Tailor Made Rail · Tailor-made independent rail holiday

Across the Spine of the Alps

Across the Spine of the Alps, a rail journey with Tailor Made Rail

Travel from Zermatt, in the shadow of the Matterhorn, through the best of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, to picture-perfect Lake Bled in Slovenia

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Zermatt

    London to Zermatt

    Depart London St Pancras for Paris, transfer to Gare de Lyon for a connecting service to Basel, then onto the Swiss network south to Zermatt. Optional overnight stop in Paris or flights to Geneva/Zurich/Basel can be arranged.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Zermatt

    Zermatt

    Free day in the resort town at the foot of the Matterhorn, with lifts for hikers and skiers and the Gornergrat Mountain Railway for panoramic views.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Chur

    Glacier Express to Chur

    Ride the Glacier Express, the world's slowest express train, with panorama windows, seat-served local cuisine and audio commentary, to Chur.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Chur

    Chur and the Bernina Express

    Explore Chur's medieval Old Town, one of Switzerland's oldest settlements, or take the Bernina Express return trip to Tirano in Italy.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Chur

    Chur and the Bernina Express

    Second day in Chur; the Bernina Express day trip to Tirano can be taken on either of the two days.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Innsbruck

    Chur to Innsbruck

    Change at Sargans onto an Austrian RailJet train through Liechtenstein and over the Arlberg Pass to Innsbruck.

  7. Day 7overnight: Innsbruck

    Innsbruck

    Full day exploring the old town centre and surrounding hills; optional day trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Lake Bled

    Innsbruck to Lake Bled

    Scenic journey east through Tyrolean villages, connecting at Schwarzach-St Veit onto an Intercity train from Salzburg and Munich through the Karawanken Tunnel into Slovenia, arriving at Lesce Bled.

  9. Day 9overnight: Lake Bled

    Lake Bled

    Explore Lake Bled, its 17th-century island church, and hikes in the nearby Triglav National Park.

  10. Day 10overnight: Lake Bled

    Lake Bled

    Second free day at Lake Bled, with local specialities such as Kremšnita custard cake.

  11. Day 11railovernight: Graz

    Lake Bled to Graz

    Regional train to Ljubljana, then a direct service along the Sava River and across the Austrian border to Graz.

  12. Day 12railovernight: Stuttgart

    Graz to Stuttgart

    Free morning in Graz before a direct train through dramatic Alpine scenery, across the German border to Stuttgart.

  13. Day 13rail

    Stuttgart to London

    Scenic train along the Rhine Gorge past the Loreley Rock, platform change at Cologne, Eurostar terminal at Brussels, then onward to London St Pancras.

Included

  • Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
  • 12 nights' handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • Comprehensive directions to your hotels
  • Clearly-presented wallets for your rail tickets, hotel vouchers and other documentation
  • All credit card surcharges and complimentary delivery of your travel documents

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