Switzerland
Holiday Highlights
- Travel by high speed TGV
- Sightseeing in Basel, Zürich, Lucerne and Chur
- 1 night at the 5* Savoy hotel
- Glacier Express
- Paddle Steamer on Lake Lucerne
- 8 days from £2,375 sharing
Series 1, Episode 4 Great Continental Railway Journeys. No Great Continental Rail Journey would be complete without Switzerland and this rail holiday allows you to enjoy the beauty of Switzerland's cities, mountains and lakes from the comfort of the train. You will be impressed by the engineering excellence of the Swiss rail network and your Swiss Pass allows you to explore more fully using other forms of transport including lake steams, trams and postbuses.
ITINERARY
Day 1
Depart mid-morning by Eurostar to Paris. Transfer to TGV service to Basel for an overnight stay.
Day 2
Explore Basel before taking the train to Brugg, to visit the roman ruins of Vindonissa, then on to the spa town of Baden, terminus of the first entirely Swiss railway line. The line was built to allow the residents of Zurich to take the waters, and is known affectionately as the "Spanisch Broetli-bahn" in honour of a local Baden pastry. Stay overnight in Zurich at the 5* Savoy hotel.
Day 3
Free morning to explore Zurich which has much more to offer than its reputation as the financial hub of Switzerland and what better way to get around than to use the efficient tram network. Take an early afternoon train to Chur, the cantonal capital of Graubunden. Stay 1 night in Chur.
Day 4
Time to explore the wonderful Old Town of Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland before departing on the Glacier Express, the slowest express train in the world! The panoramic coaches allow you to have the most wonderful views as the train winds its way via the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt. Change trains here for Goschenen and the amazing railway engineering that is the Gotthard route to Fluelen. From Fluelen the final leg of the journey is by lake steamer to Lucerne. Stay 1 night in Lucerne.
Day 5
A free morning in Lucerne then early afternoon train to Meiringen, home of the legend that is Sherlock Holmes. Stay 2 nights at the 4* Parkhotel du Sauvage.
Day 6
A full day out by train to Junfraujoch, the highest station in Europe. From Kleine Scheidegg, the line is 9 km long, 7 of which is in tunnel under the peaks of Eiger and Mönch. It emerges at Junfraujoch where there is a 360° panorama of the Italian Alps, Germany's Black Forest and the Vosges in France. You can also see the Jungfrau and Aletsch glaciers from here.
Day 7
Consider a visit to the Reichenbach falls, made famous as the place where Sherlock Holmes met his "death" following a meeting with his enemy Moriarty! A funicular operates in the summer season and takes you to a vantage point for the falls. Return to Meiringen and take the train to Basel for an overnight stay.
Day 8
Depart Basel after breakfast on the TGV to Paris, where you connect with the Eurostar service back to St Pancras, arriving mid afternoon.
Selected Hotels
Hotel Victoria, Basle
5* Savoy Hotel, Zurich
Hotel Freieck, Chur
Waldstätterhof, Luzern
Park Hotel du Sauvage, Meiringen
Please note - hotels can be subject to change</p)
Price Includes
- Standard class travel to and from Switzerland
- Standard class Swiss Pass for unlimited travel on trains, boats and trams
- Supplements for Glacier Express and Junfraujoch
- 7 hotel nights on a B&B basis in en suite rooms
Price per person
From £2,375 per person based on 2 sharing
Single room supplement £290
24/7 Support
Ffestiniog Travel provides 'out of hours' support for all independent travellers in the event of an emergency.
