Swiss Mountain Snow Train Discovery

Meet your HF Holidays Tour Manager and fellow travellers at London St Pancras International railway station. After check-in, baggage checks, and passport control, we’ll wait for our train. 

We’ll board the Eurostar to Paris, and watch the scenery unfold as we speed through the Channel Tunnel and continue through the farmland and villages of Northern France towards Paris. Here, we’ll disembark and leave Gare du Nord to walk the short distance to the Gare de l’Est (about 800m). At Gare de l’Est we’ll join the high-speed TGV service and travel eastwards from Paris to Alsace and the charming city of Strasbourg.    

In Strasbourg, we’ll walk a short distance (about 350 metres) to our hotel. We’ll have time to stretch our legs and stroll around the old town, much of which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening we’ll enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. 

In the late morning we’ll make our way back to Strasbourg railway station to board a regional train travelling through Alsace and across the border into Switzerland. In Basel we’ll change trains and continue into central Switzerland. A final change in Lucerne will take us to Hergiswil in the late afternoon. Here we can walk the short distance (about 500m) to Seehotel Pilatus, which boasts a stunning lakeside location and leisure facilities. Hergiswil is our base for the next seven nights.   

Today we’ll hop on a regional train from Hergiswil to Sarnen and board the Interlaken Express along the scenic Golden Pass line. We’ll firstly climb towards Lake Lungern (657m above sea level) then to the snow-covered Brünig Pass (1,000m above sea level) to then descend into the famous Bernese Oberland. We’ll pass Meiringen and Brienz, famous for its wood carvings, towards the spa town of Interlaken. Nestled between the blue lakes of Brienz and Thun, the setting couldn’t be more idyllic. From here we’ll travel by narrow-gauge railway to Grindelwald where you’ll encounter the world-famous Eiger, first conquered by a four-man rope team in 1938. We’ll have some time to explore before heading back to Hergiswil. 

We’ll travel by train from Hergiswil to the monastery village of Engelberg. In Stans, we’ll swap to the Engelberg Express, travelling through steep and rugged mountains. After the shuttlebus to Titlisbahn station, a high-speed gondola will take us flying above the ground to 2,400m above sea level. We’ll then board the world’s first revolving cable car, the Titlis Rotair, to reach the summit offering far-reaching views over the Titlis glacier and peaks of Central Switzerland. Here, we’ll delve into the ice grotto and test our nerves walking over the highest suspension bridge in Europe. Once we’re back in Engelberg we’ll have time to explore before making our way back to Hergiswil. 

Enjoy a day at leisure to enjoy the hotel’s facilities and lake surroundings or take the opportunity to visit Lucerne with its famous Kapellbrucke covered wooden footbridge and Swiss Museum of Transport. You'll be given a local transport pass to visit the sights.   

We’ll board the train to Lucerne and change to Arth-Goldau and Erstfeld, taking in Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, and Lake Lauerz. In Erstfeld we’ll take the old Gotthard railway route, where unique spiral tunnels will allow us to climb past the Wassen church three times before reaching the village of Göschenen, which sits amongst some incredible mountain scenery. The Schöllenenbahn takes us through Schöllenen Gorge, famous for the Devil’s Bridge, to Andermatt (1,450m above sea level). 

It’s then time to ride the Matterhorn-Gottardbahn railway on the famous Glacier Express Route which sweeps over snowy valleys to the Oberalp Pass, the highest point - we go on the Glacier Express Route. Here we’ll switch to a cable car towards Schneehüenerstock  (2,600m above sea level) before returning to Andermatt. 

Once we’ve reached Lucerne by train, we’ll board a boat to cross the widest, deepest part of Lake Lucerene. At Vitznau we’ll take the first mountain railway in Europe, which has been graced with kings, emperors, and writers, to the ‘Queen of the Mountains’, Mount Rigi. The higher we climb, the better the view over Lake Lucerne and Alpine peaks. At the highest station (Rigi Klum, 1,797m above sea level), you’ll be treated to 360-degree panoramic views. After taking the cog railway to Vitznau, we’ll enjoy a boat ride back to Lucerne before catching the train to Hergiswil. 

Today after taking the train to Lucerne, we will make the short journey by bus to Kriens.  Here we make our way to the cable car station for the panoramic ascent to Pilatus Kulm, at the top of Mount Pilatus.  The journey   takes about 30 minutes, part way by gondola and then changing to the aerial cableway.  Upon arrival at the summit we'll have time to take in the breathtaking wintry views before we return to the hotel. 

We say farewell to Hergiwsil and Lake Lucerne and travel to Basel by train, changing in Lucerne en route. On arrival in Basel we’ll walk to Hotel Schweizerhof, located across the road from the station. Arriving in the early afternoon, we’ll have time to wander and see the sights. You’ll receive a BaselCard from the hotel, which gives complimentary travel on local public transport and discounts on numerous attractions. In the evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.   

After breakfast we’ll walk back to the railway station and board the high-speed TGV train for Paris. At the Gare de Lyon we’ll transfer across Paris by coach to the Gare du Nord station.   Sit back and relax on the Eurostar from Paris to St Pancras International railway station. 

Before booking, you should check with your doctor to see whether any health precautions are needed for your trip. Health advice and requirements can change, so we recommend doing this in good time before travel.

As a general rule, travellers should ensure they are up to date with routine UK vaccinations and boosters, including, for example, MMR and diphtheria, tetanus and polio. Some countries may require you to have specific vaccinations such as Malaria, Rabies and Yellow Fever. Please check with your GP if you are unsure.

Please note that the use or possession of some common prescription or over-the-counter medicines is restricted or banned in certain countries. If you will be carrying medication, you should check with the relevant embassy or consulate before travelling. As an extra precaution, we recommend keeping medication in its original packaging, carrying a copy of your prescription, and, where possible, asking your pharmacist to provide the medication name in the language of the country you are visiting.

For further country-specific health advice, visit www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.traveldoctor.co.uk. If you are travelling from outside the UK, please consult your own doctor and check local entry requirements.

This information applies to travellers holding a full British Citizen passport. Entry requirements vary by destination and can change at short notice. For most EU and worldwide destinations, passports must be valid for the entire duration of your stay. Some countries also require a minimum period of validity remaining on your passport (often up to 6 months beyond your return date), even if you are not staying that long.
We strongly recommend ensuring your passport has at least six months’ validity remaining at the time of travel to avoid any issues.

If you hold a different type of British passport or a passport issued by another country, you must check the requirements with the relevant embassy, consulate, or official government website.