12 Day | Treasured Resorts & A New Discovery Holiday

A wonderful combination of well-loved Swiss gems with the lesser known joys of Appenzell

Luzern-Interlaken Express
Appenzell
Lake Lucerne near Tellsplatte

This is one of our 'Three Centre Scenic Rail' holidays, offering you the chance to stay in three resorts which complement each other, and which are connected by scenic rail journeys.  There are plenty of day trips to enjoy - free or heavily discounted with your Swiss Travel Pass - or you could simply relax amidst the beautiful scenery. The holiday can be adapted in various ways to suit you, including upgrading your hotel room, adding more resorts and rail journeys or changing the duration. This holiday is suggested as 12 days, but can easily be extended to a fortnight. 

Please call 0800 619 1200 for help with planning or email us at info@swissholidayco.com

 

"This holiday combines Lucerne and Montreux - both well known for their lively centres and myriad lakes & mountains excursions - with a journey to Appenzell. This delightful corner of Switzerland is yet to be discovered by UK visitors, but we love it for its history, walking and unique charm."

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Contact us to book your holiday

Call us on 0800 619 1200 or email us at info@swissholidayco.com


Day 1 - Arrive and explore Montreux’s café society

Fly from the UK to Zurich in under 2 hours with connecting rail travel to Montreux. Welcome to your hotel for your 3 night stay and enjoy exploring famous lakeside promenade.

Day 2-3 - Free days to enjoy Montreux and stunning Lake Geneva

Montreux is fascinating town, with cafés and a wonderful promenade which you can follow to the romantic Chillon Castle – entry is free with your Swiss Travel Pass, as is travel on the lake steamers and mainline trains so you can visit Geneva for the day or perhaps Lausanne and the vineyards at Lavaux. The mountain railway to Les Rochers-De-Naye at 50% reduction is highly recommended for spectacular views. Chaplin's World in Vevey is also a great visit with 50% off with your Riviera Card.

Day 4 - The GoldenPass Express and Luzern-Interlaken Express

A day to savour with your journey on the GoldenPass Express to Interlaken. You start with a stunning ascent as you leave Montreux, heading for the high meadows and dramatic mountain views and passing through Gstaad to Zweisimmen. Here, the train switches track for your journey down the Simmen valley to Spiez and alongside Lake Thun to Interlaken. At Interlaken you board your second scenic train of the day: the Luzern-Interlaken Express. This striking journey is 2 hours of joy as you travel alongside scenic lakes and over the Brünig Pass and to Lucerne. After check in enjoy your first glimpse of the Old Town and the lakeside.

Day 5-7 - Lakeside Lucerne and the mountains of Central Switzerland

With your Swiss Travel Pass, Lucerne is perfectly placed to enjoy free travel around the dramatic scenery of Central Switzerland. A lake cruise is a great way to relax with a restaurant on board - treat yourself to lunch with a longer cruise to Brunnen or even Flüelen. Also included free with your Swiss Travel Pass are the famous old cog railway to the stunning peak of Mount Rigi, the Stanserhorn open top deck cable car and the Stoos funicular, or trips further afield to Bern. Pilatus and other mountain railways and cable cars around Lake Lucerne are available at a 50% reduction.

Day 8 - The Pre-Alpine (Voralpen) Express from Lucerne to St. Gallen and on to Appenzell

Leave the delights of Lucerne on this appealing journey on board the Pre-Alpine Express. You’ll cross Lake Zurich to Rapperswil and enjoy the rolling hills, pristine villages and the Sitter Viaduct en route to St. Gallen. Change here to the charming local line to Appenzell for the last 30 minutes of your journey. Appenzell is a great favourite of the Swiss but yet to be discovered by the UK!

Day 9-11 - Discover Appenzell and its fabulous landscapes

This delightful small town has a beautiful old centre with many buildings ornately decorated with frescoes some of which date back to the 16th century. You benefit from the Appenzeller Holiday Card, allowing you to explore the countryside around Appenzell for free. This walkers’ paradise has a number of local cable cars taking you to stunning alpine beauty spots. With your Swiss Travel Pass you can enjoy free travel to Lake Konstanz (Bodensee) for a leisurely lake cruise to historic Stein am Rhein. Another great day out is to visit the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen.

Day 12 - Last day

Take a last look around at the village before you take the train back to Zurich airport for your flight to the UK.

 

2024 Guide Prices

3 nights in Montreux, 4 nights in Lucerne and 4 nights in Appenzell

Available all year

Prices from £1,789 per person staying in 3 star hotels
Prices from £2,647 per person staying in 4 star hotels

Upgrade to 1st class Swiss Travel Pass from just £207 per person

Half board prices (except Montreux): add from £398 per person (3 star) or from £496 per person (4 star)

 

Your holiday price includes

Booking Conditions
  • Scheduled return flights from London to Zurich including taxes and hold baggage (flights are available from around the UK)
  • 15 day Swiss Travel Pass covering all rail journeys described and many more (2nd class)
  • 11 nights’ hotel accommodation bed and breakfast as described based on two people sharing
  • Reserved seats on the GoldenPass Express Montreux-Interlaken and the Luzern-Interlaken Express (both 2nd class)
  • Voralpen Express Lucerne-St. Gallen and regional rail travel St. Gallen-Appenzell (2nd class)
  • Riviera Card in Montreux offering free local buses and reductions to some local places of interest.
  • Appenzeller Card with free local and mountain travel
  • Personalised full detailed itinerary sent with all tickets
  • Financial protection ATOL 3148
The Swiss Travel Pass offers free travel on trains, scenic trains, PostBuses and most boats, with up to 50% discount for mountain railways and cable cars. Optional excursions may not operate year round, please check before booking. Call us on 0800 619 1200 or email us at info@swissholidayco.com
 

Request your holiday quotation

Call us on 0800 619 1200 or email us at info@swissholidayco.com

Swiss Trail Pass
 

Your holiday includes a Swiss Travel Pass, covering the rail journeys below as well as many scenic excursions

GoldenPass Express

Your scenic train journeys

You can discover more about these scenic routes by clicking below

 
 
 

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Build your own scenic itinerary

Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct
Not quite the perfect holiday? We can tailor make it to suit you:
  • Change the direction of travel
  • Add extra nights along the way
  • Add on lakes & mountains excursions
  • Include dinner on a half board basis
  • Upgrade to superior hotel rooms
  • Upgrade to 1st class rail for extra comfort
  • Bespoke prices available throughout 2024
Request a scenic holiday quote
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