Christmas atmosphere with view of Town Hall and the Kappelbruecke, Lucerne. Courtesy Switzerland Tourism.
We rate this trip as easy to moderate and ACTIVE. You should be capable of walking 1-2 miles per day and at least 1/2 mile in one stretch (about 1500 steps and maybe uphill). You should be capable of walking about 2 to 4 miles per day, often on cobblestone streets and with potential compacted snow and ice (so be careful). There will be times when stairs can not be avoided, so guests will need the ability to go up and down stairs. On one day, a mountain railway will take you to an elevation of 10,200 feet.
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Walking: in addition to walking on flat surfaces, you also need to walk on uphills, on uneven terrain, and on cobblestones. You'll likely not walk this amount all at once, but you need to be able to get to/from train stations, hotels, and excursions. We can accommodate slower walkers, but you must still be able to walk the distance. You should be able to walk a half mile at a time and you may need to walk this amount a few times a day.
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Stairs: at train stations when we must change platforms; most of the station platforms only have stairs or ramps -- not elevators. There are often many steps on the walk to the hotels, there are steep steps to get into some trains, and there may even be steps inside the trains before you get to your seat.
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Getting on and off trains: be aware that many trains have a few steep steps to negotiate to get on or off. You need to be confident that you can get on and off the trains. Also, note that there may be multiple train transfers on any of the travel routes. It is rare to ride just one train to our next destination on the tour. Some train connections are tight, and the group may need to walk quickly to catch the next train.
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Standing time: you need to be able to stand on your feet for at least 10-15 minutes as benches at train stations are not in good supply.
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Luggage: before the tour starts, you will travel by train to Lucerne and meet the group at the first hotel. This means you'll need to get your own luggage on/off the trains and to/from hotel rooms once at the hotels (there are elevators in all hotels). During the tour, we hire a company to pick up the bags every day (except 1) and deliver them to the next hotel. Please note that there is one day during the tour when the group will take suitcases on the Glacier Express train with them
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