Great Rail Journeys
Best of Switzerland
Eight-day independent Swiss tour on Bernina, Glacier and GoldenPass Express trains
8 daysfrom $3,639
63% rail
Tailor Made Rail · Tailor-made luxury rail holiday
Jewels of Italy and the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Enjoy luxurious stays in stunning destinations including Lake Maggiore, Tuscany and Amalfi Coast. Then round off your holiday in style with a homeward journey aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express from Venice back to London.
Day by day
- Day 1railovernight: Lausanne (Hotel Angleterre et Residences or similar)
London to Lausanne
Board a modern Eurostar train bound for Paris. You will be met on arrival by a driver, who will transport you and your luggage across the city and deliver you onto your TGV service heading south into Switzerland, arriving into the lakeside city of Lausanne.
- Day 2overnight: Stresa (Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees or similar)
Lausanne to Lake Maggiore
After a morning on the shores of Lake Geneva, or experiencing Lausanne's old town, travel east, passing the Chateau de Chillon before continuing through the Simplon Tunnel and out into Italy. You arrive into the lakeside resort of Stresa, on the shores of Lake Maggiore, for a 3-night stay.
- Day 3railovernight: Stresa (Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees or similar)
Stresa
Stresa is one of the best known resorts on Lake Maggiore, strategically located at the "bend" in the lake, allowing for easy access by boat to many different villages along the shoreline. One highly recommended day trip is to Domodossola and the Centovalli railway, a spectacular line that runs across to Locarno in Switzerland, which is then linked back to Stresa by boat.
- Day 4railovernight: Stresa (Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees or similar)
Stresa
Stresa is one of the best known resorts on Lake Maggiore, strategically located at the "bend" in the lake, allowing for easy access by boat to many different villages along the shoreline. One highly recommended day trip is to Domodossola and the Centovalli railway, a spectacular line that runs across to Locarno in Switzerland, which is then linked back to Stresa by boat.
- Day 5railovernight: Amalfi (Hotel Residence or similar)
Lake Maggiore to the Amalfi Coast
A journey of over 550 miles awaits today, as you move south through Milan and onto a high-speed Frecciarossa train down the spine of Italy to Salerno. On arrival you will be met by a driver, who will transfer you through to Amalfi for a 3-night stay.
- Day 6overnight: Amalfi (Hotel Residence or similar)
Amalfi Coast
Perched on a steep hillside, the town of Amalfi is located at the heart of the famous coast of the same name. You can explore not only the town itself, but also neighbouring villages such as Positano, Ravello and Furore, with its unique Italian fjord!
- Day 7overnight: Amalfi (Hotel Residence or similar)
Amalfi Coast
Perched on a steep hillside, the town of Amalfi is located at the heart of the famous coast of the same name. You can explore not only the town itself, but also neighbouring villages such as Positano, Ravello and Furore, with its unique Italian fjord!
- Day 8railovernight: Siena (Grand Hotel Continental or similar)
The Amalfi Coast to Tuscany
Today you make your way back to Naples station, where a gleaming Italo train will be waiting to whisk you north to Tuscany. After a quick change of platform in Florence, you board a regional train through to Siena for a 3-night stay.
- Day 9overnight: Siena (Grand Hotel Continental or similar)
Siena, Tuscany
Apart from being a stunning medieval city, Siena is also an ideal base for exploring Tuscany and the local area. A wine tour can be arranged to one of the many vineyards that surround the city, or a hire car pre-booked to explore Chianti, Montalcino or the picturesque walled towns of San Gimignano or Montepulciano.
- Day 10overnight: Siena (Grand Hotel Continental or similar)
Siena, Tuscany
Apart from being a stunning medieval city, Siena is also an ideal base for exploring Tuscany and the local area. A wine tour can be arranged to one of the many vineyards that surround the city, or a hire car pre-booked to explore Chianti, Montalcino or the picturesque walled towns of San Gimignano or Montepulciano.
- Day 11railovernight: Venice (Ca' Sagredo Hotel or similar)
Siena to Venice
Take a regional train back to Florence and once again pick up the high-speed Italo train north, into Venice's Santa Lucia station. On arrival, you will be met and taken down to your own private boat waiting outside the station and whisked off down the Grand Canal, for a 2-night stay.
- Day 12overnight: Venice (Ca' Sagredo Hotel or similar)
Venice
Uniquely situated on a lagoon, Venice is a car-free wonder which is best explored on foot. The bridges of Rialto and Accademia make for excellent reference points and the vast galleried St Mark's Square is a focal point at the city's heart, along with the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and La Fenice Theatre.
- Day 13railovernight: Aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (double cabin)
Depart Venice aboard the Orient-Express
Late morning, a transfer will take you back to the station where you board the gleaming Wagons Lits of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. After settling into your cabin and a brief stop at Verona, you experience your first gourmet dining experience aboard the train as it hauls through the dramatic scenery of the Brenner Pass, enjoying a 3-course lunch, afternoon tea in your cabin, and a 4-course dinner as the sun goes down.
- Day 14rail
Arrive in London
Awake to breakfast served in your cabin by one of the smartly-dressed stewards. Spend the morning enjoying the rolling landscapes of France from your window before arriving into Paris at lunchtime. Make your way to the Gare du Nord and board the Eurostar for your journey back under the Channel to London.
Included
- Double cabin on the Orient-Express from Venice to London
- First Class travel from London to Italy, with Eurostar Plus class on the Eurostar
- Private car transfer between stations in Paris
- 12 nights' handpicked luxury hotel accommodation with breakfast
- Private car transfers on arrival in Salerno and Siena
- Private boat transfer from Venice station to your hotel near St Mark's Square
- Shared transfer from your hotel in Venice to the station
- Easy-to-follow travel documentation
- Despatch of tickets by email
