SPRINGTIME IN THE ALPS   

April 15-29, 2011 

Land tour from $3299.00, plus your choice of a Swiss Rail Pass

Please join Carl Fowler of Rail Travel Adventures on the first of the new Rail Travel Adventures programs, our colorful Springtime in the Alps tour of Switzerland, including visits to adjacent areas in Italy and Germany. This wonderful trip was the most popular international tour for Rail Travel Center and is being continued by Rail Travel Adventures. Mr. Fowler has been escorting tours to Switzerland for over 20 years and is extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography and culture of this remarkable country. The tour combines a surprisingly easy pace (using only four hotels in 14 nights) with comprehensive sightseeing, featuring the grandeur of the Alps as seen from the superb trains of Swiss Rail. As part of the tour, each participant will have a Swiss Rail Pass which covers the entire Swiss rail network plus narrow gauge mountain railways, lake steamers, trams (trolley cars) in the major cities, and Postal Buses to the few areas not reached by train. In addition, the pass now includes paid admission to over 400 attractions throughout Switzerland.  This allows participants to plan independent sightseeing to other areas of Switzerland. Our program is packed with value, as the price includes all breakfasts, two lunches and nine dinners!

We begin with three nights at the beautiful Four Star Romantik Hotel Santis in “the most Swiss village” of Appenzell. Another three nights are spent at the lovely Romantik Hotel Stern, a historic landmark Three Star property noted for superb regional cuisine of the Graubunden Canton. We enjoy two nights in Locarno at the Four Star Hotel La Palma au Lac, where the kitchen produces spectacular Italian-Swiss dishes and the hotel lobby opens directly onto the lakeshore promenade. We end with six nights at the lovely Four Star Hotel Seiler au Lac in Switzerland’s magnificent Bernese Oberland at Bonigen/Interlaken. This lovely hotel is set on the shore of the Lake of Brienz!

We ride the narrow-gauge BERNINA EXPRESS over the 7,000-foot Bernina Pass, dropping down from glaciers and perpetual snowfields on the pass to the palm trees of Tirano, Italy. We also cross the main range of the Alps on the legendary GLACIER EXPRESS. The diners of the Rhaetian Railway are renowned for gourmet meals and unique tilted-stem glassware to compensate for the steep grades! We enjoy a wonderful lunch in the diner on the GLACIER EXPRESS. We see the Matterhorn and Zermatt, and visit the remarkable Swiss Railway Museum in Lucerne.

Several lake cruises enhance the tour. We sail the vast waters of the Lake of Constance to exquisite Mainau Gardens in Germany. We also cruise the beautiful lakes of Brienz, Luzern, Thun, and Geneva beneath towering peaks and visit the lakeside villages of Montreux, Vitznau, and Bonigen/Interlaken.  There is a walking tour of Bern, a ride over the “Golden Pass” on the PANORAMIC EXPRESS and so much more! Complete details follow. All aboard!

Optional Pretour Travel Day, Thursday, April 14 Flights leave North America for Zurich. Air travel is not included in the tour price, as our clients live throughout North America.

Day One, Friday, April 15 (D) Scenic train trip to the “most Swiss village” of Appenzell. Flights arrive in Zurich this morning. Your tour manager will meet flights arriving before 11:30 AM. We proceed by train to Appenzell. Our hotel for three nights is the Romantik Hotel Santis, located in the heart of the Old Town in an area of decorative hand-painted homes and shops. The afternoon is unstructured so participants can rest after the long flight; however Appenzell offers beautiful architecture, fine shops, a unique folkloric museum, a grand Baroque church, and a fascinating maze of squares and narrow streets all within a five-minute walk from our hotel.

Day Two, Saturday, April 16 (B) Tour the cathedral town of St. Gallen.

The magnificent Baroque interior of the St. Gallen Cathedral, photo by Carl Fowler

We ride the little narrow gauge train to the beautiful cathedral town of St. Gallen for a walking tour of the magnificent cathedral and unique Abbey Library, which houses a priceless collection of illuminated manuscripts.

Day Three, Sunday, April 17 (B) Mainau Gardens in Germany; northern Switzerland. This morning we ride regional trains north to the Lake of Constance, a great widening of the Rhine River, and cross into Germany. At the “Free and Imperial” city of Constance, we board a lake steamer for the lovely voyage across the lake to tour magnificent Mainau Gardens. This floral paradise occupies the estate of a Swedish Count. The immense spring tulip display should be peaking during our visit. Returning to Appenzell, we pass through sunny vineyards on flower-bedecked terraces gradually ascending from the lakes to the Alps above the village.

Day Four, Monday, April 18 (B,D) Train journey to Chur; optional afternoon trip to Arosa. We ride the narrow gauge railway to Alstatten. This line descends from the heights of the Mount Santis massif to the Rhine River Valley and offers amazing views of three countries: Switzerland, Austria and Lichtenstein. Here we transfer to the mainline train for a fast run to Chur, where we stay three nights at the lovely Romantik Hotel Stern. An exciting option this afternoon is a ride on the narrow gauge railway to Arosa, which departs from the main plaza in front of the station. This line ascends through a stupendous canyon on its hour-long journey into the high peaks.

Day Five, Tuesday, April 19 (B) Round-trip over “the top of the world” to Tirano, Italy on the BERNINA EXPRESS. We can almost touch a glacier from our train today as we ride the BERNINA EXPRESS over 7,000-foot Bernina Pass, the highest point in Europe reached by a non-cog railway. This narrow gauge line includes spiral tunnels and horseshoe curves as it surmounts the Albula and Bernina Passes, finally terminating amid unexpected palm trees at Tirano in northern Italy. There is free time for lunch before the return journey to Chur.

One of the marvels of this line is a spiral viaduct on the ascent up the Italian side of the Pass. Previous Rail Travel Center clients have rated this as the most scenic train trip in Europe.

Day Six, Wednesday, April 20 (B,L) Cross Oberalp Pass on the GLACIER EXPRESS on a circle of the Alps. We can sleep in this morning, as departure is at 11:15AM. We re-board the Rhaetian Ry., riding the renowned GLACIER EXPRESS, with lunch in the unique narrow gauge diner while traveling across the Oberalp Pass (literally the “Overalp Pass”). Our descent is via the “North Ramp” of the St. Gotthard Line, renowned for its spiral tunnels. At Arth-Goldau we change to the little-known but very scenic VORALPEN EXPRESS for a lovely crossing of the meadows and heights of the pre-Alps enroute back to Chur.

Day Seven, Thursday, April 21 (B,D) Postal bus and mountain railway journeys to Davos, Klosters, the San Bernardino Pass and Locarno. The narrow-gauge trains of the Rhaetian Railway and Switzerland’s remarkable Postal Buses take us on another grand mountain circuit today. We begin with a spectacular Postal Bus trip to the ski resort of Davos, climbing thousands of feet above the gorges of the Landwasser River as we ascend. At Davos we board the train for Klosters, then return to Chur, where we reboard the postal bus for the “Via Mala”, the legendary crossing of the San Bernardino Pass, a stunning drive across the Alps to Bellinzona in the Italian-speaking south.

Our route ascends the breath-taking switchbacks and narrow gorges to the short tunnel under the San Bernardino Pass; then descends on sweeping loops with great distant vistas into the palm trees and stone villages of the Ticino Canton. After a short train transfer, we stay two nights in Locarno, a lovely resort on the palm-lined shores of Lago Maggiore. Our lodging is the Hotel La Palma au Lac, located on the flower-splashed lakeshore promenades just a five-minute walk from the main railway station.

Day Eight, Friday, April 22 (B) Optional all-day cruise to the Italian garden islands: Isola Madre and Isola Bella. We enjoy a free day in the lovely resort of Locarno. There are numerous options. You can ride the funicular railway (inclined-plane) to visit the pilgrimage church of the Madonna del Sasso above the town.  Weather permitting, you can continue on the cable cars above the church to the alpine meadows thousands of feet above the town. There are wonderful shops, narrow streets with ancient stone buildings in the Old Town, and a museum with items going back to Roman times. 

If the weather is dry, a full-day option (additional cost about $80 including garden/palace admissions) is an all-day cruise on Lago Maggiore south into the Italian Lake District. We disembark on the beautiful islands of Isola Madre and Isola Bella for walks through the castles and formal gardens. Madre features a magnificent recreation of an English estate garden; while Bella offers a romantic castle, unique grotto and stunning formal plantings. If there is interest in this excursion, Mr. Fowler will accompany those participants. 

Day Nine, Saturday, April 23 (B,D) Free time in Locarno; Cento Valley and Lotschberg Lines to Interlaken. The day is free through the early afternoon. Mr. Fowler will lead an optional (no additional cost) trip by postal bus into the high mountains above the lakes. This is a region of ancient villages, rugged canyons and towering peaks. Or you can board a lake steamer and sail to the Swiss Island of Brissago. This unique treasure is very different from the formal gardens seen on yesterday’s optional trip to Italy. The entire island is covered with stately trees and flowers, which should be at the peak of spring bloom. Azaleas and rhododendrons are particularly spectacular here, and there is a restaurant on the island. The cost for this excursion is about $25.

We travel northwest this afternoon, departing from Locarno on the narrow gauge Cento Valley (Hundred Valley) tram (interurban trolley) line, which ascends past thundering waterfalls up a narrow gorge to the Italian border. We cross over the range to Domodossola and change to the mainline Lotschberg route. This amazing line traverses the trans-Alpine Simplon and Lotschberg Tunnels, then descends to the Lake of Thun. Here connections are made to Interlaken and our hotel for the next six nights. The Hotel Seiler au Lac is located directly on the shore of the Lake of Brienz. The hotel is just five minutes from the Interlaken Ost station using the frequent local postal bus (fare included in the Swiss Rail Pass), located in the quiet lakeside village of Bonigen/Interlaken.

Day Ten, Sunday, April 24 (B,D) Brunig Pass RY; tour Lucerne; Swiss Transport Museum; sail Lake Brienz. We take the stunning narrow gauge crossing of the Brunig Pass this morning en route to Lucerne, the beautiful city on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Mr. Fowler will lead a walk through the historic center to visit the beautiful Jesuit Church, cross the renowned covered walking bridge, and view the famous Lion Monument. Optionally you can take the electric bus or lake steamer (fare free on the Swiss Pass) to visit the superb Swiss Transport Museum.  This afternoon we return over the stunning Brunig Pass to Brienz, where we board a lake steamer and cruise directly back to Bonigen/Interlaken, disembarking literally at the front door of our hotel!

Day Eleven, Monday, April 25 (B,D) Lotschberg RY and GLACIER EXPRESS routes to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. Today we ride the rugged standard gauge Lotschberg RY south to Brig, changing to the narrow gauge cog-wheel trains of the Brig-Visp-Zermatt RY and continuing along the route of the GLACIER EXPRESS to Zermatt. The ascent from the Rhone River Valley to Zermatt traverses a narrow canyon, then passes stunning vistas of glaciers and quaint hill-side villages. The car-free village of Zermatt lies at the base of the Matterhorn. Good views of the legendary peak are seen from the village but, weather permitting, there is an option to ride the steep cog-wheel Gornergratt RY to a classic overlook of the peak and glaciers (optional fare of about $45 would be paid in Zermatt). We retrace our route back to Interlaken this afternoon.

Day Twelve, Tuesday, April 26 (B,D) Visit Bern; cruise Lake of Thun.

We take a fast express train this morning to Bern, Switzerland’s grand capitol city. Bern’s streets are lined with grand buildings and covered arcades dating from the Middle Ages. We enjoy a walking tour of the historic center, see the stunning Gothic cathedral and have free time for optional tram rides (free on your Swiss passes). This afternoon we take the train to Thun and board a lake steamer for the stunning voyage up the Lake of Thun to Interlaken. The lake is surrounded by the towering peaks of the Berner Oberland (the high country of Bern).

Day Thirteen, Wednesday, April 27 (CB,D) Free day to explore Bernese Oberland. Today includes the option of several stunning train trips through the towering peaks of the Bernese Oberland. This morning there is a choice of narrow gauge trains that challenge the high peaks. Participants can select their routes today based on the weather and willingness to pay the surcharges assessed for the highest cogwheel routes. At no extra fare, participants can ride the cable car and mountain railways to the car-free village of Murren, descending back into the glacial valley by another cable car, then riding a Postal Bus back to the railway station in Lauterbrunnen for the train back to Interlaken.

Waterfall in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, photo by Carl Fowler

The isolated narrow gauge railway to Murren, photo by Carl Fowler

Another circuit goes to the highest railway summit in Europe (over 11,000 feet), the towering heights of the Jungfrau. Here you can walk through ice-caves inside a glacier!. Three different narrow-gauge railways comprise the Jungfrau Circuit. At one point participants can look out a tunnel window at the great icefall on the infamous North Face of the Eiger. The extra fare for the Jungfrau (only worth doing if the weather is fine) is about $100, but the summit vista encompasses almost all of Switzerland.

A third option would be to take a trip to the wood-carvers’ village of Brienz and the Swiss Folkloric Museum at Ballenberg, which re-creates historic Swiss farms from throughout the country. The interpreters carry on the customary trades of each region in authentic local dress. All rail, Postal Bus and museum admissions on this option are free on your Swiss Pass.

Day Fourteen, Thursday, April 28 (B,L,D) PANORAMIC EXPRESS route to Chillon Castle; Lake Geneva. We follow the renowned Golden Pass PANORAMIC EXPRESS route to the shores of Lake Geneva, with a special Swiss picnic lunch served at our seats enroute. This unique line mixes both standard and narrow gauge services and includes two breath-taking mountain passes and an amazing descent through vineyards, gardens and cascading waterways to the shores of Lake Geneva at Montreux. At Montreux we take a short lakesteamer voyage on the Lake of Geneva to the Castle of Chillon, made famous by the poet Lord Byron. The day concludes with a journey along the shores of Lake Geneva past the vineyards to Lausanne and Bern and back to Interlaken for our spectacular Farewell Dinner at the Seiler.

Day Fifteen, Friday, April 29 (B) Transfer by train to Zurich Airport; tour ends. Same-day connections are available for flights departing after noon. For morning flights, you may wish to book an extra night in Zurich. Same-day arrivals are available to most North American cities.

TOUR PRICES include all lodging, admissions, meals noted as included above, train reservations, transfers, luggage handling, and tour manager services. A 15-Day Swiss Rail Pass must be added.

$3299.00 per person, double occupancy

$3399.00 single occupancy

Mainau Gardens, photo by Carl Fowler

SWISS RAIL PASS

We have a special group rate for Swiss Rail Passes in conjunction with this tour. Longer duration passes also can be purchased at regular prices. Please note these are prices in effect as of July 2010 and could change based on exchange rates at any time. Pass prices only can be guaranteed by making payment for the pass.   

$525.00 15-Day First Class Swiss Rail Pass (special group price)

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Last modified: August 08, 2010