The Cog Railway Journey To Rochers-de-Naye In Switzerland Was A Bit Quieter Than I Expected...

The cog railway from Montreux to Rochers-de-Naye is worth it for the journey alone, but what I found at the top was a bit unexpected. Join me on this beautiful Swiss rail day-trip and let's soak up the views together! Enjoy the video...

Filmed on Wednesday 20th March 2024
Thumbnail designed using Canva
This video is not sponsored and all opinions are my own

I don’t pretend to be a travel expert, but I love what I do and would be honoured if you came along with me. My channel focusses on the wide-eyed wonder and excitement of finding somewhere new, and my genuine reaction to it. You may not get a history lesson in my videos, but who knows, you might pick up some useful travel tips along the way, add a few destinations to your bucket list and hopefully be entertained by what you see. Thanks for watching, it means a lot to me :)

I do ALL of this myself. Planning, filming, editing, promoting, all with a weekly upload schedule, so please understand not every video will be an epic adventure. But my pledge is to always do my best in any situation and KEEP THE CAMERA ROLLING :)

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FAQs:
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I was born in Glasgow but have lived in Carnoustie, Dalgety Bay, Stonehaven, Edinburgh, Montrose, and further afield (Salamanca, Spain & Devonport, New Zealand)
WHEN DO YOU UPLOAD?
Saturdays at 10am Scottish time. Occasionally a bonus midweek video will pop up (in which case, likely to be Wednesday at 10am)
WHY IS THERE A DELAY BETWEEN TRIP AND VIDEO APPEARING?
This is both my business model and a result of doing everything myself. Editing takes time and I also like to schedule videos a bit in advance in case of any problems/illness/cancellations etc. Keeping my uploads appearing every Saturday is important to me, so I don’t want anything to get in the way of it. Also, I occasionally need some time off to recover from trips! But more than anything else, it's about budgets. I generally need to film a number of videos on each trip to break even. And each one of these take a while to fall into place on a Saturday morning.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
WHY DON'T YOU SPEND LONGER AT DESTINATIONS?
The usual suspects I'm afraid - time and money! Hotels especially these days make my eyes water like a true Scotsman. Also my weekly upload schedule means I need to keep on the move.
WHERE'S ALICJA?
Alicja will feature whenever possible, but she has her own life and a proper job so it can take a while for our schedules to match up. Trust me though, I prefer it when She is there too!
DO YOU PAY FOR YOUR OWN TRAVEL?
Yes I do. I've only ever accepted a complementary ticket as compensation for a previous problem. All my opinions are frank and honest reflections of travel as I experience it.
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It's my income, I can't do this for free. Notice I don’t have mid-roll ads though!
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I used to list my email address but felt bad not having the capacity to respond to everything so took it down (and I got a LOT of spam so missed many genuine messages along the way).
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I don't like to upset the flow of my videos, so I don't even include mid-roll ads anymore (at significant loss of income to myself), so I prefer not to include sponsorships either. I'm open to a small slide at the start/end of each video, but I don't want to get into talking about products, it's something I don't like as a viewer myself (especially as a viewer who pays for YouTube Premium). So it's probably a polite no, although all of this goes out the window if you offer me something which can give me the chance to make a video for my audience that would otherwise be impossible.

#SteveMarsh #Trains #Switzerland

[ianfox]

"Aye it's no bad" when standing in front of an incredible view must be one of the most Scottish comments I have heard in ages.

[BobG]

Amazing views. One of the things I really like about your videos, Steve, is your way of making us feel like we're experiencing the trip, ourselves. The simple acts of watching footsteps, peering into the train window from outside, the help wanted sign... without sacrificing the beautiful views. I love what you do. Thanks, again, for sharing.

[Jana-wzdr]

I loved this video as it reminded me of a once in a lifetime trip I did with my son to Zermatt in 2010. We had a week of skiing and boarding in absolute paradise. The train ride up was fabulous as were the trains that actually ran up the ski runs! This was in Feb and March 2010. I was amazed at how many people took the train to the top of the mountain that did not ski or board. Standing at the top, we had a 360 view including Zermatt and Mont Blanc. A life changing experience. Thank you Steve.

[billcook]

I really, really appreciate your giving us just the ambient noise during the train rides.

[arthurrussell-re]

I haven't watched a Steve blog for two or three weeks and I definitely needed to be reminded why he is my absolutely favorite travel writer. I love the fact that he doesn't travel on the Orient Express, or first class on hideously expensive flights, whinging about the food. He travels like you and I are able to do on our limited budgets and NEVER complains unless there is absolute justification. This is a good man.

[vivellasmum]

I was feeling really rubbish, upset, fed up and I watched that and it totally changed my mood. That's why I watch your videos Steve, they brighten my day. What a stunning train jouney, I was just gobsmacked. Thank you for what you do.

[suzannebell]

Your'e the master of understatement - when faced with those breathtaking views "it's no bad"!

[RedStickLouisiana]

What an amazing journey with such beautiful views. Bravo to the people who built the rail line and stations along the way. Thanks for leaving the actual sound of the train in the video, it made it much more authentic.

[rianderous]

Montreux is one of the very rare railway stations with 3 track gauges! Standard gauge for SBB trains, metre gauge to Zweisimmen (and further to Interlaken) and 800mm for the Rochers de naye rack railway

[stevekimbrey]

I went on my first solo trip a few years back. I took a night train (my first time on that too) from Hamburg to Basel and then Basel down to the Alps to visit a friend. On my way to Geneva to go home, on my friends recommendation, I spent the day in Montreux and went to the sights mentioned in Smoke on the Water.
Anyway, the point is it was during a bit of a tricky time in my life and when the train approached Montreux and I got my first glimpse of Lake Geneva it very literally took breath away. I've never felt that before.
When I physically approached the lake itself I could feel myself shaking and when I finally got there I cried my eyes out. It's a beauty I have never experienced before or since. Even though the day was pretty overcast it was such an incredibly stunning place to be in. I'll never forget it. Thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories, Steve. Glad you enjoyed it.

[vm]

Steven your channel is more interesting than the BBC by far and the views in Switzerland are breathtakingly beautiful.

[seancoleman]

Feel very privileged to have been able to share this with you, looks absolutely stunning thankyou

[rl]

When we lived in Lausanne, it used to be a great trip to see Father Christmas at the top

[MargaretMckenna-jcee]

This video was absolutely brilliant it was even better with no music thank you Steve

[carolinegreenwell]

I love that you take us to some really interesting and not over-hyped places

[sjokomelk]

I love that Switzerland have these small, special built railways. This one is running on 800mm gauge with the cog in the middle, and on 850V DC electrification. It is almost a cross between a tram and a mountain goat. 😁

[MyOutdoorsUK]

Really good to hear you mention that this, and many like it, are far from being just tourist or sightseeing trains. They're an important part of the infrastructure for people living on the hillsides high above the valley floors. Not just for commuting and shopping but the things that look like cages at the read of the train are used for transporting household appliances and bulky goods to the locals.

[jonathanmccool]

That view and Steve says “It’s not bad”. The master of understatement.

[scottycat]

This must be the most scenic and beautiful journey you have shown us on your videos. Absolutely loved it, but please stop walking so close to the edges my heart was is my mouth. Thanks Steve as Switzerland is on my bucket list.

[SmithyScotland]

Aye, it's no bad. Slight understatement 😄