Here's an update--we did this today for research purposes for when our friends come to visit. The train runs during the day a number of times out of either Lutry or Cully. The daytime trains fill up quickly (there are only 34 seats on the trains) so buy your tickets as far in advance as you can. The daytime trains go up the hillside and through 4 wine villages but do not stop.

We were specifically interested in wine tastings, so we opted for the evening train which runs only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m., always out of Lutry. They have a total of 7 wine caves that they alternate around. On any given night, it is not really clear exactly which vineyard you will end up at. This evening, the little train (be forewarned, it is full of tourists and it is comparable to a hayride) took us through Aran, Grandveaux and Riex before going back down the hill to Cully where we stopped at the Fischer cave. We all went inside the cave and were offered tastings of three different wines, which were all good. You could also order cheese or sausage plates to go with your wines which was an extra cost but almost everyone ordered them. I think many of these folks were using this whole experience as their dinner. We then had the opportunity to purchase any wines by the bottle that we liked. The prices were very inexpensive. The cheapest bottle was 8.50 francs and the most expensive was around 12 or 13 francs. If you bought a case, the prices dropped dramatically to like 6 or 7 francs per bottle.

The views were fabulous. The wine villages that the train goes through were Disney-perfect. A great experience for visitors if they are not capable or willing to hike or bike through the Lavaux. The train "conductor" spoke English. Well worth the 20 franc for a two hour tour of the Lavaux.

Hope this helps.