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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail holiday

Christmas and New Year in the Swiss Alps

11-day Christmas and New Year rail holiday in Swiss Alps with Glacier Express

Illustration of Christmas and New Year in the Swiss Alps

The Railway Touring Company operates this 11-day Christmas and New Year escorted rail holiday centred on Switzerland's Alpine railways and mountain towns. You depart London on Eurostar Plus and TGV services, arriving in Chur to stay at the 4-star Hotel ABC for seven nights. The journey combines celebrated heritage trains: the Glacier Express ascending from Chur over the Oberalp Pass to Brig with lunch included; a vintage 1904 RhB steam locomotive hauling you through the Engadine Valley from Scuol-Tarasp to Samedan; a privately chartered 1930s Art Deco Pullman car climbing to Arosa via the Langwieser Viaduct; and a 1938 streamlined railcar chartered through the Jura Mountains with champagne and lunch. Six days of free exploration let you use a First Class Swiss Travel Pass across the national rail network. Three nights in Lausanne on Lake Geneva complete the holiday, with Christmas dinner, New Year's Eve festivities, and a final group dinner included. The Tour Manager accompanies all escorted days; unguided days are yours to explore independently.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure confirmed: December 2026 at GBP 3,495 per person. Availability and pricing for other years should be confirmed with The Railway Touring Company.
  • Hotel ABC and Hotel Mirabeau are named generically in the pack; confirm the exact property names and standards with the operator before booking.
  • Days 3, 4, and 5 are free exploration days on the Swiss Travel Pass with optional Tour Manager guidance; the final day activities depend on your own choices.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    London to Chur by high speed rail

    Travel from London to Chur via Paris and Zurich on Eurostar, TGV and SBB services. Check in to the 4-star Hotel ABC opposite Chur station. Welcome dinner at the hotel.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    Christmas Eve atop Mount Rigi and on Lake Lucerne

    Scenic railway from Chur to Arth-Goldau, then Europe's oldest rack railway to the summit of Mount Rigi, the 'Queen of the Mountains'. Descend to Vitznau and take the ferry to Lucerne, then train back to Chur.

  3. Day 3overnight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    The Swiss Alps at Leisure and Christmas Dinner in Chur

    First day to use the First Class Swiss Travel Pass at leisure; options include the circular Albula trip to Davos, the Appenzell region, or the Bernina route to Tirano. Christmas dinner together in the evening.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    Freedom of Switzerland with First Class Swiss Travel Pass

    Total freedom to explore Switzerland with the First Class Swiss Travel Pass network rover, with options including the Gotthard Railway or the Stoosbahn. The Tour Manager offers a suggested itinerary with the option of joining.

  5. Day 5overnight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    Freedom of Switzerland with First Class Swiss Travel Pass

    Second of three days of total freedom to explore Switzerland with the First Class Swiss Travel Pass network rover.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    Rhaetian Railway from Chur to Arosa by private Pullman coach

    Privately chartered original 1930s Pullman car with Art Deco furnishings on the Chur to Arosa branch line, climbing 1,155 metres via the 284-metre Langwieser Viaduct (opened 1914). Time to stroll around Arosa before returning to Chur by Pullman car in the afternoon.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Hotel ABC, Chur

    Steam in the Engadine Valley from Scuol-Tarasp to Samedan with RhB 108

    Ride the ornate RhB steam train from Scuol-Tarasp via Zernez to Samedan, then return via the Vereina railway line via Klosters and Landquart to Chur.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Hotel Mirabeau, Lausanne

    On the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig and then on the Simplon line to Lausanne

    Luggage forwarded hotel-to-hotel by SBB. Travel the Glacier Express along the Surselva Region up the Rhine Valley to Disentis and over the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt, then via Furka and Upper Valais to Brig, with lunch included in First Class. Continue by SBB Intercity via the Rhone Valley and Lake Geneva to Lausanne.

  9. Day 9overnight: Hotel Mirabeau, Lausanne

    Private Charter in the Jura Mountains with the 'Red Arrow' streamliner

    SBB Intercity from Lausanne past the Jura Lakes via Yverdon, Neuchatel and Biel to Oensingen, then a private charter with champagne reception on the 1938 'Red Arrow' streamlined railcar to Balsthal, with photo stops at Klus and Thalbrucke, and a warm Swiss lunch. New Year's Eve festivities in Lausanne.

  10. Day 10overnight: Hotel Mirabeau, Lausanne

    At leisure in Lausanne or another day of discovery with the Swiss Travel Pass

    Free day in Lausanne, or use the Swiss Travel Pass to discover local narrow-gauge railways such as Morges to Biere or Nyon to St. Cergue. Final group dinner in the evening.

  11. Day 11rail

    Return to London

    Return to London via Paris by TGV and Eurostar services.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Christmas Eve: ride Europe's oldest rack railway to the summit of Mount Rigi, then descend to Vitznau and ferry across Lake Lucerne to Lucerne before returning to Chur by train.
  • Day 6Travel in a privately chartered 1930s Art Deco Pullman car from Chur to Arosa, climbing 1,155 metres via the 284-metre Langwieser Viaduct opened in 1914.
  • Day 7Ride RhB steam locomotive No. 108, a 1904 vintage 2-8-0 tender engine, from Scuol-Tarasp via Zernez to Samedan in the Engadine Valley.
  • Day 8Travel the Glacier Express in First Class from Chur over the Oberalp Pass to Disentis, Andermatt, and Brig; lunch included. Continue by SBB to Lausanne.
  • Day 9Board a private charter of the 1938 'Red Arrow' streamliner from Oensingen to Balsthal through the Jura Mountains with a champagne reception and warm Swiss lunch.

Included

  • 10 nights at 4-star Hotels ABC (Chur) and Mirabeau (Lausanne) with breakfast
  • 2 lunches and 3 dinners
  • First Class rail travel from London to Switzerland and back (Eurostar Plus carriages)
  • A 15-Day Swiss Travel Pass national rail rover in First Class
  • Return trip by private 1930s Pullman Coach from Chur to Arosa
  • Steam-hauled return trip in the Engadine Valley from Scuol to Samedan
  • First Class trip on the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig with lunch
  • SBB luggage transfer from Chur to Lausanne
  • Private charter on the vintage 1938 'Red Arrow' with champagne reception and lunch
  • All seat reservations and transfers (except on free days)
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. The package includes First Class rail travel from London to Switzerland and back via Eurostar Plus and TGV, a 15-day First Class Swiss Travel Pass, the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig, RhB steam locomotive journeys, private Pullman and streamliner charters, and all seat reservations and transfers on escorted days.
Is this tour escorted?
Yes. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout. However, days 3, 4, 5, and 10 are free exploration days where guests use the Swiss Travel Pass independently; the Tour Manager offers suggested itineraries but attendance is optional.
What trains will I ride?
The Glacier Express from Chur to Brig in First Class, a 1904 RhB steam locomotive No. 108 from Scuol-Tarasp to Samedan, a privately chartered 1930s Art Deco Pullman car from Chur to Arosa, a chartered 1938 'Red Arrow' streamliner from Oensingen to Balsthal, and Eurostar, TGV, and SBB services between London and Switzerland.
What is included in the price?
Ten nights at 4-star Hotel ABC in Chur and Hotel Mirabeau in Lausanne with breakfast, two lunches and three dinners, all rail travel mentioned above, luggage transfer from Chur to Lausanne, champagne reception and lunch on the 'Red Arrow', and a Tour Manager. Six free days include use of the Swiss Travel Pass for self-guided rail exploration.
When does this tour run?
The confirmed departure is December 2026. The package covers Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve in the Swiss Alps.
How much walking is involved?
Days include scenic train journeys and time to stroll around towns such as Arosa; no strenuous hikes are mentioned. Four free exploration days allow you to choose your own activity level.

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