2019 Swiss Glacier Express and the Bernina

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London, we change stations in Paris, continuing our journey to Basel, just across the Swiss border. Here we take the Intercity service to Lausanne via Bern, arriving in the lakeside area of Lausanne and our hotel, the Hotel au Lac, in time for dinner.

DAY 2

This morning we experience lovely Lake Geneva from the water with a fabulous cruise along the lake to Château Chillon, perched dramatically at the water's edge against a stunning mountain backdrop. We include entrance to the castle before continuing to Montreux for some free time in Lake Geneva's most celebrated resort.

DAY 3

One of the great railway journeys of the world awaits today. First we leave Lake Geneva, heading round the lake and through the mountains to Brig. Here we join the iconic Glacier Express, one of the world's great scenic railway journeys, connecting the Valais Canton with Graubünden. This is an amazing journey and we enjoy it in style, with lunch served to our seats. Known as 'the slowest express train in the world', take your time to marvel at the ever-changing mountain vistas outside your window, as the train follows the course of the Rhône river, then climbs through the Furka Base Tunnel en route to the Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the line at over 6,000 feet. The train then continues through the UNESCO World Heritage Albula Line, a masterpiece of railway engineering of tunnels, spirals and viaducts, including the often photographed Landwasser Viaduct, before reaching Pontresina in the Upper Engadin Valley, where we spend three nights at the Schweizerhof.

DAY 4

This morning we spend time in the stylish mountain resort of St Moritz, set amidst a splendid alpine backdrop, before continuing to Punt Muragl, the base station of the Muottas Muragl funicular. We enjoy a ride on the funicular. At almost 2,500 metres above sea level, from the top there are spectacular views to be seen of the entire Upper Engadin Valley.

DAY 5

Having sampled the Glacier Express, today is an equally impressive experience - the Bernina Express. Many aficionados rate this journey even better than the Glacier Express! From our base in the Engadin Valley, we climb high over the Bernina Pass and through hairpin bends on a journey towards the sunny south of the Alps on our way through the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, finally crossing the border into Italy itself. We enjoy a little free time and maybe chance to enjoy an espresso in the Italian city of Tirano, before returning through the majestic Alpine scenery to Pontresina

DAY 6

Farewell to Pontresina, as we head across Switzerland to Basel. Travelling through France, we change stations in Paris to meet our Eurostar to London St Pancras.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner