railtour suisse · Self-drive tour

Grand Tour of Switzerland - Round trip west by car

Self-drive road trip through western Switzerland with a car-free Zermatt shuttle

Grand Tour of Switzerland - Round trip west by car, a rail journey with railtour suisse

railtour suisse runs this 6-day self-drive tour through the western part of Switzerland, one section of the country-wide Grand Tour of Switzerland route that the operator says 'can also be booked in sections by train'. Travellers pick up their own car or a hire car in Geneva and drive through Fribourg and Gruyères to Gstaad, on to Bern and Lucerne, over the Furka Pass to car-free Zermatt, and finally to Montreux, with a night in a 3-star hotel at each stop. The only rail travel built into the route is the shuttle train needed to enter Zermatt, where cars are left behind, plus an optional ride on the 'Train des vignes' through the Lavaux vineyards on the last day. Optional add-ons along the way, from the Glacier 3000 suspension bridge to the Eggishorn cable car, let travellers choose how much high-altitude sightseeing to add. This suits independent, self-directed travellers who want to plan their own pace rather than follow a guide.

What to know before you look closer

  • This is a self-drive tour, not a rail journey: you drive your own car or a hire car for almost the whole route, and the only rail included is the shuttle train needed to reach car-free Zermatt.
  • Several of the tour's headline excursions are optional extras at additional cost, including Glacier 3000, the Eggishorn cable car, the Gornergrat or Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the VerticAlp Emosson detour, and the Lavaux wine tasting.
  • Some day descriptions in the operator's itinerary are cut off before the final details (marked '…' on days 2 and 3), so confirm the complete daily route with railtour suisse before booking.
  • The evidence names no specific hotels, only that each stop is a 3-star hotel with a standard double room and breakfast; ask railtour suisse which properties are used.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Geneva

    Arrival in Geneva

    Travel by car to your booked hotel in Geneva. Discover the idyllic city on Lake Geneva, the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Constance. Geneva is home to the European headquarters of the UN and the Red Cross. The famous Jet d'Eau, the 140m high water fountain, is a first port of call in the harbour, alongside the historic old town and magnificent views of the mountain ranges and Mont Blanc. Other tips include a boat trip on Lake Geneva and shopping on the Rue du Rhône.

  2. Day 2overnight: Gstaad

    Geneva - Gstaad (approx. 230 km)

    Breakfast at the hotel, followed by an enjoyable drive along Lake Geneva and Lac de Joux through unspoilt landscapes and the beauty of the Jura. Continue to Fribourg, one of the largest medieval towns, with an old town of more than 200 Gothic façades and Fribourg Cathedral's 74-metre-high tower. Next is Gruyères with its majestic castle, the Château St. Germain and the 'Maison du Gruyère' cheese dairy. The last stage takes you to the world-famous holiday resort of Gstaad.

  3. Day 3overnight: Lucerne

    Gstaad - Lucerne (approx. 230 km)

    Breakfast at the hotel. Opportunity to visit Glacier 3000 and its 107-metre-long suspension bridge with views of the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc massif, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Continue via Spiez to Interlaken for a boat trip on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, then along Lake Thun to Thun and Bern, visiting Bern's UNESCO World Heritage Old Town with its 6km of arcades. From Bern, the journey leads through the Emmental valley to Affoltern (show dairy) and through the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve to Lucerne, with its Chapel Bridge and Water Tower.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Zermatt

    Lucerne - Zermatt (approx. 200 km)

    Breakfast at the hotel. Travel along Lake Lucerne and Lake Uri to Altdorf, with the possibility of a mountain excursion to the Pilatus, Stanserhorn, Bürgenstock or Rigi. Continue to Andermatt and over the 2,430-metre Furka Pass into Valais. An excursion from Fiesch by cable car to the Eggishorn (2,926m), part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a 360° mountain panorama. The last stage is by car to Täsch, then by train to the car-free village of Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn (approx. 12 minutes).

  5. Day 5railovernight: Montreux

    Zermatt - Montreux (approx. 200 km)

    Breakfast at the hotel. Time for an excursion to the Gornergrat or the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The train takes you back to Täsch, then continue by car via Sierre and Sion to Martigny, with an optional detour to Le Châtelard for the VerticAlp Emosson and its views of Mont Blanc. The last stage takes you to Montreux, with a visit to Chillon Castle and a walk along the lakeside promenade.

  6. Day 6rail

    Return journey

    Breakfast at the hotel. A visit to the vineyard terraces of the Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage Site, including a wine tasting, is a must; good starting points for a short hike are Chexbres, Saint-Saphorin, Cully, Epesses and Grandvaux. The excursion is also comfortable on the 'Train des vignes', which winds up from Vevey through the vineyards to Puidoux-Chexbres in twelve minutes. Individual journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1In Geneva, the famous Jet d'Eau, described as 'the 140m high water fountain', is a first stop in the harbour.
  • Day 3An optional visit to Glacier 3000 crosses its '107-metre-long suspension bridge with views of the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc massif, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau'.
  • Day 4An optional cable car from Fiesch climbs to the Eggishorn at 2,926 metres, part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a '360° mountain panorama'.
  • Day 6A visit to the Lavaux UNESCO World Heritage vineyard terraces includes a wine tasting, reachable on the 'Train des vignes', which 'winds up from Vevey through the vineyards to Puidoux-Chexbres in twelve minutes'.

Included

  • 1 night in Geneva, 3* hotel, standard double room with breakfast
  • 1 night in Gstaad, 3* hotel, standard double room with breakfast
  • 1 night in Lucerne, 3* hotel, standard double room with breakfast
  • 1 night in Zermatt, 3* hotel, standard double room with breakfast
  • 1 night in Montreux, 3* hotel, standard double room with breakfast

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Only in one place. This is a self-drive car tour; the only rail included is getting into and out of car-free Zermatt, and travellers can optionally take the 'Train des vignes' through the Lavaux vineyards on day 6.
Is it escorted or independent?
It's independent. The tour is described as a 'Self-drive tour'; you drive yourself between hotels with no guide mentioned in the itinerary.
Is a car included?
No. The evidence states 'you drive in your own car or a hire car'; the included list covers hotel nights with breakfast only, not a vehicle.
What hotels are included?
One night each in a 3-star hotel in Geneva, Gstaad, Lucerne, Zermatt and Montreux, in a standard double room with breakfast. The evidence does not name the specific properties.
What is not included?
Excursions named in the itinerary, such as Glacier 3000, the Eggishorn cable car, Gornergrat or Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the VerticAlp Emosson detour, and the Lavaux wine tasting, are all listed as optional extras at extra cost.
How much walking is involved?
The core tour is mostly driving with old-town walking, such as in Bern and Fribourg. A short hike near the Lavaux vineyards on day 6 is optional, as are the higher-altitude cable-car and cog-railway excursions.

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