DAY ONE

DEPARTURE

I flew to Zurich airport from Manchester and took the train to Luzern where I checked into the 5-star National Grand Hotel. 

We then had a walking tour of Luzern which is a beautiful city on a lake, with plenty of shops, and is excellent for Christmas Markets.

We met up with the rest of the group to find out where we would go next, as we were still waiting for someone to tell us. I was lucky enough to be going on the Bernina Express where we had a three-course dinner at the Rebstock restaurant for regional specialities.

DAY TWO

SWISS TOURS

Our tour guide, Claudia, from Swiss Tourism was a fantastic host who didn't let us pay for anything, even when using the public toilets (which were £1.50).

After the tour, our luggage was handed to the hotel reception who were transferring it for us to our next hotel.

We took the train back to Zurich and went on a tour around the vast and busy city. The old town was lovely but very expensive.

After having lunch in an Old Guildhouse, we took the train to Chur and stayed in the four-star Hotel Stern, where our luggage was waiting for us in reception. It was in a great location and had friendly staff.

Then, we ate in the fantastic restaurant Flavours (top on Trip Advisor).

DAY THREE

BERNINA EXPRESS

Today had to be the best day as we spent the whole day onboard the Bernina Express first class. The views along the way were fantastic.

We got off in Italy (Tirano), had an Italian Meal, then headed straight back on for our return journey, ending the night with a meal in our hotel.

DAY FOUR

CHUR

We checked out of the hotel early and had our luggage transferred to Thun. We then had a city tour of Chur, a small town primarily known for the Bernina Express boarding point and small ski resort.

The fondue for lunch, was such a good experience.

The next hotel we stayed in was Deltapark Hotel Vitality. That evening was a VIP evening where we had a fantastic meal and watched the water magic show. We also met with the rest of the group and shared stories of our day. Some had done hikes, zip lines, spas, gondolas, caves, etc.

DAY FIVE

THUN

We dropped our luggage at Thun train station early for the day and headed out for a city tour, including a visit to Thun Castle's top which has fantastic views of the Alps.

We then took the train to Interlaken West and boarded a boat where we enjoyed a three-course meal while travelling back. After this, we collected our luggage and took the train back to Zurich Airport.