Mountain Railways of Switzerland

ITINERARY

Day 1 – London to Cologne

A mid-morning departure by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels then onwards to Cologne where we have an overnight stay

Day 2 – To Lausanne

Today we continue to Lausanne via Basle and Bern. From Basle onwards we will be travelling in First Class using our unlimited travel pass which is provided as part of the holiday. The afternoon is free to explore. Lausanne is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva and visits to Chateau Saint-Maire and the Cathedral are well worth it.

Day 3 – Leysin, Les Diablerets & Col-de-Bretaye

After breakfast we head to the small town of Aigle where we ride the mountain railways up to Leysin and Les Diablerets. Our journey continues to Bex in the afternoon where we climb to the high mountain pass of Col-de-Bretaye that sits at about 1500m above sea level.

Day 4 – Les Pléiades & Blonay-Chamby

A short journey to Vevey this morning to ride the spectacular Vevey to Les Pléiades line. Climbing to the lofty heights of 1348m above sea level, on arrival in Les Pléiades you will be treated to breathtaking views of Lakes Neuchatel and Geneva. On our return we will disembark at Blonay so we can visit the Blonay-Chamby Museum Railway, home to one of the best continental collections of historic metre gauge railway stock.

Day 5 – Onwards to Interlaken & Harder Kulm

Departing Lausanne this morning we head to Interlaken for a 3-night stay. Enjoy an afternoon excursion riding the funicular up to Harder Kulm which delivers a birds-eye view of Interlaken and Lakes Brienz and Thun.

Day 6 – Brienzer Rothorn

This morning we take a short journey to Brienz to ride the Brienz Rothorn Bahn. This oil-fired steam cogwheel railway will take us to just below the peak of Brienzer Rothorn where the summit station is located at an elevation of 2,224m. Once we arrive back in Brienz, sit back and relax as we take a lake cruise across Lake Brienz back to Interlaken.

Day 7 – Jungfrau Region

Spend the day exploring the Jungfrau region and its impressive mountain railways and funiculars. We intend to visit Schynige Platte, Mürren and Allmendhubel today before we return to Interlaken via Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald.

Day 8 – “Over the Top” to Brig!

After a leisurely start this morning we head to Brig for a 3-night stay. We take what is now known as the old route to Brig from Interlaken, going “over the top!” via Kandersteg and Goppenstein.

Day 9 – Zermatt & Gornergrat

A day trip to Zermatt to visit some of the most well known mountains in Switzerland. On arrival in Zermatt we will take the funicular railway up the Gornergrat reaching a height of 3100m above sea level. Throughout the journey we will have spectacular views of Switzerland’s most famous mountain – The Matterhorn – and once we reach the top you will be rewarded with panoramic views of glaciers and mountains as far as the eye can see!

Day 10 – Glacier Express

We take one of Switzerland’s most scenic rail journeys, delivering the best views through its panoramic windows. Sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery as we travel to Chur for a 3-night stay. This afternoon there will be an optional escorted excursion to Arosa.

Day 11 – Appenzeller Bahn

After breakfast we take a journey to St Gallen via Sargans, where we will ride the scenic Appenzeller Bahn to Appenzell. The Appenzeller Bahn is the steepest adhesion railway in Switzerland with an incline of up to 8%. There will be time for a spot of lunch in Appenzell before our return to Chur.

Day 12 – Muottas Muragl & Corvigliabahn

En route to St Moritz we enjoy journeys that take us to the peaks of Muottas Muragl and Corviglia. From Chur we take a Rhaetian Railway (RhB) service to Samedan for a short connection to Punt Muragl where we ride the funicular railway to the peak of Muottas Muragl, at 2456m. Time to take in the views and plenty of photographs before making our descent to catch a service back to Samedan and onwards to St Moritz where we take the Corvigliabahn to the summit of Mt Corviglia reaching a height of 2489m. Enjoy more spectacular views before we head back down the mountain and return to Chur.

Day 13 – To Brussels

We leave Chur this morning and make our way to Brussels, travelling back via Zürich and Frankfurt and arriving into Brussels at dinner time for a 1-night stay.

Day 14 – Homeward Bound

Morning at leisure before taking a lunchtime Eurostar service to London St Pancras where we are due to arrive early afternoon.