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Planet Rail · Tailor-made rail holiday

Duo of Italian Lakes via Locarno by First Class rail

Nine-day first-class rail tour of Lake Como and Lake Garda from London

Illustration of Duo of Italian Lakes via Locarno by First Class rail

Planet Rail operates this independent tailor-made rail holiday that departs London and ends in Lausanne over nine days and eight nights. The journey travels entirely First Class and connects London, Paris, Zurich, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Locarno, and Montreux. On Day 2, you cross the Swiss Alps via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest tunnel, descending into Italy to the shores of Lake Como. You spend three nights in Lenno with free time to explore charming villages, villas, and gardens by ferry and local transport. After transferring to Lake Garda, another three nights in Desenzano offers leisure time and the option to cruise to castles and lemon-growing villages. The homeward journey is a highlight: a narrow gauge railway through the Centovalli valleys, then the scenic Simplon Pass route into Switzerland and Montreux on Lake Geneva. All accommodation is in 4-star hotels with breakfast included, and Planet Rail arranges your transfers in Paris and Desenzano, though ferries and lake cruises are payable locally. This trip suits couples seeking lakeside leisure, repeat rail travellers who appreciate diverse scenic routes, and independent explorers who prefer to arrange their own daily activities.

What to know before you look closer

  • Ferry or taxi from Como station to Lenno, and lake cruises on Lake Garda, are not included and must be paid locally.
  • Hotel Helmhaus in Zurich is 1 night only; all other overnight locations are 3 nights or more.
  • The pack describes Day 8 text as cut off ('Overnight at …'); confirm overnight details in Montreux with Planet Rail before booking.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Zurich

    By rail to Switzerland

    Your holiday begins at London St Pancras International, boarding the Eurostar to Paris with a light meal and drinks served at your seat in Standard Premier Class. On arrival you are transferred across Paris by private taxi to the Gare de Lyon for the high-speed TGV to Zurich, and make your way to the Hotel Helmhaus (4 star).

  2. Day 2overnight: Lenno, Lake Como

    Free time in Zurich - Through the Swiss Alps to Lake Como

    Morning free to explore Zurich: the Old Town, Bahnhofstrasse, the Grossmünster, Fraumünster and St Peterskirche, Lake Zurich and Lindenhof. Then the scenic Gotthard route through the Swiss Alps and the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest tunnel, crossing into Italy to Como. Take the ferry or a taxi (both payable locally) to Lenno and check in to the Hotel Albergo Lenno (4 star) for three nights.

  3. Day 3overnight: Lenno, Lake Como

    Lenno, Bellagio, Como, Villa Carlotta, Varenna, Monte Bre, Brunate & Bergamo

    At leisure on Lake Como: relax in Lenno on the Tremezzina shore, visit Bellagio ('la perla del lago'), take the ferry to Como and its Duomo, or visit Villa Carlotta with its art collection and gardens of over 500 plant species.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Lenno, Lake Como

    Lenno, Bellagio, Como, Villa Carlotta, Varenna, Monte Bre, Brunate & Bergamo (continued)

    Further exploration: picturesque Varenna with its castle, Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero; the cog railway to Monte Bre above Lake Lugano; the funicular to Brunate for views of Lake Como and the Alps; or medieval Bergamo and the Piazza Vecchia.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Desenzano, Lake Garda

    Lake Como to Lake Garda

    Return down the lake to Como station (payable locally) and join the train south to Milan. Change at Milan's art-deco Centrale station for the Eurostar Italia service to Desenzano on Lake Garda, where a private taxi transfer takes you to the Park Hotel (4 star) for three nights.

  6. Day 6overnight: Desenzano, Lake Garda

    Exploring Lake Garda

    Two full days to explore Lake Garda. Take a lake cruise (payable locally) from near the hotel to Limone, Riva del Garda or Malcesine in the north, or Torri del Benaco, Lazise or Sirmione with its medieval streets and 13th century castle in the south and east.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Desenzano, Lake Garda

    Exploring Lake Garda (continued)

    Relax in Desenzano with its interconnected squares, medieval castle and Roman villa ruins, or use the local rail network for day trips to Venice, the walled city of Verona or Bolzano in the heart of the Dolomites.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Montreux

    Lake Garda to Montreux on Lake Geneva

    A private transfer takes you to Desenzano station for the First Class Trenitalia Frecciarossa to Milan, then a regional service north to Locarno. Here you board the narrow gauge Centovalli Railway for an unforgettable journey across viaducts and bridges through a hundred different valleys, alighting at Domodossola for the spectacular journey through the Simplon Pass to lakeside Montreux on Lake Geneva. Overnight at the belle époque Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4 star superior).

  9. Day 9rail

    Montreux to London - Homeward bound

    After a leisurely breakfast, take the Inter Regio service to Lausanne for the connecting TGV to Paris. A taxi transfer takes you to the Gare du Nord for the Eurostar to London St Pancras International, with a light meal and drinks served at your seat.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2The Gotthard route climbs through the Swiss Alps and passes through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest tunnel, before descending into Italy and Lake Como.
  • Day 3Lake Como leisure days allow visits to Bellagio (la perla del lago), Villa Carlotta with its 500-plant gardens, and the picturesque villages of Varenna and Lenno.
  • Day 5The Eurostar Italia First Class service carries you from Milan Centrale to Desenzano on Lake Garda.
  • Day 8The narrow gauge Centovalli Railway from Locarno crosses viaducts and bridges through numerous valleys before joining the spectacular Simplon Pass journey to Montreux.

Included

  • First Class rail travel throughout
  • 1 night B&B in a double room at the Hotel Helmhaus (4 star), Zurich
  • 3 nights B&B in a front lake view double room at the Hotel Albergo Lenno (4 star), Lenno on Lake Como
  • 3 nights B&B in a superior lake view double room at the Park Hotel (4 star), Desenzano on Lake Garda
  • 1 night B&B in a double room at the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4 star superior), Montreux
  • Private taxi transfers in Paris & Desenzano

Not included

  • Ferry or taxi between Como station and Lenno (payable locally)
  • Lake Garda lake cruises (payable locally)

Questions travellers ask

Is all rail travel First Class?
Yes. The itinerary includes First Class on the TGV, trains through the Gotthard route, Eurostar Italia, Trenitalia Frecciarossa, the Centovalli Railway, and Inter Regio. Only the outbound Eurostar from London is Standard Premier Class.
Is this an escorted tour or independent?
It is an independent tailor-made holiday arranged by Planet Rail. There is no tour escort. Planet Rail arranges your rail tickets, hotels, and some private transfers, but you explore the lakes and towns at your own pace.
What is included in the price?
All First Class rail travel, accommodation with breakfast at four 4-star hotels (8 nights total), and private taxi transfers in Paris and Desenzano. Not included are ferries or taxis between Como station and Lenno, and lake cruises on Lake Garda.
How many nights does the tour last?
Eight nights in nine days: one night in Zurich, three nights in Lenno on Lake Como, three nights in Desenzano on Lake Garda, and one night in Montreux.
What trains are featured?
Eurostar (London to Paris), TGV (Paris to Zurich and return), the Gotthard route through Switzerland, Eurostar Italia (Milan to Desenzano), Trenitalia Frecciarossa (Desenzano to Milan), the narrow gauge Centovalli Railway (Locarno to Domodossola), a regional service via the Simplon Pass (Domodossola to Montreux), and Inter Regio (Montreux to Lausanne).
How much walking and activity is involved?
Days at Lenno and Desenzano are at your leisure with optional excursions by ferry or local rail. Other days involve city walking in Zurich, Paris, and other towns, plus luggage handling at hotel changes.

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