Best Holiday Destinations for 2025
26/12/2024 · By Ian Holt
To inspire your travels, Great Rail Journeys reveals our Top 10 best holiday destinations and expert tips for 2025, from luxury trains to hidden gems.
Read moreSave £100pp on Europe & UK 2025 holidays, when you book by 25th August 2025.
Experience the best of the Swiss Alps in ultimate luxury, where majestic mountains, picturesque landscapes and unspoiled nature align.
On this magnificent GRJ All Inclusive holiday, you'll wake up in a delightful five-star hotel in the enchanting village of Grindelwald. Nestled in a green valley beneath the immense Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, the village is filled with traditional wooden chalets, incredible views and a charming atmosphere.
From this wonderful base, experience all the Alps has to offer, including a trip to the 'Top of Europe' on the Jungfrau Express. At the peak we reach the stunning Aletsch Glacier, stretching as far as the eye can see, and enjoy endless views across snow-capped peaks, before entering the magical Ice Palace, carved inside the glacier, on a private tour of the Ice Bar - an unforgettable Swiss adventure!
GRJ All
Inclusive tours are all about making your holiday hassle-free, so
you can savour your experience. All your main meals are included,
as well as selected drinks at your destination hotel.
Enjoy More with a GRJ All Inclusive Holiday
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included on the tour?
Itinerary
Our Swiss adventure begins at London St Pancras as we meet our fellow travellers and Tour Manager. Boarding the Eurostar in spacious Plus Class, we enjoy a light meal at our seats on the way to Paris. In the French capital, we continue by rail to the beautiful town of Colmar, the capital of the Alsace wine region.
A region blending French and German influences, the Alsace is home to chocolate-box towns - none more so than Colmar. The cobblestone lanes and flower-lined canals of this attractive old town are bordered by colourful half-timbered houses. After dark, the bridges of Colmar's 'Little Venice' are illuminated, creating a fairytale ambience. After checking in to our four-star hotel near the station, there is some free time to spend the first evening of your holiday soaking up the charm, history and culture of this picture-book town. Later, we gather back at our hotel to get to know one another better over our first dinner as a group.
Please Note - For departures 6th, 20th and 27th May, 3rd and 10th June, 26th August, 2nd, 16th and 30th September and 14th October we will dine at a local restaurant.
Please Note - For departures 9th September & 7th October will outbound via Lausanne, staying at Hotel de la Paix.
Additional information
Hotel
More information on the different trains that are used on this tour.
The delightful steam-hauled Brienz-Rothorn Mountain Railway was opened in 1892 and provides a real heritage rail experience. A charming small steam engine carries us up the route beside steep and rocky mountains and verdant alpine meadows - all while providing beautiful views of the glistening Lake Brienz below. Its destination is Rothorn mountain at an altitude of more than 7,000ft. On a clear day, the vistas from this vantage point are spectacular and, as it is only a few miles from the lake shore, viewing Lake Brienz from a different perspective really brings out the remarkable colour.
The high-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.
The route from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station, comprises three different railways. The first leg from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is on the Bernese Oberland Railway, continuing to Kleine Scheidegg on the Wengernalp Railway. From Kleine Scheidegg, the Jungfrau Railway climbs to Eigergletscher, before entering the 4.43-mile tunnel that ends in the underground station at Jungfraujoch. During the journey through the tunnel, the train makes a short stop at the Eiger Wall for view through the picture window from the north face of the Eiger down to Grindelwald.
High up in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, stretched between sun-drenched Alpine meadows or snow-capped peaks depending on the season, the Schynige Platte Railway winds its way from the town of Wilderswil to the Schynige Platte Alpine ridge. Along the way, a jaw-dropping spectacle of ancient mountains reveals itself, indulging passengers in an Alpine wonderland of supreme beauty. The route also features marvellous views of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau mountains.
Enhance your holiday
Enjoy hassle-free travel to and from Switzerland with our return door-to-door luggage transfer service for only £249 per bag.
The service includes one 20kg bag per person which will be collected from your home before you depart and will be ready and waiting for you at your first destination hotel in Switzerland. Your bag will also be delivered back to your home address on your return.
If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag. If flying to or from your destination, you will take your own luggage with you on the flight.
Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.
We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.
Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.
We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.
For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.
Reviews
4.5 / 5 · 178 reviews
I Pickering
Submitted 23/Jun
The holiday ran very smoothly because of the tour manager we had
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M Gardener
Submitted 18/Jun
Fantastic. Thoroughly enjoyed it. ??
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Glyn R W Rees
Submitted 16/Jun
A previous report was emailed to GRJ.
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Michael Cheskin
Submitted 11/Jun
Excellent on all aspects.
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Jane Bennett
Submitted 9/Jun
Amazing trip with spectacular scenery, varied forms of transport and a great tour guide in Richard.
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Neville Bridgman
Submitted 5/Jun
We had an amazing time - the headline price may seem expensive but in reality it includes a lot and builds in free time to go your own way. Hotel was great. Excursions were memorable. Tour manager was exceptional.
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