Lake Geneva, Chamonix & Mont Blanc

Meeting the Tour Manager at London St Pancras early this morning, your holiday begins by boarding the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in Plus class, we enjoy a light meal at our seats.

Changing trains in the French capital, we continue by rail to Geneva in First Class. From here, we are transferred by coach direct to our alpine hotel. Passing the glistening shores of Lake Geneva, we view the famous shoreline resorts of the Swiss Riviera enroute to the mountain resort of Champéry. Our home in Switzerland for the next six nights is a charming four-star hotel with beautiful alpine views across to the sharp, toothlike summits of the seven peaks of the Dents du Midi, part of the Chablais Alps.

Tonight, and each evening of our holiday, we enjoy a three-course dinner at the hotel.

• Dinner

Today, you're free to get to know Champéry at your own pace. One of the oldest mountain resorts in Switzerland, Champéry's picturesque main street features traditional chalets displaying carved balconies and pitched roofs. It is here you can find many charming shops and restaurants in which to relax and soak up the views.

High up in a valley just across the mountainous border from the famous French ski resorts of Avoriaz and Morzine, amazing alpine views surround our base. There are many walking trails in the area, but an easier way to bask in the incredible scenery is by taking the red-and-white cable car to Croix-de-Culet. At a height of 6,350 feet, this is a ski area in winter but in summer provides breathtaking panoramas across the region's peaks. A regular train service links the station immediately outside our hotel with Champéry's centre and the town of Aigle, which boasts a stunning medieval château set amid a backdrop of beautiful Alps.

Gathering back at our hotel this evening, we enjoy a three-course dinner in the restaurant.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A highlight of your holiday awaits after breakfast as we travel by train to France. After journeying down the valley to Martigny, we board the Mont Blanc Express for a stunning ride through the Chamonix Valley on a scenic line dating back more than a century. This route winds past dense forests, azure mountain lakes and stunning peaks on the way to Chamonix.

On arrival, you're free to explore this classic alpine resort with glorious mountain panoramas, the jewel in the crown of which is Mont Blanc, the highest in western Europe. Travelling in the vintage carriages of the Montenvers rack railway, you could climb even higher and see the fantastic Mer de Glace glacier and enter the ice cave, an amazing sight!

In Chamonix itself, there are many beautiful churches, shops and restaurants. You may be tempted to tuck into a delicious sweet or savoury crêpe with a café au lait, before we return across the mountains to Champéry for dinner tonight.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Hopping aboard a train after breakfast this morning, we travel to Montreux on the northern shore of Lake Geneva. From this popular lakeside town, we board the 'Chocolate Train' for an excursion into the world of two of Switzerland's most revered products: chocolate and cheese.

In Belle Époque Pullman carriages, our route climbs past hillside vineyards, providing wonderful views behind us while we enjoy coffee and chocolate croissants. From Montbovon, a coach transfer takes us to Gruyères. This picturesque medieval town in the Swiss Highlands is synonymous with cheese. During a visit to the Maison du Gruyère, we learn about how this world-famous cheese is produced, before free time to explore the town. Later, we continue to nearby Broc to visit the Cailler chocolate factory. As the oldest Swiss chocolate brand still in production, the sweet treat has been produced on this site since 1898. After our tour, we indulge in a delicious tasting.

Returning to Montreux, we continue back to Champéry by rail in time for this evening's three-course dinner at our hotel.

Please note: On the 23rd April departure, today will be the wine-tasting at Lavaux Vinorama and the journey on the Chocolate Train will be on Day 6.

• Breakfast, Dinner

You are free today to explore using your included Swiss Half Fare Card, offering 50% discounts on rail travel. One option is to take the train back to Lake Geneva, where you can find Château de Chillon, an impressive fortress which resembles a fairytale castle.

Alternatively, you could visit the small valley town of Martigny. Surrounded by vineyards, the town has a fascinating culture and history, stretching back to the Romans and Celts. It also played a crucial role in Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power. Napoleonic forces used Martigny and the nearby St Bernard Pass to attack the Habsburgs, defeating them at the Battle of Marengo in northern Italy in 1800.

Situated in a fertile, sunny valley, Martigny is also known for its fresh produce and great food. There is a living museum allowing visitors to meet Saint Bernard dogs - the endearing animals which are devoted to rescuing people in the mountains. If you're looking for a bite to eat here, the restaurants and cafés in Martigny are mostly around the Place Centrale in the heart of the town.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast this morning, we travel by rail via Aigle to Montreux. There's free time here to grab some lunch or wander along the esplanade. Montreux is a cultural town, with many actors and musicians having chosen to live nearby along the shore of Lake Geneva. Two of its most famous residents were Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury - and there is a statue of the Queen frontman on the shoreline walk.

Later, we continue by rail to the lakefront village of Rivaz to visit Lavaux Vinorama. At the heart of this UNESCO-listed wine region, where vines slope down the terraced hills providing exquisite views of Lake Geneva and the French Alps, we enjoy a tasting of Swiss wines, including full and fruity whites made from Chasselas grapes.

With regular trains back to Champéry, you can opt to stay at the winery and return at leisure. Reuniting at the hotel this evening, we gather for our final dinner together.

Please note: On the 23rd April departure, today will be the Chocolate Train journey to Gruyères.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The peaceful mountain town of Champéry is a great place from which to explore this part of mountainous Switzerland and neighbouring France. The Mont Blanc Express carried us over the Alps, affording great views of western Europe's highest mountain from the charming town of Chamonix. A trip from Montreux aboard the stately carriages of the Chocolate Train took us to the Callier chocolate factory and the cheese-producing Maison du Gruyère, while we were introduced us to the region's wines with a tasting in Lavaux.

Leaving Champéry this morning, we say farewell to Switzerland, travelling by rail to Paris, via Aigle and Lausanne, where we board the Eurostar in Plus class to London St Pancras, with a light meal onboard. On arrival this evening, your Swiss holiday comes to a conclusion.

• Breakfast