Take in some of Switzerland's finest winter scenery on this
magnificent holiday. From our base in the wonderfully unspoilt town
of Meiringen, we visit the lakeside town of Lucerne, ride a
carriage in the mountain village of Grindelwald, and take a trip to
the 'Top of Europe' on the famous Jungfrau Railway.
Highlights
Meiringen
Cable car ride to the Alpen Tower
Journey to Jungfraujoch, the highest station in Europe
Horse and carriage ride and glühwein in Grindelwald
Journey over the Brünig Pass to Lucerne
GRJ Swiss Travel Card
What’s Included
Standard Class Rail Heritage Rail Excursion
4* Hotel Accommodation Breakfast Every Day Selected Evening Meals
We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Paris. We
continue from Paris south through the French countryside to the
delightful Alsatian town of Strasbourg where we enjoy dinner and
stay overnight.
Enjoy a morning at leisure to explore the delightful streets and
half timbered houses of Strasbourg, before we continue into
Switzerland, to Basel. We continue on the efficient Swiss rail
network past Lake Thun to Interlaken, where we change for the
narrowgauge train to the small, charming town of Meiringen. Our
hotel in Meiringen is the Hotel Alpbach, where we stay in
well-appointed deluxe rooms for six nights and on arrival we enjoy
hot mulled wine. The hotel is set against a magnificent backdrop of
towering snow covered peaks and situated just a short walk from the
town centre.
One of Switzerland's best-kept secrets, the town of Meiringen
remains unspoilt and typically Swiss. The author Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle loved the town and was so taken with it that he let his
famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, plunge to his death at the
impressive Reichenbach Falls nearby. This morning we take a cable
car ride to the Alpen Tower where we experience dramatic panoramic
views of the surrounding peaks from a height of over 7,300 feet
(2,225m). In the afternoon there is time to visit the small
Sherlock Holmes Museum, with its replica of the detective's study.
You have some further free time to explore the town. Make sure you
don't miss Meiringen's other claim to fame; the meringue, available
in many varieties throughout the town.
Today's excursion is by mountain railway to the historic
lakeside city of Lucerne, one of Europe's most charming cities. Our
route takes us through some truly magnificent scenery, over the
dramatic Brunig Pass and alongside the emerald green waters of Lake
Lucerne. In Lucerne you have plenty of time to discover the cobbled
streets lined with pretty, frescoed buildings, picturesque squares
and the famous Kapellbrücke Bridge, a beautiful covered wooden
bridge originally built in 1333, and containing many beautiful
interior paintings dating to the 17th century. The Swiss Transport
Museum, with its fascinating collection of artefacts relating to
land, air and sea transportation, is also well worth a visit.
Our excursion today is one of the highlights of any visit to the
Bernese Oberland, as we board the Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch
- Europe's highest railway station at 11,333 feet (3,454 m). On
arrival at Jungfraujoch, there is time at leisure, before returning
to Meiringen via Interlaken and Grindelwald. In Grindelwald, we
enjoy a magical horse-drawn sleigh ride through the wintry
landscape.
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.
