Snow, Ice and Steam in the Swiss Alps

Experience a unique holiday of railway train highlights on this enchanting winter tour to the Swiss alpine canton of Graubünden. Highlights include:

• Experience the awe-inspiring steam-powered snow blower on the high altitude Bernina line.
• Travel over the most scenic routes of the Rhaetian Railway, plus other spectacular routes like the Oberalp Pass, the Schöllenen Gorge, the Gotthard summit line and the incredibly steep Stoos Railway.
• Enjoy unique private charter trains with vintage locomotives dating from the early 20th century, including main line behemoths and narrow gauge ‘Crocodiles’, including the enchanting Appenzell network at the foot of majestic Mount Säntis.
• This two-centre holiday offers you conveniently based hotels in both Bad Ragaz and Pontresina with the added mobility of a Swiss Travel Pass in First Class.
• Venture to Davos to travel on the two high-alpine funiculars to the lofty Parsenn and Schatzalp summits.

Sunday 28 February

London to Bad Ragaz

Your tour begins on a Eurostar train from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord. There you transfer to Paris Lyon by coach and take a TGV service to Zurich. You change trains and travel by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) service to Bad Ragaz via Zurich, with a short bus transfer from the station to the hotel before checking in and enjoying a welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant. (D)

Monday 1 March

Oberalp Pass, Schöllenen Gorge, Gotthard private charter and Stoosbahn 

Today you experience some of the most scenic railway lines in Europe, as you first travel from Bad Ragaz to Chur. Your journey continues from Chur to Andermatt via the Rhine Gorge and Oberalp Pass railway lines along the famed Glacier Express route. At Andermatt you connect onto the rack railway through the Schöllenen Gorge and travel to Göschenen on the famed Gotthard main line. There a private charter train operated by SBB Historic awaits you and takes you down the famous main line with its spiral tunnels and horseshoe curves to Erstfeld. Your heritage train will be hauled by a large, early 20th century vintage electric locomotive from the Swiss national collection. At Erstfeld you continue on a regular SBB service the short distance to Schwyz, where you alight to visit the nearby, record-breaking Stoosbahn. This is the steepest funicular in the world and ascends 1300 metres with a maximum incline of 110 per cent. Along the way there are spectacular views of Lake Lucerne and the peaks of Central Switzerland. Finally, in the late afternoon you complete your large circular journey for the day and return to Chur and then on to Bad Ragaz on the pretty main line routes via Lake Zürich and Lake Walensee. (B)

Tuesday 2 March

A ‘Crocodile’ in Appenzell

This morning you discover one of the best-kept secrets of Swiss railways, the iconic little red trains of the Appenzell, as they wind their way up into the foothills of Mount Säntis. This ‘Little Big’ narrow gauge network sums up all that is great about Swiss railways, and you’ll experience it on your privately chartered heritage train with vintage 1912 electric ‘Pocket Crocodile’ locomotive, pulling two green coaches from the former Säntis Railway from Herisau via Appenzell to the terminus at Wasserauen. Along the way pretty alpine landscape and little villages dot the line. After lunch in Wasserauen and a visit to the local railway museum, you make the return journey on the panoramic metre gauge rack railway from Gais to Altstätten, with its fine views of the nearby Alps of Austria and Liechtenstein. From Altstätten you return on a direct SBB service to Bad Ragaz via Chur and transfer to the hotel, once again completing a large circular railway journey for the day. (B L)

Wednesday 3 March

Mountain magnificence with funiculars in Davos and Filisur Line

Meet in reception with your luggage for your luggage to be transferred directly to your next hotel. You then embark on a day-trip to the famed ski resort of Davos, with a visit to both of its funicular railways for incredible panoramic views and photo opportunities from their respective, high altitude summits. This includes the Parsennbahn, which takes you in two stages to an altitude of 2663 metres above sea level, and the Schatzalpbahn to a height of 1864 metres. Be amazed at the rugged scenery and panoramic views of the snow-capped Alps, as you take that all in. In the afternoon, you then continue by RhB service train on the so-called ‘Davos Circular’ over massive viaducts south to Filisur, before joining the world famous Albula line and riding its horseshoe curves, including the most frequently photographed feature of the Rhaetian Railways, the Landwasser Viaduct, to Pontresina. On arrival you transfer to your secondary hotel, where you’ll stay for the remainder of the tour. (B)

Thursday 4 March

Over the Albula line; Steam-powered snow blower to the Bernina summit

With the iconic, world-famous stone-arched Landwasser Viaduct and numerous horseshoe curves, the picture-postcard Albula line is the signature route on the RhB network. After breakfast, you walk to Pontresina station where you will join the amazing snow blower experience. During the uphill journey along the Bernina route, you’ll experience the sheer might and power of the impressive steam-powered snow blower Xrot 9213 of 1910 vintage. Numerous photo stops and run-pasts will be staged enroute to Ospizio Bernina, and the snow blower will demonstrate its full capability. At lunchtime there’s an opportunity to warm up with an Italian lunch at the Bernina summit house at Alp Gruem, before you return to Ospizio Bernina and eventually Pontresina. You return to Bad Ragaz in the late afternoon on the different route via Zernez and Klosters, passing more spectacular scenery and Alpine landscape variety. A goodbye dinner is served in the hotel restaurant this evening. (B L D)  

Friday 5 March

Return to London

You return to London after a fascinating holiday by RhB, SBB, TGV and Eurostar services, travelling via Zurich and Paris before arriving back in London in the afternoon. (B)