Best of Switzerland by Rail17/May
NANCY MITCHELL
“Fantastic experience. Lots of room to do what you want on your own schedule. Great hotels with great locations
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Canadian Rockies by Rail15/May
SHELDON TAUBEN
“This s a well planned, well executed trip. You are busy with just enough time to explore and enjoy. We had time to squeeze in a wildlife tour as well.
The staff on the entire tour were so informative and interesting. Everyone along the trip could not have been more accommodating!
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Grand Train Tour of Switzerland14/May
SUZANNE MARIE NIRGENAU
“Very well organized. Hotels were very accessible from the train. Enjoyed the special panorama trains with reserved seating. Really no complaints about the trip.
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Vancouver to Montreal Trans Canada Adventure12/May
SLOAN, MICHAEL LEE
“This was truly one of those once-in-a-lifetime type of trips. A fantastic way to see all of Canada - from one coast to the other. The train does take 4 days to go from Vancouver to Toronto, but that's mostly because so much time is spent sitting and waiting on freight trains since they have the priority. The prestige class cabins are small, so we had to take what we needed from our luggage and check the bags. But the train was radiantly heated, so it was always comfortable, even when it was cold and snowing outside. The food onboard was excellent, and there was always several selections to choose from. The Fairmont hotels that we stayed at were excellent. Vancouver's was a taxi ride away from the train station, but was very nice. It was in the heart of downtown by the waterfront. Toronto's Fairmont was directly across from the train station, so it was super convenient, didn't even need a taxi. Montreal's Fairmont is actually over the train station, so even more convenient. All of the tours that were included hit the highlights of Toronto and Montreal and were super convenient as we were either picked up at the hotel, or it was only a short walk to the meeting place. This was an easy trip, very relaxing, and everything went off without a hiccup. Thank you for an outstanding vacation trip, and a great way to see Canada!
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Across Canada by Train8/May
KARIN WETZEL
“Excellent mixture of rail lines in Canada, easy to follow the arrangements set up by the company, good excursions available. Must be a self-starter and willing to be somewhat adventurous. Be aware that you will handle your own transport from train stations to hotels and the reverse. Taxis appear to be plentiful at major stations. Lots to see and do and plenty of tasty restaurants await you! And if you have the funds, upgrade to the sleeper cars; they are well-tended and the food is really good!
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Grand Train Tour of Switzerland in Winter30/Apr
Chris M
“For context, we live in New Zealand and booked to do this trip in March 2020, but Covid got in the way. We thought that was it, we'd never get to go. We were given a credit by Vacations By Rail (VBR) as many other companies did. Then, for global, cost and personal reasons, we could not do this trip until this year. Now I have to say, VBR went above and beyond to keep the dream alive. Their team (Hilary, Charles, Gabrielle and others) were very supportive and got us on tour in March 2024 and it was just fantastic.
The itinerary was very well planned, presented and easy to follow. It gave us time and options along the way. The 15-day SwissPass, SBB (Swiss Rail) and their SBB App were the magic that unlocked so many things to do. We used it heaps in Zurich and the surrounding regions where we had 6 days. We used it to visit museums, take Lake Cruises, Trains, Buses and Trams everywhere all included. A free tour of Chillon castle in Montreux (great to do, get the audio guide) etc... The hotels were great. Zurich, Old Town, Hotel Wellenberg great location and staff, Zermatt Alpenhof, brilliant, was the best we stayed in. Great hotel, luxury, location and restaurant (ask them to pick you up from the station, good to know). Same at the Crystal in St Moritz, give them a call. Interlaken Royal St George was pure luxury. Beautiful place. And many more. All an excellent experience.
As you can see we really enjoyed this trip and have nothing but praise for how VBR looked after us for four years and then with their excellent tour, meticulous planning and great choices of destinations and hotels. And all by email and a few calls from Chicago 13,000kms away. Thanks again. We couldn't ask for more and will remember this one for quite a long time. Chris & Helen
Some things we learnt along the way;
- Switzerland shops and supermarkets are shut on Sundays except for small grocery stores, cafes, pubs and restaurants etc
- If you are travelling in March/April just think about the impact Easter may have on your travels and day. Otherwise, great time of the year to travel. Not too many tourists and skiers. Not weather extremes either
- Ask the hotels about pickups from stations.
- Check the local attractions in and around Zurich. Some great places to see
- The Zurich Tourism office in Zurich's Hauptbahnhof is very good and well worth a visit for ideas and savings, oh and free WiFi as is SBB
- Have some change as they charge for the public bathrooms, 2CHF. Many have PayWave.
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Classic Coast to Coast by Rail16/Apr
BEDWARD DUNLAP
“This can be expensive for some people. Maybe you should offer discounts to older travelers.
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Winter in the Rockies11/Apr
Helen Adams
“This was a great trip; the hotels were beautiful and we loved the overnight train! Just the right amount of coordination by Vacations by Rail so that our time was our own but all of the transportation details were arranged conveniently and expertly. This was our second Vacations By Rail trip, and we will definitely take more of them as we are big train travel fans.
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(150 reviews)
