Vitznau–Rigi railway line

The best value on this list for many visitors, because the Swiss Travel Pass and the GA travelcard cover the Rigi railways outright. The Vitznau line opened in 1871 and bills itself as Europe's first mountain railway, though a quarry rack line near Bern beat it by a year. It climbs from the shore of Lake Lucerne to Rigi Kulm at 1,752 meters. Rigi is far lower than the glacier summits, so it is the sensible fallback when cloud sits on the high peaks, and a free one for pass holders. A classic loop goes up from Vitznau and down the other side on the Arth-Rigi line to Arth-Goldau, whose tracks meet the Vitznau line at Rigi Staffel.