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Lakes and Mountains of Switzerland and Italy

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4.5 stars(10 reviews)
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Small Group

Discover lakes, stunning mountain scenery and railways

12 days From £3,395 per person

2023 Tour code: SYG23

About the tour

Experience life beside the shores of Lake Lucerne and Como as we explore incredible mountain scenery by rail. Sample Swiss wine, cheese and chocolate before heading south to visit an Italian villa and journey on the Bernina Express.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London and Vevey

From London St Pancras, we take the Eurostar to Paris, continuing by rail to Vevey for three nights. Set on the shores of Lake Geneva and surrounded by mountains, Vevey is considered the 'Pearl of the Swiss Riviera'. While we're here you might enjoy a stroll along the palm and cypress tree-lined promenade, which runs to neighbouring Montreux and Château de Chillon.

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Meal
Day 2 – Les Pléiades

Today takes us by cog railway to Les Pléiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, a peak in the country's Prealp mountain range. During springtime, the route is lined with pretty daffodil fields. At the summit, we stop for lunch and sample traditional Swiss rösti, a dish of shredded potato that's fried until crisp and golden. You are free to visit the open-air exhibition at the mountain top, which celebrates the wonders of our solar system.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Lavaux vineyards

We travel to Cully, in the well-known Lavaux wine-growing region, where verdant vineyards rise from the lake. We enjoy a tour of the grape vines from aboard the charming Lavaux Express, a tractor-pulled road train that winds through the terraced vineyards and surrounding villages. Back at the winery, we enjoy a talk from the owner before tasting the excellent locally-produced wines with refreshments.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 – The GoldenPass Train and Lucerne

We join the GoldenPass train to Interlaken, travelling in Belle Époque style, for a journey filled with views of vineyards and orchards, traditional chalets and dramatic peaks. Along the route we see the Giessbach Falls, the Brünig Pass and the serene Alpnachersee. We transfer to Lucerne for three nights, a German-speaking town famous for its frescoed Kapellbrücke. On arrival, we set out on a walking tour with chocolate and cheese tastings - two of Switzerland's most popular, and delicious, exports.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 – Lucerne

With a free day, you may like to explore Lucerne or the local area using your Swiss Travel Card. Set on the shores of Lake Lucerne at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Lucerne is the gateway to central Switzerland and there are spectacular views from every area of the city. With its ornate churches, cobbled streets, and charming Old Town, Lucerne is rich in history. Decorated houses with frescoes surround the picturesque town squares, circled by remnants of the old town walls. The 17th century Jesuit church is regarded as Switzerland's first Baroque building and the twin towers of the Hofkirche form an integral part of the townscape.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 6 – Mount Rigi Mountain Railway

We board a boat for a scenic sailing to Vitznau. From here, we join the Mount Rigi Mountain Railway, the first mountain railway in Europe. We travel to Rigi Kulm, the highest point of Mount Rigi, where we're rewarded with views of vast lakes and mountaintops. The scenery here is world-renowned and the British painter, J M W Turner, was inspired to produce over 30 sketches of the mountain's idyllic location, nestled between Lakes Zug, Lucerne and Lauerz.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 – The William Tell Express

We sail across Lake Lucerne by steam boat to Fluelen, where we board the William Tell Express. The train climbs into stunning Swiss countryside, and we view the passing scenery from our panoramic windows. As we travel, frosty mountains are replaced by the pretty promenades of the Italian Lake District. After emerging from the Gotthard tunnel we arrive in Lugano in Southern Switzerland, where we continue by rail to Baveno, on Lake Maggiore, home for the next four nights. This evening we enjoy dinner in our hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 – Baveno, Lake Maggiore

We enjoy a day at leisure in Baveno. From this delightful village there are wonderful lakeside walks, and buildings to see such as the Parish Church of Santi Gervasio as well as the opulent villas dotted among the lakeside. Our hotel has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool with a spa and wellness centre, and pleasant grounds to relax in.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 9 - Stresa and the Borromean Islands

Today we discover Stresa and the Borromean Islands. After free time to explore the town of Stresa, we travel by boat to Isola dei Pescatore, and then continue to Isola Bella where we arrive in the early evening in time for a private visit to this magnificent villa, followed by an aperitif on the terrace as the sun sets over the lake. We return to Baveno for dinner.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 – The Centovalli Railway and Locarno

Today we relax on board the Centovalli Railway and drink in the wonderful views of the '100 Valleys' as we travel to Locarno by rail. On arrival in Locarno, we take a leisurely cruise along the length of the lake back to Baveno.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 – Dijon

Departing Baveno and Lake Maggiore, we travel through the Alps to Dijon, via Lausanne, where we spend the night.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 – London

This morning we catch the train to Paris after a final breakfast together. In the French capital, we join the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal

Additional information

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.

Hotels

Astra Hotel, Vevey

Astra Hotel, Vevey

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Grand Hotel Dino, Baveno

Grand Hotel Dino, Baveno

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Seehotel Kastanienbaum, Lucerne

Seehotel Kastanienbaum, Lucerne

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Trains

Centovalli Railway
Eurostar
The GoldenPass Line
Gotthard Panorama Express
Mount Rigi Mountain Railway

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Inclusive Luggage Upgrade
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.5 stars4.5 / 5 · 10 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (6)
  2. 4 stars
    (3)
  3. 3 stars
    (1)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

customer

3 stars

Submitted 25 Sep 2022

Wonderful scenery and excellent trips. Hotels were very good bar Grand Hotel Europe where food was poor, all in all excellent organisation

Collected by Trustpilot

Mr Joe Bannister

5 stars

Submitted 24 Sep 2022

Friendly group really well organised holiday and great fun

Collected by Trustpilot

P Longden

5 stars

Submitted 19 Sep 2022

Great tour with stunning scenery. Tour manager was excellent making sure excursions ran smoothly. Hotels in Vevey and Cadanabbia were excellent but whilst hotel in Lucerne was good, it was let down by a poor breakfast experience.

Collected by Trustpilot

Janet Taylor

4 stars

Submitted 16 Jul 2022

Excellent train trips, wonderful scenery. A good mix of tours and free time. Second hotel was not up to Great Rail standards. Superb tour manager and a great group of fellow travellers. Highly recommended on the whole.

Collected by Trustpilot

MICHAEL

5 stars

Submitted 12 Jul 2022

Excellent holiday, good food, fantastic scenary, well organised.

Collected by Trustpilot

Charles Binet

4 stars

Submitted 11 Jul 2022

Great train journeys with some amazing views a little too much free time and choice of hotel in Lucerne not good

Collected by Trustpilot

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Lakes and Mountains of Switzerland and Italy

Discover lakes, stunning mountain scenery and railways

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Lynne Broadley
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