Review of a Great Rail Journeys trip to Switzerland

A retired couple from Nottingham on the joys of their escorted train journey to the Swiss Alps with rail specialist Great Rail Journeys...
 First class train travel through the Swiss Alps. Photo: Great Rail Journeys.By Mike and Jenny from Nottingham:

We were tired of airports, planes and air travel generally and looked for something new and different. 

The advert for Great Rail Journeys took our eye and the brochure description of the rail journey into the Swiss Alps looked exciting. 

We quickly made our choice and submitted our application but were impressed to receive a telephone call in which a very heavy hint was dropped that our choice might not be advisable in view of medical health history. 

The famous Glacier Express train. Photo: Mike and Jenny.We accordingly switched to the Glacier Express. We soon realised how customer-centred the Great Rail Journey company were – bags of useful information and a personal call from the Tour Manager two days before we left to make sure we were all right. 

We travelled in luxury in first class carriages, the trains were always on time and the scenery out of this world. We could not better the hotels we stayed in and we got on famously with our fellow travellers. We were of various ages and backgrounds and an interesting group all anxious to get on and help each other. 

As we had plenty of free time and were not regimented, we and our fellow passengers were able to pursue their different interests, from walking to historic buildings and train spotting, and in this regard our Swiss Travel Pass entitling us to free 1st class travel was invaluable.    

One of the glaciers on view from the train. Photo Mike and Jenny.Highlights:

• Scenery - unforgettable
• Tour Manager’s calm helpful quiet organisation.
• Chat and laughter over dinner about events of the day and what people had done
• Relief when expensive camera left on train by one couple was found and returned
• Arriving at  interim stations to be greeted by the smiling faces of the two young men in the party who had pulled in a couple of extra walks
• The final leg of the journey when we all sat around the swimming pool in Dijon in glorious sunshine before enjoying a last delicious dinner  

Downsides were few – we could have done with a better map of our journey and crossing Paris on our return, something of a trial.

We rated the holiday first class, we recommend this type of travel highly and will certainly repeat the experience.

Thank you for the recommendation Greentraveller.

Mike and Jenny of Nottingham

To book this trip, call 01904 734182 or follow this link to the company's online brochure: Travel on the Classic Glacier Express train 

For similar train holidays, see: Escorted Train Holidays

The view from the train high up in the Swiss Alps. Photo: Mike and Jenny.