Rome to Zurich by Rail | Self Guided Tour | 13 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 explore the fascinating Roman Forum before stepping inside the magnificent Colosseum, where your expert guide will bring the stories of gladiators, emperors and the Roman Empire to life. 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 approximately 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. Discover Florence with an expert local guide on an included walking tour through one of Italy’s most beautiful cities. 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 Santa 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 available via a downloaded app. 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, travel by regional train from Milan to Como, with the journey taking approximately 40 minutes. Enjoy a full day exploring Como and Lake Como at leisure. A day ticket is included for the public boats departing from Como, allowing stops at the lakeside villages along the route. Plan the day around the boat schedules, with time to explore the lakefront, browse the local boutiques and discover the charming streets of Como. Return to Milan by train in the evening. Overnight in Milan. (B)

 
DAY 9:                                   MILAN – TIRANO – ST. MORITZ 
Begin your journey in the charming town of Tirano and board the iconic Bernina Express* to St. Moritz, Switzerland. This UNESCO World Heritage railway offers a spectacular ride through the Swiss Alps, with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks, valleys, and alpine villages as you cross the Bernina Pass at 2,253 meters. Upon arrival in St. Moritz, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to explore this elegant alpine resort. Overnight in St. Moritz. (B) 

* If Bernina Express seats are unavailable, the Bernina Red Train will be used instead. Both trains follow the same scenic route.

 
DAY 10:                                 ST. MORITZ – ZERMATT 
After breakfast at the hotel, depart St. Moritz aboard the Glacier Express, one of the world’s most scenic train journeys. Travel across 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels, and over the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 meters, enjoying breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps along the way. Upon arrival in Zermatt, nestled at the foot of the Matterhorn, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Explore the charming, car-free village or simply relax and take in the alpine scenery. Overnight in Zermatt. (B) 

 
DAY 11:                                 ZERMATT (MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE) 
After breakfast, spend the day at the stunning Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Take a cable car to Europe’s highest station at 3,883 meters for breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks. Visit the Glacier Palace inside the glacier or enjoy the panoramic viewing platform. Return to Zermatt for leisure time to relax or sample local cuisine. Overnight in Zermatt. (B) 

  
DAY 12:                                 ZERMATT – ZURICH 
After breakfast at the hotel, depart Zermatt on a scenic train journey to Zurich. Travel through the Swiss Alps, passing lush valleys, rivers, and traditional villages, as the landscape gradually shifts to rolling hills and lakes. Arrive in Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, known for its blend of historic charm and modern energy. Overnight in Zurich. (B) 

  
DAY 13:                                 ZURICH 
Breakfast at the hotel and end of services. (B) 

ACCOMMODATION (OR SIMILAR): 

STANDARD CLASS: 

ROME: Hotel Kennedy  

FLORENCE: Hotel Corona D’Italia  

VENICE: Hotel Carlton  

MILAN: Hotel Flora 

ST. MORITZ: Hotel Languard 

ZERMATT: Hotel Continental  

ZURICH: Garni Hotel Bristol  

SUPERIOR CLASS: 

ROME: Hotel Gambrinus  

FLORENCE: Hotel Executive  

VENICE: Hotel Amadeus 

MILAN: Hotel Nyx 

ST. MORITZ: Art Boutique Hotel Metropol  

ZERMATT: Hotel Simi 

ZURICH: Hotel Central Plaza  

INCLUDES: 

• 12 night’s accommodation in your choice of standard or superior class hotels
• Meals as per itinerary
• Colosseum & Roman Forum Group Tour, including entrance fees and a local English- or Spanish-speaking guide. Hotel pick-up is not included.
• Half-day guided tour of Florence, including an expert local guide.
  Group tour; hotel pick-up is not included.
• 30-minute shared gondola ride in Venice, with multilingual commentary available via a downloadable smartphone app in English, Spanish, Russian and French.
• Private arrival transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to your hotel in central Rome.
• High-speed train ticket (2nd Class) from Rome Termini to Florence Santa Maria Novella.
• High-speed train ticket (2nd Class) from Florence Santa Maria Novella to Venice Santa Lucia.
• High-speed train ticket (2nd Class) from Venice Santa Lucia to Milan Centrale.
• Return regional train tickets (2nd Class) between Milan Centrale and Como Centrale. Seat reservations are not included.
• One-day Lake Como public boat pass, allowing free circulation with departure from and return to Como.
• One-way regional train ticket (2nd Class) from Milan Centrale to Tirano.
  Seat reservation not included.
• Swiss Travel Pass* – 4 consecutive days, one per guest, valid on days 9-12.
• Bernina Red Train from Tirano to St. Moritz (one-way, 2nd Class), including seat reservation. Panoramic seats are not guaranteed.
• Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt (one-way, 2nd Class), including seat reservation. Panoramic seats are not guaranteed.
• Return cable car ticket between Zermatt and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise.
• One-way train ticket from Zermatt to Zurich, including one change along the route.

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)
• 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
• Transfers (pick up and drop off) from hotel to tour meeting point
• Tourist city tax, to be paid on the spot
• Lunches and dinners
• Optional tours and experiences
• Extras, tips, porterage, and everything not expressly listed as inclusion is not included and to be paid on the spot

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^ndclass unless the optional upgrade to 1^stclass has been selected at the time of booking.
• If seats on the Bernina Express are not available, the Red Bernina Train will be booked as an alternative. This train covers the same route.
• 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.
• 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.
• The package price is based on 2026 train fares. Should the train operator increase its fares, the package price will be adjusted accordingly.