Is all train travel included?

Yes. Eurostar Plus, TGV First Class, the GoldenPass Express, Mont Blanc Express, Eiger Express cable car, Jungfrau Railway, and all other rail, boat, and coach travel throughout the tour are included.

Is this tour escorted or independent?

Escorted. A UK Tour Manager travels with the group from London St Pancras to Basel, organising group dinners, guided tours, and luggage transfers.

When does the tour run?

December 2026 only (Christmas and Boxing Day 2026).

Three nights at the Royal Plaza Montreux and Spa (four-star, lakefront) and four nights at Hotel Metropole Interlaken (four-star).

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

GoldenPass, Mont Blanc & Jungfrau at Christmas

Eight-day Christmas escape from London through Alpine rail to Jungfraujoch

Great Rail Journeys operates this eight-day Christmas tour from London to Basel, mixing festive lakeside celebration with Alpine rail journeys. The itinerary opens with Eurostar and TGV to Montreux on Lake Geneva, where you spend three nights at the waterfront Royal Plaza and tour Château de Chillon on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day itself, you ride the Mont Blanc Express across the Alps to Chamonix; the train passes through snow-covered terrain with views of Mont Blanc. Boxing Day brings the GoldenPass Express in panoramic carriages through the Swiss Highlands to Interlaken, your base for the final four nights. Day 5 climbs to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station, via the Eiger Express cable car and a cog-wheel train, with views of the Aletsch Glacier. A free day on Day 6 lets you explore mountain resorts or Lake Brienz at leisure. Day 7 includes a train journey to Thun and a scenic boat cruise back to Interlaken along the length of Lake Thun. Throughout, a UK Tour Manager leads the group, handles luggage transfers, and arranges group dinners. A Swiss Half Fare Card gives you discounted travel on free days.

Price history

Across 4 checks, this price has risen £50 since 4 Jul, to £3,049.

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. 2 of 4 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

Only one December 2026 departure is currently listed; confirm availability with Great Rail Journeys before booking
Day 6 is free time in Interlaken with optional activities; the Swiss Half Fare Card enables discounted mountain railways but requires separate ticket purchases
Final breakfast and Eurostar light meal are included, but lunch is included only on Day 4; other meals are at your own cost

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Montreux
A festive beginning on Lake Geneva
We meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar in Plus class to Paris, then the First Class TGV to Lausanne, and a short train transfer to Montreux, our base for three nights.
Meals: Eurostar Light Meal, Dinner
Day 2overnight: Montreux
Christmas Eve at the fairytale Château de Chillon
A free morning to explore Montreux's Christmas markets, then a trolleybus to Villeneuve for a guided tour of Château de Chillon, followed by a Christmas Gala dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Montreux
Celebrating Christmas on the Mont Blanc Express
From Martigny, the Mont Blanc Express crosses the Alps into France to Chamonix, with free time to explore before a three-course Christmas Day dinner back at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4railovernight: Interlaken
A Boxing Day journey on the GoldenPass Express
We board the GoldenPass Express through the Swiss Highlands and Gstaad to Interlaken, our base for four nights, enjoying a light lunch onboard.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Interlaken
The Eiger Express to the spectacular 'Top of Europe'
A train to Grindelwald, then the Eiger Express gondola to Eigergletscher, and the Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6overnight: Interlaken
Exploring the Bernese Oberland at leisure
A free day, with options including Wengen and Mürren using the Swiss Half Fare Card, Lake Brienz and Brienz's Brunngasse, or the Harderbahn to Harder Kulm.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7railovernight: Interlaken
Thun and cruising the length of its lake
A train to Thun to explore its 12th-century castle, followed by a boat cruise the length of Lake Thun back to Interlaken, passing Spiez Castle.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8rail
Homeward bound
We travel by train to Basel, then the First Class TGV 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 2Guided tour of Château de Chillon on Christmas Eve, a fairytale 12th-century castle on Lake Geneva's shore
Day 3Christmas Day ride on the Mont Blanc Express across the Alps from Martigny to Chamonix with views of Mont Blanc
Day 4Boxing Day journey on the GoldenPass Express in panoramic carriages from Montreux through the Swiss Highlands to Interlaken
Day 5Eiger Express cable car and Jungfrau cog-wheel train to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station, overlooking the Aletsch Glacier
Day 7Full-length Lake Thun cruise from Thun back to Interlaken, passing alpine peaks, villages, and Spiez Castle

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights’ 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus, First & Standard Class rail travel (First & Standard Class rail options available) - all rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar Light Meals; breakfast each day, 1 lunch, 6 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

Is all train travel included?: Yes. Eurostar Plus, TGV First Class, the GoldenPass Express, Mont Blanc Express, Eiger Express cable car, Jungfrau Railway, and all other rail, boat, and coach travel throughout the tour are included.
Is this tour escorted or independent?: Escorted. A UK Tour Manager travels with the group from London St Pancras to Basel, organising group dinners, guided tours, and luggage transfers.
When does the tour run?: December 2026 only (Christmas and Boxing Day 2026).
Where do you stay?: Three nights at the Royal Plaza Montreux and Spa (four-star, lakefront) and four nights at Hotel Metropole Interlaken (four-star).