Swiss Rail Rider

DAY 1

We will depart London St. Pancras by morning Eurostar to Brussels, then via Köln to Basel continuing to Olten. Our base for the seven nights will be the ideally located Hotel Amaris, in the vicinity of the train station, near the picturesque old quarter of the city. Tonight, our evening meal is included in a local restaurant.

DAY 2

Today we will take an exciting circular trip from Olten to Lucerne followed by a superbly scenic ride on the metre gauge line that climbs over the Brünig Pass and alongside Lake Brienz to Interlaken. Here we take a side trip further into the mountains to Lauterbrunnen, a spectacular funicular to Grütschalp, and a mountain top tram to Mürren. Afterwards, we descend by cableway to beautiful Stechelberg, ride the PostBus to Lauterbrunnen, and travel via train back to Olten.

DAY 3

Our rail trip today is to the quaint village of Zweisimmen before travelling over the narrow-gauge line through Gstaad, descending to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Here we will have time for a short side excursion on the rack line to Caux. Soak up the breathtaking scenery along the lake shore to Lausanne before returning to Olten.

DAY 4

We enjoy another full day of spectacular scenery. Firstly, we will ride the captivating spirals of the Gotthard Pass line to Göschenen, followed by the twisting, complex gorge route to Andermatt which sits at the crossroads of the mountain passes from north to south and from east to west. From here, we change to climb high above the town to the highest point of the Glacier Express route at Oberalp Pass. There will be time for a snack surrounded by the spectacular views before we descend over the old Lötschberg route with stunning views into the Rhone Valley experiencing another charming spiral before reaching Brig and travelling onwards to Olten.

DAY 5

After breakfast, we journey to the rarely visited eastern Switzerland today, firstly by direct train to sample the Reineck to Walzenhausen mountain railway. We will then discover the "backwater" rail routes to Zürich via Heerbrugg, Altstätten, Appenzell, and Gossau, with the opportunity ride a tram route or two (at no extra cost). We will enjoy an evening meal in the city that offers variety, where urban life is never far from nature, before returning to Olten.

DAY 6

After all the excitement of the last few days, we will take a scenic and relaxing lake cruise from Lucerne to Vitznau before riding the Rigi Railway to the mountain summit. There will be time to savour the magnificent views and take lunch before descending to Arth-Goldau, a beautiful village that was completely rebuilt in 1806 following a massive rockslide. We will return to Olten by train.

DAY 7

Our final, full day in Switzerland takes us to Chur, Switzerland's oldest city, exploring another part of the Glacier Express route to St. Moritz which features the famous Landwasser Viaduct, a single-lane limestone railway bridge that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. We will also experience the Albula Pass (more spirals!) before taking the return ride via Filisur and Davos to Landquart and the fast train to Olten.

DAY 8

We will depart Olten after breakfast, travelling via Basel, Koln, and Brussels to London.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner