The GoldenPass Express

Landing at Geneva Airport, you transfer independently through the attractive Swiss countryside to glitzy Montreux, where our excellent vacation begins.

Checking in to our lakefront hotel for three nights, there is time at leisure this afternoon to explore. Montreux is in a French-speaking part of Switzerland, and this is reflected in its grand architecture. A cultural town on the Swiss Riviera, many actors and musicians have lived along the shore of Lake Geneva. Two of its most famous residents were Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury - and there is a statue of the Queen frontman on the shoreline walk. Our hotel is located on the promenade and boasts uninterrupted views across glistening Lake Geneva to the atmospheric French Alps.

Tonight, we enjoy our first dinner as a group - a three-course meal in the hotel.

After breakfast, the morning is at leisure to get acquainted with Montreux. A graceful park separates our hotel from the convention center that hosts the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, while the promenade provides a relaxing glimpse into the town's cultural history. Alternatively, our hotel has spa and wellness facilities, including a pool, for a morning at leisure.

This afternoon, a trolleybus ride along the shore sees us arrive in Veytaux. Here, a local, English-speaking guide takes us on a tour of the beautiful Château de Chillon, a fairytale castle formerly occupied by the influential House of Savoy that appears as if it is floating on Lake Geneva.

After free time to explore this picture-postcard scene, we board a Belle Époque paddle cruiser for a delightful trip across Lake Geneva, sailing on crystal-blue waters surrounded by mountains. After visiting the colorful lakeside village of St-Gingolph on the border with France, the elegant boat gently glides back across the lake to Montreux.

Dining independently tonight, Montreux has a wide range of restaurants of various cuisines for you to sample.

An exciting highlight awaits today as we travel by train across the Alps to France. From Martigny, we join the Mont Blanc Express as it clings to dramatic mountainsides above spectacular gorges. Entering France, the jagged peaks of the snow-covered mountains drift into view as the route approaches the premium resort of Chamonix, backed by the famous Mont Blanc.

With free time to explore the 'mountaineering capital of the world', there are many options at your disposal. A gentle walk round Chamonix's scenic downtown could be combined with a delicious French lunch at one of the town's charming restaurants, or you could head up to the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) Glacier by cogwheel railroad. This incredible journey through dense pine forests takes you high up the mountainside to an otherworldly landscape of piercing, snowy peaks and plunging valleys. It is this spectacular scene that inspired Mary Shelley during the writing of her most famous novel, Frankenstein.

In late afternoon, we leave Chamonix, returning to lakeside Montreux in time to enjoy a three-course dinner at our hotel.

Boarding the stylish panoramic cars of the GoldenPass Express, an incredible journey takes us from palm trees to snow-capped mountains. This route is a feat of engineering more than 100 years in the making - innovative technology meaning the train can adapt its gauge, negating the need to change trains.

This excellent route is currently less well known than Switzerland's other famous trains, but won't be for long. Leaving Montreux, the train winds its way up the hill with shimmering Lake Geneva and vineyards in the background. The untamed forests and rolling mountains of the Swiss Highlands are dotted by picturesque villages and alpine meadows, before we reach the upmarket mountain resort of Gstaad. The last stretch sees the GoldenPass Express glide down towards colorful Lake Thun. Our panoramic cars mean we get better views of the lake than from other trains.

We arrive in Interlaken, a compact and attractive town set between lakes Thun and Brienz and the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, where there's a free afternoon to explore. Later, we check in to our hotel and have dinner.

An unforgettable experience is in store today as we embark on an incredible journey up the Jungfrau. Traveling by train to the alpine village of Grindelwald, we hop on the Eiger Express gondola for a 20-minute ride to Eigergletscher station.

This modern gondola with panoramic windows allows us to admire fantastic views of the north face of the Eiger during the four-mile trip. From here, a cog-wheel train takes us to the 'Top of Europe', Jungfraujoch - the continent's highest train station. With year-round snow, the vistas are truly awe-inspiring. At the summit, we're close to the stunning Aletsch Glacier that stretches as far as the eye can see. We have free time to marvel at this UNESCO World Heritage wonder from the Sphinx Observatory or savor a relaxed lunch at an indoor restaurant.

We descend the mountains via the amazing Jungfrau Express. Through tunnels with viewing windows, we travel under the Mönch and Eiger mountains before re-emerging at Eigergletscher and twisting down to Kleine Scheidegg. From here, we take the train back to Interlaken, via Lauterbrunnen, in time for dinner.

Today is free to explore as you wish. After a relaxed breakfast, you could unwind amid the glorious views from our hotel's roof terrace or uncover Interlaken. The historic castle with its Gothic cloister and 12th-century monastery is nearby, while the adjoining town of Unterseen is also worth visiting. For those wanting a bird's-eye view of Interlaken and surrounding areas, you could take a ride on the steep Harderbahn railroad to Harder Kulm for panoramic vistas of lakes Brienz and Thun, and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.

There are many excellent destinations in easy reach, and your Swiss Travel Card 50% discounted fares on rail, boat and most mountain railroad journeys. In picturesque Mürren, you could also travel on the Schilthorn cableway to the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant that appeared in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Alternatively, explore turquoise Lake Brienz by traveling by train to Brienz, where you can join the delightful steam-hauled Brienz-Rothorn Mountain Railway or marvel at the picture-perfect Brunngasse - a winding street lined by old wooden chalets decorated with beautiful flowerboxes.

A short walk to the station after breakfast sees us join a train to Thun. This typical Swiss town is dominated by its picturesque 12th-century castle and there is time to explore at leisure. With a charming medieval center and covered wooden bridges, Thun is a rewarding town to wander round. There is time to grab lunch independently before we head to the boat terminal.

Our journey back to Interlaken is on board a vintage lake boat, enjoying a scenic and relaxing cruise the full length of lovely Lake Thun. Gliding across the clear glacial waters, pleasant villages with Romanesque churches look on from the shore while forested alpine slopes and impressive peaks such as the pyramidal Niesen or the Niederhorn protrudes into the lake. One of the highlights of any visit to Lake Thun is the fairytale Spiez Castle. Jutting out into the serene water, this 10th-century castle shields a pretty marina dotted with small boats.

The boat moors directly adjacent to the platform at Interlaken West, meaning it is only a short walk to our hotel for dinner.

Reflecting on yesterday's enjoyable way to round off a trip to beautiful Switzerland over our final breakfast together, you are then free to leave lovely Interlaken for Zürich Airport at your leisure.

Flying across the Atlantic, you can begin to look back on the spectacular memories Switzerland has provided, from elegant Montreux to idyllic Interlaken. Whether cruising glistening Lake Geneva on a vintage paddle steamer or marveling at the awe-inspiring views of the Swiss Highlands from the sensational GoldenPass Express, we have embarked on many astonishing journeys together. Reaching the Bernese Oberland, we then traveled to the 'Top of Europe' by cable car and cogwheel railroad before sailing across the glacial waters of Lake Thun.