Switzerland by Train with Luxury & Style (10 Days): Sample Itinerary Outline
ID #: DT-S-10-8-4-10-RAIJ
DAY 1: Zurich & Basel, SWITZERLAND
You are met on arrival at Zurich airport and escorted to the train
station. Travel by first class train to Basel, where you are met and
taken directly to your hotel. Located on the Rhine, adjacent to
France and Germany, Basel offers a unique variety of art and
culture, and this 2000-year old city has a wonderfully preserved Old
Town. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
►Suggested hotel:
Hotel Les Trois Rois, Basel
DAY 2: Excursion to Solothurn, SWITZERLAND
Today, travel to Solothurn by train for a look of this enchanting
Baroque town. Your private walking tour includes the old
fortification; Cathedral St. Ursen, the first classicism church in
Switzerland; the Baroque Jesuit church; and the fruit and vegetable
market on Klosterplatz. Take time to explore and enjoy this “City of
Museums,” before returning by train to Basel.
►Suggested hotel:
Hotel Les Trois Rois, Basel
DAY 3: Basel to Lucerne, SWITZERLAND
This morning depart Basel by first class train for Lucerne located
in the center and heart of Switzerland. On arrival in this
historical city on Lake Lucerne, you will be met and taken directly
to your hotel.
►Suggested hotel: Hotel Palace & Spa, Lucerne
DAY 4: Excursion to Mt. Pilatus, SWITZERLAND
Start the day with a leisurely cruise on crystal-clear Lake Lucerne
bound for Alpnachstad. Here board the steepest (48% grade) cogwheel
railway in the world going up 700 feet to Mt. Pilatus Kulm
(elevation 6995 feet). Take in the breathtaking panoramic vistas of
the Swiss Alps and Lucerne. Descend by aerial cable car from the
summit to Fraekmuentegg, then continue your decent by four-seat
gondola, down through the flowering meadows and pine forests to the
village of Kriens, a suburb of Lucerne.
►Suggested hotel: Hotel Palace & Spa, Lucerne
DAY 5: Excursion Interlaken & to Mt. Jungfraujoch, SWITZERLAND
Today take an exciting train journey into the heart of the Bernese
Alps. The first leg travels through Interlaken and the green
Waterfall Valley. Change to a smaller gauge railway for a thrilling
2½ ride to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. En
route pass through the 4.4-mle long tunnel carved into majestic
13,000-foot Eiger Mountain, rising amid eternal snowfields and
glistening glaciers. At Jungfraujoch, visit the Ice Palace and the
Sphinx Terraces, and take in the breathtaking view of the Aletsch
Glacier, the largest river of ice in Europe. In the afternoon,
travel to the mountain village of Grindelwald, a winter sports and
mountaineering center,before continuing on back to Interlaken and
Lucerne by train.
►Suggested hotel: Hotel Palace & Spa, Lucerne
DAY 6: Lucerne to Lugano, SWITZERLAND
Today board the William Tell Express paddle steamboat, for a morning
cruise on Lake Lucerne. Enjoy lunch on board as you travel by the
historic regions of Rütli and the Tellsplatte. Disembark in Flüelen,
and board the train for a scenic ride by sheer cliffs, over bridges
and through tunnels to Bellinzona. Your guide escorts you to visit
three UNESCO World Heritage medieval castles. Later this afternoon
drive to hotel in Lugano, a popular Swiss resort.
►Suggested hotel: Hotel Villa
Principe Leopoldo, Lugano
DAY 7: Lugano & Morcote, SWITZERLAND
This morning take a guided walking tour through the charming
cobble-stoned Old Town of Lugano. See the Via Nassa, the Monument of
Independence, the Piazza Riforma, and the 'Santa Maria degli Angioli'
Franciscan Church. Next, take a private boat ride to the village of
San Rocco. After some time to explore on your own, drive to the old
fishing village of Morcote. Take a stroll through Scherrer Park,
with its international art and crafts on view in a unique setting of
cedar trees, Mexican pines, eucalyptus, palms, bamboo and more.
Drive back to Lugano late this afternoon.
►Suggested hotel: Hotel Villa
Principe Leopoldo, Lugano
DAY 8: Lugano to Lausanne, SWITZERLAND
It is a short drive to Locarno to board the first class Centovalli
train to Domodossola. Ride past breath-taking gorges, sparkling
waterfalls, and through idyllic sleepy little villages. You are met
on arrival in Domodossola, and driven to Lausanne, nestled on the
shores of Lake Geneva beneath the snow-capped Swiss Alps.
►Some suggested Lausanne hotels (in alphabetical order): Hotel Beau Rivage Palace, Lausanne (V) Lausanne Palace & Spa (V)
►Together, we will find the best choice for you!
DAY 9: Excursion to Lauvaux & Montreux, SWITZERLAND
This morning drive along the shore of Lake Geneva to view the
19-mile stretch of the Lauvaux Vineyard Terraces. Dating back to the
11th century, this UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers the lower
mountain slopes between the villages and the lake. Continue to
Montreux for a tour of the Old City, Vieux Montreux. Visit Chillon
Castle, an impressive medieval stronghold immortalized by Swiss lore
and poetry. Return to Lausanne for afternoon at leisure.
►For Lausanne hotel suggestions, see above.
DAY 10: Lausanne to Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Today you are driven to Geneva airport for your flight home or on to
your next destination.