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Planet Rail · Luxury rail holiday

Luxury Glacier Express and Scenic Switzerland by First Class rail

Eight-day Glacier Express and Bernina Express journey through Swiss Alps in luxury

Illustration of Luxury Glacier Express and Scenic Switzerland by First Class rail

Planet Rail's Luxury Glacier Express and Scenic Switzerland by First Class Rail is an 8-day independent holiday from London to Tirano, designed for travelers who prioritize comfort and scenic beauty. You depart London St. Pancras on Eurostar in Standard Premier Class, then travel south through Cologne and the Rhine Gorge in First Class compartments, crossing into Switzerland and arriving in Zermatt on Day 2. There you spend three nights at the five-star Hotel Cervo, with two full days to explore the town and its surroundings, including optional visits to the Gornergrat viewing platform and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The highlight comes on Day 5: the Glacier Express in Excellence Class, a journey from Zermatt to St. Moritz featuring panoramic windows, a five-course lunch, and afternoon tea as the train crosses the Alps. You then spend three nights in Sils Maria at Hotel Waldhaus Sils, with a free day of leisure and spa access. On Day 7, you take the Bernina Express in a panoramic carriage over viaducts and through rock-hewn tunnels to Tirano, Italy. A Business Class return flight concludes the journey. The trip suits luxury seekers, repeat rail travelers, couples, and photographers drawn to Alpine scenery.

What to know before you look closer

  • The trip ends with a return flight from Switzerland to London; train travel home via Paris is offered as a paid alternative.
  • Optional excursions in Zermatt (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Gornergrat cogwheel railway) are not included and must be booked locally.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Cologne

    By train to Germany

    As you stroll into stunning London St Pancras International station let the holiday mood take over. Take your time to admire the magnificent glass roof, then sit back, relax and watch the countryside glide past as you travel by Eurostar to Brussels at speeds of up to 186mph. Enjoy the light meal and drinks served on board in Standard Premier Class (Eurostar’s 1st class for leisure travellers). When you arrive at Brussels Midi station you change trains and board the high-speed ICE or Thalys service to Cologne. On arrival in Cologne walk the short distance to your hotel for the night, the elegant and centrally located Cologne Marriott Hotel (5 star). You might like to visit the world-famous cathedral with spectacular views from the top or perhaps later you could stroll through the old town or alongside the River Rhine.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Zermatt

    Through the Rhine Gorge to Switzerland by First Class train

    Today you head south, leaving Cologne and Germany behind as you journey aboard a Euro City train, along the scenic Rhine Gorge and onwards to Basel, where you change trains and board the Inter City train to Visp. Here you change trains a final time and join the regional train for the lovely journey to Zermatt. Later you arrive in beautiful Zermatt, overlooked by the Matterhorn for your three-night stay at the impressive Cervo Hotel (5 star) ideally situation for exploring the attractions of the town and surrounding area.

  3. Day 3overnight: Zermatt

    Exploring Zermatt

    Enjoy two full days to explore the wonderfully enchanting town of Zermatt and its surroundings. Perhaps start with a visit to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Station, should you have a taste for heights, on the highest cable car station in Europe with a viewing platform and the highest glacier palace in the world. Otherwise you may like to visit the Matterhorn Museum or take advantage of some of Zermatt’s stunning mountain walks through a wide range of environments – from pine scented mountain forests, to calm Alpine lakes, to stunning ice-blue glaciers and lookouts over all of Europe’s highest peaks.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Zermatt

    Exploring Zermatt

    Another option is the Gornergrat cogwheel railway, with its viewing platform that can be reached throughout the year. The panorama is considered to be one of the most beautiful: the Monte Rosa Massif with the highest Swiss mountain (the Dufourspitze at 4,634 m above sea level), and a view over the second-largest glacier in the Alps, the Gornergletscher, as well as 29 peaks higher than 4,000 metres. You climb up the mountain over impressive bridges, through galleries and tunnels, idyllic forests and alpine meadows, passing rocky gorges and mountain lakes.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Sils Maria

    The Glacier Express to St. Moritz

    Excitement builds this morning as you bid farewell to Zermatt and board the Glacier Express for the journey along the entire length of the classic route to St. Moritz. Your journey is in Excellence Class, an intimate luxurious class of service to enhance this wonderful journey even further. Enjoy a red-carpet reception and a welcome drink as you settle in to your seats by the large panoramic windows, designed to maximise the views of the incredible scenery. Probably the slowest ‘express’ in the world, the narrow-gauge train takes you through the delightful Engadine valley and then climbs out of the pasture and woodland as you leave the broad valley of the Rhine. You continue up the Rhône Valley, past mountain peaks, tiny hamlets, babbling brooks, as your train spirals upwards and snakes its way over the Oberalp Pass at 6,670ft. During the journey you enjoy a five-course lunch with wine and later, afternoon tea as you continue through the outstanding scenery of Switzerland. Your at-seat iPad will give you further information on particular points of interest along the route; alternatively you may prefer to sit at the carriage’s private bar and relax with a drink, or make the most of the on-board concierge service. After this wonderful journey, you arrive in St. Moritz, where a member of the hotel concierge will transfer to your hotel for the next three-nights, the luxurious Waldhaus (5 star).

  6. Day 6overnight: Sils Maria

    A free day to explore...

    Make the most of a day at leisure in Sils Maria. You may wish to simply relax in the hotel and make use of the excellent facilities. You have free admission to the underground spa with its indoor heated pool. There is also the possibility to book massages, body or sunbed treatments, aerobic and fitness lessons (payable locally). There are tennis courts at the hotel, as well as a classical library and reading room, and a charming lounge where afternoon tea is served. Should you wish to venture further afield, you could take a stroll into Sils Maria with its attractive pavement cafés and bakeries, or head to nearby St Moritz. You could also take advantage of the great hiking trails surrounding the hotel; on most days of the week a guide is on hand to lead some free walks amid the spectacular scenery.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Sils Maria

    The Bernina Express round trip to Italy

    Today you travel to St. Moritz, where you board the Bernina Express for fabulous, breath-taking views from your panoramic carriage as you travel over bridges and viaducts, through galleries and switch-back tunnels hewn into the rock, past waterfalls, ravines and rushing mountain streams. The route spirals and loops from the Engadine Valley before climbing more than 7,000ft to the Bernina Pass without the help of a rack-and-pinion mechanism. Marvel at the snow-capped mountains as the train descends into the pretty, Italian town of Tirano with its different cultural feel. There is time to relax and enjoy lunch in one of the town’s cafés or restaurants before the return journey to St. Moritz and then Sils Maria. You may have another evening to relax and use the hotel’s excellent facilities.

  8. Day 8rail

    Sils Maria to London – homeward bound

    Today you bid farewell to Sils Maria as you return to St. Moritz station and descend to either Zurich or Geneva Airport. Here you take to the skies on your Business Class flight to London, ahead of the final stage of your journey home. Alternatively, you might choose to travel home by First Class rail, via Paris.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Day 2: EuroCity train travels along the scenic Rhine Gorge from Cologne to Basel, crossing into Switzerland.
  • Day 5Day 5: board the Glacier Express in Excellence Class at Zermatt for the classic route to St. Moritz, with red-carpet reception and panoramic window seating.
  • Day 7Day 7: the Bernina Express departs St. Moritz in a panoramic carriage, spiraling up over 7,000 feet to the Bernina Pass via viaducts, galleries, and rock-hewn tunnels to Tirano.

Included

  • First Class rail travel throughout (Standard Premier service on Eurostar with a meal and drinks; the new Excellence Class on the Glacier Express with a five-course lunch and afternoon tea)
  • 7 nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast each day, including an overnight stay in Cologne, 3 nights in Zermatt and 3 nights in Sils Maria
  • At-seat meals on Eurostar and the Glacier Express
  • A local transport ticket in Sils Maria giving you free use of cable cars, chair lifts and buses
  • Flight from either Zurich or Geneva to London in Business Class

Questions travellers ask

Is all rail travel included?
Yes. The price includes First Class rail throughout: Standard Premier on Eurostar, First Class on the EuroCity and InterCity trains, Excellence Class on the Glacier Express, and a panoramic carriage on the Bernina Express.
What is the Glacier Express, and when do I travel on it?
The Glacier Express is a luxury train running the classic route from Zermatt to St. Moritz. You travel on it on Day 5 in Excellence Class, which includes a five-course lunch and afternoon tea.
Where do I stay, and what is included each day?
You stay one night in Cologne at the Marriott Hotel, three nights in Zermatt at Hotel Cervo, and three nights in Sils Maria at Hotel Waldhaus Sils. All are five-star hotels. Breakfast is included each day, plus meals on Eurostar and the Glacier Express.
Is this trip guided or independent?
This is an independent, self-guided luxury rail holiday. Planet Rail provides the itinerary and bookings, but you travel at your own pace.
What does the price include?
The from-price of GBP 3,595 (USD 4,801) includes First Class rail travel, seven nights in five-star hotels with breakfast, at-seat meals on trains, free local transport in Sils Maria, and a Business Class return flight to London.
How much walking or physical activity is involved?
This is a low-activity trip. Most days center on train travel or relaxation in your hotel. Optional cable car rides and mountain railways (Gornergrat, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise) can be added in Zermatt, and Day 6 in Sils Maria is entirely free.

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