We begin our journey from the fashionable skiing and summer resort of Gstaad by travelling through the pretty, chalet-filled villages of the German-speaking Saanenland region. As we leave the Saanenland, you will notice that the village names become French. One of the first villages we come to is Châteaux d'Oex - a popular destination for hot air ballooning. We continue through the Pays d'Enhaut valley to the village of Montbovon before ascending through wild, Alpine scenery towards the Jaman Tunnel.
During our journey through the tunnel, the longest on the line, we leave the Alps behind and emerge to a more Mediterranean landscape. From here the train encounters the steepest gradient on the line - a descent of 1 in 37 - through woodland to the winter resort of Les Avants. The GoldenPass Line reaches Lake Geneva, offering magnificent views of the lake's glittering waters and the surrounding peaks. The train makes its final descent through vineyards, twisting and turning through a series of impressive horseshoe curves to our final destination, lively Montreux.
The high speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.
The First Class coaches are divided between Business Premier class and Leisure Select (soon to be re-named 'Standard Premier Class'), which is essentially Eurostar's equivalent First Class service for leisure, rather than business travellers. In your dedicated Leisure Select (Standard Premier Class) carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. Pick up a complimentary newspaper or magazine and look forward to your holiday in your spacious, comfortable seat. As part of the service you'll enjoy drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.
Passengers travelling in Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet, which sells a range of snacks, meals, hot and cold drinks - including champagne!
More than fifteen years ago, Eurostar changed the way that people travel to Paris and Brussels forever. The rail service, which directly links the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel, started operating in 1994.
Eurostar launched services from its new London station, St. Pancras International, and from Ebbsfleet International in Kent in November 2007 with the completion of the second section of the UK's first high-speed line. Following the move, Eurostar's fastest journey times have fallen with London-Paris taking 2 hours 15 minutes, London-Brussels 1 hour 51 minutes and London-Lille just 1 hour 20 minutes.
Travelling at up to 186mph (299km/h), Eurostar speeds through the Kent countryside before diving into the 31.4 mile (50.5km) long Channel Tunnel in Kent and emerging in Coquelles in northern France. From here the train travels to Lille before heading on to Paris or Brussels. From the heart of London to the heart of these great European cities, Eurostar services allow travellers to avoid long queues, lengthy transfers and the hassles of air travel while arriving at our destination more quickly than ever.
Introduced in 1981, France's TGV - Train à Grande Vitesse - was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel. The network has expanded rapidly and today these sleek, stylish trains offer links to over 60 destinations throughout France. Operated by SNCF, the French national rail operator, TGV trains travel over specially-constructed high speed lines. The trains can achieve speeds of up to 186mph (300km/h) on most long distance routes and 200mph (320km/h) on the new TGV Est line, which links Paris with Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Basel. With the exception of shorter journeys, TGVs almost always have an on-board buffet car, serving a selection of drinks and light refreshments.