In the late morning, the Gotthard Nostalgia Express awaits you in Frankfurt (Main) for your journey
to Switzerland.

Additional boarding points include Mannheim and Karlsruhe.

Plush upholstery and the opulent décor characteristic of the Belle Époque era adorn the salon dining car in which your journey begins.

As you travel, you’ll already be treated to Swiss culinary delights, giving you a first taste of your destination. By early evening, you will arrive in Lucerne. While your luggage is taken directly to your hotel, you will enjoy a guided walking tour of the city, including a visit to the iconic Chapel Bridge.

Afterwards, you’ll check into your room at a centrally located comfort hotel.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Lucerne.

You begin the day with a leisurely, nearly three-hour cruise across Lake Lucerne aboard a historic paddle steamer.

In Flüelen, you re-board the familiar Gotthard Nostalgia Express.

Opened in 1882, the Gotthard railway line with its summit tunnel is a masterpiece of engineering. As the train ascends through long, looping curves, it gains altitude gradually, offering ever-changing mountain panoramas — all enjoyed at a deliberately relaxed pace.

Your destination for the day is Lugano, known for its Mediterranean climate, lush gardens, and a scenic lakeside promenade perfect for a relaxing stroll.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Lugano

Between Lake Como and Lake Lugano lies one of the most breath-taking panoramic peaks in the Ticino region.

Today, you’ll ascend the 1,701-meter-high Monte Generoso by cogwheel railway. In good weather, the view stretches as far as Milan.

After a welcome aperitif on the panoramic terrace, you’ll take your seat in the summit restaurant Fiore di pietra (“Stone Flower”) and enjoy regional specialties from Ticino.

Well-fortified, you’ll then have the option to hike the final 15-minute stretch to the summit (approximately 100 meters elevation gain).

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Overnight: Lugano

Today you will explore the Centovalli — the “Valley of a Hundred Valleys” — during a scenic two-hour ride aboard a train that resembles an interurban tram, traveling from Locarno to Domodossola. Tumbling mountain streams, picturesque alpine villages, a pilgrimage church, and stunning mountain vistas turn this leisurely journey into an unforgettable experience.

In Domodossola, you’ll re-join the Gotthard Nostalgia Express. As you relax in the elegant salon dining car, a delicious lunch is served while the train carries you over the Simplon Pass and through the Rhône Valley to Lake Geneva. There, you’ll visit the iconic Château de Chillon — a moated medieval castle whose fortified walls, battlements, and opulent halls evoke the grandeur of a bygone era.

After a full day of travel and discovery, you’ll check into your room at a comfortable lakeside hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Montreux

Today is yours to spend at leisure.

Stroll through the charming lakeside town of Montreux, where palm trees, vibrant floral displays, and numerous artworks along the promenade invite you to explore and linger.

If you wish, you can join an optional guided excursion along the scenic GoldenPass Line to the elegant alpine resort of Gstaad (optional, additional cost).

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Montreux

After a relaxed start to the day, you’ll begin your return journey aboard the Gotthard Nostalgia Express.

Sit back and enjoy the final leg of this elegant rail adventure as the train takes you northward.

Your destinations in Germany — Karlsruhe, Mannheim, and Frankfurt — will be reached over the course of the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

The carriages of the Prestige Continental Express are used for this journey.

The Prestige Continental Express was born out of a passion for true beauty and elegance. Originally deployed as dining cars, the vehicles were completely refurbished starting in 1999 and redesigned in the style of the legendary Orient Express salon cars.

The train consists of three salon dining cars — Le Salon Bleu, Le Rubis Noir, and the piano bar car Le Diamant Bar. With its Belle Époque style, it evokes the golden age of rail travel and never fails to captivate its guests.