Brienz BRB
3855 Brienz, Switzerland, Brienz BE
Unique experience! They have different types of train- diesel steam and normal diesel. The steam is fun but a bit noisy and smelly:) There was thick clouds in the middle but it was very clear on top of the mountain!
Worth paying for (especially if you get 50% off with SwissPass), fantastic scenery, one of the highlights of my trip. But there is a negative - the company has about 4 steam trains (great, as advertised) and 1 diesel train. The steam train is a little smoky but it’s the authentic traditional method. The diesel train produces choking diesel fumes which are very unpleasant and spoil the experience. If you’re on the diesel train try to sit far away from the engine. The company should replace the diesel train with a steam one, make it electric, or just run fewer trains. It’s possible to see the views and stand up to take photos even if you don’t get the best seats - but if you want to sit on the outside make sure to get to the station early to be at the front of the queue. The food in the restaurant at the top is OK but not great - typical canteen fast food.
As a bit of a train buff, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip up and back. A fabulous day oit.
Last July we have been in Brienz and took the Brienz-Rothorn Train which is called BRB. The station is right in the center of Brienz, opposite the SBB train station. The staff was not really friendly to be honest, which I could not understand as it was in a time when all railway providers were suffering from lack of passengers due to Covid-19. However the trip to the top of the Rothorn was unique. We've enjoyed it very much to ride through forests, tunnels and huge fields with cows. Once arrived on the top we were blown away from the amazing view over the lake of Brienz. We had something to drink in the restaurant on the top and spend roughly an hour up there before taking the next traing back downhill. The train stops at a station during its ride from where you can hike up or down as you please. Great experience for anybody who wants to enjoy a not so expensive train ride in Switzerland.
The views along the way and at the summit are amazing. A major disappointment, however, was the diesel locomotive on the uphill journey at 8 AM — it smelled bad and didn’t have a pleasant sound. It would be helpful to indicate which departures use diesel, as most people would prefer to avoid it. With the diesel locomotive, the ride itself has no value.
Amazing journey, can ride with the train and then walk down to Brienz