How to get to Glacier 3000 by car, bus and train

The cable car leaves from Col du Pillon, Route du Pillon 253, 1865 Les Diablerets, at the top of the pass road between Les Diablerets and Gsteig, on the way to Gstaad. The bus stop outside is called Col-du-Pillon, Glacier 3000.

Three valleys lead there: from Lake Geneva through Aigle and Les Diablerets, from Lake Thun through Spiez and Gstaad, and from the Gruyère region through Bulle.

The operator puts Col du Pillon 8 minutes from Les Diablerets, 20 minutes from Gstaad, 40 minutes from Montreux and 90 minutes from Interlaken. The table gives route-planner times from further afield.

These are free-flow times with no traffic. In winter the mountain roads are slower, so allow extra time.

There are large paid car parks at Col du Pillon, right by the cable car, and at Reusch on the Gstaad side. Parking is a flat rate paid when you arrive.

Pay before you go up: the operator's terms set a CHF 40 fine for unpaid parking, and the parking fee is not refunded if the lifts close.

PostBus line 180 runs from Gstaad station through Gsteig and Reusch to Col du Pillon and on to Les Diablerets, stopping right at the cable car. From Gstaad it takes about half an hour; from Les Diablerets 15 to 20 minutes.

The bus is often free. The Gstaad Card covers it from Gstaad and the Welcome Card from Les Diablerets. From 1 November to 30 April, the stretches Les Diablerets–Col du Pillon and Reusch–Col du Pillon–Les Diablerets are also free with a Glacier 3000 ticket for walkers or skiers, a Magic Pass, or an Alpes Vaudoises or Villars-Diablerets day or multi-day ski pass.

From Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux the quickest way is the main line to Aigle, then the little ASD train (line R71) up through Le Sepey to Les Diablerets, about 50 minutes, and the bus to Col du Pillon. From Bern, Zurich and Interlaken you come in through Gstaad, on the GoldenPass line that links Montreux, Zweisimmen and Interlaken, and take the bus from Gstaad station.

The GoldenPass Express runs from Montreux through Gstaad to Interlaken, so it also makes a scenic way up from Montreux if you have the time. The examples below are real winter connections; check the SBB timetable for your own date.

In winter the last cabin up leaves at 16:00, so the buses at the end of the afternoon are the ones to plan around. Towards Lake Geneva, the 17:09 from Col du Pillon reaches Les Diablerets at 17:21 and connects to Aigle at 18:28, Lausanne at 19:12 and Geneva at 19:55.

Towards Gstaad, the 16:23 arrives at 16:53 and the 17:41 at 18:15. The 17:09 and 17:41 are the last practical buses, so keep an eye on the clock at the top.

Geneva, Zurich and Basel airports are all a few hours' drive away, and from Geneva Airport the train and bus take about 2 hours 40 minutes to Col du Pillon. The regional airports of Bern and Sion are nearer, and small planes can land at Saanen aerodrome near Gstaad.

Sleeping nearby means you can be on the first cabin at 09:00 without an early alarm. Les Diablerets is the closest village, a few minutes' drive or bus ride below Col du Pillon. Gstaad is about 20 minutes away, with the GoldenPass trains and the bus 180 from the same station.

If you would rather leave the changes and bus times to someone else, coach day trips run to Col du Pillon from Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux, the Geneva and Lausanne tours with free time in Montreux on the way back. Check whether the cable car ticket is included in the option you pick before you book.