How much does it cost?

From £2,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,105 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

How many nights are included and where do you stay?

Rail returners stay nine nights: one night in Colmar, seven nights at the four-star Hotel Regina Palace in Stresa overlooking Lake Maggiore, and one night in Dijon. Air travellers stay only seven nights (Colmar and Stresa) and return by flight on Day 9.

Which meals are included?

Breakfast is included every day. Rail departures receive light meals on Eurostar, six dinners (four at the hotel in Stresa, two at restaurants in Colmar and Dijon), and included lunch only on the wine tasting day. Air travellers receive four dinners. Other meals are independent.

What activities and excursions are included?

Included are boat trips to the Borromean Islands with a guided tour of Borromeo Palace, a boat trip to Lake Orta visiting Isola San Giulio and Orta San Giulio, the Centovalli Railway journey to Locarno, and a wine tasting at Fontechiara winery. Days 5 and 7 are free in Stresa with optional activities.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the entire journey from London to either Milan or your return to London.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Classic Lake Maggiore

Ten-day Italian lakes tour from London via Eurostar and First Class rail

Great Rail Journeys operates this 10-day escorted tour combining elegant rail travel with a relaxed lakeside base. You depart London St Pancras on Eurostar Plus class, travel through Paris and the Swiss Alps on First Class trains, and arrive in Stresa, a Belle Époque town on Lake Maggiore where you spend seven nights at the four-star Hotel Regina Palace overlooking the water. From there, the itinerary unfolds at a leisurely pace: a boat cruise to the Borromean Islands includes a guided tour of the 17th-century Borromeo Palace with its formal gardens; a separate boat trip visits the quieter Lake Orta and its island monastery; and a journey on the Centovalli Railway winds through Swiss valleys and past waterfalls to Locarno. On Day 8 you visit a family-run winery for a tasting of Piedmont wines with local charcuterie and cheeses. Two full free days in Stresa offer options to explore the market, visit Milan or Lake Como by rail, or relax at the hotel.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £400 since 4 Jul, to £2,299.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Air travellers return on Day 9 with only seven nights of hotel accommodation and four included dinners; the full nine nights and six dinners apply only to rail returners
Three of the seven free days in Stresa offer structured options (market day, rail trip to Milan or Lake Como, winery visit, Locarno day trip) but are unguided; confirm independently how to book any optional activities

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Colmar
From London to Colmar
We meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and take the Eurostar in Plus class to Paris, continuing by First Class rail to the Alsace town of Colmar, with its half-timbered houses and Little Venice district.
Meals: Eurostar Light Meal (rail departures only), Dinner (rail departures only)
Day 2railovernight: Stresa
Arrival in lakeside Stresa
We continue by First Class train through the Swiss Alps and the Simplon Tunnel to Domodossola, then transfer by coach to Stresa on Lake Maggiore, checking in to our Art Nouveau hotel. Air travellers meet the Tour Manager at London Heathrow and fly to Milan, transferring to Stresa.
Meals: Breakfast (rail departures only), Dinner
Day 3overnight: Stresa
Exploring the beautiful Borromean Islands
A boat trip on Lake Maggiore to Isola Bella for a guided tour of the Borromeo Palace and gardens, continuing to the fishing village of Isola dei Pescatori.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4overnight: Stresa
Discovering the island gems of Lake Orta
A cruise to Isola San Giulio and the town of Orta San Giulio, the 'Jewel of the Lake'.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5overnight: Stresa
A full day to enjoy Stresa on market day or explore further
A free day; Friday is market day in Stresa, with options to explore Villa Pallavicino, Baveno, Pallanzo's Villa Taranto gardens, or Isola Madre.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6railovernight: Stresa
Centovalli Railway to the Swiss town of Locarno
A journey on the scenic Centovalli Railway from Domodossola to Locarno through Alpine valleys, wildflower meadows and over high bridges, returning to Stresa by boat past the Borromean Islands.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7railovernight: Stresa
A free day to discover more of Stresa and Lake Maggiore
A free day with the option of a rail trip to Milan to see the Teatro alla Scala, the Duomo and the Navigli district, or onward to Lake Como.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8overnight: Stresa
Wine tasting at Fontechiara
A coach transfer to the Fontechiara winery for a tour and tasting of wines including Nebbiolo, Vespolina and Rosata, with local charcuterie and cheeses.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9railovernight: Dijon (rail departures only)
By rail to Dijon or flying home
Air travellers transfer to Milan Linate for their flight to Heathrow. Rail travellers take a First Class train via Lausanne and along Lake Geneva to Dijon, checking in to a hotel near the station for an overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner (rail departures only)
Day 10rail
Homeward bound
We continue by First Class rail from Dijon to Paris, joining the Eurostar in Plus class back to London St Pancras.
Meals: Breakfast, Eurostar Light Meal

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Travel by Eurostar Plus class from London St Pancras to Paris, then First Class rail through the Alsace countryside to Colmar, a town of half-timbered houses and flower-lined waterways
Day 2Board a First Class train through the Swiss Alps and the Simplon Tunnel, arriving in Italy and transferring to Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore
Day 3Boat trip to the Borromean Islands includes a guided tour of the 17th-century Borromeo Palace and its Italianate gardens, followed by free exploration of Isola dei Pescatori
Day 6Centovalli Railway journey from Domodossola winds through valleys, wildflower meadows, high bridges and waterfalls to Locarno, Switzerland
Day 8Wine tasting at the family-run Fontechiara winery includes tour of the cellar, three wine tastings, and local delicacies with homemade charcuterie and cheeses

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
9 nights’ 4-Star hotel accommodation (7 nights if travelling by air)
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel - all rail, boat and coach travel throughout your tour
Return flights from London Heathrow to Milan Linate (if travelling by air)
Eurostar light meals (if travelling by rail)
Breakfast each day, 6 dinners (4 dinners if travelling by air)
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £2,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,105 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
How many nights are included and where do you stay?: Rail returners stay nine nights: one night in Colmar, seven nights at the four-star Hotel Regina Palace in Stresa overlooking Lake Maggiore, and one night in Dijon. Air travellers stay only seven nights (Colmar and Stresa) and return by flight on Day 9.
Which meals are included?: Breakfast is included every day. Rail departures receive light meals on Eurostar, six dinners (four at the hotel in Stresa, two at restaurants in Colmar and Dijon), and included lunch only on the wine tasting day. Air travellers receive four dinners. Other meals are independent.
What activities and excursions are included?: Included are boat trips to the Borromean Islands with a guided tour of Borromeo Palace, a boat trip to Lake Orta visiting Isola San Giulio and Orta San Giulio, the Centovalli Railway journey to Locarno, and a wine tasting at Fontechiara winery. Days 5 and 7 are free in Stresa with optional activities.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the entire journey from London to either Milan or your return to London.