Scenic Switzerland: Rail Journey through the Mountains

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4.1 . Great
87%
Travel Style: Array Relaxed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. 2- Easy
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
12 days
From: $ 5,805 $ 484 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Zurich City Tour
  • Day Trip to Jungfraujoch

Short Description

Experience the majesty of Switzerland in 11 magical nights. Take the train from city to city, watching as the notoriously beautiful countryside glides by.

Start in the capital of Zurich and explore it with a tour through its historic and beautiful streets. Find the balance the city strikes between its heritage and the modern age before making way for the charming city of Interlaken. Here you'll get to see a bit more of traditional Switzerland, with a city tucked into the mountains, and even visit the top of Europe, Jungfraujoch.

After you've enjoyed Interlaken, begin your train ride through Zweisimmen, Tirano, Bellinzona, and Fluelen, with overnight stays in Montreux, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Lugano, and Lucerne. Enjoy a whirlwind of lake-side cities, mountains, stunning scenery, medieval castles, boarder cities with beautiful palaces, and more!

Finally, you'll slow down with a stay in charming Lucerne. Here you can visit beautiful churches, historic buildings, the oldest covered bridge in Europe, and pick up some sweet souvenirs. Head back to Zurich for a final night before taking your plane home.

Style Self-guided tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal transport included (including local flights)
Start City Switzerland
End City Switzerland

Itinerary

Day 1 Welcome to Switzerland!

Land in beautiful Switzerland and start off in the country's capital, Zurich! Check into your hotel to drop off your bags, and spend the rest of the day exploring as you like!

Day 2 Zurich

Embark on a tour through the extraordinary city of Zurich. From fascinating museums and amazing clocks to lovely parks and villas, Zurich is a stunning city. 

When in Switzerland, be sure not to leave without trying the fondue, and what better place to go for it than the country's capital?

Day 3 Zurich – Interlaken

Catch your train to the city of Interlaken, tucked away into the mountains. This small city offers breathtaking views of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, both of which rest at the foot of Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger Mountains. 

Day 4 Interlaken - Jungfraujoch- Interlaken

Today, you'll get to explore the Top of Europe: the Jungfraujoch. As one of the must-see destinations of Switzerland and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, Jungfraujoch is a magical sight encased in ice and snow. Be sure to seek out the Ice Palace carved into the heart of a glacier as well.

Day 5 Golden Pass Line:Interlaken - Zweisimmen - Montreux

Make way for Montreux, with a stop in at Zweisimmen to board the Golden Pass Line. Watch as some of the most beautiful scenery in Switzerland drifts by your window on this comfortable train ride.

Day 6 Montreux – Zermatt

Catch your train out of Montreaux, waving goodbye to beautiful Lake Geneva, to Tasch, where you'll change trains and board one set for Zermatt. This town rests at the foot of the massive Mount Matterhorn. Here, you'll be unable to find a single car, since the city has banned them to preserve the original infrastructure.

Day 7 Glacier Express: Zermatt - St. Moritz

Enjoy breakfast in the shadow of the Matterhorn, then board the anything but chilly Glacier Express. Enjoy magnificent views of the Swiss Alps on your way to St. Moritz. This city dazzles during any time of year, either blanketed with snow and stocked with cozy activities, or offering beautiful views over the water with patches of green and summer flowers.

Day 8 Bernina Express: St. Moritz - Tirano – Lugano

Begin your travels in the morning and make way for Tirano, Italy. Stop in to see the charming 17th and 18th century palaces, as well as the Marian Shrine. 

Then, continue on to Lugano, where amazing scenery unfolds beneath the city. Look out over stunning mountains and hills, and glittering waters.

Day 9 Gotthard Panorama Express: Lugano - Bellinzona - Flüelen – Lucerne

Head towards Lucerne in the morning, with stops in Bellinzona and Fluelen. Be sure to have your camera ready to capture the stoic medieval castles adorning Bellinzona, before lightening the mood with a visit in the lovely Fluelen on the banks of Lucerne Lake. Once you've had the chance to explore a bit, board a steamboat to Lucerne and enjoy the incredible scenery that drifts by.

Day 10 Lucerne

Walk the charming cobbled streets where thousands of visitors have before you. Find the oldest covered bridge in Europe, visit stunning baroque churches, stop in at historic houses, and more as you take the day to explore all you can of this popular and beautiful city.

While here, you might want to pick up some Swiss chocolate to bring home with you! Lucerne has some of the best places to find delectable chocolate.

Day 11 Lucerne – Zurich

After breakfast, board the train from Lucerne to return to Zurich. Its your last night in Switzerland, so be sure to try anything you didn't find the time to!

Day 12 Depart Switzerland

Pack away your watches, chocolate, and cheese, its time to head to the airport and catch your flight home.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 5,805
Price Per Day: $ 484 per day

21,359 Great Value Vacations Travel Reviews & Ratings

87%
4.1 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 11,134
Great 5,035
Average 2,482
Disappointing 1,140
Terrible 1,568
Value
4.1
Guide
4.1
Activities
4.1
Lodging
4.1
Transportation
4.1
Meals
4.1

Scenic Switzerland: Rail Journey through the Mountains

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Company Reviews

A lot of connection

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
A lot of connection that where scheduled well.

Choose an escorted tour!!

3.0
Details
Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
There were six of us all traveling together which I had made clear when I called GVV. Our tour did not include transfers, which was not made known to us. Can you imagine 6 old ladies winding up in a foreign country trying to find out how to get to their hotels, train stations, etc., what a disaster! You also had us traveling on different times on the trains between cities which was not brought to our attention and was a disaster.
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Wasn’t a great experience or Great Value

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
I hate to give bad reviews, but if this review will help in better customer service, it’s worth a try.

Booking travel deals online can be hectic because you don’t have a direct contact person. You call a 800- number if there is a issue and you get who you get.
I had an issue with my PNR number not working when it was time to
Check in for the plane and because it took me almost 2 hours when I finally got checked in, we were the last seats on the very back of the airplane. Well you deal with it because you’re going to Hawaii.. just happy to have a seat.it was frustrating calling the airlines and I was directed back to Great Value ..
We got that issue resolved.
Now we get to the hotel and was told the daily resort fee was double the amount that we were quoted.
The quote we were given verbally over the phone was $29.98 and when we got to the resort it was 59.98 . It wasn’t a issue with the price , it’s the inconsistency of getting the correct info when you call and it’s not explained thoroughly in the paper work, and hotels aren’t to kind when you book thru 3rd party contracts. It appears everything is a good price but you are on the bottom of the totem pole for everything .. plane rides .. very last group and seat , back of the hotel airport bag fees.. not so sure this was a great value and no one cares after they get your money . I’m still waiting for a Manager to call me back and my vacation is over
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Awesome location

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Awesome location! Hotel Dei Mellini has a fantastic location and the staff was wonderful.

This was a great vacation for what we…

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
This was a great vacation for what we paid for it!

Very nice trip/ great value

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Overall, this was a very nice trip. The hotels were all good quality and the train departure times were good. My only complaint was that while the hotel in Budapest was very nice, it was pretty far from all the sites we wanted to visit. The other hotels were in good locations. The value of the package was excellent.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal transport included (including local flights)

Group Size

Independent

Accommodations

  • Hotel Sternen Oerlikon
  • City Oberland Hotel
  • Hotel Splendid
  • Hotel Bristol
  • Hotel Europa St. Moritz
  • Hotel International au Lac
  • Altstadt Hotel Krone Luzern

Trip ID#:

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