How much does it cost?

From £3,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,402 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is the train travel included?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes Eurostar in Plus class, First Class rail throughout Switzerland and into Italy, the Gotthard Panorama Express, and the Mount Rigi and Monte Generoso mountain railways.

Is this trip escorted or independent?

It's an escorted tour with a UK Tour Manager throughout, though day 4 is a free day and the return from Lucerne to Stansstad on day 3 is made independently.

Which trains are used?

Eurostar (London to Paris), First Class rail across France, Switzerland and Italy, the Gotthard Panorama Express (Flüelen to Lugano), the Mount Rigi Mountain Railway and the Monte Generoso Mountain Railway.

What hotels are used?

A four-star hotel in Stansstad on Lake Lucerne for 3 nights, the four-star Bellevue au Lac in Lugano for 4 nights, and one of two four-star Milan hotels, the NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova or Starhotels E.c.ho, for the final night.

Departures are listed for September 2026 and April through September 2027.

What is not included?

The evidence lists only cancellation and travel insurance as excluded; rail travel, hotels, breakfast daily, 5 dinners and all guided tours and excursions are included.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

First-Class Swiss Mountains & Italian Lakes

First-Class escorted rail tour of Swiss lakes, mountains and Italy's Lake Como

Great Rail Journeys runs this 10-day escorted tour from London to Milan, traveling First Class by rail with a Tour Manager throughout. After the Eurostar to Paris and a First Class connection to Basel, the trip settles into a three-night stay at a lakefront hotel in Stansstad on Lake Lucerne, where day 3 rides the cogwheel Mount Rigi Mountain Railway, running since 1871, to the summit for views over central Switzerland. The Gotthard Panorama Express then crosses the Alps to Lugano for four nights, with excursions to Lake Maggiore's Borromean Islands, the Monte Generoso Mountain Railway, and a boat trip on Lake Como to the 12th-century Villa Balbianello. The tour ends with a guided walk through Milan's Piazza del Duomo before the First Class rail journey home. It suits travellers who want the ease of an escorted, First Class rail trip but also appreciate a free day and some independent time built into the schedule.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £200 since 4 Jul, to £3,999.

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

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Day 4 is an entirely free day in which travellers plan their own excursions using a Swiss Half Fare Card, and on day 3 the return from Lucerne to Stansstad and dinner are made independently.
Some days rely on coach rather than rail: the Lake Maggiore excursion returns to Lugano by coach on day 6, and Lake Como on day 8 is reached from and returned to Lugano by coach.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Basel
London to Basel in First Class
Your holiday begins by meeting the Tour Manager at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar to Paris. Travelling in Plus class, we enjoy a light meal at our seats on the way to the French capital, where we change trains and continue by First Class rail to Basel. On arrival in this Swiss city near the borders of France and Germany, we check in to our hotel. This evening, we gather at a nearby restaurant to enjoy our first dinner together.
Day 2railovernight: Stansstad
To our hotel on the shores of Lake Lucerne
Our journey continues after breakfast as we take the short walk to Basel station, where we board our train to Lucerne, travelling in First Class. From Lucerne, we continue to the lakeside village of Stansstad, where we check in to our four-star hotel for a three-night stay.
Day 3railovernight: Stansstad
Panoramic views from the Rigi Mountain Railway
After breakfast, we walk to the pier and board a boat to Vitznau, via Lucerne. In Vitznau, we board Europe's first mountain railway for a scenic journey to the summit of Mount Rigi, then make our way down to Goldau and on to Lucerne, which is at leisure.
Day 4railovernight: Stansstad
Free day to explore central Switzerland
With your Swiss Half Fare Card providing 50% discounts on rail, boat and mountain railway journeys, you can discover Switzerland your own way after breakfast, with options including Mount Pilatus, Stanserhorn, Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Day 5railovernight: Lugano
Gotthard Panorama Express to Lugano
A holiday highlight awaits after breakfast as we embark on a unique journey on the Gotthard Panorama Express. First boarding a boat to the southern tip of Lake Lucerne, our train awaits as we dock in Flüelen. In First Class seats we set off through the Alps and the Gotthard Crest Tunnel to reach Lugano, where we have dinner this evening.
Day 6railovernight: Lugano
Exploring Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands
Travelling by rail from Lugano to Locarno, we continue along the shore of Lake Maggiore to Stresa. This afternoon, we sail to the Borromean Islands and uncover the Borromeo Palace on Isola Bella and the fishing village of Isola dei Pescatori, before returning by coach to Lugano.
Day 7railovernight: Lugano
Monte Generoso Mountain Railway
We board a train after breakfast and head to Capolago, then hop on to a historic cogwheel train to ascend Monte Generoso, climbing more than 5,500 feet on the 40-minute journey, with breathtaking views of lakes Lugano and Como. Returning by rail to Lugano, the rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 8overnight: Lugano
Lake Como cruise to Bellagio and Tremezzo
Travelling by coach after breakfast, we sail across Lake Como to Bellagio, then continue to Villa Balbianello for a guided tour, before crossing the lake by boat to Tremezzo. We return by coach to our hotel in Lugano for dinner.
Day 9railovernight: Milan
Guided tour of Milan
Leaving Lugano after breakfast, we travel by First Class train to Milan, arriving just before lunchtime, before a guided tour of the city including the Piazza del Duomo and Teatro alla Scala. After checking in to our central hotel, we head out for our final dinner together.
Day 10rail
Homeward bound
With an early start today, we head to Milan train station to begin our journey home, travelling by First Class rail to Paris, from where we connect to the Eurostar service, served a light meal in Plus class seats before arriving at London St Pancras.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3The cogwheel Mount Rigi Mountain Railway, in operation since 1871, climbs to the summit of Mount Rigi for views over central Switzerland.
Day 5The Gotthard Panorama Express runs through the Alps in First Class, passing Wassen Church, the Devil's Bridge and the historic Gotthard Crest Tunnel.
Day 7The Monte Generoso Mountain Railway climbs more than 5,500 feet in 40 minutes, with views of Lake Lugano, Lake Como, the Alps and, on clear days, Milan and the Matterhorn.
Day 8A guided tour of the 12th-century Villa Balbianello on Lake Como, reached by boat from Bellagio.
Day 9A guided tour of Milan visits the Piazza del Duomo, the Gothic cathedral, and the Teatro alla Scala opera house.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
9 nights’ 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel
All rail, cruise, ferry and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar Light Meals
Breakfast each day, 5 dinners
Group luggage transfers between all hotels
Swiss Half Fare Card, permitting 50% discounted fares on free days for rail, boat and most mountain railway journeys
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

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

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Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £3,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,402 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is the train travel included?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes Eurostar in Plus class, First Class rail throughout Switzerland and into Italy, the Gotthard Panorama Express, and the Mount Rigi and Monte Generoso mountain railways.
Is this trip escorted or independent?: It's an escorted tour with a UK Tour Manager throughout, though day 4 is a free day and the return from Lucerne to Stansstad on day 3 is made independently.
Which trains are used?: Eurostar (London to Paris), First Class rail across France, Switzerland and Italy, the Gotthard Panorama Express (Flüelen to Lugano), the Mount Rigi Mountain Railway and the Monte Generoso Mountain Railway.
What hotels are used?: A four-star hotel in Stansstad on Lake Lucerne for 3 nights, the four-star Bellevue au Lac in Lugano for 4 nights, and one of two four-star Milan hotels, the NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova or Starhotels E.c.ho, for the final night.
When does it run?: Departures are listed for September 2026 and April through September 2027.
What is not included?: The evidence lists only cancellation and travel insurance as excluded; rail travel, hotels, breakfast daily, 5 dinners and all guided tours and excursions are included.