The William Tell Express - A Swiss rail holiday with a distinctly Italian flavour

Fabulous scenery, award winning food, local mountain railways and a journey on the William Tell Express all come together on this fabulous 10-day tour, during which we discover both the German and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. Find Out More »

Tour highlights

• Mount Rigi Railway
• Picturesque Interlaken
• Journey on the William Tell Express
• Locarno & Lake Maggiore
• Beautiful Stresa
• Cruise on Lake Maggiore
• Centovalli Railway
• Lake view hotel rooms in both Lucerne and Locarno
• GRJ First Class Swiss Travel Card

Day 1 - By train to Basel

We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Brussels, traveling in Standard Premier Class with a complimentary light meal and drinks served before our arrival. From Brussels, we continue by EuroCity train through the Ardennes to Basel. We overnight at the Hotel Schweizerhof, close to the station, and situated on a pleasant square. (E,D)

Day 2 - Through Switzerland to Lucerne

The efficient Swiss rail network takes us on a scenic journey through the lush green pastures of the Emmental cheeseproducing region to the historic city of Lucerne. Our hotel for four nights is the wonderful Hotel Seeburg, which enjoys a fabulous lakeside location with breathtaking vistas across the lake to Mount Pilatus rising to over 7,000 feet (2,134m) on the opposite shore. The hotel is highly rated by our customers for cuisine and we dine together overlooking the lake. (B,D)

Day 3 - A day at leisure in Lucerne

You are free to explore Lucerne at your leisure today. Take a stroll through the cobbled streets and squares of the city, past ornate churches, medieval buildings with painted façades and the famous Kapellbrücke covered bridge. Enjoy a steamer cruise on the lake or perhaps visit the Swiss Transport Museum. This is also an excellent opportunity to discover the surrounding area by bus, train, funicular or cable car, taking advantage of 50% fares with your GRJ First Class Swiss Travel Card. The Hotel Seeburg's fabulous lakeside garden is the ideal place to relax after a day exploring. (B)

Day 4 - Lake cruise and Mount Rigi Railway

Today's excursion takes us into the mountains that surround Lake Lucerne. We first take to the water, travelling by boat to Vitznau a town across the lake from Lucerne. In Vitznau we board the Mount Rigi Railway, Europe's oldest rack-and-pinion railway dating back to 1871, for a journey to the summit of the Rigi Kulm. From here we enjoy magnificent views across Lake Lucerne and the surrounding mountain region, before descending the opposite side of the mountain to Arth Goldau. We make the journey back to Lucerne by local train. (B,D)

Day 5 - The Bernese Oberland

We travel by mountain railway on the GoldenPass Line to Interlaken, with dazzling views of shimmering lakes and soaring mountain peaks along the way. Interlaken is situated between Lakes Thun and Brienz, and is set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. Your options here include a visit to the Alpine Gardens along the Schynige Platte Railway, or the ultimate mountain railway journey to the highest station in Europe, Jungfraujoch (supplement payable), at over 11,000 feet. (B,D)

Day 6 - The William Tell Express

Today we enjoy a fabulous excursion on the William Tell Express. First, we board an historic paddlewheel steamer in Lucerne, taking our seats in the first-class upper deck of the boat. During the cruise we enjoy lunch on board. After two and three-quarter hours of relaxed cruising across Lake Lucerne, we arrive in Flüelen, where we board the Gotthard Railway. We travel in the superb first-class panorama coach as the train takes us to Locarno. During the journey we pass the church in Wassen three times as we circle higher up the mountain, before travelling through the 15-kilometre Gotthard Tunnel. We emerge to the terrific scenery of Ticino in the Italian-speaking area of southern Switzerland. We continue to Locarno, an old town full of Italian character on Lake Maggiore. We spend three nights in the Belvedere Hotel, a wonderful hotel perched on a slope above the lake. (B,L,D)

Day 7 - A day at leisure in Locarno

Locarno enjoys an exceptionally mild climate and plenty of sunshine. A pleasure to explore, Locarno has a picturesque Old Town very much Italian in style, with subtropical gardens filled with palm trees, exotic flowers and lakeside promenades. (B)

Day 8 - Stresa and the Centovalli Railway

We begin our day today with a journey on the Centovalli Railway, probably the highlight of any visit to Ticino. This narrow-gauge line winds its way across 'a hundred valleys' along remote hillsides, over high bridges and past sleepy villages on its way to Domodossola. From here we travel by train to the beautiful Italian town of Stresa, noted for its wonderful architecture and beautiful setting. Finally, we cruise across Lake Maggiore, stopping at small villages and islands before arriving back in Locarno. (B,D)

Day 9 - By train to Germany

We leave Locarno and travel by train to Basel. Our journey continues through Germany and along the Rhine Gorge, with its wealth of fairytale castles nestled amongst extensive vineyards. We arrive in Cologne for an overnight stay at the Grand City Hotel or Four Points Hotel Central, both close to the station, the Rhine and the city's magnificent Gothic cathedral. (B,D)

Day 10 - To Brussels and London

We begin our journey home by high-speed train to Brussels, where we connect with the Eurostar service to London. We are served a complimentary light meal and drinks on board before our arrival into St Pancras International. (B,E)

E = Eurostar meal, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday

The William Tell Express - Rail Tour - Rail Holiday

Enjoy fabulous scenery, award winning food, local mountain railways and a journey on the William Tell Express when you join this 10 day Escorted Rail Tour. Frequent departures.
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