Train to Château-d'Oex - connections, tickets and itinerary

• Station: Château-d'Oex, Route de la Gare, 1660 Château-d'Oex - the only station in the town.

• Currency: Swiss franc (CHF), payment cards accepted almost everywhere.

• Destination: alpine town in the Pays-d'Enhaut valley, surrounded by peaks. Ski here in winter and go trekking in summer. The town is also famous for its local cheese made in Alpine huts over an open fire.

• Best time to go: in winter, from December to March, you come for the skiing and the balloon festival. In summer, from June to August, you'll go hiking.

• How much to go for: a weekend (2 days) is enough for the main attractions and a day on the slopes or trail. If you want to include a trip to Montreux or a visit to Gruyères, plan 3 days.

• Practical tip: the International Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place at the end of January every year - book your accommodation in advance at this time.

The best choice is winter for skiing and the balloon festival, or summer for trekking, when daytime temperatures reach 18–21°C and most trails are accessible.

Winter (December–March)

• Ski in winter on the slopes of the Pays-d'Enhaut region, where beginner and intermediate slopes have been prepared.

• At the end of January, you'll see the International Hot Air Balloon Festival with dozens of balloons from around the world and nightly light shows.

• Daytime temperatures range from -2°C to 5°C, with snow throughout the season.

• In February, during the ski holidays, you will encounter more tourist traffic and higher accommodation prices.

Spring (March–May)

• In spring you'll see melting snow and more hiking trails becoming accessible, with daytime temperatures of 5–14°C.

• You will benefit from smaller crowds and lower accommodation prices than in winter and summer.

• Some ski lifts close from April.

Summer (June–August)

• In summer you'll set off on trails in the valley and on the surrounding ridges – from easy walks to full-day hikes.

• From Montreux you'll take the cogwheel railway up to the Rochers de Naye.

• Daytime temperatures are 18–21°C, so trekking conditions are very good.

Autumn (September–November)

• In autumn you'll see the golden colours of the forests in the Pays-d'Enhaut valley, with daytime temperatures of 4–16°C.

• You will benefit from quieter sightseeing and lower accommodation prices.

• From November onwards, some ski lifts and high-mountain trails are closed.

You will travel from Poland to Château-d'Oex with changes, and from the main cities in Switzerland you usually change trains once. From Montreux you take a panoramic train between Montreux and Interlaken Ost through the Alpine valleys.

From Lausanne

• You only change trains once in Montreux and the whole journey takes 2 hours.

• From Lausanne to Montreux you travel for just a few minutes.

• You continue to Château-d'Oex on a panoramic train without another change.

From Geneva

• With one change at Montreux or Zweisimmen, you arrive in 2.5 hours.

• On the stretch from Montreux to Château-d'Oex you travel through alpine valleys with views of the mountains and Lake Geneva.

• If you are flying into Geneva, you can travel from the airport onward by rail without changing your mode of transport.

From Bern

• With a change at Zweisimmen, you'll get there in 2.5 hours.

• Bern is Switzerland's main rail hub with connections from across the country.

• On the Zweisimmen–Château-d'Oex section you travel through the alpine valleys of the Pays-d'Enhaut region.

From Zurich

• The journey takes 3.5–4 hours, depending on the route you choose.

• You can reach Château-d'Oex via Bern and Zweisimmen, or via Lausanne and Montreux.

• The Bern route is shorter, while the Lausanne route gives you the panoramic section at the end of the journey.

Getting there from Poland

• From Poland, you usually fly to Geneva and continue by rail with one change in Montreux.

• A second option is to fly to Zurich and continue by train via Bern and Zweisimmen.

• Seat reservations are compulsory on the international leg.

• On PKP Intercity and POLREGIO, skis and snowboards are treated as hand luggage. Carriage is free of charge if the equipment is stowed in a bag.

• Before your trip, also check the current rules for transporting equipment on SBB trains.

You can buy your ticket on Europodróże without registering – once purchased, you receive it by email and SMS. You also get an SMS reminder before departure with a link to your ticket, so you don't have to search for it in your inbox. The earlier you buy, the greater the choice of seats. For PKP Intercity tickets, refunds are possible up to 20 minutes before departure and exchanges up to 30 minutes before departure – see our refund and exchange policy page for details.

You get around Château-d'Oex mainly on foot. From the train station, you can walk to the Espace Ballon, the Musée du Vieux Pays-d'Enhaut and the town centre in a few minutes.

In winter, ski buses run from the centre to the slopes of the Pays-d'Enhaut region. You can buy your tickets on site.

Taxis are available at the station – handy if you have ski luggage or want to reach more distant points in the valley.

If you're planning excursions out of town, you can travel by rail:

• Montreux: 55 minutes by train from Château-d'Oex. From Montreux, you can take the cogwheel railway up to the Rochers de Naye.

• Gruyères: with a change at Bulle you will arrive in 1 hour. The castle and the Maison du Gruyère cheese dairy are well worth a visit.

Local transport fares in Switzerland are higher than in Poland – as a rough guide, expect to pay from several to several dozen zlotys per trip. Check the current SBB fares before you go.

Where to stay:

• Town centre – closest to the train station, Espace Ballon and the main restaurants; all attractions are within walking distance.

• Near the slopes – a convenient option in winter if you're planning several days of skiing in the Pays-d'Enhaut region.

Espace Ballon (ballooning museum)

You will learn about the history of aviation and ballooning in one place. Key exhibits include Julius Verne's hot-air balloon and the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon, which Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones used to make the first round-the-world balloon journey without landing in 1999 - 40,805 km, taking off just from Château-d'Oex. The tour takes 1-1.5 hours. There is an entrance fee.

Musée du Vieux Pays-d'Enhaut

In the local museum you will see a collection of traditional figures and cut-outs (découpages), popular in the region since the 18th century. The exhibition shows the daily life of the Pays-d'Enhaut valley over the centuries. The tour takes 45-60 minutes. There is an entrance fee.

International Hot Air Balloon Festival

The festival takes place every year in the last week of January. Dozens of balloons from all over the world take off from the meadows around the town, and the nightly light shows are among the most spectacular moments. Admission to the festival area is free.

Ski slopes

Château-d'Oex is part of the Pays-d'Enhaut ski region. You'll ski here on beginner and intermediate slopes, usually with smaller crowds than in the big Alpine resorts. The season runs from December to March.

Hiking trails

In summer you will set off on trails in the valley and on the surrounding ridges with views of Grummfluh and the neighbouring peaks. The trails start right in the centre - from easy walks that take 1 hour to all-day hikes.

Local cheese

You will taste local cheese as it is traditionally produced in Alpine huts, in vats over an open fire.

Plan for day 1

1. Morning: Espace Ballon - you will learn about the history of ballooning and the Piccard and Jones exhibits in 1-1.5 hours.
2. Midday: walk around the centre and have lunch with local cheese - fondue or raclette in one of the restaurants on the main street.
3. Afternoon: Musée du Vieux Pays-d'Enhaut. The tour takes 45-60 minutes and afterwards you can stroll around the town and its surroundings.

Plan for the weekend

You can arrange the first day in the same way as the 1-day plan.

Day 2 - your choice depending on the season:

• Winter: a day on the ski slopes of the Pays-d'Enhaut region. Ski buses run from the centre.

• Summer: a trip by panoramic train to Montreux, which takes 55 minutes. From there, you'll take the cogwheel train to the Rochers de Naye with views of Lake Geneva and the Alps.

• Alternative: a rail trip to Gruyères. The journey with a change at Bulle takes 1 hour, and you will see the castle and the Maison du Gruyère cheese factory on site.

Local cheese from Pays-d'Enhaut is traditionally produced in Alpine huts. You can buy it in local shops and directly from the producers. It stands up well to transport, so it works well as a souvenir.

Fondue and raclette are classic Swiss dishes that you'll find in most restaurants in Château-d'Oex. In winter they are served almost everywhere, and in low season check opening times before visiting.

There are several restaurants and cafés in the town centre within a short walk of the station. For lunch in a restaurant you will pay an approximate price of several tens of zlotys per person. A sandwich or lunch in a café costs less. Food prices in Switzerland are higher than in Poland and most EU countries.

Shopping: in the centre you will find local shops selling cheese, honey and Alpine products. You can also buy souvenirs related to balloons and the festival in the shop at the Espace Ballon.

There are also basic grocery shops in the centre - handy if you are staying longer or planning a picnic on the trail.

Souvenirs

• Local cheese from the Pays-d'Enhaut - made traditionally in Alpine huts, it stands up well to transport.

• Balloon souvenirs - gadgets and gifts related to the ballooning festival and museum, available in the shop at the Espace Ballon.

• Alpine honeys and products - available from local shops in the town centre.

Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, so you will spend more on accommodation and food than in Poland and most EU countries. The amounts below are indicative ranges in PLN.

Each variant assumes 1 overnight stay and 2 days in the destination. The amounts do not include the train ticket.

In the budget variant, you stay in a hostel or guesthouse, eat sandwiches and one restaurant lunch, and get around town on foot or by ski bus. The mid-range variant includes a three-star hotel, two restaurant meals per day and local travel. In the comfort option, you choose a four-star hotel or apartment, fondue restaurants, taxis and ski lifts.

During the balloon festival at the end of January, accommodation prices rise, so make your bookings early.