Art Cities & Switzerland by Rail | Self Guided Tour | 14 Days

DAY 1:                                   ROME 

Upon arrival, private transfer from Rome Fiumicino airport to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day exploring Rome at your own pace. Overnight in Rome.  

DAY 2:                                   ROME 
Breakfast at the hotel, then another day dedicated to discovering the city. Today you join our Imperial Tour of Rome, to closely admire the monuments of the Roman Forum, enter the Colosseum and listen to our guide’s presentation of the evocative history of ancient Rome and the gladiators’ fights that took place there. In the afternoon, free time to continue exploring the Eternal City. Overnight in Rome. (B)  

DAY 3:                                   ROME – FLORENCE  
After breakfast at the hotel, head to Rome Termini station to board the high-speed train to Florence, a journey of about 1.5 hours. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Florence. (B) 

DAY 4:                                   FLORENCE 

Breakfast at the hotel. Today you will discover two thousand years of history of the cradle of the Renaissance through the eyes of an expert local guide, who will take you in an unforgettable journey to discover the most beautiful squares and monuments of Florence. The remainder of the day is free to continue exploring Florence at your own pace or take an optional excursion to the surrounding areas. Overnight in Florence. (B) 
 

DAY 5:                                   FLORENCE – VENICE  
After breakfast at the hotel, board a high-speed train to Venice S. Lucia, a journey of approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a 30-minute gondola ride with audio commentary via an app on your phone. Overnight in Venice. (B) 

 
DAY 6:                                   VENICE 
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full day to explore Venice or its lagoon. Choose to discover the city’s iconic landmarks or take a boat trip to the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello (tours not included). Overnight in Venice. (B) 

DAY 7:                                   VENICE – MILAN 

After breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Santa Lucia Station to board the high-speed train to Milan. Upon arrival, enjoy free time to explore the city at your own pace. Overnight in Milan. (B) 

DAY 8:                                   MILAN – COMO – COMO LAKE – MILAN 
After breakfast at the hotel, take a regional train to Como, a journey of approximately 40 minutes. Explore the city and its famous lake at your leisure. A day pass for the hop-on/hop-off public boat is included, allowing you to visit the stops that suit your schedule and return train time to Milan. Enjoy free time to discover Como’s charming streets and browse local boutiques. Return to Milan, for an overnight stay. (B) 
 

Day 9:                                    MILAN – LUGANO 
After breakfast at the hotel, take the morning train from Milano Centrale to Lugano. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel and explore Lugano’s lakeside at your own pace. Use your Swiss Travel Pass to take a boat tour of Lake Lugano with stops at Gandria and Morcote. Return to Lugano in the evening for dinner and overnight at your hotel. (B) 
 

DAY 10:                                 LUGANO – LUCERNE 
After breakfast at the hotel, depart Lugano on the Gotthard Panorama Express. Travel through the Swiss Alps via the historic Gotthard Tunnel, then continue by boat from Flüelen across Lake Lucerne. Upon arrival in Lucerne, check in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring the city. Use your Swiss Travel Pass for a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne (tour not included). Overnight in Lucerne. (B) 

 
DAY 11:                                 LUCERNE 
After breakfast at the hotel, use the Swiss Travel Pass to enjoy scenic boat cruises on Lake Lucerne, offering panoramic views of central Switzerland (cruises not included). The pass also provides access to nearby mountain excursions, including Mount Pilatus, Mount Rigi, Mount Titlis, and Mount Stanserhorn, with some connections fully included and others available at a discounted rate (excursions not included). Return to Lucerne in the evening. Overnight in Lucerne. (B) 

 
DAY 12:                                 LUCERNE – INTERLAKEN 
After breakfast at the hotel, depart Lucerne on the Interlaken Express. This scenic 2-hour journey, part of the Golden Pass Line, offers stunning views of the Swiss Alps, clear lakes, and green valleys. Arrive in Interlaken, nestled between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and check in to your hotel. In the afternoon, explore the town at your own pace. Overnight in Interlaken. (B) 

DAY 13:                                 INTERLAKEN 
After breakfast, enjoy a full day at leisure to explore at your own pace. Spend time discovering Interlaken or use your Swiss Travel Pass to travel to nearby Grindelwald, a picturesque alpine village at the foot of the Eiger. Whether in the mountains or by the lakes, the day is yours to experience the natural beauty of the region. Return to Interlaken for your overnight stay. (B) 

 
DAY 14:                                 INTERLAKEN – ZURICH 
Breakfast at the hotel in Interlaken. Then board a scenic train to Zurich. The trip offers stunning views of the Swiss countryside. Arrival in Zurich and end of services. (B)

ACCOMMODATION (OR SIMILAR): 

STANDARD CLASS: 

ROME: Hotel Kennedy 

FLORENCE: Hotel Corona D’Italia 

VENICE: Hotel Carlton Capri 

MILAN: Hotel Flora 

LUGANO: Hotel Zurigo  

LUCERNE: Waldstaetterhof Hotel  

INTERLAKEN: Weisses Kreuz Hotel 

SUPERIOR CLASS: 

ROME: Hotel Gambrinus  

FLORENCE: Hotel Executive  

VENICE: Hotel Amadeus  

MILAN: Hotel Nyx 

LUGANO: Hotel City Lugano  

LUCERNE: Hotel Wilden Mann  

INTERLAKEN: Hey Hotel 

INCLUDES:  

• 13 nights’ accommodation with daily breakfast in either 3* (standard) or 4* (superior) hotels (accommodation in standard rooms)
• Colosseum & Roman Forum Group tour – includes local guide/entrance ticket – Monolingual English or Spanish /p/up at the hotel not included
• Half day tour of Florence – includes local guide – p/up at the hotel not included (group tour)
• 30 minutes Gondola ride with commentary on app to be downloaded on your smart phone (English/Spanish/Russian/French) – gondola shared with other passengers
• Arrival private transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Hotel in Rome city centre (transfer in only)
• 2nd class high speed train ticket from Roma Termini to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station
• 2nd class high speed train ticket from Firenze Santa Maria Novella station to Venezia St. Lucia station
• 2nd class high speed train ticket from Venezia St. Lucia Station to Milano Centrale Rail Station
• Return regional train ticket Milano Centrale – Como San Giovanni – Milano Centrale / 2nd class without seat reservation
• One day free circulation ticket on the public boat on Lake Como – departure/arrival in Como
• One-way regional train tickets from Milano to Lugano – 2nd class without seat reservation
• Swiss Travel Pass 6 consecutive days (one per guest) – valid on days 9-10-11-12-13-14** only
• Gotthard Panorama Express Train from Lugano to Lucerne / one way ticket / 2nd class / seat reservation included (panoramic seats not guaranteed)
• One way Interlaken Express ticket from Lucerne to Interlaken / 2nd class / seat reservation included (panoramic seats not guaranteed)
• One way train ticket from Interlaken to Zurich / 2nd class ticket

SWISS TRAVEL PASS** 
Discover Switzerland with just a single ticket: The Swiss Travel Pass takes international guests to the most beautiful places in the country on flexible and affordable public transport. The Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, as well as many other advantages:  

• Unlimited travel by train, bus and boat (thematic tours not included)
• Unlimited travel on premium panorama trains (seat reservation fees and/or surcharges apply) – panoramic seats not guaranteed
• Unlimited use of public transport in more than 90 towns & cities
• Free admission to more than 500 museums.
• Mountain excursions included: Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos
• Discount of up to 50% on other mountain excursions
• The Swiss Travel Pass has been developed for guests from abroad. It is available to persons permanently resident outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.

PLEASE NOTE: Please check the inclusions of this package carefully. The Swiss Travel Pass includes transportation and discounts on activities and excursions. If these excursions are not included in the package but only suggested in the itinerary, it will still be possible to book them (with a supplement) through Destination Italia. Alternatively, customers can book them independently using their Swiss Travel Pass code to get the discount. 
 

EXCLUDES: 

• Transfers from/to the rail stations are not included except where specifically reported
• Tourist city tax not included, to be paid on the spot
• Extras, tips, porterage and everything not expressly listed as inclusion is not included and to be paid on the spot
• Lunches and dinners
• Optional tours and experiences

THINGS TO NOTE:  

• Accommodation is subject to change without notice.
• Hotel rooms may not be available for check-in before 2:00 p.m.
• City taxes are not included and are to be paid directly to the hotel.
• Class of rail ticket is based on 2^nd class unless the optional upgrade to 1^st class has been selected at the time of booking.
• The itinerary of the tour and the days of excursions may be modified for technical reasons. In any case, all visits and excursions mentioned on the itinerary will be guaranteed or replaced by similar ones.
• One piece of luggage per person allowed
• Name changes are not permitted for these itineraries. A name change may result in the loss of ticket availability and/or other services and/or an increase in fares.