Little Trains of Switzerland 2012
Switzerland’s delightful railways and five nights in wonderful Lucerne
£1,398
Enchanting scenery, normally only accessible to serious walkers, passes by the windows of our rail carriage as we travel on trains of Switzerland and the delightful cogwheel and funicular railways, during a terrific tour centered on lakeside Lucerne.
- Colmar
- Lucerne
- Journey on the Vitznau-Rigi Railway to the summit of Mount Rigi
- Journey on the Arth-Rigi Railway to Arth Goldau
- Excursion on the Mt Pilatus Rack Railway
We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Paris, where connect with our onward service to Colmar. We spend the night at the Grand Hotel Bristol, located close to the railway station and just a short walk from Colmar's beautiful historic centre. On Day 2 we enjoy a guided walking tour of Colmar, one of the prettiest towns in Alsace, with traditional half-timbered and brightly coloured houses sitting on cobbled lanes. We depart by train in the afternoon, travelling via Basel to the wonderful city of Lucerne - a popular destination due to its mild climate, lakeside setting and stunning mountain scenery. We spend the next five nights at Lucerne's Grand Hotel Europe. (Day 1-E,D; Day 2-B,D)
Today we enjoy an excursion to the summit of Mount Rigi, beginning with a leisurely boat cruise along the lake to Vitznau. Here we join Europe's oldest cogwheel railway, the Mt Rigi Railway to Rigi Kulm. On a clear day it is possible to see 13 of Switzerland's lakes. From Rigi Kulm we descend the opposite side of the mountain by cog railway to Arth Goldau then continue past pretty Lake Zugersee and back to Lucerne. (B,D)
Today you are free to explore the fantastic mountain scenery around Lucerne. Your GRJ First Class Swiss Travel Card gives you half price fares on most trains, buses and lake cruisers throughout the Switzerland, so you may wish to visit nearby Kehritsen, home to the Bürgenstock funicular railway. (B)
Today we depart Lucerne by boat and cross the lake to Alpnachstad, where we join the Pilatus Railway for the spectacular journey to Pilatus Kulm. The Pilatus Railway is the world's steepest cogwheel railway, with a gradient of 48%. At 7,000 feet (2,134m) Mount Pilatus summit offers great views of the surrounding lakes and mountains. We descend by gondola to Kriens and transfer back to Lucerne. On Day 6 you are free to explore the region further using your GRJ First Class Swiss Travel Card, or to relax in Lucerne. (Day 5-B,D; Day 6-B)
We leave Lucerne this morning, retracing our route by rail to Colmar, where we spend the night at the Grand Hotel Bristol. On Day 8 we continue our journey home, travelling via Paris to London. (B,E)
E=Eurostar Meal, B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
These meals, where shown are included in the price of your
holiday
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