GoldenPass, Mont Blanc & Jungfrau in Winter

Your wintertime holiday to Switzerland begins today as you arrive at London St Pancras International and meet the Tour Manager and your travel group. Together, we board the Eurostar to France and enjoy a light meal in Eurostar Plus before arriving in Paris. Here, we switch to the high-speed TGV in First Class carriages, travelling to Lausanne in Switzerland.

A 20-minute transfer by train sees us arrive in Montreux, where we check in to our lakefront hotel for three nights. Located on the lakeside promenade, just a short walk from the station, the hotel boasts uninterrupted views across Lake Geneva to the atmospheric French Alps sporting their winter white. The season casts a new light on the Swiss Riviera, adding an extra cosy feel to Montreux. Tonight, we enjoy our first dinner as a group in the hotel's restaurant.

• Eurostar Light Meal
• Dinner

Enjoy breakfast with views of Lake Geneva before we hop on a trolleybus outside our hotel to travel along the lake shore to Villeneuve. Here, a guide takes us on a tour of Château de Chillon, a romantic castle that appears as if it is floating on the lake. Formerly occupied by the influential House of Savoy, this medieval castle has attracted tourists since the early 1800s, including Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.

Afterwards, there is free time to explore Montreux. A walk along its promenade is lovely at any time of year, but stunning views across the water to snow-capped alpine peaks punctuate the appealing serenity of winter. As you walk, look upon the promenade's many statues, including those of composers Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky close to our hotel and a statue of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who bought a retreat here in 1978, in the centre.

For dinner this evening, you could opt to warm up with a traditional Swiss fondue at a local restaurant.

• Breakfast

A highlight of the holiday awaits today as we travel by train across the snow-clad Alps to France. From Martigny, we join the Mont Blanc Express, which clings to dramatic mountainsides above spectacular gorges. The Mont Blanc drifts into view as we cross into France and approach Chamonix.

With a few hours of free time to explore the 'mountaineering capital of the world', there are many options at your disposal. As one of France's premier snow sports resorts, Chamonix comes alive in winter. Perhaps combine a walk around its atmospheric town centre with a delicious French lunch at a local restaurant. To explore further, you could head up to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) Glacier on the Montenvers-Mer de Glace cogwheel railway, which carries passengers up nearly 3,000 feet in 20 minutes. It's an incredible journey through dense pine forests and high up the mountainside to an otherworldly landscape of piercing, snowy peaks.

In the late afternoon, we leave Chamonix, returning to Montreux in time for dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A fantastic journey lies ahead as we board the royal blue and gold panoramic carriages of the innovative, non-stop GoldenPass Express for an incredible wintry journey across the Swiss Highlands.

This magnificent rail journey is currently a hidden gem compared to Switzerland's other famous trains, but it won't be for long due to the amazing scenery. Leaving Montreux, the train winds uphill with Lake Geneva in the background. The untamed, icy pine forests and rolling mountains of the Pays-d'Enhaut highlands are dotted with chalets heavy with snow. We can admire these views while enjoying a light lunch of local produce and wine. The halfway point of this three-hour journey is Gstaad - the upmarket mountain resort favoured by Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore.

In the final stretch, the GoldenPass Express emerges beside Lake Thun at Spiez before we arrive at Interlaken and check in to our hotel. There is a free afternoon in this compact town before we gather back at our centrally located hotel for dinner.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, an unforgettable experience greets us as we embark on an incredible journey up the Jungfrau. We take the train to the village of Grindelwald, where we hop on the Eiger Express gondola to Eigergletscher station. The modern gondola with panoramic windows affords incredible views of the snowfields below as we pass close to the north face of the Eiger. We then board the Jungfrau Express to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station at the 'Top of Europe'.

The vistas are impressive year-round, but the deep snow and endless Aletsch Glacier in winter are on another level. We have free time to explore this natural spectacle or have a relaxed lunch at one of the many restaurants.

We descend via the Jungfrau Express, travelling through the Mönch and Eiger mountains before the cogwheel train twists down to Kleine Scheidegg. From here, we step onto the train to the valley town of Lauterbrunnen and back to Interlaken, arriving in time for a three-course dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is a free day to explore as you wish. After breakfast, you may wish to spend some time marvelling at the seasonal views from the roof terrace at our hotel.

With an envious location, Interlaken has many excellent destinations within reach. Using your Swiss Half Fare Card for 50% discounts on train and mountain railway fares, you could head south to the beautiful mountain resorts of Wengen and Mürren among wintry scenes. You may also like to travel by rail to the 'City of Lights', Lucerne, via the Brünig Pass. Here, you can find an Old Town with frescoed buildings and other historic sites, including the 14th-century Kapellbrücke, Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge.

Alternatively, explore turquoise Lake Brienz by catching the train along its northern shore to Brienz, where you can marvel at the picture-perfect Brunngasse - a winding street of old wooden chalets. Exploring Interlaken further is also a good option, viewing the historic buildings round the cobbled main square or delving into its cuisine in a local restaurant.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we travel by train to Thun, a typical Swiss town dominated by its picturesque 12th-century castle. There is time to explore its medieval centre and covered wooden bridges, made all the more beautiful under a layer of snow.

Our journey back to Interlaken is on board a vintage lake boat that cruises the length of Lake Thun. This scenic excursion provides a memorable perspective as the boat glides across the glacial waters. Serene villages frame the shore, and the route is surrounded by alpine peaks frosted with snow and impressive slopes fading into the lake. One of the highlights of any cruise on Lake Thun is gently sailing past the fairytale castles perched upon its shores.

Our boat moors in Interlaken, and it is only a short distance back to our hotel. Enjoy some free time to continue soaking up the wintertime ambience before joining the group for a three-course dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The incredible sights of Switzerland, from the serene grandeur of Montreux at this time of year to the splendour of the GoldenPass Express and the snow-globe scenes from the 'Top of Europe' at the Jungfraujoch, have set the stage for a stunning winter holiday.

After a final breakfast overlooking the magical scenery, we travel by train to Basel, where we board the high-speed TGV in First Class to Paris. Admire the Jura mountains and hills of Burgundy as they flash past our windows on our approach to France's capital.

In Paris, we transfer to the Eurostar Plus carriages, enjoying a light meal at our seats before concluding our winter holiday on arrival at London St Pancras International.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Light Meal