9 days · 4 countries
Alpine Rhapsody Roller
From AED 39,690per person, twin share
Nine days of Europe by rail, from London or Paris to Venice, crossing the Swiss Alps and UNESCO-listed landscapes on four panoramic trains.
- Duration
- 9 Days / 8 Nights
- Route
- London → Venice
- 4 countries on this tour
- United Kingdom
- France
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Activity level
- Moderate (3 of 5)
- Moderate: hotels change every one or two nights across three countries, with guided sightseeing daily and a couple of high-altitude cable-car excursions, though the pace itself stays unhurried
- Accommodation
- 8 nights in 4-star superior and 5-star hotels across France, Switzerland and Italy
- Meals
- 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners
- Group
- Small group, up to 24
- Guide
- Tour leader throughout, plus a local guide in Zurich
- Transport
- First-Class Trains, Private Coaches
- Best time to go
- Runs in September: warm late-summer days in Paris, Zurich and Venice, with cooler conditions and possible snow at altitude in the Alps
Tour overview
Nine days by rail from London or Paris to Venice, crossing the Swiss Alps on four panoramic trains. In Paris you tour the city in vintage cars and have three courses on the Seine. In Zurich there is a meal in the Old Town, in a dining room from the 15th century. Around Interlaken you sail on Lake Thun and reach Jungfraujoch, where ice sculptures sit 15 metres under the glacier. The Matterhorn fills the view over lunch at Europe’s highest restaurant, and the Bernina Express rides the spiral of the Brusio Circular Viaduct on the way to Venice. You travel in first-class cabins throughout, with nights in four- and five-star hotels.
Highlights
- A ride around Paris in a vintage Citroën 2CV
- A three-course dinner on a Seine cruise
- Zurich, led by a local rather than a guidebook
- Dinner in Zurich’s Old Town, inside a 15th-century dining room
- Free time by Lucerne’s lake
- The Luzern-Interlaken Express across Alpine landscapes
- A first-class seat on the upper deck, sailing Lake Thun
- The Eiger Express cable car up to Jungfraujoch
Show all 19 highlightsShow fewer highlights
- Lunch on the “Top of Europe”, Jungfraujoch
- The Glacier Palace, carved in ice 15 metres beneath the glacier
- The fully panoramic GoldenPass Express train
- Free time in Montreux, by Lake Geneva
- Zermatt, guided by your tour leader
- Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Europe’s highest cable car station at 3,883 metres
- Lunch with the Matterhorn in view, at Europe’s highest mountain restaurant
- The Glacier Express, Zermatt to St. Moritz
- Lunch aboard the Glacier Express
- The Bernina Express over the Brusio Circular Viaduct
- Gondola and water taxi rides in Venice, and a farewell toast
See the journey come to life
Route and hotels
Where the tour goes and where you sleep, night by night.
London
Day 1 · start
Paris
1 night · Day 1
Hôtel Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon
Zurich
1 night · Day 2
25hours Hotel Zürich
Lucerne
Day 3 · on the way
Interlaken
1 night · Day 3
Hotel Metropol
Jungfrau "The Top of Europe"
Day 4 · on the way
Interlaken
Day 5 · on the way
Montreux
Day 5 · on the way
Show all 15 stopsShow fewer stops
Zermatt
Day 5 · on the way
Glacier Paradise
Day 6 · on the way
Zermatt
Day 7 · on the way
St. Moritz
Day 7 · on the way
Tirano
Day 8 · on the way
Milan
Day 8 · on the way
Venice
1 night · Day 8
Hotel Residenza Cannaregio
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
London – Paris via Eurostar OR Meet in Paris
Dinner included
Today brings together the people you will share this trip with, on a route that takes in some of the best of Europe by rail. Starting in London, your tour leader meets you at St Pancras for the Eurostar to Paris, a little over two hours; starting in Paris instead, you join the group a little later. Either way, dinner finds everyone at the same table. This afternoon, a vintage Citroën 2CV takes you past the city’s well-known sights, the kind of first afternoon that turns into a story still being told by day nine. As the light changes, dinner moves to the Seine: three courses, with Paris passing the window.
Included
- City tour of Paris in a vintage Citroën 2CV
- Three-course dinner cruising the Seine
- Travel
- London → Paris by Eurostar if you start there, or join the group in Paris
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- Hôtel Mercure Paris Gare de Lyon
Day 2
Paris – Zurich via TGV LYRIA
Breakfast includedThe journey to Zurich happens first class, aboard the TGV Lyria, a train capable of up to 320 km/h, with lunch served on board as the window fills with the rooftops of Dijon and the vineyards of Burgundy. You are settled into the hotel by the afternoon. A local guide then leads the way through Zurich, less a highlight reel and more an explanation of why things sit where they do. Dinner is included tonight: a proper Swiss-German meal, and a good opportunity to settle further into the city.
Included
- First-class TGV Lyria to Zurich, with lunch served on board
- Local-led walking tour of Zurich’s Old Town
- Dinner in a 15th-century Old Town dining room
- Travel
- Paris → Zurich by the TGV Lyria
- Overnight
- Zurich
- Hotel
- 25hours Hotel Zürich
Day 3
Zurich – Lucerne – Interlaken via Luzern-Interlaken Express
Breakfast includedThe route continues to Interlaken, with a stop in Lucerne first, where you are free to explore on your own: a lake, mountains rising behind it, and architecture standing long before photography existed to capture it. You can visit the Glacier Garden, or find lunch by the water instead. The Luzern-Interlaken Express then carries you on to Interlaken, past waterfalls and villages, Alpine scenery enough to quiet conversation on the train for a while. In the evening, there is Höheweg, the main street, worth a walk for its many Swiss watch and chocolate shops.
Included
- Free time in Lucerne, by the lake
- Luzern-Interlaken Express through Alpine scenery
- Travel
- Zurich → Lucerne → Interlaken by the Luzern-Interlaken Express
- Overnight
- Interlaken
- Hotel
- Hotel Metropol
Day 4
Interlaken – Jungfrau "The Top of Europe" via Eiger Express
Breakfast and lunch includedAlpine scenery is the order of the day. It starts on Lake Thun, with first-class seats on the Upper Deck, Alpine villages and mountains passing on both sides. Then comes the main event: Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. The Eiger Express gondola climbs from Grindelwald to Eigergletscher, and the Jungfrau Railway covers the rest of the ascent. At the top: the Aletsch Glacier, an Ice Palace carved out of the ice, terraces with panoramic views, and lunch at the Top of Europe, high above the glacier. By now, you may find yourself seated beside the stranger you met in the hotel lobby, trading photos from the day. The evening is yours, for a quiet dinner back in Interlaken.
Included
- First-class seats on Lake Thun’s Upper Deck
- Eiger Express cable car up to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station
- Lunch at the Top of Europe, by the Ice Palace and Aletsch Glacier
Day 5
Interlaken – Montreux – Zermatt via GoldenPass Express
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
A fully panoramic train, the GoldenPass Express, carries you past valleys and villages en route to Montreux, with the scenery shifting from snow-capped Alpine peaks to traditional Swiss chalet villages, green hills, and finally lakeside vineyards in the sun. You arrive by early afternoon, with time enough to walk the promenade, browse the shops, or have lunch with a view over Lake Geneva. From there, the route continues to Zermatt, where the Matterhorn comes into view. Your tour leader knows the town well and can point out what is worth seeing and what you can skip. Later, you check into the hotel for dinner.
Included
- GoldenPass Express through Alpine valleys to Montreux
- Free time in Montreux on Lake Geneva
- Arrival in Zermatt, with the Matterhorn in view
- Travel
- Interlaken → Montreux → Zermatt by the GoldenPass Express
Day 6
Zermatt – Glacier Paradise via Matterhorn Express
Breakfast and lunch included
Today it is the Matterhorn Express from Zermatt towards Trockener Steg, continuing by cable car up to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, 3,883 metres and the highest mountain station in Europe. A 360-degree viewing platform awaits at the top, with peaks reaching out in every direction. The Glacier Palace lies 15 metres below the surface of the glacier, its tunnels and ice sculptures carved into the ice itself. Lunch follows at the highest mountain restaurant in Europe, with the Matterhorn framed in the window. There is free time before the cable car takes you back down to Zermatt whenever you are ready, and the hotel spa makes for a relaxed end to the evening.
Included
- Matterhorn Express and cable car to Glacier Paradise at 3,883 metres
- Visit the Glacier Palace, ice tunnels carved 15 metres into the glacier
- Lunch at Europe’s highest mountain restaurant
Day 7
Zermatt – St. Moritz via Glacier Express
Breakfast and lunch included
This is one of the most celebrated train journeys anywhere, with viaducts, Alpine valleys and gorges unfolding outside the window, part of the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway. The route passes the Rhine Gorge, sometimes called the Grand Canyon of Switzerland for its tall, pale limestone cliffs, with views of the River Rhine along parts of the way. It also crosses the Landwasser Viaduct, a curved, single-track limestone structure 65 metres high and one of the line’s best-known feats of engineering. Lunch is served at your seat along the way, and by evening you are in St. Moritz for the night.
Included
- Glacier Express through the Rhine Gorge and over the Landwasser Viaduct
- Lunch served at your seat on board
- Travel
- Zermatt → St. Moritz by the Glacier Express
Day 8
St. Moritz – Tirano – Milan – Venice via Bernina Express & Regional Trains
Breakfast and dinner included
The Bernina Express crosses into Italy today, a train that is an experience on its own: spacious seats, dome windows, and steep vertical drops managed entirely under its own power, on one of the steepest adhesion railways anywhere. The route is another UNESCO-listed stretch of railway, including the Brusio Circular Viaduct, built to handle the steep mountainside. Outside the window, the Italian lakeside takes over from the Alps, and trains change in Milan for the onward leg to Venice by Frecciarossa, whose name translates as “red arrow”. Tonight, a gondola carries you to dinner, and a water taxi, privately arranged, returns you afterwards: the last evening together, and one where feelings may well show.
Included
- Bernina Express over the Brusio Circular Viaduct
- Farewell dinner in Venice, by gondola and water taxi
- Travel
- St. Moritz → Tirano → Milan → Venice by the Bernina Express and regional trains
- Overnight
- Venice
- Hotel
- Hotel Residenza Cannaregio
Day 9
Journey ends in Venice
Breakfast includedThe journey ends in Venice. After saying goodbye to the group, there is still the option of continuing to explore Venice alone. Whatever comes next, the tour travels with you: the Citroën back in Paris, that first sight of the Matterhorn, whoever you ended up beside on the Glacier Express. None of it stays behind once the tour is over.
Dates & prices
Prices per person, sharing a double or twin room. A single room costs the supplement shown.
Sat 25 Sept – Sun 3 Oct 2027
Available
AED 39,690
Single room +AED 8,750
What’s included
Included
- 8 nights in superior 4-star and 5-star hotels
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners
- First-class trains and private coaches
- Guided from start to finish
Not included
- Flights to the start of the tour and home from the end: we can book them from Dubai
- Travel insurance: take out a policy that suits your trip
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Good to know
Practical details to read before you travel.
Passport & visas
France, Switzerland and Italy are all in the Schengen area, so one Schengen visa covers the whole tour from Paris to Venice. If you join the tour in London first, you’ll also need UK entry permission for that leg.
UAE passport holders don’t need a visa for the Schengen countries for stays of up to 90 days in any 180, and will need the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) if starting in London, applied for online before you travel. Most other nationalities living in the UAE need a Schengen visa, applied for in the country where you spend the most nights, plus a UK Standard Visitor visa if starting in London, applied for in Dubai: allow 15 to 20 working days after your appointment.
Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, and have been issued within the last ten years. Our visa team handles both applications: ask us when you book.
Flights and timings
Flights to London or Paris before Day 1, and home from Venice after Day 9 aren’t included.
If you start in London, meet your tour leader at St Pancras International at 8am for the Eurostar to Paris. If you join directly in Paris, meet at the hotel at 1:15pm. The tour ends in Venice on Day 9 after breakfast, with the rest of the day free before you head home. Every train between destinations, including the TGV Lyria, the Eiger Express, the GoldenPass Express, the Matterhorn Express, the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express, is included.
Our team can book your flights from Dubai to match.
Meals and dietary needs
8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners are included: lunch on board the TGV Lyria to Zurich, in Montreux on Lake Geneva, at altitude on the Jungfraujoch and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, and on board the Glacier Express, plus dinners in Paris, Zurich, Zermatt and the farewell dinner in Venice.
Tell us about any dietary needs, halal included, when you book, and we pass them on before the tour.
Money
France and Italy use the euro, and Switzerland uses the Swiss franc. A card with no foreign transaction fees is the easiest way to cover both.
This tour has no optional paid activities: everything in the itinerary, including every meal and experience listed, is already included in your price.
Weather and packing
The tour runs in September: still warm in Paris, Zurich and Venice, with cooler air and a real chance of snow at altitude on the Jungfraujoch and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.
Pack in layers: a warm jacket for the summits, lighter clothes for the cities, comfortable shoes for walking in Zurich and Lucerne, and a rain jacket for the Alps.
On the high peaks
Two stops reach serious altitude: the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Europe’s highest cable car station, 3,883 metres up. Both are same-day visits by train and cable car, so you’re back down to Interlaken or Zermatt by evening.
It’s noticeably colder and sunnier at the top than in the valley below, so bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a warm layer even if the weather lower down looks mild.
Plan your trip
Our Dubai team arranges what goes around the tour, so it is booked in one place.
Visas
One Schengen visa covers the Schengen countries on this route. Our visa team in Dubai applies for UAE residents once the tour is booked.
Flights
Flights are not included. We can book them with the tour: Dubai to London, and home from Venice. Tick “Flights” when you book and we quote them with your confirmation.
Pay in instalments
Split the cost with Tabby or Tamara, or over 3 to 12 months on a UAE bank credit card for bookings from AED 1,000.
Book this tour
Book in a minute. Your seats are held as soon as you book; you name the other travellers and pay once we have confirmed them.
Questions before you book? Our support team is on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001.
Questions about this tour
Who will I be travelling with?
Travellers from all over the world, of different ages and backgrounds, who share a wish to see more. Groups are no larger than 24, which keeps the trip personal, and most people know each other well within a day or two.
What will my days look like?
The pace is unhurried. Most days begin with breakfast, then time out with a local expert or your tour leader. There is more time in each place to explore properly and eat well without watching the clock, and the journeys between places are part of the trip too.
What is included in the price?
Your accommodation, transport between destinations, the tour leader, breakfast most mornings, some lunches and dinners, and every experience in the itinerary. There are no optional extras to buy on this tour: every activity in the itinerary is already included.
How does first-class rail work?
Your tour leader takes care of the arrangements: you board and settle in. The tour travels first class where it is available, and the class of travel varies by route and service.
What are the hotels like?
Superior 4-star and 5-star hotels throughout, each one vetted in person and chosen to be part of the trip rather than just a place to sleep.
What support do I have while I’m on tour?
Your tour leader travels with you from start to finish. They know the places most visitors miss, can suggest a restaurant before you ask, and deal with whatever crops up on the way. Transport and hotels are all arranged for you.
There is also an emergency number staffed 24 hours a day, and our team in Dubai is there to help.
How do I book Alpine Rhapsody Roller?
Press Book now, choose a date, your travellers and rooms, and give your name, email and mobile. We hold your seats and email your booking reference straight away; you then add each traveller as their passport shows on your booking page. Our Dubai team confirms the seats with the tour operator, then emails you a secure payment link. Nothing is charged when you book.
When do I pay?
Once the tour operator confirms your seats. We email you a secure payment link for the total in AED, and your booking is complete when it is paid. To pay in instalments, say so in your booking notes.
Is the price per person?
Yes. Prices are per person sharing a double or twin room. Travelling alone? A single room costs the supplement shown next to each date.
Are flights included?
Only when the tour lists them under what is included. We can book flights from the UAE to the start city and home from the end city with your tour.
Do I need a visa?
That depends on your passport and the countries on the route. Our visa team arranges Schengen and other visas for UAE residents, and can apply for yours once the tour is booked.
Payment plans
Take the trip now. Pay for it in pieces.
Every booking qualifies, from holidays and tours to visas. Spread it over 3 to 12 months at 0% on a credit card plan, or with Tabby or Tamara; some banks add a one-time processing fee.
- Credit card plans from AED 1,000
- Tabby and Tamara, no minimum
- Terms from 3 to 12 months
Find your bank’s plan
Credit cards, from AED 1,000
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