Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Paris, Switzerland and Rome by Rail
10 days by train from Paris to Rome: two nights each in Paris, Interlaken and Lucerne, the Jungfraujoch and Pilatus, the old Gotthard line, Florence and Rome.
10 days · Paris to Rome · up to 12 guests
Pilatus Kulm, the summit station of Mount Pilatus above Lucerne Photo: Albinfo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pilatus_-_Tomlishorn_Oberhaupt_Kulm.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Paris to Rome
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
City days of 10,000 to 15,000 steps on cobbles and museum floors, two mountain days with short walks at altitude (the Jungfraujoch is at 3,454 m, Pilatus at about 2,100 m) and one long rail day of about seven hours including a long lunch. You lift a day bag onto trains; your suitcase goes by road. Every summit walk can be sat out on a terrace.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to early October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Louvre at 9 am opening with a local guide, before the galleries fill
- The last stretch into Interlaken by boat across Lake Thun
- The Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m, included, with lunch at Kleine Scheidegg under the Eiger
- Lake Brienz by boat and the Brünig Pass by train, with your suitcase sent ahead by road
- Pilatus by the Golden Round Trip: lake boat, the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, cableway and gondola
- The old Gotthard mountain line, with the Wassen church seen three times from the loops
- The Uffizi at 8:15 opening in Florence, then the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums at first entry in Rome
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,495 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Paris
Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airport to your hotel in central Paris
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Paris
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Orly (ORY). A driver meets your flight in the arrivals hall (we arrange a pick-up for each arrival time on day 1) for the drive into the city, about an hour from CDG depending on traffic, to a central hotel.
Afternoon
Rooms are usually ready by mid-afternoon; if yours is not, the hotel keeps your bags and Paris is outside the door. If you land early, sit at a café on a square, walk the Tuileries or look at the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadéro terrace.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group and hands out the rail plan for the week: every train, every change, and how your suitcase travels between stations and hotels, so the logistics are settled before the first departure. Then we walk together along the Seine towards the Île de la Cité as the lamps come on, and sit down to a welcome dinner of bistro dishes in a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Orly (ORY)
- Welcome briefing and rail plan with your guide
- Evening walk along the Seine
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
The Louvre at opening, the Seine at dusk
Paris: the Louvre, the Tuileries and the Île de la Cité
- Breakfast
- Stay in Paris
- By boat
We are at the Louvre when the doors open at 9 am, with a timed entry and a licensed local guide, so the first hour is spent in front of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa before the galleries fill. After about two and a half hours inside, we walk out through the Tuileries garden and along the river to the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame, which reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire; the restored nave is pale stone again and entry is free, on a timed slot we book for the group. The rest of the day is yours.
Afternoon
Lunch wherever you like in the Latin Quarter, then perhaps the Musée d'Orsay, Montmartre or a long sit in the Luxembourg Garden.
Evening
At dusk the group meets again for an hour on a Seine boat, passing the Louvre, the Orsay and the Eiffel Tower as the lights come on; after dark the tower sparkles for five minutes on the hour.
Included
- The Louvre at opening with a timed entry and a licensed local guide
- The Tuileries and a walk to Notre-Dame on the Île de la Cité
- One-hour Seine boat at dusk
Optional experiences
- Musée d'Orsay (closed Mondays)
- Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur
Easier option: Skip the walk to Notre-Dame and take a taxi back to the hotel after the Louvre; rejoin the group at the Seine boat.
Free time: Afternoon free in Paris
Activity: The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, so day 2 never falls on one. We leave the hotel at about 8:30 for the 9 am entry. About 10,000 to 15,000 steps today.
TGV to Basel, then Lake Thun to Interlaken
Paris Gare de Lyon to Basel by TGV Lyria, then Bern and Spiez by Swiss train, and the lake boat to Interlaken
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Interlaken
- By train
Morning
A morning TGV Lyria from Gare de Lyon runs east through Burgundy and Franche-Comté to Basel in about three hours, and a van takes the bags across Paris to the platform so you board with a day bag.
Afternoon
At Basel we break the journey with a sit-down lunch near the station, then an onward Swiss train runs through Bern to Spiez in about an hour and three quarters, so no single leg is much over three hours. At Spiez we leave the train for the lake boat: about an hour and a quarter across Lake Thun to Interlaken West, past the pyramid of the Niesen and the cliffs below Beatenberg, while your suitcase goes ahead by road to the hotel. The boats run this route from about April to October; outside those months the train covers the last twenty minutes. Interlaken sits between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and from the Höhematte meadow in the centre you see the Jungfrau, 4,158 m, at the head of the valley.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- TGV Lyria from Paris to Basel, first class with reserved seats
- Sit-down lunch in Basel
- Swiss train from Basel to Spiez via Bern
- Lake Thun boat from Spiez to Interlaken West (about April to October)
- Suitcases by road to the hotel
Easier option: Stay on the train from Spiez to Interlaken, about 20 minutes, instead of the hour-plus boat, and rest at the hotel before the group arrives.
Free time: Evening free in Interlaken
Activity: Breakfast from about 6:30 and we leave the hotel at about 7:30 for a morning train. About five hours of rail plus the boat, with a long lunch stop in Basel.
The Jungfraujoch
Interlaken to Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express to Eigergletscher and the Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch, down via Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Interlaken
- By train
Morning
We take one of the first trains of the day, ahead of the late-morning crowd, from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal, where the Eiger Express gondola lifts us in about 15 minutes to Eigergletscher under the north face of the Eiger. From there the Jungfrau Railway, finished in 1912, climbs inside the Eiger and the Mönch to the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m, the highest railway station in Europe. Up top, the Sphinx terrace looks down the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps and the centre of the Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage Site; there is an ice palace cut into the glacier, and the snow plateau when the weather allows.
Afternoon
We come down by train the other way, to Kleine Scheidegg at 2,061 m, for a sit-down lunch facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, then ride the Wengernalp railway down through Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, past the Staubbach Falls, and back to Interlaken.
Evening
Late afternoon is free, and tonight we eat together: a Swiss cheese dinner, fondue or raclette.
Included
- Train to Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express gondola to Eigergletscher
- Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch with your guide: the Sphinx terrace, the ice palace and the plateau
- Sit-down lunch at Kleine Scheidegg
- Train down via Wengen and Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken
- Swiss cheese dinner in Interlaken
Easier option: Stay lower: ride the Eiger Express to Eigergletscher with the group, take the short train down to Kleine Scheidegg at 2,061 m and wait on a terrace with the Eiger above you, then lunch with the group when they come down.
More active option: After lunch, walk the Panorama Trail from Kleine Scheidegg to Männlichen, about an hour and a half and mostly level, then take the Männlichen gondola down to Grindelwald Terminal and the train to Interlaken.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Interlaken
Activity: Breakfast from about 6:30 and we leave the hotel at about 7:15 and are back in Interlaken at about 3 to 4 pm. This is a long day on trains and lifts: the easy option stops at Kleine Scheidegg and skips the summit. If the summit is in cloud, your guide checks the webcams the evening before and day 4 becomes Lauterbrunnen, Mürren and the Schilthorn (or Harder Kulm above Interlaken if the Schilthorn is closed in too). The weather plan is confirmed at booking. Bring a warm layer and sunglasses.
Lake Brienz and the Brünig Pass to Lucerne
Interlaken Ost to Brienz by lake boat, then the Luzern-Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass to Lucerne
- Breakfast
- Stay in Lucerne
- By boat
Morning
Your suitcase leaves the hotel by road this morning, and we walk to the pier at Interlaken Ost with day bags for the boat across Lake Brienz, about an hour and a quarter on milky turquoise water, past the Giessbach Falls dropping through the forest on the south shore. At Brienz we board the Luzern-Interlaken Express, which climbs on a rack section over the Brünig Pass at 1,008 m and runs down past Lake Lungern and Lake Sarnen to Lucerne in about an hour and a half.
Afternoon
Lunch is yours when we arrive, by the river or in the old town. In the afternoon your guide walks the group across the Chapel Bridge, first built in the 14th century and partly rebuilt after a fire in 1993, and the Spreuer Bridge with its painted Dance of Death panels, then up to the Lion Monument, carved in 1820 and 1821 for the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Lake Brienz boat from Interlaken Ost to Brienz
- Luzern-Interlaken Express from Brienz to Lucerne over the Brünig Pass
- Suitcases by road to the hotel
- Old-town walk in Lucerne: the Chapel Bridge, the Spreuer Bridge and the Lion Monument
Easier option: Skip the afternoon walk and rest at the hotel; the Chapel Bridge is a few minutes from the old town and easy to see on your own.
More active option: Walk the Musegg Wall, the old town ramparts, and climb one or two of its towers for the view over the roofs to the lake (open about April to November).
Free time: Lunch and evening free in Lucerne
Pilatus by boat, cogwheel and cableway
Lucerne to Alpnachstad by lake boat, the cogwheel railway to Pilatus Kulm, then cableway and gondola to Kriens and back to Lucerne
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lucerne
- By boat
This is the Golden Round Trip, and the order matters.
Morning
We leave Lucerne mid-morning on a lake boat, about an hour and a half across Lake Lucerne below the Bürgenstock to Alpnachstad. There the Pilatus cogwheel railway, opened in 1889 and the steepest in the world at gradients up to 48 percent, climbs to Pilatus Kulm in about half an hour, through meadows and then bare limestone. At the top, short paths lead to the Esel and Tomlishorn viewpoints, over a dozen lakes and across to the Bernese Alps you saw from the Jungfraujoch.
Afternoon
Lunch is a proper sit-down meal at Pilatus Kulm. We come down the other side by the aerial cableway to Fräkmüntegg and the panorama gondola to Kriens, then a short bus ride back into Lucerne by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is free: the Swiss Museum of Transport, a swim from a lakeside lido or a drink by the river.
Included
- Lake Lucerne boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad
- Pilatus cogwheel railway to Pilatus Kulm
- Sit-down lunch at Pilatus Kulm
- Aerial cableway and panorama gondola down to Kriens, bus to Lucerne
Optional experiences
- Swiss Museum of Transport
Easier option: Stay on the summit terraces at Pilatus Kulm instead of walking out to the viewpoints.
More active option: Walk the Tomlishorn path to 2,128 m, about 45 minutes there and back on a railed rock trail, before lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Lucerne
Activity: We leave the hotel mid-morning for the boat. The cogwheel railway runs from about May to November; outside those months we go up and down by gondola and cableway from Kriens. If Pilatus is in cloud in the morning, your guide waits and we go up from Kriens by gondola at midday when it clears; if it stays closed in all day, the boat and lunch go ahead and your guide re-plans the afternoon in Lucerne. The weather plan is confirmed at booking.
Over the Gotthard to Milan and Florence
Lucerne over the old Gotthard line to Bellinzona, then Milan and the high-speed train to Florence
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Florence
- By train
Afternoon
This is the one long rail day, about seven hours including a long lunch in Milan, and we chose it over a flight because the line is the point. We ride the old Gotthard mountain line, opened in 1882, instead of the 57 km base tunnel opened in 2016; the exact train, and any change at Arth-Goldau, is confirmed when we book. It follows the Reuss valley up to Wassen, where the loops show you the village church three times from three levels, runs through the 15 km summit tunnel at Göschenen to Airolo, and spirals down the Leventina into Italian-speaking Ticino. At Bellinzona, below its three UNESCO-listed castles, we change for Milan via Lugano. A sit-down lunch near Milano Centrale breaks the day before the Frecciarossa high-speed train to Florence, just under two hours. We reach Florence in the late afternoon, and as the light goes your guide walks you to the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your choice.
Included
- Train over the old Gotthard mountain line from Lucerne to Bellinzona
- Train from Bellinzona to Milan via Lugano
- Sit-down lunch in Milan
- Frecciarossa from Milan to Florence
- Suitcases between station and hotel in Lucerne and Florence
- Evening walk: the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio
Easier option: Skip the evening walk in Florence and rest at the hotel; the Duomo is on tomorrow's walk too.
Free time: Evening free in Florence
Activity: We leave the hotel at about 8:30 and reach Florence in the late afternoon, about seven hours door to door including a lunch stop of about an hour and a half in Milan.
The Uffizi at opening, then Rome
Florence: the Uffizi and the Duomo, then the Frecciarossa to Rome
- Breakfast
- Stay in Rome
- By train
We are at the Uffizi for its 8:15 opening, with a timed entry and a licensed Florentine guide, which buys about an hour before the corridors fill. Inside: Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Leonardo's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo and the Caravaggio rooms, with the view down the Arno from the top-floor windows. Afterwards we walk back past Piazza della Signoria to the Duomo, Brunelleschi's dome and the Baptistery with its bronze doors.
Afternoon
Lunch is yours: the market stalls upstairs at the Mercato Centrale are an easy choice. Mid-afternoon the Frecciarossa reaches Rome in about an hour and a half, and a van takes the bags to the hotel.
Evening
Early evening, your guide walks the group through the centre of the old city as it fills up: the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain, lit after dark. Dinner is free tonight, on whichever piazza you like.
Included
- The Uffizi at opening with a timed entry and a licensed local guide
- Walk to the Duomo and the Baptistery
- Frecciarossa from Florence to Rome
- Suitcases between station and hotel in Florence and Rome
- Evening walk: the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain
Optional experiences
- The Accademia and Michelangelo's David (closed Mondays; book ahead)
Easier option: Skip the evening walk and rest at the hotel; the Pantheon is on tomorrow's free afternoon too.
More active option: Climb the 463 steps of Brunelleschi's dome before lunch (timed ticket at extra cost).
Free time: Lunch and dinner free
Activity: We leave the hotel at about 7:50 for the 8:15 entry. The Uffizi is closed on Mondays, so day 8 never falls on one.
Ancient Rome and a Trastevere farewell
Rome: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, then Trastevere
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Rome
Morning
We start at the Colosseum at the first timed entry of the morning, with a licensed Roman guide, before the heat and the queues build. Inside the amphitheatre, finished under Titus in AD 80, you look down on the exposed corridors under the arena floor where animals and fighters waited. From there we walk up the Palatine Hill, where the emperors built their palaces, for the view over the Circus Maximus, and down into the Roman Forum along the Via Sacra, past the Arch of Titus and the Curia where the Senate met.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal together in Monti, a few streets away. The afternoon is free: the Galleria Borghese if you booked it, the Spanish Steps, or a long rest away from the midday sun.
Evening
In the evening we cross the Tiber to Trastevere for a farewell dinner of Roman dishes in a neighbourhood restaurant.
Included
- The Colosseum at first entry with a licensed local guide
- The Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum
- Sit-down lunch in Monti
- Farewell dinner in Trastevere
Optional experiences
- Galleria Borghese (timed entry, book ahead)
Easier option: Skip the Palatine climb and wait in the shade for the group at the Forum end.
Free time: Afternoon free in Rome
Activity: About 3 hours on foot this morning on uneven ancient paving with some climbing; bring water and a hat in summer.
The Vatican, then home
Rome: the Vatican Museums and St Peter's, then Rome Fiumicino Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
A last early start: we are at the Vatican Museums on an 8 am timed entry at opening and a licensed local guide. The route runs through the Gallery of Maps and the Raphael Rooms to the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement are best seen before the room is full; talking is not allowed inside, so the guide explains before we enter. From there we walk into St Peter's Basilica for Michelangelo's Pietà and the scale of the nave under his dome. Around noon a van collects you near St Peter's Square for the drive to Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), about 45 minutes, and your guide checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm to see the Vatican. For an earlier flight we drive you straight from the hotel, and you can stay on in Rome if you would like more time; ask us about extra nights.
Included
- The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel at opening with a licensed local guide
- St Peter's Basilica
- Drop-off at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Easier option: For a flight before about 3:30 pm, go straight from the hotel to the airport after breakfast.
More active option: Climb the dome of St Peter's for the view over the square (extra cost, if time allows before the transfer).
Activity: Breakfast from about 6:30 and we leave the hotel at about 7:15 with your suitcase, which goes ahead in the van. The Vatican Museums are closed on most Sundays, so day 10 never falls on one. Covered shoulders and knees are required in St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel.
- Paris2 nights
- Interlaken2 nights
- Lucerne2 nights
- Florence1 night
- Rome2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From May to early October the lake boats and the Pilatus cogwheel railway run full timetables and the high passes are clear. Summits can be in cloud on any day, so your guide checks the webcams the evening before and adjusts the day: a Jungfraujoch day in cloud becomes Lauterbrunnen, Mürren and the Schilthorn, and a cloudy Pilatus morning becomes a midday ascent on the same day. Rome and Florence are hot in July and August, which is why their sights are booked for the morning.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors to Europe who want Paris, the Alps and Rome in one trip without flying
- Rail lovers who want the old Gotthard line and the mountain railways, not just fast trains
- Travellers who want the big museums and summits included and booked for the quiet hours
- Solo travellers who want a small group and the same room standard as everyone else
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: cobbles, station stairs, museum floors and mountain paths every day
- Travellers who want a slow week in one place: we change base four times
- Anyone who wants Venice or the Italian lakes on the way; see our Italy trip for Venice
- A trip deep into the Swiss mountains; our Swiss rail trip spends longer there
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Paris2 nights
- Interlaken2 nights
- Lucerne2 nights
- Florence1 night
- Rome2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Paris, 2 in Interlaken, 2 in Lucerne, 1 in Florence, 2 in Rome
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement, in the same room standard
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Paris CDG or Orly on day 1, arranged for each arrival time, and drop-off at Rome Fiumicino (FCO) on day 10
- First-class rail with reserved seats where the train takes reservations: TGV Lyria Paris to Basel, Basel to Spiez, the Luzern-Interlaken Express from Brienz to Lucerne, the old Gotthard line from Lucerne to Bellinzona, Bellinzona to Milan, and the Frecciarossa Milan to Florence and Florence to Rome
- Lake boats: Spiez to Interlaken on Lake Thun (about April to October), Interlaken to Brienz on Lake Brienz, Lucerne to Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne
- Mountain railways and lifts: the Eiger Express (Grindelwald Terminal to Eigergletscher), the Jungfrau Railway and the train down via Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen, the Pilatus cogwheel railway, cableway and gondola
- Suitcases moved by road on days 3 and 5 and by van or taxi between station and hotel on every travel day
- A Seine boat at dusk in Paris
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, who holds every ticket and reservation and manages connections and luggage
- Licensed local guides at the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums
Activities
- The Louvre at opening and a walk to Notre-Dame (Paris)
- The Jungfraujoch with the Sphinx terrace and the ice palace (Interlaken)
- Old-town walk with the Chapel Bridge, the Spreuer Bridge and the Lion Monument (Lucerne)
- Pilatus by the Golden Round Trip (Lucerne)
- The old Gotthard mountain line (Lucerne to Bellinzona)
- Evening walk to the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio, and the Uffizi at opening (Florence)
- The Colosseum, the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum (Rome)
- The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica (Rome)
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: in Basel, at Kleine Scheidegg, at Pilatus Kulm, in Milan and in Monti in Rome
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Paris, a Swiss cheese dinner in Interlaken and a farewell dinner in Trastevere
Not included
- International flights to Paris and from Rome
- An ETIAS travel authorisation, if it applies on your travel dates
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Musée d'Orsay, the Accademia, the Galleria Borghese, the climb of Brunelleschi's dome and the Swiss Museum of Transport
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, every train and lake boat in the plan in first class where there is one, the Jungfraujoch and Pilatus, timed entries with local guides at the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Colosseum and the Vatican, airport transfers both ways, your suitcase moved on travel days and a See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests. That means boarding a train takes a minute instead of a scramble, everyone hears the guide in the Uffizi and the Colosseum, and the group fits around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Paris to the Vatican on the last morning, holding every ticket and reservation and managing each connection and your luggage. Licensed local guides join at the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, where sites require them.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. City days run to 10,000 to 15,000 steps on cobbles and museum floors, and there are short walks at altitude on the Jungfraujoch (3,454 m) and Pilatus. Day 7 is about seven hours of travel, including a long lunch. Every summit walk can be swapped for a terrace, and your suitcase goes by road, so you only lift a day bag.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is CAD 1,495 more than the shared price, in the same hotels and the same room standard as everyone else. You are never given a smaller or worse-placed room for travelling alone, and the included lunches and dinners are at one shared table.
When is the best time to go?
May to early October, when the lake boats and the Pilatus cogwheel railway run full timetables and the mountain passes are clear. June and September are the best balance: long days in the Alps and less heat in Florence and Rome than in July and August.
How does booking work?
Pick a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 8,695 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 15,650 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same trains, hotels and timed entries.
Do I need a visa?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a short stay in France, Switzerland or Italy, which are all in the Schengen area. Carry your passport on the train days, since we cross two borders. Check whether an ETIAS travel authorisation is required on your travel dates.
What if the Jungfraujoch or Pilatus is in cloud?
Your guide re-plans the day. The guide checks the summit webcams the evening before; if the Jungfraujoch is in cloud, day 4 becomes Lauterbrunnen, Mürren and the Schilthorn. If Pilatus is in cloud on the morning of day 6, we go up by gondola at midday when it clears, or spend the afternoon in Lucerne. The weather plan is confirmed at booking.
Who carries the luggage on the trains?
Mostly nobody in the group. Your suitcase goes by road on the two boat days and by van or taxi between station and hotel on every travel day, so you board with a day bag. Bring one medium suitcase per person so the transfers stay simple.
Why not fly from Switzerland to Rome?
Because the old Gotthard line is the reason to go by rail: loops, spiral tunnels and the Wassen church seen from three levels. A flight from Zurich still takes most of a day once you add the airports. The day takes about seven hours including a sit-down lunch in Milan, and we arrive in Florence for an evening walk.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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