12 days · 6 countries
Grand Continental Rebel
From AED 50,259per person, twin share
Journey from Rome to London through four countries: Italy, Switzerland, France and the UK. Ride three legendary panoramic trains through UNESCO World Heritage landscapes in the Swiss Alps, cruise Lake Como, and dine at Europe's highest mountain restaurant.
- Duration
- 12 Days / 11 Nights
- Route
- Rome → London
- Countries
- Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Great Britain and United Kingdom
- Activity level
- Moderate (3 of 5)
- Moderate: hotels change often across four countries and several train journeys, but each day has guided sightseeing at an unhurried pace, with free time built in
- Accommodation
- 11 nights in 4-star superior and 5-star hotels across Italy, Switzerland, France and England
- Meals
- 11 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners
- Group
- Small group, up to 24
- Guide
- Tour leader throughout, plus local guides in Florence, Versailles and London
- Transport
- First-Class Panoramic Trains, Private Coaches, Regional Trains
- Best time to go
- Runs in April: mild spring in Rome, Lake Como, Paris and London, with snow still likely on the high Alpine peaks at Zermatt, Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn
Tour overview
Twelve days, starting in Rome and ending in London, with Italy's Renaissance cities and Switzerland's best-known routes in between. Ride the Brusio Circular Viaduct on the Bernina Express, and ride first-class through the Alps aboard the famous Glacier Express and GoldenPass Express. Three panoramic trains. A myriad of scenic continental routes. Your Tour Leader handles it all: hotels, attractions, most meals. Lake Como. Renaissance Florence. Lunch at Europe's highest mountain restaurant. Dinner as Paris glides by your window. Only 24 people per departure, so you're not one of hundreds, and your Tour Leader knows your name well before Rome is behind you. It ends in London, at a farewell dinner worth showing up for.
Highlights
- Welcome dinner with the group in Rome
- A tour of Florence with a local guid
- A boat ride on Lake Como at golden hour
- Dinner by Lake Como
- The Bernina Express and the Brusio Circular Viaduct
- First class through the Alps on the Glacier Express
- First view of the Matterhorn, arriving in car-free Zermatt
- Lunch at Europe's highest restaurant
Show all 22 highlightsShow fewer highlights
- The Glacier Palace, an ice-carved marvel 15 metres beneath the glacier
- Lunch with Lake Geneva views, en route to Montreux
- The GoldenPass Express through the Simmental Valley
- Ascend to the top of Schilthorn
- The Thrill Walk at Birg Station
- Lunch atop Schilthorn, with James Bond history
- The Eiger Express, with the Eiger's north face filling the window
- Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station at 3,454m
- Lunch above the Aletsch Glacier
- Dinner with Paris passing by
- A guided tour of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles
- A guided tour of London
- The London Eye ride
- A farewell dinner in London
Route and hotels
Where the tour goes and where you sleep, night by night.
Rome
1 night · Day 1
NH Roma Palazzo Cinquecento
Florence
Day 2 · on the way
Milano
Day 2 · on the way
Lake Como
1 night · Day 2
Palace Hotel Como
Tirano
Day 3 · on the way
St. Moritz
1 night · Day 3
Hotel Steffani
Zermatt
2 nights · Days 4–5
Alpen Resort & Spa
Glacier Paradise
Day 5 · on the way
Show all 18 stopsShow fewer stops
Zermatt
Day 6 · on the way
Montreux
Day 6 · on the way
Interlaken
3 nights · Days 6–8
Hotel Metropol
Schilthorn
Day 7 · on the way
Jungfraujoch "The Top of Europe"
Day 8 · on the way
Interlaken
Day 9 · on the way
Paris
2 nights · Days 9–10
Hôtel Riesner
Versailles
Day 10 · on the way
Paris
Day 11 · on the way
London
1 night · Day 11
Kimpton Fitzroy
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Start of Journey in Rome
Meals included: DinnerRome meets you as it always does, however many times you have been here before. At the hotel, your tour leader and the rest of the group are waiting, and this afternoon you head out together for a walk through the city as the tour gets under way. Tonight brings the first dinner together as a group: shared tables, first introductions, and a first look at the people who make up the group for the eleven days ahead.
Included
- Afternoon walk through Rome with your tour leader
- Welcome dinner with the group
- Overnight
- Rome
- Hotel
- NH Roma Palazzo Cinquecento
- Meals
- Dinner
Day 2
Rome – Florence – Milano – Lake Como via High-Speed Italian trains
Meals included: BreakfastDinnerA first-class seat on Italy’s fast rail network carries you to Florence, capital of Tuscany, and from there a local guide leads a walk on foot across the city, passing the spot where Michelangelo worked, the goldsmiths on the Ponte Vecchio, and round to the Duomo, before leaving you free to carry on exploring on your own. In the afternoon the route continues via Milan to Como, where a boat cruise crosses the lake while the light begins to fade. At over 400 metres deep, it ranks among Europe’s deepest lakes. Tonight’s dinner takes place by the water, with the lights reflecting on its surface and a group that is starting to know each other’s names.
Included
- Guided walking tour of Florence, past the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo
- Boat ride on Lake Como at golden hour
- Dinner by Lake Como
- Travel
- Rome → Florence → Milan → Lake Como by high-speed train
- Overnight
- Lake Como
- Hotel
- Palace Hotel Como
- Meals
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 3
Lake Como – Tirano – St. Moritz via Bernina Express
Meals included: Breakfast
Como gradually falls behind as the private coach heads to Tirano, with the lake staying in sight for much of the drive. There is time to look around Tirano first: see the Palazzo Salis, or find lunch somewhere in the Old Town. From there, the route crosses into Switzerland on the Bernina Express, a UNESCO-listed line and the highest rail crossing of this kind anywhere in Europe, passing the Morteratsch Glacier and the Ospizio Bernina pass, higher than 2,000 metres. The train then descends through the Brusio Circular Viaduct, the spiral of track recognisable from any number of documentaries.
Included
- Free time in Tirano’s old town before the train
- Bernina Express over the Ospizio Bernina pass and the Brusio Circular Viaduct
- Travel
- Lake Como → Tirano by coach, then St. Moritz by the Bernina Express
- Overnight
- St. Moritz
- Hotel
- Hotel Steffani
- Meals
- Breakfast
Day 4
St. Moritz – Zermatt via Glacier Express
Meals included: BreakfastLunchDinner
Today is the Glacier Express, known by reputation as the slowest express train on earth: first class, panoramic windows, and nowhere to be in a rush. From there, the route passes the Landwasser Viaduct, the Ruinaulta canyon and the Oberalp Pass, just over 2,000 metres, with lunch served at your seat: a multi-course, seasonal menu while the scenery goes by. You reach Zermatt in the evening, catching your first sight of the Matterhorn at the head of the valley. Car-free, the town offers little beyond church bells, footsteps and the occasional electric carriage. Before dinner, your tour leader leads the group through an orientation walk, and dinner itself is your first taste of Swiss cooking this trip.
Included
- First-class Glacier Express across the Oberalp Pass
- Arrival in car-free Zermatt, with your first view of the Matterhorn
- Orientation walk with your tour leader before dinner
- Travel
- St. Moritz → Zermatt by the Glacier Express
- Overnight
- Zermatt
- Hotel
- Alpen Resort & Spa
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5
Zermatt – Glacier Paradise via Matterhorn Express
Meals included: BreakfastLunch
This morning the Matterhorn Express climbs towards Glacier Paradise, then the Matterhorn Glacier Ride continues the climb to the highest mountain station in Europe, at 3,883 metres. A 360-degree platform at the top puts the Alps in view on every side, snow-capped peaks reaching out in all directions. Below ground, the Glacier Palace holds tunnels and ice sculptures, carved into the ice 15 metres beneath the glacier’s surface. The highest mountain restaurant and cinema in Europe are both up here too, so lunch is taken with the Alps still visible outside. There is time to explore before you head back down to Zermatt in the afternoon, and what is left of the evening is free.
Included
- Matterhorn Express and cable car to Glacier Paradise, Europe’s highest mountain station
- Lunch at Europe’s highest restaurant
- Visit the Glacier Palace, ice tunnels carved 15 metres into the glacier
- Overnight
- Zermatt
- Hotel
- Alpen Resort & Spa
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
Day 6
Zermatt – Montreux – Interlaken via GoldenPass Express
Meals included: BreakfastLunchThe scenery shifts today, from the Alps to the French-speaking side of Switzerland. The Rhône Valley opens out as the drive nears Montreux: vineyards and villages fall away to reveal Lake Geneva, where lunch is served with a view across the water, the Alps remaining in sight behind it. In the afternoon, the GoldenPass Express carries you past wooden chalets and over green pastures in the Simmental Valley. Interlaken is reached around golden hour, where the Jungfrau sits on the horizon between its two lakes, and the rest of the evening is left for you to spend as you choose.
Included
- Lunch overlooking Lake Geneva, en route to Montreux
- GoldenPass Express through the Simmental Valley to Interlaken
- Travel
- Zermatt → Montreux → Interlaken by coach and the GoldenPass Express
- Overnight
- Interlaken
- Hotel
- Hotel Metropol
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
Day 7
Interlaken – Schilthorn – Piz Gloria via the World's Steepest Cable Car
Meals included: BreakfastLunch
The morning starts quietly in Interlaken before things get going. The World’s Steepest Cable Car, which really is its official title, rises the whole way up to Schilthorn through Mürren, with a stop at Birg Station, where the Thrill Walk runs across glass-bottomed platforms and through a tunnel along the rock face, open to anyone keen to try it. At the summit, the Walk of Fame holds memorabilia and props tied to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was shot right here in 1969. At the top, lunch is served with the views doing most of the talking, and you can descend at your own pace once you have had enough of the altitude.
Included
- Cable car to Schilthorn, the world’s steepest cableway, via Mürren
- The Thrill Walk at Birg Station, for anyone who wants it
- Lunch at the summit, with Bond-film history at Piz Gloria
- Overnight
- Interlaken
- Hotel
- Hotel Metropol
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
Day 8
Interlaken – Jungfraujoch "The Top of Europe" via Eiger Express
Meals included: BreakfastLunch
The Eiger Express cable car carries you up to Jungfraujoch today, a railway station that sits 3,454 metres up, the highest in Europe. Its sheer rock, the Eiger’s north face, fills most of the window on the way, near enough to sense the real scale of the mountain. At the top, the Ice Palace cuts a series of tunnels directly into the glacier, alongside lunch and panoramic terraces that look out on the Aletsch Glacier, spread out beneath. By evening, you are back in Interlaken, with a chance to stroll the promenade, pick somewhere for dinner, or simply sit and let the day settle.
Included
- Eiger Express cable car, past the Eiger’s north face
- Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, with its Ice Palace tunnels
- Lunch with views over the Aletsch Glacier
- Overnight
- Interlaken
- Hotel
- Hotel Metropol
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
Day 9
Interlaken – Paris via High-Speed ICE & TGV trains
Meals included: BreakfastDinnerThis morning’s travel takes you from Switzerland to Paris, with French vineyards and open countryside gradually taking over from the Alps as the kilometres pass. Once there, the afternoon is open for you to spend however you choose, whether that means a walk along the river, a museum, or no plan at all. Aboard the Bustronome tonight, dinner is served on a double-decker bus with a glass roof, touring the city while you make your way through a four-course meal. The Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower go by outside between courses, so you eat and sightsee together, without needing to pick one over the other.
Included
- Free afternoon in Paris
- Dinner aboard the Bustronome, a glass-roofed bus tour past the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe
- Travel
- Interlaken → Paris by high-speed train
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- Hôtel Riesner
- Meals
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 10
Paris – Versailles – Paris
Meals included: BreakfastVersailles is today’s destination. A guided tour starts inside the palace, before moving out to the gardens. Long avenues, fountains and sculptures have been laid out unchanged here for centuries, and it is worth slowing down instead of hurrying through the rooms, because the grounds matter as much as the building itself. You are back in Paris by afternoon. What remains of the day is left open: a walk along the Seine, a table somewhere, or simply wandering. Whatever shape a free evening in Paris takes, it will be the right choice.
Included
- Guided tour of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles
- Free evening in Paris
- Overnight
- Paris
- Hotel
- Hôtel Riesner
- Meals
- Breakfast
Day 11
Paris – London
Meals included: BreakfastDinnerEurostar runs from Gare du Nord to St Pancras this morning, into London. A guided tour fills the afternoon, covering corners of London that would be simple to overlook on your own. From there, a ride on the London Eye gives sweeping views across the rooftops and the water below. This evening brings a last dinner for the group, three courses, and by now most people at the table have a story or two worth telling again. It plays out less like a farewell meal and more like one last opportunity to exchange contact details before everyone heads home in the morning.
Included
- Guided tour of London
- London Eye ride
- Farewell dinner with the group
- Travel
- Paris → London by Eurostar
- Overnight
- London
- Hotel
- Kimpton Fitzroy
- Meals
- Breakfast and dinner
Day 12
Journey ends in London
Meals included: BreakfastOne last breakfast, then it is time to say goodbye, for now. Looking back over the days: that first glimpse of the Matterhorn above the valley, dinner on the Bustronome while the Eiffel Tower passed the window, and whoever you got on with best, now a little different from the one who met the group on the first day, in Rome. Twelve days turns out to be a strange stretch of time, long enough that strangers turn into a group and brief enough that it rarely feels finished. The hardest part to leave behind is rarely the scenery. It is the people.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Dates & prices
Prices per person, sharing a double or twin room. A single room costs the supplement shown.
FromMon 12 Apr 2027ToFri 23 Apr 2027
Available
AED 50,259
Single room supplement +AED 10,596 single
What’s included
Included
- 11 nights, 4-star superior and 5-star hotels
- 11 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners
- First-Class Trains I Private Coaches
- Fully guided tour
Not included
- Flights: Arrange your own flights for the start and end of the tour
- Travel insurance: Purchase a suitable policy that meets your needs
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Good to know
Practical details to read before you travel.
Passport & visas
Italy, Switzerland and France are all in the Schengen area, so one Schengen visa covers that part of the tour. The route then continues to England, which is outside Schengen and needs its own entry permission.
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), 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, 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 Rome before Day 1 and home from London after Day 12 aren’t included.
Day 1 starts at the hotel in Rome at 3pm, where you meet your tour leader and the rest of the group. The tour ends in London on Day 12 after breakfast, with no further activities planned. All the transport between destinations, including the Bernina Express, the Glacier Express, the GoldenPass Express and the Eurostar to London, is included.
Our team can book your flights from Dubai to match.
Meals and dietary needs
Breakfast is included every morning except Day 1, 11 in total, plus 5 lunches and 5 dinners spread through the tour: the welcome dinner in Rome, dinner by Lake Como, dinner in Zermatt after the Glacier Express, lunches at altitude in the Swiss Alps, dinner aboard the Bustronome in Paris and the farewell dinner in London.
Tell us about any dietary needs, halal included, when you book, and we pass them on before the tour.
Money
Italy and France use the euro, Switzerland uses the Swiss franc, and England uses pound sterling. A card with no foreign transaction fees is the easiest way to cover all three.
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 April, with mild spring weather in Rome, Lake Como, Paris and London, and real winter conditions still on the high peaks: Zermatt, the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn are above 2,000 metres and often under snow even in spring.
Pack in layers: a warm jacket, hat and gloves for the summits, lighter layers for the cities, and comfortable shoes for the walking tours in Florence, Versailles and London. A rain jacket is worth having throughout.
On the high peaks
Four stops reach significant altitude: St. Moritz and the Bernina pass above 2,000 metres, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3,883 metres, Schilthorn at 2,970 metres and the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres. Each is a same-day visit by train or cable car, so you’re back down to a lower altitude by evening.
It’s noticeably colder and sunnier at the top than in the valley, whatever the season, so bring a warm layer, sunglasses and sunscreen even if the forecast 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 Rome, and home from London. 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 online in a few minutes. Your seats are held as soon as you book, and you pay once we have confirmed them.
- Choose your date, travellers and roomsPrices are per person, and the total updates as you choose.
- Name each traveller as in their passportYour seats are held and your booking reference is emailed straight away.
- Pay by secure link once confirmedOur Dubai team confirms the seats with the tour operator, then emails your payment link. Nothing is charged when you book.
Questions before you book? Our support team is on WhatsApp +971 58 582 4488.
Questions about this tour
What will my days actually look like?
In-depth immersion by design. Most days begin with breakfast before heading out with your Tour Leader or a local expert. The pace is unhurried. You have more time in every destination to explore properly, eat well and take things in without watching the clock. The journey between places is part of the experience too.
Who will I be travelling with?
Experienced travellers who measure a trip by depth, not distance. Groups are up to 24 travellers, making for a more personal experience. By day two, most people already know each other well.
What are the hotels like?
4-Star superior and 5-star throughout. Every hotel personally vetted and chosen to feel like part of the experience. You don't have to look for the difference. You can see and feel it from the moment you arrive.
How does first-class rail work?
Your Tour Leader handles everything. You board, settle in and enjoy the journey. We travel first class where available, with the class of travel varying by route and service.
What is included in the price?
Your accommodation, transport between destinations, Tour Leader, breakfast most mornings, select lunches and dinners, and every experience listed in the itinerary is included. There are no Optional Experiences on this tour because everything worth doing is already included.
What support do I have while I'm on tour?
Your Tour Leader is there to look after you during your tour. They know the places most people walk straight past, they'll have a restaurant recommendation ready before you've asked, and they'll sort anything that comes up along the way. All transport and accommodation are arranged for you.
You'll also have a 24-hour emergency contact number and the Holidayys team in Dubai.
How do I book Grand Continental Rebel?
Press Book now, choose a date and your rooms, and enter each traveller as their passport shows. We hold your seats and email your booking reference straight away. 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
Pay over time, at 0% interest
Every booking qualifies, from holidays and tours to visas. Pay later with a credit card instalment plan or a buy-now-pay-later account; some banks charge 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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