Guided Fall Foliage Switzerland Train Tour Oct 13-21, 2012

Here are your first few days on the Fall Foliage rail tour; or you may want to see what all is included and prices.

 

Arrival in Switzerland

 

As is true of all of Switzerland, it is hard to find the appropriate words to describe this magnificent country. Her beauty and culture will forever remain a life long memory for you to treasure and share.

Depart from your gateway city for your overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland! Your guide will either be on the plane with you or meet you at the Zurich airport.

Our adventures gives us a look into the real culture and heritage of Switzerland, and her people. We will travel on many types of trains, boats, busses and trams and cableways.

While traveling through the many valleys and summits of this Alpine country, we will see magnificent flowers, gardens, farms, snow covered peaks and aqua colored, snow melt lakes, The magnificent fall colors of rust, oranges, reds and yellows, against her green alpine meadows with the famous Swiss cows and their melodious bells grazing peacefully, will bring a smile to your face.

We will see where a couple of James Bond and a Clint Eastwood movie were filmed, not to mention some the world's most famous ski regions, home to many olympic games where their ski competitions are held. We will see Old-World cities where we can shop for Switzerland's candy, watches, cheese, and enjoy sumptuous bakery items.

After validation and a quick orientation, our rail/train adventure begins! From Zurich, we travel toward Bern, as we head to central Switzerland, passing the beautiful Lake of Thun, medieval towns, castles, and the lakeside village of Spiez on the South shore of Lake Thun, before arriving in Interlaken.

 

Our Home Base of Interlaken

 

Surrounded by the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, Interlaken will be our home for the first 5 nights, in a quaint Swiss rustic chalet style hotel. On the short walk to our hotel, we pass over the beautiful Aare River. Don't be surprised to see a cow parade this time of year.

The main building of our chalet style hotel goes back two centuries, resulting in a stately farmhouse built in the years 1862/63, and is only 5-10 walking minutes away from the West railway station, the city center and the Thunersee boat landing-stage.

In front of the main building, with its magnificent views of the famous alpine trio of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, you can walk through the manicured maze of greenery with beatufiul rose bushes everywhere. You will be greeted by Lizzie, the red Swiss cow!! The hotel has a warm, cozy lounge, a whirlpool and sauna, WLAN and bicycles.

You may want to explore Interlaken in a horse drawn carriage, shop for Swiss chocolates and watches, try your luck at the casino, watch the para sailers from your balcony, or take a walk through town or a stroll in the park.

Your welcome dinner is at a chef owned restaurant that is top rated with Trip Advisor^®, which is also a locals favorite with its old world charm and great food. The staff will spoil you with world famous Swiss hospitality.

Gruyere Castle and the Golden Pass Scenic Route

 

Swiss cuisine is rated among the highest in the world. Each morning, enjoy your included breakfast buffet, featuring various cereals, juices, coffee/tee, cold milk and hot chocolate, fresh baked breads, croissants, ham and cheese, butter, jams and honey.

This morning we travel to Lausanne, Lake Geneva, and Montreux; an area known as the Swiss Riviera near the French border. Next we pass through vineyards as the morning sun brings life to the hillside villas with their red tile roofs and the lake below.

One of today's highlights will be the walled fortress of Gruyeres, known worldwide for its cheese. Perhaps you'll join me for lunch at a restaurant built in the 16th century?

This afternoon you can shop, or explore the inside of the Castle, admire the churches and flower gardens. Or have a drink in the Geiger Bar, with surroundings that will make you smile each time you remember the experience!

Across from the bar is the Geiger Museum where you can see the monster created by Geiger for the movie, The Alien. The actual monster is encased in glass along with the academy award.

After Gruyeres, there is a quick visit to the cheese factory and gift shop.

We board a special reserved panoramic rail car with a glass bullet nose caboose, passing Gstaad and Chateau d'Oex, with evening shadows touching the Alpine peaks of the Saanen Valley as we travel this Golden Pass Route.

Dinner tonight (not included) is a real treat in a traditional Italian restaurant with a homey relaxing atmosphere.

Grindlewald, Kleine Scheidegg, waterfalls, Schilthorn, and Murren

 

Today is full of picture post card scenery so have your camera ready!

Our destinations today have been featured in the James Bond movies Golden Eye and In Her Majesty's Secret Service, as well as Clint Eastwood's The Eiger Sanction.

Our morning starts in one of Europe's oldest mountain resorts, the famous ski resort of Grindelwald, also known as the Glacier Valley.

Next is a private rail ride to Kleine Scheidegg, nestled at the base of the North Face of the Eiger. Enjoy lunch on the stone patio, featuring kraut 'n wieners, new potatoes, the Swiss national dish of rosti, and lots of homemade apple desserts and almond croissants with the most delicious warm vanilla sauce.

Catch a glimpse of mountain climbers on a trek up the North Face of the Eiger or watch trains appear and disappear from the entrance of this famous mountain tunnel, on their way to the Jungfraujoch, often referred to as The Top of Europe.

The afternoon includes Lauterbrunnen, known as the Waterfall Valley, Murren, and the world's first rotating restaurant, the Piz Gloria, at the summit of the 9748 foot Schilthorn. This is the most exclusive viewpoint of the alps where, on a clear day, you can see over 200 peaks, from France to the Black Forest of Germany. The Schilthorn is also the starting point of the longest downhill race in the world, the Inferno Ski Race.

Situated in splendid isolation, Murren is perched on the edge of a plateau overhanging the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with a panorama of peaks such as the Wetterhorn, Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, Gletscherhorn, and more than a half dozen other headliners.

The scenery from Murren to Grutschalp is among the world's most dazzling, with forests of evergreens, beautiful alpine meadows, and the Alps so close you can almost touch them.

Dinner (not included) tonight is at a great local favorite and one of mine as well, and is rated highly; with great Italian food and wines! I highly recommend the lasagna and green salad!

Free day to explore Interlaken, the Casino, Brienz, Bern,Thun, lake excursions, even Para Sailing

This morning sleep in a bit later, or have a relaxed breakfast. The day is yours to explore the Bernese Oberland region, or ride the rails to new places!

For a day of adventure, go up the First near Grindelwald and fly off the mountain with an instructor for magnificent photos..or in Interlaken, we can arrange for you to go Para Sailing with an instructor, and they will even make a video of your adventure for you to take home...this is a fantastic adventure, and you will see people doing the Para Sailing all week.

There is much to see and do around Interlaken, shop for souvenirs, candy, watches, go to the Casino, take the ship to Brienz, maybe get off at Geissbach Falls and take the funicular up to this charming Old World Hotel, then by ship to the marvelous lakeside village of Brienz, one of the prettiest lakes in Switzerland, and stroll along the lake after some shopping for woodwork or laces. Maybe even go to Ballenberg to see Switzerland in older times, these buildings have been moved here to form a complete village, or go to see the Sherlock Holmes Museum near Brienz.

Spend some time in the medieval village of Thun for a most unusual shopping adventure, or explore the 2 castles there, or take the train and go into Bern, the capitol and admire the magnificent churches and buildings.

Take a journey on a 100+ year old steam engine to the 2350-metre summit of the Brienz Rothorn for a most unusual adventure, if it is still open for the season. The Brienz Line has been hissing, puffing and huffing its way to the summit since 1892.

The steam engine covers the 1678-metres above sea level in just one hour. The 7.6 kilometer ride passes through romantic meadows and forest, cuts through high rock faces and travels over gently sloping then steep Alpine pastures.

Have dinner (not included) somewhere new or make a return to your favorite place we have visited this week! Is there more? Oh yes, much more!