Springtime in the Alps
 April
17-May 1, 2009
Land tour from $3299.00 plus your choice of Swiss
Rail Pass
Please join Rail Travel Center Vice President/General
Manager Carl Fowler on the 2009 departure of our remarkable Springtime in
the Alps tour of Switzerland, including small bits of Italy and Germany.
This wonderful trip is our most popular international tour. It 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 a further advantage, each participant
will have a Swiss Rail Pass, which covers the entire 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
that way, participants can plan independent sightseeing to other areas of
Switzerland. The pass now also includes prepaid admission to over 400
sites throughout Switzerland. This program is packed with value, as the
price is inclusive of all breakfasts, two lunches and ten 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, an 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 past the
flower-clad hills of the Swiss/Italian Lake District on voyages to the
garden islands of Isola Madre and Isola Bella. We also cruise the
beautiful lakes of Constance, Locarno (the Lago Maggiore), 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 16
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 17 (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 18 (CB)
Tour the cathedral town of St. Gallen. 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 19 (CB)
Mainau Gardens in Germany; northern
Switzerland. This morning we take 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 20 (CB,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 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 21 (CB)
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 22 (CB,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 23 (CB,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
stroll from the main railway station.
Day Eight, Friday, April 24 (CB,D)
All-day cruise to the Italian garden islands: Isola
Madre and Isola Bella. Today we make 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. We enjoy another fine
dinner at the La Palma to complete the day.
Day Nine, Saturday, April 25 (CB,D)
Free time in Locarno; Cento Valley and Lotschberg
Lines to Interlaken. This morning you can stay in Locarno and relax or
perhaps ride the funicular railway to the magnificent pilgrimage church
of the
Madonna Del Sasso. Optionally you can reboard a lake steamer
and sail to the Island of
Brissago.
This unique treasure is very different from the formal gardens we saw
yesterday in 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.
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) in the
quiet lakeside village of Bonigen/Interlaken.
 Day
Ten, Sunday, April 26 (CB,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. We can explore the historic center or visit
the superb
Swiss Transport Museum.
The Old Town is a five minute walk from the station, where you can 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 the lake-steamer (free on the
Swiss Rail 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 27 (CB,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
to be paid in Zermatt). We retrace our route back to Interlaken this
afternoon.
Day Twelve, Tuesday, April 28 (CB,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 29 (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.
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 30 (CB,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 folkloric 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, May 1 (CB)
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. Please note
the savings for two or more persons traveling together at all times using
a Swiss Saver Rail Pass.
$3299.00 per person, double occupancy
$3399.00 single occupancy
SWISS RAIL PASS
Please note that these are current prices for Swiss
Passes. Rail Europe reserves the right to change Swiss Pass prices based
on exchange rates at any time. To lock-in your cost, you should pay for
your pass when you book.
$530.00 per person for an individual 15-Day First Class
Rail Pass
$451.00 per person for a 15-Day First Class Rail Pass
for two or more people traveling together at all times
Conditions and Booking Information (the fine
print)
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