France & Switzerland — 11 Nights
Paris, then the French Alps at Chamonix and the Swiss lakes and mountains beyond — Lake Geneva, Interlaken and Lucerne — in one continuous route across the Alps.
Journey overview
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
Paris, then the French Alps at Chamonix and the Swiss lakes and mountains beyond — Lake Geneva, Interlaken and Lucerne — in one continuous route across the Alps.
Journey snapshot
The shape of this journey at a glance — where it starts, where it ends and everything it passes through.
Duration
- 11 Nights / 12 Days
Starts
- Paris
Ends
- Zurich
Route
- Paris → Chamonix → Montreux → Interlaken → Lucerne → Zurich
Travel style
- Cultural · Adventure
Journey highlights
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
- Three days in Paris — the Louvre, the Orsay, Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower after dark
- Chamonix beneath Mont Blanc, with the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842 metres
- The Mer de Glace glacier by the old rack railway from Chamonix
- Lake Geneva from Montreux: Chillon Castle on the water and the Lavaux vineyards
- The GoldenPass line over the mountains into the Bernese Oberland
- Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe from Interlaken, and a mountain day at Pilatus or Rigi from Lucerne
- A Swiss Travel Pass for the whole Swiss half, so no ticket queues
- Hand-picked hotels and private transfers throughout
Day-by-day itinerary
Met at the airport and driven into the city, with the first evening on the Seine and nothing else scheduled. Overnight in Paris. · Paris · Private airport transfer
A guided route through the Louvre in the morning and the Impressionists at the Musée d'Orsay after lunch — two collections, one day, without attempting all of either. The Tuileries between them. Overnight in Paris. · Paris
Sacré-Cœur and the lanes of Montmartre in the morning, the Marais and the Place des Vosges in the afternoon, and the Eiffel Tower with its lights after dark. Overnight in Paris. · Paris
South-east by high-speed train and then by road up the valley into Chamonix, with the Mont Blanc massif filling the head of it. An evening walk through the town. Overnight in Chamonix. · Chamonix · High-speed train & private transfer
The two-stage cable car to the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 metres, with Mont Blanc across the void and the glaciers below — go early, when the air is clearest. In the afternoon the old Montenvers rack railway up to the Mer de Glace and its ice cave. Overnight in Chamonix. · Chamonix · Cable car & rack railway
Down the valley and across the border to the lake, and along the shore to Montreux at its eastern end, where the promenade runs for miles under palm trees the microclimate allows. Overnight in Montreux. · Montreux · Road & rail
Chillon Castle, on its rock at the water's edge, is a short boat or bus ride along the shore. In the afternoon the terraced Lavaux vineyards that climb above the lake towards Lausanne, by the little vineyard train or on foot between the villages. Overnight in Montreux. · Montreux · Boat & train
The panoramic GoldenPass line climbs from the lake through the vineyards and over the mountains to Interlaken, with the valley narrowing as the line rises — reserved seats, and the best views on the right going up. Overnight in Interlaken. · Interlaken · GoldenPass panoramic train
By rack railway through Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch, with the Aletsch Glacier from the Sphinx terrace and the Ice Palace inside the mountain. Down through Grindelwald for the other valley. Overnight in Interlaken. · Interlaken · Cogwheel railway
The panoramic train over the Brünig Pass to Lucerne, and the afternoon for the Chapel Bridge, the old town and the lakefront — the water is the reason the city exists, and the evening promenade is the best introduction to it. Overnight in Lucerne. · Lucerne · Luzern–Interlaken Express
A last mountain: Pilatus by the steepest cogwheel railway in the world and down by cable car, or Rigi by boat and rack railway for the gentler, wider view back over the lakes and passes of the whole journey. Overnight in Lucerne. · Lucerne · Boat, cogwheel railway & cable car
An hour by train to Zurich and the private transfer to the airport for your flight home. · Zurich · Train & private transfer
Accommodation, meals & transport
What the journey covers day to day, taken from this package's own inclusions.
🏨 Accommodation
- Comfort standard
- 11 nights in hand-picked hotels chosen to your budget and style — Paris (3), Chamonix (2), Montreux (2), Interlaken (2), Lucerne (2)
🍽 Meals
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
🚆 Transport
- High-speed train from Paris towards the Alps and a private transfer into Chamonix
- Aiguille du Midi cable car and Montenvers–Mer de Glace railway tickets in Chamonix
- Swiss Travel Pass (2nd class) covering trains, boats and public transport for your days in Switzerland
- Private airport transfers on arrival in Paris and on departure from Zurich
- Private airport transfer
- High-speed train & private transfer
- Cable car & rack railway
- Road & rail
- Boat & train
- GoldenPass panoramic train
- Cogwheel railway
- Luzern–Interlaken Express
- Boat, cogwheel railway & cable car
- Train & private transfer
Flights, visa & practical
Arranged separately from the journey itself — listed here so there are no surprises.
✈ Flights
- International flights to Paris, returning from Zurich and back — we can quote and book these for you
🛂 Visa & insurance
- Schengen visa fees and travel insurance — we guide you through the application and documents, but both are arranged and paid separately
What's included & excluded
Exactly what your journey covers — set out clearly, with no surprises, so you know precisely what to expect.
Included
- 11 nights in hand-picked hotels chosen to your budget and style — Paris (3), Chamonix (2), Montreux (2), Interlaken (2), Lucerne (2)
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- High-speed train from Paris towards the Alps and a private transfer into Chamonix
- Aiguille du Midi cable car and Montenvers–Mer de Glace railway tickets in Chamonix
- Swiss Travel Pass (2nd class) covering trains, boats and public transport for your days in Switzerland
- Seat reservations on the panoramic GoldenPass service from Montreux to Interlaken
- Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe excursion by cogwheel railway from Interlaken
- Private airport transfers on arrival in Paris and on departure from Zurich
- 24/7 on-trip support from Live Traveller, with a named specialist before you travel
Excluded
- International flights to Paris, returning from Zurich and back — we can quote and book these for you
- Schengen visa fees and travel insurance — we guide you through the application and documents, but both are arranged and paid separately
- Lunches and dinners unless stated in the itinerary
- Optional excursions, city taxes paid locally at the hotel, tips and personal expenses
- Anything not listed under inclusions
Frequently asked
Related to this journey
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