See in the New Year while enjoying Switzerland’s best rail journeys, uncovering the beautiful lakes, glaciers and historic towns of the stunning Swiss Alps

Your New Year's Swiss holiday begins when you meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras before boarding the Eurostar to Paris. In the French capital, we change to the high-speed TGV for the final leg of today's journey to Basel.

This attractive city on the Rhine is near the French and German borders. After checking in to our hotel near the station, there is time to explore the attractive Old Town. At this time of year, Basel's centre is bedecked with festive lights casting an atmospheric glow on its half-timbered houses and historic squares.

This evening, we take a short stroll from our hotel to a local restaurant for our first dinner as a group.

After breakfast, there's a free morning to explore Basel. Its Old Town boasts charming streets and a twin-spired Gothic minster, with its notable red sandstone walls and colourful roof tiles, while its striking red Rathaus taking pride of place in the Marktplatz.

Later, we transfer to the train station for our journey further into Switzerland. Travelling to Tiefencastel via Chur, the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic as gentle slopes guide us towards the Graubünden canton. Imposing mountains encircle our route on our approach to the UNESCO-listed Albula Line.

Arriving early evening, we check in for a five-night stay in the small village of Tiefencastel. Located on the route of the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, Tiefencastel has a rich rail heritage and is surrounded by typical alpine scenery. A warm welcome awaits at our riverside hotel, run by the same family for over five generations. Each evening, we have a three-course dinner with wine, beer and soft drinks included between 7pm and 9pm.

Heading to Tiefencastel station after breakfast, we travel on the Albula Line to the famous town of St Moritz. This historic route snakes through stunning alpine scenery, crossing deep ravines and scenic viaducts.

Set amidst glistening frozen lakes, emerald forests and towering mountains, St Moritz is often referred to as Switzerland's original winter wonderland, and is a favourite holiday destination of celebrities and royalty. Free time here lends itself to an abundance of possibilities for you to discover on your own. Taking a relaxing stroll provides the opportunity to enjoy your picnic lunch by the serene lake, admiring the backdrop of incredible mountains. Alternatively, walk along Via Serlas - one of the world's most glamorous shopping streets - pause to sip an apéritif or cocktail in a bar, or ride the Diavolezza cable car to reveal exquisite views over the Morteratsch Glacier.

Later, we return by train to our Tiefencastel hotel for dinner and drinks.

Enjoy a New Year's Eve to remember today as we enjoy an excursion on the Bernina Express, dubbed 'the rail experts' best-kept secret'.

Boarding at Tiefencastel station after breakfast, we embark on a fantastic journey along this UNESCO-listed route that is more than 100 years old. This spectacular line crosses the curved Landwasser Viaduct, clings to mountainsides and passes frozen waterfalls before climbing up to Lago Bianco and the snow-covered summit at Ospizio Bernina, 7,400ft above sea level. From panoramic carriages, we can marvel at the ethereal Palü Glacier before twisting round the incredible spiral viaduct at Brusio. When we reach the delightful Italian town of Tirano, there is free time to explore and enjoy your picnic lunch. Stroll among the rustic cobbled streets, palazzos and fresco-decorated churches or indulge in a taste of Italy with a glass of wine.

Tonight, back in Tiefencastel, we sit down to savour a delicious New Year's Eve gala dinner - a perfect way to ring in the new year.

Start the year with a free day to explore this pretty region at leisure, with a picnic lunch provided by the hotel. Tiefencastel is a small village but due to its location there is plenty to discover, including the wood carvings inside the 14th-century Church of St Stefan.

With your Swiss Half Fare Card providing a 50% discount on rail fares in the area, you might want to explore further afield. Travelling on the Albula Line to nearby Filisur gives you many options. From here, you can continue to Bergün, where you can learn about the importance of trains to the region at the Albula Railway Museum - found on the small station's platform. Alternatively, you could travel through the spectacular Zügen Gorge to the upmarket mountain resorts of Davos and Klosters, loved by the British Royal family.

Wherever you choose to discover today, dinner with selected drinks awaits back at our hotel this evening.

We board the train to Chur after breakfast this morning, continuing on the Arosa Line for an hour-long journey to the charming lakeside resort of Arosa.

Climbing more than 3,000 feet in 16 miles, the train winds its way through wintry valleys and across the historic Langweiser Viaduct before arriving beside Obersee. There is free time here to bask in incredible views of surrounding peaks, savouring your picnic lunch while drinking in the views. Arosa is a spectacular location at this time of year and, for those who want to see more, you can venture higher on a cable car.

Before we return to Tiefencastel for dinner and drinks, you have some time to explore Switzerland's oldest town. Backed by mountains, picturesque Chur's historic cobblestone centre has quietly impressed visitors for many years with its colourful buildings and attractive squares. The focal point of the Old Town is Martinsplatz, dominated by the tower of St Martin's Church. Pretty Chur also contains a number of galleries and museums, including the Rätisches Museum and Cathedral Treasure Museum.

One of Europe's most iconic trains awaits this morning as we make the short journey to Tiefencastel station to board the Glacier Express - an epic way to conclude our time in the Swiss Alps.

With a picnic lunch and luggage transfer to tonight's hotel included, panoramic carriages allow us to sit back and soak up the stunning snowbound views. From Chur, the 'slowest express train in the world' delves into the 'Swiss Grand Canyon', before snaking over the Oberalp Pass. Gliding beside glacial lakes and through the nine-mile-long Furka Base Tunnel, the Glacier Express arrives in the attractive valley town of Brig. Here, we change trains to head north through the mountains to Basel, passing Lake Thun and fairytale Spiez Castle on the way.

Basel is a historic city dominated by its red sandstone Gothic minster on the banks of the Rhine. Our hotel tonight is next to the train station and is popular with our passengers. We check in and enjoy our final dinner together.

Based in the idyllic Albula Valley, this seasonal exploration of a spectacular part of Switzerland revealed picture-perfect scenes of snowy mountains, icy lakes and pretty towns - a sensational setting to see in the New Year. Our journeys on the iconic Bernina Express and Glacier Express allowed us to enjoy all this and more from cosy seats as we absorbed the stunning landscapes of a Swiss winter.

Making our way to Basel train station after breakfast, we begin our journey home. Joining the high-speed TGV to Paris, we change in the French capital to the final train of our holiday and travel by Eurostar back to London St Pancras, where your seasonal holiday comes to an end.

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Enjoy More with a GRJ All Inclusive Holiday

• On this GRJ All Inclusive tour, all meals in Tiefencastel are included. On excursion days a picnic lunch will be provided by the hotel.
• Drinks include beer, wine and soft drinks each day with dinner in Tiefencastel

Our Discoveries range offers everything you need at a great price so you can travel with confidence. It provides comfortable, locally run accommodation*, standard rail or economy flights and expert-led group tours. You'll be in groups with an average of 30-35 travellers and a maximum of 40. *where available

The Bernina Express is dubbed the rail experts' best-kept secret. Connecting northern and southern Europe, the narrow-gauge railway offers a spectacular means of crossing the Alps. The breathtaking route runs through the ancient landscape of Switzerland's beautiful Graubünden region and beside spellbinding glaciers, providing a stunning connection to Lombardy in northern Italy.

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which are arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop-down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Plus class. In your dedicated Plus carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service, you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

Undoubtedly Switzerland's best-known train, the Glacier Express winds its way through some of Europe's most dramatic and beautiful scenery. Called 'the slowest express train in the world', the panoramic carriages allow us to soak up the spectacular views as we traverse incredible mountain passes, picturesque villages and valleys between the popular alpine resorts of St Moritz and Zermatt. Enroute, the train clings to the mountainsides on the Albula Line, zigzags and spirals its way round mountains and over bridges, and delves into the Rhine Valley - also known as the 'Swiss Grand Canyon'.

Introduced in 1981, France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was the original European high-speed train. Linking Paris with Lyon, the new service revolutionised train travel and meant that travelling by air over medium and short distances was no longer seen as the best option, even for business travel.

The network has expanded rapidly and today these sleek, stylish trains offer links to over 60 destinations throughout France. Operated by SNCF, the French national rail operator, TGV trains travel over specially constructed high-speed lines. The trains can achieve speeds of up to 186mph (300km/h) on most long-distance routes and 200mph (320km/h) on the new TGV Est line, which links Paris with Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Basel. With the exception of shorter journeys, TGVs almost always have an on-board buffet car, serving a selection of drinks and light refreshments.

The 3-Star Hotel Albula & Julier is situated in the small village of Tiefencastel in the heart of the Swiss Alps. The hotel is set on the banks of the rushing Albula River and a five-minute inclined walk from the train station, which is used by both the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. This hotel has been run lovingly by the Schnöller family for more than five generations, so a warm welcome is always guaranteed, and an on-site restaurant serves a fixed-menu dinner each night, including both regional and local dishes. Spacious guest rooms are equipped with flatscreen TV, desk, safe, hairdryer and seating area. Free Wi-Fi is available in the lobby and the restaurant.

Your holiday begins the moment you meet your Tour Manager at St Pancras International and board the Eurostar train for mainland Europe. If you wish to get your holiday off to an extra special start, why not consider upgrading your on-board accommodation from Standard Class to Plus Class?

As well as all the amenities enjoyed in Standard Class, Plus Class travellers benefit from extra spacious, comfortable seats, complimentary newspapers and magazines and a light snack with drinks served at your seat during the journey. Before 11am, the light snack comprises breakfast pastries, yoghurt, fruit juice and tea or coffee. After 11am there is a choice of 2 main dishes and a dessert, accompanied by soft drinks, wine or beer and tea or coffee.

Prices for an upgrade from £110pp each way. Please call us for more details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.