Classic Glacier Express in Winter

Meeting the Tour Manager and group at London St Pancras, your winter holiday begins by boarding the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in Plus class, we enjoy a light meal at our seats and dash through the French countryside. From the French capital, we continue east to Strasbourg for an overnight stop.

This historic Alsace city has a compact but captivating centre, with grand squares and narrow waterways. Blending German and French architectural influences, the picturesque heart of the city is dominated by the Gothic cathedral. Dating from the 13th century and featuring a façade of ornately carved portals, the cathedral is topped by an octagonal tower.

After checking in to our central four-star hotel, we take a short walk to a local restaurant for our first dinner together.

• Eurostar Light Meal
• Dinner

With a free morning after breakfast, you can explore the sights of Strasbourg. Place Kléber, the grand main square, is the focal point of city life, while the historic quarter of La Petite France is a short stroll from our hotel. Home to tanners, millers and fishermen in the Middle Ages, this UNESCO World Heritage site now features flower-lined canals, cobbled streets and half-timbered houses.

Leaving Strasbourg in the afternoon, we travel First Class to Switzerland. In Basel, we join the efficient Swiss rail network in Standard Class and witness the scenery quickly increasing in seasonal beauty. From the gentle shoreline of Lake Zurich, the snow-capped Swiss Alps begin to surround our route as the landscape becomes more dramatic.

As the country's oldest town, Chur is full of history - as is our central hotel. After a welcome drink and dinner, we settle down to spend the first of three nights in a 360-year-old hotel, a favourite of our customers.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Dubbed the rail experts' best-kept secret, a journey on the Bernina Express in panoramic carriages is a highlight of this wintertime holiday. After breakfast in our hotel, we take the short walk to Chur train station and join this amazing train. The UNESCO-listed route twists its way south through the frozen landscape of the Engadine Valley, across the curved Landwasser Viaduct and through tunnels as it climbs the Albula Line.

Reaching the summit at more than 7,300 feet above sea level, we pass Lago Bianco before crossing the Bernina Pass. Pausing to view the sparkling Palü Glacier beside the tracks at Alp Grüm, we then wind down to the Italian-speaking town of Poschiavo.

Pastel-coloured buildings line the streets of this compact alpine town. Hues of pale blue, pink and yellow surround pretty Piazza Comunale, and there are numerous restaurants in which to lunch independently. On the return journey, we stop briefly in St Moritz before arriving back in Chur for dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After a leisurely breakfast, today is yours to explore attractive Chur. You might enjoy a wintertime stroll through the colourful, car-free town centre towards Martinsplatz, or St Martin's Square. At the heart of the town's oldest district, the square features a beautiful 18th-century stone fountain adorned with signs of the zodiac. Overlooking the historic centre are the 800-year-old Cathedral of the Assumption and the terracotta-fronted Bishop's Palace.

In the afternoon, you might take the cable car up Brambrüesch mountain for a panoramic view of the frosty landscape. Alternatively, if you want to head further afield, you could use your Swiss Half Fare Card for 50% discounts on all rail journeys across the country. The scenic Arosa Line, which climbs more than 3,000 feet in less than 17 miles to the beautiful lakeside town of Arosa, is a popular option. Also easily reachable are the stylish mountain resorts of Davos and Klosters, favourites of British royals.

Dining independently tonight, you could opt for the local speciality of pizzoccheri, a hearty dish of pasta, potato, cabbage and cheese.

• Breakfast

Today, one of Europe's most iconic train journeys awaits. After breakfast in our hotel, we board the incredible Glacier Express to Brig. The scenic route of the 'slowest express train in the world' delves into the Rhine Gorge, where panoramic carriages provide front-row seats to the 'Swiss Grand Canyon' as our train snakes alongside the River Rhine.

Travelling at an average speed of 24mph, we can admire dramatic landscapes from our panoramic carriages while enjoying a two-course lunch at our seats. The scenery is uplifting as we rise above the valley floor, snowy meadows, frozen streams and white mountaintops as we climb to Andermatt.

Emerging from the nine-mile Furka Tunnel, we follow the Rhône to the valley town of Brig, nestled beside the river at the northern edge of the Simplon tunnel. We check in to our family-run hotel near the station for a four-night stay, before dinner tonight.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast in Brig, we take a local train to Zermatt, a tranquil mountain resort only accessible by foot or train. Zigzagging through the dramatic landscape of the Matter Valley, we pass sugar-coated trees blanketing the rising slopes and huddles of chalets lining the valley floor.

On arrival, you have a free afternoon to explore. Zermatt itself has many beautiful sights, such as the picturesque historic chalets of Hinterdorfstrasse. From Zermatt's location at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn, you might take the Gornergrat Mountain Railway up to the immense glacier or hop into a cable car past Schwarzsee for views of the winter wonderland. Alternatively, warm up in a café in view of the iconic peak.

In the evening, we return to Brig for a three-course dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A day at leisure provides an opportunity to see more of this beautiful part of Switzerland after breakfast. Besides its charming historic centre, Brig also boasts the 17th-century Stockalper Palace, recognisable from miles around due to its three stone towers topped by large, gilded domes.

Alternatively, you could make the most of your Swiss Half Fare Card, taking the train along the Rhône Valley to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Here, you can join either the GoldenPass Line panoramic train to Gstaad or explore the striking Château de Chillon and the sights of Montreux - including its beautiful lakefront promenade and statue of former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

If you prefer to remain in the mountains, the Aletsch Glacier can be reached by cable car, and the Italian town of Domodossola is a short ride from Brig through the tunnel formerly used by the Simplon-Orient Express.

• Breakfast

Travelling by train to the picturesque mountain village of Grindelwald, you have free time to look around one of Europe's oldest mountain resorts. Due to its spectacular location, visitors began arriving in the late 18th century - and with free time to explore, it's easy to understand its appeal.

Nestled in a beautiful valley, Grindelwald is surrounded by some of Switzerland's most famous mountains. You could continue to the summit of Grindelwald-First mountain by cable car to marvel at a skyline of incredible peaks, including the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger. Alternatively, stroll through the village itself to admire the attractive wooden chalets and town squares combining the old comforts of classic alpine architecture with more contemporary winter sports facilities.

Afterwards, we continue to Interlaken to cruise across glimmering Lake Thun, the emerald waters surrounded by enchanting snow-capped peaks. On the cruise, look out for the fairytale Spiez Castle, which juts out into the lake. From Thun, we return to Brig by train for our final dinner together as a group.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This wintertime journey has featured spectacular snowy scenery, cosy chalets and iconic trains. Having experienced many delights of this beautiful country, from the Bernina Express and Glacier Express to the mountain panoramas of Zermatt and Grindelwald, your Swiss holiday comes to an end after breakfast this morning.

Our route takes us down the Rhône Valley, with fantastic vistas of mountains and vineyards on the way to Lake Geneva. Travelling behind the lakefront castle of Chillon, we pass through the stylish Swiss Riveira towns of Montreux and Vevey.

Departing Geneva in First Class seats on the high-speed TGV, the southern Jura mountains pass by our windows on our way to Paris. In the French capital, we join the Eurostar service, travelling in Eurostar Plus class for the final leg of our trip home. On arrival in London St Pancras, your holiday draws to a close and you are free to make your way home.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Light Meal