Experience an outstanding Swiss adventure, based in the picturesque resort of Wengen, and ride an iconic train to the breathtaking ‘Top of Europe’

Our holiday begins this morning as we gather at London St Pancras International to board the Eurostar service to Paris in Standard Premier Class, enjoying a light meal at our seats. In the French capital, we transfer to the train to Basel, travelling to Switzerland in First Class.

In Switzerland, we travel onwards to Wengen by Standard Class rail. The scenery becomes more beautiful as we journey through increasingly dramatic landscapes. From Interlaken, we enter the gorgeous Lauterbrunnen Valley, where alpine pastures rise quickly towards craggy, forested cliffs and snow-covered peaks hone into view. The altitude increases on the approach to the wonderful railway station at Wengen, which has utterly spellbinding views from the platforms.

Arriving in the car-free town in the evening, our hotel is just a few steps from the station and shares those incredible vistas across the valley towards the Schilthorn. Our 4-Star hotel has a spa and wellness facility, a bar and a restaurant - where we enjoy our first dinner as a group on arrival.

You have a full day at leisure to get to know this idyllic town. The sense of peace amid the stunning scenery of the Jungfrau massif is palpable as Wengen is only accessible by rail or cable car. Wander around its tranquil streets dotted with wooden chalets and white-washed churches, or simply soak up the incredible views and relish being in the middle of nature.

With your Swiss Travel Card offering 50% discount on travel, you might want to head down into the Lauterbrunnen Valley or on to Interlaken. This attractive town nestles beside two lakes - Thun and Brienz - and buzzes with life. With a variety of cafés, bakeries and shops - from souvenir outlets to Swiss watch retailers - you can wander to your heart's content. The town's historic centre is compact, so it's easy to discover the medieval monastery, castle and ancient square on foot. Maybe take the funicular railway for a 10-minute trip to the top of Harder Kulm, where you can enjoy panoramic views above Interlaken, across the mountains and Lake Brienz.

The evening is yours to spend as you wish and there is a range of restaurants serving up enticing local cuisine, including at our hotel.

Today we embark on a remarkable round-trip with breathtaking panoramas accompanying us all the way. First, we hop into a cable car that whisks us to the top of Männlichen mountain in a matter of minutes. At 7,600-feet above sea level, this might not be the tallest mountain in this area, but that helps it benefit from an uninterrupted panorama of the region's mightiest peaks, including the Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger and across the Lauterbrunnen Valley towards the Schilthorn.

We have free time here to absorb the jaw-dropping views from the pretty alpine ridge before setting off on a sky gondola ride to Grindelwald. A journey of 20 minutes guides us gracefully down the mountain and provides many opportunities to observe the majesty of the region's big three mountains as well as dense forests and the charming valley town of Grindelwald far below. There is free time over lunch in this characterful Swiss village, one of Europe's oldest mountain resorts, where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy the impressive views of the north face of the Eiger.

Leaving Grindelwald by train, we travel beneath the Eiger's iconic rock face as we climb up to Kleine Scheidegg from where we swap trains and continue to Wengen. Arriving in late afternoon, we have time to relax before gathering for a three-course dinner tonight in our hotel.

We enjoy a highlight of our holiday today, a journey to Europe's highest railway station, Jungfraujoch. From Kleine Scheidegg we travel on the Jungfrau Express through the final section of the route, into an incredible tunnel which cuts through the Eiger. Even more incredible are the carved-out viewing windows inside the tunnel. Trundling past these iconic mountains and beside glacial lakes, we travel to places no other form of transport can reach.

When we reach Jungfraujoch, the 'Top of Europe', the vistas from the Sphinx viewing platform are truly awe-inspiring. The azure blue of a crisp Swiss sky contrasts with brilliant white snow and craggy peaks as we cast our eyes towards the ethereal Aletsch Glacier - a UNESCO-listed natural wonder - that stretches as far as the eye can see. There is free time to marvel at the spectacular panoramic vistas that surround us, before we make the return journey to Wengen and a three-course dinner at our hotel this evening.

An unforgettable experience awaits us today as we travel by train to the unspoilt hillside village of Mürren, where we have some time to wander through this peaceful, chocolate-box resort. From here, we journey by cable car up to the summit of the Schilthorn. At the top, we are greeted by breathtaking 360° views of around 200 mountain peaks, including the Jungfrau.

However, the star attraction here is the remarkable revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria. Made famous as a prominent location in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, this mountaintop eatery also contains a museum about the filming of the movie. We have free time here to either follow in the footsteps of George Lazenby's 007, view the exhibition, or enjoy a memorable lunch in the restaurant.

With the evening at leisure, there is the option for people to stop off at the Trummelbach Falls on the return journey, where you can observe the gushing waterfalls of glacial water that tumble through the mountain creating a roaring sound until it bursts out into the valley.

Today is free for you to spend as you wish. You may opt to relax at the hotel or wander round gorgeous Wengen. With the Swiss Travel Card providing a 50% discount on travel, you could explore further afield.

The pretty village of Lauterbrunnen with its charming timbered chalets not only gives its name to the valley but also contains the Staubbach Falls. Falling nearly 1000 feet down the steep cliff face, this impressive waterfall can be seen from the village, although you can walk up to the base or behind the falls too. From the town of Wilderswil at the base of the valley you could board the cogwheel railway up to the Schynige Platte Alpine Botanical Garden to stroll through beautiful wildflower pastures with views over the region's mountains.

For a serene day, you could take to the water from nearby Interlaken on a cruise across Lake Thun to the 10th-century fairytale Spiez Castle, or the emerald waters of Lake Brienz to the town of the same name. With blooming flowers spilling from picturesque chalets, Brunngasse is regularly considered one of Switzerland's most photogenic streets. You could also embark on a charming journey to the summit of the Rothorn on the steam-hauled Brienz-Rothorn Mountain Railway for exquisite views across Lake Brienz and the Jungfrau region.

Returning to Wengen in the evening, we gather for our final dinner together - a three-course meal at our hotel.

Today we bid farewell to wonderful Wengen and the incredible Jungfrau region as we travel by train back to Basel, before taking our First Class seats on the train to Paris.

As we dash through the delightful French countryside, we can begin to look back on the amazing highlights of our Swiss adventure. Breathtaking cable cars and astonishing rail journeys have provided mind-blowing views of some of Switzerland's most iconic peaks, emphasising the jaw-dropping wonder of nature in this spectacular country.

In Paris, we board to the Eurostar in Standard Premier Class, enjoying a light meal as we return to London. At St Pancras International, we say goodbye to our fellow travellers and new friends with whom we have shared these unforgettable experiences.

Please note: One of the excursions on this tour is at high altitude. If you have any medical conditions or concerns that could impact this part of the tour, we recommend you seek medical advice and talk to us. We want to make sure that any holiday you book is right for you.

The Brienz-Rothorn Mountain Railway climbs from Brienz at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn Mountain, passing some truly breathtaking scenery on the journey.

Tours begin on sleek Eurostar services departing from London's gloriously restored St Pancras International station. Travelling on high-speed lines in the UK and on the Continent, Eurostar speeds us through the Channel Tunnel to Lille, Paris or Brussels to meet our European connections.

The route from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station, actually comprises three different railways.

The first leg from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen is on the Bernese Oberland Railway. This narrow-gauge line was opened in 1890 and is 12 miles in length. Over the course of the route, the line climbs 467 metres above sea level. The line was electrified in 1914 and some of these electric locomotives survive for use on special trains today. However, nowadays services are mostly run by specially-designed trains with low floors, built to maximise the views of the beautiful alpine scenery.

At Lauterbrunnen, the Wengernalp Railway runs to Kleine Scheidegg. This is also a narrow-gauge line and was opened to the public in 1893. Due to the steep incline of the route, the line is actually the world's longest rack railway at 12 miles. The views are outstanding, with highlights including the White Lütschine River valley and the Staubbach Falls.  

The Jungfrau Railway begins at Kleine Scheidegg and runs the remaining six miles to just below the summit of the Jungfrau Mountain. The narrow-gauge line was opened in 1912 after a long building process. Although much of the line is in a tunnel, the route includes an observation deck with windows built into the passage, to maximise the fantastic views. On emerging from the tunnel, the train arrives at Jungfraujoch, which at 11,333 feet is the highest railway station in Europe.

Efficient TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) trains run on special lines at speeds of up to 199mph (320km/h). The recently opened TGV Est high-speed line now links Paris with Strasbourg and onwards into Germany and Switzerland. Other lines connect Paris and Lille with cities throughout France.

Ideally located near the railway station in the delightful car-free village of Wengen, this 4-Star hotel offers impressive views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. A short walk from the village centre, the hotel includes a spa and wellness centre, a jewellery shop, bar and an à la carte restaurant. All guest rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, hair dryer, minibar, safe and tea and coffee-making facilities.

Enjoy hassle-free travel to and from Switzerland with our return door-to-door luggage transfer service for only £229 per bag.

The service includes one 20kg bag per person which will be collected from your home before you depart and will be ready and waiting for you at your first destination hotel in Switzerland. Your bag will also be delivered back to your home address on your return.

If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag. If flying to or from your destination, you will take your own luggage with you on the flight.

We appreciate that many of our customers travel from a variety of places in the UK to St Pancras International in London to join our tours. Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions.

At Rail Discoveries we can book special fares issued in conjunction with your tour. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

As our tours generally commence at St Pancras International during the morning of the first day (or at Heathrow Airport for holidays beginning with a flight), it is often more convenient to make your way to London the previous day, so you are fresh and rested before joining your tour.

Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home. Alternatively, you may simply wish to enjoy London's many attractions, activities and entertainment options... the theatres, the museums, the parks and the shops are all waiting to be explored!

Whatever your reasons, why not take a little time before or after your Rail Discoveries tour to see what the UK's capital city has to offer? We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or at Heathrow Airport for the night before or after your holiday. Please ask for prices and details.