Venice through the Alps by train holiday
This is a magnificent journey with a jewel of an end destination.
You travel from London St Pancras by Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, and then you continue from Paris Gare de Lyon by TGV Lyria to Zurich. London to Paris takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes and Paris to Zurich takes only about 4 hours on a direct train. You can leave London at about 9 and arrive into Zurich just after 6.30 pm.
You spend a night or two in Zurich. We would recommend these hotels: The Baur au Lac or the Dolder Grand Hotel for top of the range luxury, the Hotel du Theatre for boutique value within walking distance of the station, the Schweizerhof for four star convenience to the railway station or the Widder Hotel, also in the city centre but for contemporary elegance.
The journey from Zurich to Venice is convenient and relaxing. You leave at 11.09 and arrive in Venice at 17.40 with a change in Milan. There is a restaurant car on the Inter City service from Zurich to Milan but really it is the scenery that is abundantly striking on this route. You head south towards the Alps, passing the lakes of Zug and Lucerne towards the mighty Gotthard. Once through the Gotthard, you’re in the Italian part of Switzerland heading towards Lugano, on another magnificent lake. From here it’s a short distance to the Italian border at Chiasso. There is a good connection in Milan and then you head east stopping at the historic cities of Verona, Vicenza and Padua before reaching Venice Santa Lucia, a few paces from the Grand Canal.
In Venice we can offer a fantastic range of hotels, from the cosy, traditional Hotel Flora, to the Gritti Palace, the Cipriani and the Bauer il Palazzo. In between we have the Luna Baglioni and the Hotel Bauer. You can choose your length of stay in Venice but we would recommend at least 3 or 4 full days.
For your return journey, this must depend upon inclination and time. You can fly back from Venice or you can take the train back. There is a sleeper service from Venice to Paris overnight leaving at 19.57 and arriving in Paris Gare de Lyon at 09.29. Overnight trains have double sleepers and 4 or 6 berth couchette accommodation. Back in Paris, you take the Eurostar from the Gare du Nord back to London St Pancras, allowing a bit of time in Paris in between in you prefer or even stopping the night.
Suggested times:
Outward journey
London St Pancras depart 09.13, arrive Paris Gare du Nord 12.47
Depart Paris Gare de Lyon 14.23, arrive Zurich Hauptbahnhof 18.35
Depart Zurich Hauptbahnhof at 11.09, arrive Milan Central at 14.50
Depart Milan Centrale at 15.05, arrive Venice Santa Lucia at 17.40
Return journey
Depart Venice Santa Lucia at 19.57, arrive Paris Gare de Lyon at 09.29
Depart Paris Gare du Nord at 11.13, arrive London St Pancras at 12.30
Prices for this holiday will be completely tailor-made for each itinerary and the dates of travel.
A sample price is from £1490 per person to include rail travel second class London to Paris return, rail travel first class from Paris to Venice and 2 berth sleeper service Venice to Paris, one night at the Hotel du Theatre in Zurich, private water taxi return transfers in Venice and three nights' bed and breakfast at the Hotel Flora in Venice.