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Alpenwild tours are designed for people who are energetic, active, and filled with a spirit of adventure. We rate this trip as easy, but ACTIVE, and you should be capable of walking about 1-2 miles per day and at least 1/2 mile in one stretch (about 1500 steps and maybe up hills). There are additional hiking and walking options available for those wanting more activity.
Upon arriving in Switzerland, you will take a train to Lucerne, where the tour begins. The group will meet in the hotel lobby at 12:30 PM for an orientation, followed by an afternoon excursion to Cabrio-Stanserhorn. That evening, you'll enjoy a welcome dinner. Lucerne is just an hour by train from Zürich, with departures every hour. Our hotel is conveniently located just a few blocks from the train station, and we will provide a map with directions for easy arrival.
We keep our group size small, typically between 14 and 15 guests, to ensure personalized service and attention. If you have a full group you'd like to travel with, we can arrange a private guided tour to accommodate your party.
This is one of the most common questions about the tour. You will need to bring your luggage to the hotel in Lucerne at the start of the tour. However, for the rest of the journey, Alpenwild has arranged luggage transfers. Each transfer day, your luggage will be picked up from the hotel and delivered directly to our next destination. This allows you to travel light, carrying only a daypack with essentials for the day. We encourage you to bring only one checked suitcase (50 lb. max and preferably not larger than 25 inches) that can roll and a day pack/bag to take with you each day on the trains.
Yes! An Alpenwild guide will meet you at your hotel in Lucerne on the first day of the tour. Our expert guides will accompany you throughout the journey, sharing their knowledge and insights about Swiss culture and attractions. You'll travel together on scenic trains, enjoy guided excursions, and share meals. In the afternoons, there is often some free time to explore on your own before regrouping for dinner.
This tour includes 9 hotel nights, all transportation during the journey, guided excursions, luggage transfers, and an expert Alpenwild guide to ensure an unforgettable Swiss experience. All breakfasts and all but two dinners are included, indicated as B (Breakfast) and D (Dinner) on our website’s daily itinerary. While lunch is not included, your guides will offer recommendations. Some days will allow for a quick stop to eat, while on others, you may need to purchase a meal to enjoy on the train.
Yes! The Swiss diet is rich in dairy products, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables available during the summer season. If you have dietary preferences or restrictions, simply inform Alpenwild in advance, and we will do our best to provide suitable meal options. Over the years, we have successfully accommodated guests with celiac disease, nut allergies, lactose intolerance, and vegetarian diets. While vegetarian options are available, vegan choices can be more challenging due to the dairy-centric nature of Alpine cuisine.
We typically stay in small, independently owned 3- and 4-star hotels that showcase the charm, character, and hospitality of the surrounding Alpine communities. Our carefully selected hotels offer excellent locations, high standards of comfort and quality, and great value for our guests. These inns provide a welcoming atmosphere, traditional cuisine, and an authentic Swiss experience.
The only exception is the final night in Zürich, where we stay at a conveniently located airport hotel. Please note that most hotels in Switzerland do not have air conditioning, so it can feel warm during the summer months. Additionally, most accommodations feature deep bathtubs with showers rather than walk-in showers, which are rare in Swiss hotels.
On this tour, we will ride in 1st class on the trains and boats. Note that there is a rare possibility to have to ride in 2nd class due to seat availability issues. Some of the scenic trains that you will ride on this tour include: the Voralpen Express, Luzern-Interlaken Express, GoldenPass Express, Mont-Blanc Express, and the Centovalli Railway.
Throughout this tour, you'll travel like a local, using a variety of Swiss trains and other forms of transportation every day. In addition to scenic train rides, we’ve included exciting mountain excursions.
On the first day, you’ll journey to the top of Stanserhorn, where you'll enjoy breathtaking views of Lucerne and the Swiss Alps. The next day, you’ll visit the Rhine Falls and return to Lucerne aboard the Voralpen Express. En route to Lauterbrunnen, you’ll take a boat ride on Lake Brienz and visit the spectacular Giessbach Falls. Other thrilling mountain excursions include the Schilthorn in Switzerland and the Aiguille du Midi in France.
Please note that many days will involve multiple train transfers, as direct routes to our destinations are rare. Be prepared for frequent train changes during the trip.
Approximately 30 days before the tour begins, we will email your trip documents. Through our Vamoos App, you will receive detailed arrival instructions, a list of hotel accommodations and contact information, a packing list, a hotel map for Lucerne, rail passes, and more.
Certainly! Our Alpenwild office staff would be delighted to assist you with suggestions for any pre- or post-tour plans you may have in Switzerland. Many of our guests choose to arrive a day or two before the tour or stay a few extra days afterward. We can offer recommendations on accommodations and activities for these additional days.
Your tour includes a 15-day 1st class Swiss Travel Rail pass, which you can use for any pre- or post-tour travel (9 days will be used during the tour itself). Just let us know how we can assist in planning your extra time!
The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF). You can easily withdraw Francs from ATMs located at the airport, train stations, or even grocery stores. ATMs usually offer the best exchange rates. While most places accept credit cards, it’s still a good idea to carry a small amount of cash for any minor purchases.NOTE: in Chamonix, France the currency is the Euro which can withdrawn from an ATM during this tour while in France only.
You will need a valid passport to enter Switzerland. Please make sure to have 3 months left (from the time you return home) on your passport before it expires. At this time, Switzerland is part of the Schengen Visa Zone which means U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need a special visa to visit. Note: A new ETIAS visa requirement is expected to take effect sometime in 2025, though an official start date has not yet been announced. If it goes into effect before your tour, we will be sure to inform you. If you have a passport from another country, besides the U.S./Canada, check out this link to see if you are required to have a visa.
The key to enjoying train travel and exploring towns and villages is casual comfort. Wear comfortable walking or tennis shoes with good traction, and pack clothes that are easy to wear, pack, and hand wash if necessary. In the evenings, we'll have dinner either at the hotel or nearby restaurants. While you may want to change into something different from your daytime attire, it’s still casual—nothing too dressy is required. While we make some specific recommendations on our Alps Walking and Sightseeing tour packing list, your own personal preference, experience, and comfort are ultimately the most important factors in deciding what to bring. Try not to pack too much as we are hoping our guests will only bring one checked-size suitcase.
You can book this trip directly on our Alpenwild website under Rail Tour-TRACK 2 with a $500 per person deposit. You can also feel free to call the office and we can help guide you through the booking process. Once you have booked this tour with Alpenwild, we will email you a deposit confirmation letter and invoice. Your final payment is due 90 days before the tour and we will email you a reminder when the time is near.
The single supplement is an additional charge for someone who is staying by themselves in a single occupancy room. We always calculate our tour prices based on double occupancy rooms. This means that the price of the hotel room is then split between 2 people. However, if only 1 person is in that room, then we need to charge an extra fee to cover the price for the other half of the room. (Example: If a double room = $300 then it would be $150 per person for sharing. That same room would be $300 for 1 guest, so we would need to charge an extra $150 as a single supplement to cover the price of the whole room).
We try to book double rooms for all our single guests where possible. But some hotels have a true single room and will only give those rooms to our single guest. If this happens, then the price for that single room is usually a little less than a double room. We’ve already factored this into the total price of the single supplement. A solo traveler may not always have the same size room as our guests sharing a room but be assured that our solo guests are paying for what each hotel has provided for rooms.
Be assured that train travel in Switzerland is extensive and relatively easy to navigate and after a couple of times riding the Swiss trains, you'll be a pro! You can find some extra tips in this Switzerland Train Travel Tips article. You can also watch this video about Riding the Trains in Switzerland.
Travel insurance can give peace of mind in the event of the unexpected occurring. Alpenwild recommends Insuremytrip.com travel insurance, but you can use any travel insurance company you prefer.
Alpenwild trip leaders go out of their way to make sure your trip is enjoyable and successful--everything you want it to be. While not mandatory or obligatory, tips recognizing their efforts are appreciated. The common practice is to hand the tip to the trip leaders at the end of the trip. If your trip leader has met the high standard of service expected at Alpenwild, 5-10% of your tour price is a standard tip.
