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Planet Rail · Luxury rail holiday

The Amalfi Coast by First Class Rail via Zurich and Montreux

Eight-day first-class rail journey from London to the Amalfi Coast via Switzerland

Illustration of The Amalfi Coast by First Class Rail via Zurich and Montreux

Planet Rail's eight-day independent holiday strings together five first-class daytime trains across Switzerland and Italy, beginning at London St. Pancras and ending in Lausanne. The Eurostar carries you to Paris at 186 mph with meals served; the TGV and EuroCity trains climb through the Gotthard and Simplon Passes via Zurich and Milan, while the Frecciarossa arrows south to Naples. After the rail spectacle, you settle into Conca dei Marini on the Amalfi Coast for five unscheduled nights in a four-star hotel with a sea-view balcony, free to visit Capri, Positano, Pompeii, or simply rest by the water. A single night each in Zurich and Montreux breaks the journey north and south. This package suits repeat rail travellers and couples who value first-class comfort, hotel breakfasts, and the freedom to explore on their own terms without a guide or fixed itinerary.

What to know before you look closer

  • This is a self-guided tailor-made holiday with no tour manager or escort; activities and sightseeing on days 3-6 are entirely your responsibility and not organized by Planet Rail.
  • The five-night Amalfi Coast base is a strength for relaxation but leaves limited time to explore other Italian regions; confirm the pace suits your interest in the area.
  • Château de Chillon and the hotel lido beach are payable locally and not included.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Zurich

    By rail to Switzerland - Free-time in Zurich

    Your holiday begins as you stroll into beautifully restored London St. Pancras station. Sit back, relax and watch the countryside swish past as you travel by Eurostar to Paris at speeds of up to 186mph, with a light meal and drinks served on board in Standard Premier Class. On arrival at the Gare du Nord a private taxi transfers you across Paris to the Gare de Lyon to continue your journey by TGV through France into Switzerland, to the attractive lakeside city of Zurich. It is a short walk (700 metres) to your overnight hotel, the comfortable and highly-rated Hotel Helmhaus (4 star). In the late afternoon and early evening make a whistle-stop tour of Zurich: the churches and burgher houses of the Old Town, the elegant shops along Bahnhofstrasse, the baroque Rathaus, the Grossmünster, Fraumünster and St Peterskirche, whose clock face is the largest in Europe.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Conca dei Marini

    Through the Swiss Alps to Naples and onto the Amalfi Coast

    This morning after breakfast make your way back to Zurich station. Here you join the comfortable Euro City service to travel along the spectacular Gotthard route, past soaring mountain peaks and into Italy. On arrival at Milan's imposing art-deco station change trains and join the flagship Eurostar Italia Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) service as you travel south to Naples in your comfortable first class seat. On arrival at Naples station a private taxi transfers you to the pretty fishing village of Conca dei Marini on the beautiful Amalfi Coast, to your hotel for the next five nights, the charming Hotel La Conca Azzurra (4 star) overlooking the sea between Positano and Amalfi.

  3. Day 3overnight: Conca dei Marini

    Conca dei Marini, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the Bay of Naples

    From your base in Conca dei Marini there are plenty of options available to you. Take a boat from nearby Amalfi to the legendary island of Capri with its incredible blue grotto, or head along the dazzling Amalfi Coast to the pretty village of Positano, perched above the sea as if glued to the cliffside. Alternatively visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, poignant reminders of the brooding Vesuvius which still looms above them today. You might simply like to relax and enjoy your stunning surroundings.

  4. Day 4overnight: Conca dei Marini

    Conca dei Marini, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the Bay of Naples

    From your base in Conca dei Marini there are plenty of options available to you. Take a boat from nearby Amalfi to the legendary island of Capri with its incredible blue grotto, or head along the dazzling Amalfi Coast to the pretty village of Positano, perched above the sea as if glued to the cliffside. Alternatively visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, poignant reminders of the brooding Vesuvius which still looms above them today. You might simply like to relax and enjoy your stunning surroundings.

  5. Day 5overnight: Conca dei Marini

    Conca dei Marini, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the Bay of Naples

    From your base in Conca dei Marini there are plenty of options available to you. Take a boat from nearby Amalfi to the legendary island of Capri with its incredible blue grotto, or head along the dazzling Amalfi Coast to the pretty village of Positano, perched above the sea as if glued to the cliffside. Alternatively visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, poignant reminders of the brooding Vesuvius which still looms above them today. You might simply like to relax and enjoy your stunning surroundings.

  6. Day 6overnight: Conca dei Marini

    Conca dei Marini, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and the Bay of Naples

    From your base in Conca dei Marini there are plenty of options available to you. Take a boat from nearby Amalfi to the legendary island of Capri with its incredible blue grotto, or head along the dazzling Amalfi Coast to the pretty village of Positano, perched above the sea as if glued to the cliffside. Alternatively visit Pompeii or Herculaneum, poignant reminders of the brooding Vesuvius which still looms above them today. You might simply like to relax and enjoy your stunning surroundings.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Montreux

    The Amalfi Coast to Lake Geneva

    This morning after breakfast your taxi transfers you to Naples station. Here you join the train for the First Class journey north through Italy aboard the flagship Eurostar Italia Frecciarossa service. On arrival at Milan's imposing art-deco station you join the comfortable Euro City service as it snakes its way into the Alps for the spectacular journey through the Simplon Pass and on to the pretty lakeside town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Your hotel for your overnight stay is the belle époque Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4 star) located right next to the station. Take a stroll alongside Lake Geneva and visit this elegant lakeside town, home to the famous jazz festival.

  8. Day 8rail

    Free-time in Montreux - Montreux to London - Homeward bound

    Stretch your legs this morning or board the trolley bus for the short journey to the stunning medieval Château de Chillon (payable locally), considered one of the best-preserved castles in Europe. Then walk across to the station and continue to Lausanne to board the TGV to whisk you back to Paris. Your private transfer takes you to the Gare du Nord before the last part of your journey: stretch out and savour the light meal and drinks included in your Standard Premier service as you return to London St. Pancras International and the final leg of your journey home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Eurostar departs London St. Pancras at speeds up to 186 mph with light meal service in Standard Premier Class, arriving in Paris before a private taxi transfer to the Gare de Lyon.
  • Day 2The EuroCity train from Zurich ascends the Gotthard route past soaring Alpine peaks into Italy, followed by a Frecciarossa connection south to Naples for the Amalfi Coast.
  • Day 3Five days based in Conca dei Marini with options to visit the island of Capri by boat, explore Positano perched on the cliffside, or tour the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
  • Day 7The EuroCity journey from Milan snakes through the Alps via the Simplon Pass to the lakeside town of Montreux on Lake Geneva.

Included

  • First Class rail travel from London to Zurich, Zurich to Naples, Naples to Montreux, Montreux to Paris and Paris to London (Standard Premier service on Eurostar)
  • 7 nights' hotel accommodation in 4 star hotels with breakfast each day, including 5 nights in a superior double room with sea view and balcony at the Hotel La Conca Azzurra (4 star) in Conca dei Marini, overnight stays at the Hotel Helmhaus (4 star) in Zurich and at the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4 star superior) in Montreux
  • Taxi transfers in Paris and Naples

Not included

  • Entrance to the Château de Chillon (payable locally)
  • Use of the Hotel La Conca Azzurra private beach / lido (payable locally)

Questions travellers ask

Is all the train travel included in the price?
Yes. The price includes first-class rail travel on all segments (Eurostar Standard Premier London-Paris, TGV Paris-Zurich and Lausanne-Paris, EuroCity Zurich-Milan and Milan-Montreux, Frecciarossa Milan-Naples and Naples-Milan).
Is this an escorted tour or self-guided?
This is an independent self-guided tailor-made holiday. There is no tour manager or group; Planet Rail arranges the rail tickets, hotels, and transfers, but you manage your own days.
How many nights are on the Amalfi Coast?
Five nights in Conca dei Marini at the Hotel La Conca Azzurra in a superior double room with sea view and balcony. You also stay one night in Zurich and one night in Montreux.
What is included in the price?
All first-class rail travel from London to Lausanne and back, seven nights in four-star hotels, daily breakfast, and taxi transfers in Paris and Naples.
What is not included?
Entrance fees to attractions such as Château de Chillon, the use of the hotel lido beach at Conca dei Marini, and any meals or activities beyond rail and hotel accommodation.
How much walking is involved?
Days 1, 2, 7, and 8 involve train stations and transfers. Days 3-6 are unguided in Conca dei Marini; any walking depends on the excursions you choose (boat trips to Capri, coastal villages, or archaeological sites).

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