHF 8.00. Long-term parking spaces for cars can be found at the ship station in Brienz - directly opposite the Brienz valley station. These parking spaces are free of charge.

Do you have any further questions?

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