Highlights of Switzerland in Summer 30

Gruyere foothills and Lausanne. Back in Vevey you’ll have a free evening to enjoy dinner at a lake-side venue of your choosing. (B)

Saturday 12th August Glacier Express route to Zermatt; Gornergrat Railway; the Matterhorn This morning you board an SBB service train from Vevey station to Visp, where you’ll travel on a panoramic narrow-gauge train for the final section of the Glacier Express route. This scenic railway line winds through rocky valleys and over steep inclines to reach Zermatt. Here you transfer to the Gornergrat rack railway, ascending to 3089 metres above sea level. It’s Europe’s second highest railway, eclipsed only by the Jungfrau. From this high Alpine plateau, enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding glaciers and a fabulous front perspective of the Matterhorn. After refreshments at Gornergrat you can film the passing trains in their characteristic chocolate-brown livery, before riding back down to Zermatt. You’ll have some time to look around car-free Zermatt, with its rows of wooden chalets and stone churches. Then you board another panoramic narrow gauge train for the onward journey on the Glacier Express route to Brig. You’ll spend the night in this historic, elegant city, which has become famous as a major railway junction and gateway to nearby Italy. Your hotel is conveniently located near the railway station and dinner will be served at the hotel restaurant. (B D)

Sunday 13th August On the Glacier Express and via the Oberalp Pass to Chur A true highlight awaits, as you step aboard the legendary Glacier Express and travel in First Class accommodation on one of the world’s most famous trains! Enjoy the sleek dome cars with their grandiose windows as well as the refinement of on train catering, for the half-day journey from Brig to Chur. The Glacier Express initially traverses the narrow valleys of the Obergoms, before travelling through Andermatt and climbing up to the breath-taking Oberalp Pass. From there you descend through the Surselva region and along the Rhine Gorge, arriving in Chur, one of Switzerland’s oldest cities. You check into a centrally located hotel with free time to explore, before dinner is served. (B L D) Monday 14th August Rhaetian Railway from Chur to Arosa by private Pullman Coach; Ascent to the Weisshorn

Today you experience the famous Rhaetian Railway in a privately chartered, original 1930s Pullman car. Aside from the luxury of deep cushioned chairs, large panoramic windows give fine views of the mountainous landscape, as you traverse the impressively engineered 25 km branch line from Chur to Arosa. The route climbs 1155 metres via tunnels and bridges, including the 284-metre-long Langwieser Viaduct, first opened in December 1914. On arrival in Arosa you take the cableway to the summit of the 2653 metre Weisshorn, where majestic views await. You return to Arosa in the early afternoon, with ample time to explore the town and stroll along the picturesque lake. Later, you reboard the RhB train and private Pullman car for the return trip to Chur. You have the evening to explore the heart of the medieval old town. (B)

Tuesday 15th August Albula Railway to Pontresina; Bernina Railway to Tirano by private Pullman coach

Another signature attraction awaits, as you journey over both the UNESCO-designated Albula and the Bernina railways. From Chur you take an express train over the beautiful Albula line to Samedan and Pontresina. This allows you to ride over the iconic Landwasser Viaduct and experience the countless horseshoe curves that make the Albula line renowned around the world. In Pontresina you change onto the Bernina Railway and are once again accommodated in a private Pullman coach for the journey over the wonderful Bernina pass, the only Swiss trans-alpine railway that climbs over the ridges between north and south without using a tunnel. Enjoy the ascent to the summit at Alp Grüm and the spiralling descent to Poschiavo, before the famed circular viaduct is reached at Brusio and you finish your journey amidst palm trees in Italy. In Tirano, you stop for lunch (wine included) and have time for a stroll to the basilica, before continuing back north in your Pullman coach. On returning to Pontresina you travel back to Chur over the Albula line aboard another RhB express service. A farewell dinner is served at your hotel. (B L D)

Wednesday 16th August Return to London Today you return to London from Switzerland, travelling via Chur, Basel and Paris on RhB, SBB, TGV and Eurostar trains. (B)

Tour Summary

First Class £2495 Single supplement £295 Ground only £2195 (Vevey – Chur)

Price includes:

• 3 Nights Accommodation with breakfast at 4-star Hotel Astra, Vevey • 1 Night Accommodation with breakfast at 4-star Hotel Ambassador, Brig • 3 Nights Accommodation with breakfast at 3-star Hotel Chur, Chur • 2 lunches and 5 dinners • All privately chartered vintage trains as detailed in the itinerary • First Class travel on Golden pass panoramic train (Montreux to Zweisimmen) • First Class travel on Glacier Express (Brig –

Chur) including lunch on-board • All train travel and transfers • SBB luggage transfers from hotel to hotel • Seat reservations (where possible) • The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing. Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

August 2023

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First Class travel from London St Pancras International to Vevey and return from Chur. First Class travel within Switzerland where possible. Please be advised that First Class travel will be allocated in Standard Premier carriages on Eurostar services.

Standard Premier Seating on Eurostar services.

Georg Trueb

Georg Trueb Georg Trueb

Swiss Bernese Oberland

Wednesday 9th August to Wednesday 16th August 2023

Discover the outstanding natural beauty of Switzerland on this tour to the Bernese Oberland, famed for its shimmering lakes and soaring Alpine peaks, including the towering Jungfrau and the magnificent Eiger. • Based in the mountain village of Wengen, you’ll explore the Bernese Oberland on Switzerland´s outstanding railway system. • Enjoy extensive scheduled travel on famous mountain rack railways, including the Brienz Rothorn Railway and Jungfrau

Railway to the ‘Top of Europe’. • Discover the Swiss capital Bern on a two-hour steam tram tour, and enjoy peaceful boat cruises on Lake Brienz and Lake

Thun. • There’s also a thrilling excursion to the Schynige Platte mountain area to enjoy, famous for its outstanding views and wildflower gardens. • Experience unrestricted travel on Swiss trains, trams and buses in tour free time thanks to your complimentary Bernese

Oberland Regional Pass.

Wednesday 5th July London to Wengen via Basel You travel First Class by Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Transferring to Paris Gare de l’Est you then journey to Basel in Switzerland via Strasbourg. You join a high-speed service at Basel to Interlaken Ost, before continuing on the narrow-gauge lines of the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) to Lauterbrunnen and the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) to the mountain village of Wengen. Here you check into the 4-star Sunstar Alpine Hotel, your base for the tour. A light dinner will be served at your hotel this evening. You’ll also receive your 6-day Bernese Oberland Regional Pass for easy exploration of the surrounding areas. (D) Thursday 6th July Free day for exploration in and around Wengen After breakfast, you can either relax at the hotel and make use of its wonderful facilities or take a stroll through the village where the British allegedly ‘invented’ downhill ski racing. A more energetic option is to hike to one or more of the incredible local viewpoints. Another alternative is to use your Regional Pass to visit the Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten illuminated glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain, accessible only by a tunnel-lift. Yet another option is to visit the car-free village of Mürren by cable and mountain railway from Lauterbrunnen, with views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Dinner is served at your hotel this evening. (B D) Friday 7th July Lake Brienz Cruise; Steam on the Brienz Rothorn Railway This morning you travel by train to Interlaken to enjoy a leisurely steamship cruise on Lake Brienz to Brienz at its eastern end. You join a steam train on the 800mm gauge Brienz Rothorn Railway (BRB), Switzerland’s oldest rack railway and climb 1,678 metres (5,505 ft) from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm Station, just below the summit of Brienz Rothorn Mountain. After free time at the summit to enjoy lunch, you return to Brienz for an exclusive visit to the BRB depot to view the locomotives and workshop facilities there. In the afternoon you return to Wengen by train where you can relax before dinner is again served in your hotel restaurant. (B D)