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Glacier Express All Inclusive at New Year

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Discover a Swiss Winter Wonderland

Operated by our sister company Rail Discoveries

2023 Tour code: 24TFN

About the tour

Discover the delights of Switzerland at New Year on this  all inclusive festive break. Travel through winter wonderlands on some of Switzerland's most iconic railways, explore elegant resorts, and soak up incredible snowy vistas.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London to Strasbourg

Travel from London St Pancras on the Eurostar to Paris, where you change trains and continue to Strasbourg. You spend the night in the city, which sits in the heart of France's Alsace region and offers a captivating blend of French and German influences.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Strasbourg to Tiefencastel

We enjoy a morning to explore Strasbourg. The city boasts a wealth of fascinating medieval architecture, and as you walk along streets lined with half-timbered buildings and head down enticing, twisting lanes, you'll feel a little like you've stepped back in time. During the festive season, in particular, the city is a delight to discover.

This afternoon, you take the train to Tiefencastel in Switzerland, your home for the next five nights. With only a couple of hundred inhabitants, the small village retains its traditional Swiss charms, and is a unique place to spend New Year. 

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - St Moritz

Spend your day discovering the luxurious resort town of St Moritz. Synonymous with glitz and glamour, St Moritz is famous for its winter sports and attracts wealthy holidaymakers from across the globe.

You journey through stunning Alpine scenery on the UNESCO-listed Albula Line on your way to St Moritz, where upon arrival you have some free time to explore the charming winter wonderland at your own pace.  Bedecked in its festive finery, charming Christmas light  displays and Christmas decorations line the streets, making strolling through the town an  experience in itself. Spend time window shopping at the incredible designer boutiques and  jewellers, or perhaps pause for a hot chocolate and a spot of lunch at one of the many chic cafés here.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - New Year’s Eve on the Bernina Express

Enjoy a New Year's Eve to remember today, as you celebrate onboard the famous Bernina Express, travelling across the border to  Tirano in Italy.  This remarkable railway line is over 100 years old and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. It's widely  recognised as one of the finest  rail journeys the world, and as you tunnel through snow-capped mountain ranges, cross spectacular canyons and valleys, and glide alongside frozen lakes, you'll soon  realise why.   

You enjoy a little free time in the Italian town of  Tirano; a fantastic opportunity to discover a whole new country at the most wonderful time of year. Tonight, back in  Tiefencastel, you  sit down to a delicious New Year's Eve gala dinner - a perfect way to ring in the new year.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Tiefencastel

Today is New Year's Day, where you're free to relax at your hotel or explore Tiefencastel, or indeed the rest of the region, further.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Chur & the Arosa Line

You enjoy a journey on the pretty  Arosa Line today, climbing to the charming lakeside town of  Arosa. Take in the rocky, wintry scenery of the Graubünden canton en-route, winding through wild and dramatic landscapes before arriving in  Arosa, where you're met with stunning vistas across the icy waters of Lake  Obersee. After some free time, continue by train to Chur, Switzerland's oldest settlement with a history dating back over 5,000 years. 

You have some time to explore this quintessentially Swiss town. You could head to the quaint Old Town, which boasts  fantastically-preserved medieval town walls and buildings and is entirely traffic-free, making it the ideal place to explore on foot. At this time of year, Christmas decorations adorn the buildings, adding an extra touch of magic.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - The Glacier Express

A highlight of your holiday awaits you today, as you bid farewell to Tiefencastel and enjoy a journey on the world-renowned Glacier Express, travelling to Brig. Known affectionately as the 'world's slowest express train', the Glacier Express gently makes its way through the glorious scenery, affording you a front-row view of some of the best of Switzerland's natural beauty. During the winter months, the striking vistas are transformed into a picture-postcard landscape of snowy meadows, frozen waterfalls and white mountaintops. On board, a handy audio guide narrates your journey, letting you know when a particularly scenic or interesting spot is coming up, so you don't miss a moment of the views. On arrival in Brig, you change trains and head to Basel, a medieval Swiss city on the banks on the Rhine River. Your luggage will be waiting for you here, and you spend the night at a local hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Homeward bound

Your festive adventure comes to an end today. Leaving Basel, you join the TGV train  to Paris this morning. Here, you connect with the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Hotel Albula & Julier, Tiefencastel

Hotel Albula & Julier, Tiefencastel

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Trains

Bernina Express
Eurostar
The Glacier Express
TGV

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Upgrade to Standard Premier Class on Eurostar
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Tailor made for you

Customise this tour with Great Rail Journeys Independent