How much does it cost?

From £2,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,105 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. First Class rail travel is included throughout the tour on Eurostar Plus (London to Paris), TGV (Paris to Chambéry), and Italian and Swiss rail services. Eurostar light meals are also included.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London St Pancras through to the return to London, providing expertise and managing all transfers and excursions.

Which trains are used?

Eurostar Plus (London to Paris), TGV First Class (Paris to Chambéry), Frecciargento, Frecciarossa, and Trenitalia services (Italian rail), and First Class rail through the Simplon tunnel and along Lake Geneva.

The main hotel is the 4-star Hotel Continental Thermae & Spa in Sirmione, where you spend seven nights. Single nights are spent in Chambéry (Day 1) and Lausanne (Day 9); hotel names for these are not specified.

What meals are included?

Breakfast daily, eight dinners, Eurostar light meals (outbound and return), and a wine tasting dinner at an agriturismo in Valpolicella. Lunches are not included except where stated. Day 7 dinner is independent.

When does the tour run?

Great Rail Journeys offers eight departures throughout 2027: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Treasures of Lake Garda

Great Rail Journeys' Treasures of Lake Garda is a 10-day escorted journey combining First Class European rail travel with a week-long base in Sirmione, a fortress town on Lake Garda's southern shore. The itinerary begins with Eurostar Plus from London St Pancras to Paris, continues by TGV to the French Alps foothills, then enters Italy by rail via Milan to reach Sirmione. From this family-run 4-star hotel, where thermal waters feed the spa pool, you make day excursions: a gondola ride and guided tour through Venice's canals and piazzas, a visit to Verona's Roman Arena and Juliet's balcony, a hillside vineyard tour and wine dinner in Valpolicella, and a boat cruise from the medieval hamlet of Malcesine. The final leg travels north by train through the Simplon tunnel into Switzerland, ending with a night in Lausanne on Lake Geneva before Eurostar returns you to London. The tour suits couples and repeat rail travellers seeking guided comfort, history, and Italian wine regions explored at an unhurried pace.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £500 since 4 Jul, to £2,299.

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. 3 of 5 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

50 per person of the GBP 2,799 base), reflecting premium single-occupancy costs.
Lunches are not included except on Day 4 (Verona); seven days require independent meal planning.
Day 7 in Sirmione is free with dinner not included, requiring visitors to dine independently.
UK rail connections to London St Pancras are available to book separately and are not included in the package price.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Lyon
From London to Lyon
Meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar to Paris with a light meal at your seats, continuing by First Class rail to Lyon. Check in to a central hotel and dine in the restaurant.
Meals: Eurostar light meal, Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Sirmione
Arrival in the lakeside town of Sirmione
Train from Lyon to Milan past the Vanoise National Park, then coach to Sirmione on Lake Garda's southern shore. Walk across the drawbridge into town to the family-run lakeside hotel with a thermal spa. Welcome drink and dinner overlooking the lake.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3overnight: Sirmione
Discovering Sirmione at your leisure
Free day to explore Sirmione, the medieval Scaligero Castle, the Old Town ('centro storico'), Palazzo Callas, and Jamaica Beach. Dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Sirmione
Touring Verona and dining in rural Valpolicella
Guided tour of Verona, including Juliet's balcony and the Roman Arena, with free time at Piazza delle Erbe. Afternoon visit to a family-run agriturismo in the Valpolicella hills for a wine tasting and homemade dinner with three wines.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5overnight: Sirmione
A free day in Sirmione
Free day to use the hotel's pool and spa, visit Grotte di Catullo, or take a boat trip to Isola del Garda. Dinner at the hotel in the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: Sirmione
Experiencing the timeless wonders of Venice
Rail journey to Venice, then private boat to St Mark's Square for a guided tour of the main sights and a private gondola ride through the canals. Free time before returning by rail to Sirmione for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Sirmione
Discovering spectacular Lake Garda at your leisure
Free day to explore further afield, options include Gardone Riviera and the André Heller Botanic Garden, or trains from Desenzano station. Dine independently this evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8overnight: Sirmione
A visit to the medieval hamlet of Malcesine
Coach along Lake Garda's eastern shore to Malcesine, with free time to visit its 14th-century castle and lakeside restaurants. Return by boat along the lake via Garda. Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9railovernight: Lausanne
From Sirmione to Lausanne, Lake Geneva
Train north to Milan, then through the Simplon Tunnel into Switzerland, following the shores of Lake Geneva to Lausanne. Check in for an overnight stay with time to explore the old town before the final dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10rail
Homeward bound
Continue by rail to Paris and board the Eurostar with a light meal back to London St Pancras.
Meals: Breakfast, Eurostar light meal

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Coach transfer from Milan arrives at Sirmione's handsome fortress castle and drawbridge, the town's most distinctive feature on Lake Garda's southern shore.
Day 4Guided tour of Verona includes Juliet's famous balcony and the Roman Arena, an open-air Opera House that predates Rome's Colosseum.
Day 6Private gondola ride through Venice's luminous canals beneath ancient arched bridges, passing elegant palazzos and Byzantine churches, departing from St Mark's Square after a private boat transfer.
Day 8Coach journey to Malcesine reveals a striking medieval hamlet with castle and Venetian palace overlooking the lake; return by boat cruising the length of Lake Garda.
Day 9Train journey north from Milan passes through the Simplon tunnel connecting Italy to Switzerland, then follows the shores of Lake Geneva to Lausanne.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
9 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel
All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar Light Meals
Breakfast each day, 8 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £2,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,105 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. First Class rail travel is included throughout the tour on Eurostar Plus (London to Paris), TGV (Paris to Chambéry), and Italian and Swiss rail services. Eurostar light meals are also included.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London St Pancras through to the return to London, providing expertise and managing all transfers and excursions.
Which trains are used?: Eurostar Plus (London to Paris), TGV First Class (Paris to Chambéry), Frecciargento, Frecciarossa, and Trenitalia services (Italian rail), and First Class rail through the Simplon tunnel and along Lake Geneva.
Where do we stay?: The main hotel is the 4-star Hotel Continental Thermae & Spa in Sirmione, where you spend seven nights. Single nights are spent in Chambéry (Day 1) and Lausanne (Day 9); hotel names for these are not specified.
What meals are included?: Breakfast daily, eight dinners, Eurostar light meals (outbound and return), and a wine tasting dinner at an agriturismo in Valpolicella. Lunches are not included except where stated. Day 7 dinner is independent.
When does the tour run?: Great Rail Journeys offers eight departures throughout 2027: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.