Experience a magical, memorable Christmas on this GRJ all-inclusive festive holiday, based in the heart of the glorious Swiss Alps and featuring Switzerland’s best-loved rail journeys

Your festive holiday begins as you meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras, before joining the Eurostar service to Paris. In the French capital we join the French rail network for an onwards journey to the Swiss city of Basel, where we spend the night.

Near the borders of France and Germany, Basel sits on the River Rhine and is considered Switzerland's cultural capital. Its Old Town boasts charming streets and a twin-spired Gothic minster, with its notable red sandstone walls and colourful roof tiles.

After checking in to our hotel, we enjoy our first dinner together this evening.

*Please note: the order of this festive itinerary differs depending on the date of departure. For the second departure, we travel to Tiefencastel on Christmas Eve, then spend Christmas Day in St Moritz. The Boxing Day excursion is the Bernina Express trip. Our advisors are on hand to explain the exact itinerary for each departure. Telephone 01904 734 359 or email for more information.

With a free morning in Basel after breakfast, there's time at leisure to explore this charming Swiss city. Discover the attractive Old Town in its winter finery, with its striking red Rathaus taking pride of place in the Marktplatz.

Later we continue our journey by rail, travelling via Chur to the charming town of Tiefencastel. Checking in to our traditional Swiss hotel, we receive a warm welcome from the family who has run the establishment for generations. There's time to relax, look around the scenic location and settle in before our first evening meal.

As with each day of our stay, we enjoy a three-course dinner, with wine, beer and soft drinks included.

Today is Christmas Eve, and we head to the luxurious resort town of St Moritz. Journeying through stunning alpine scenery on the UNESCO-listed Albula Line, the route twists and spirals as it clings to mountainsides and crosses rushing rivers before arriving in St Moritz, a lakeside town synonymous with glitz and glamour.

You have free time here to explore the charming winter wonderland at your own pace. Bedecked in its festive finery, sparkling Christmas light displays and enchanting decorations line the streets, which means simply strolling through the town is an experience in itself. With a picnic lunch provided by the hotel, you can spend time window-shopping at the designer boutiques and jewellers, or perhaps pause for a mulled wine or hot chocolate at one of the delightful cafés here.

We return to our hotel by rail at the end of the afternoon for a festive three-course Christmas Eve dinner with drinks.

Today you can anticipate a Christmas Day to remember as you celebrate onboard the famous Bernina Express, travelling across the Italian border to Tirano. This remarkable railway line is more than 100 years old and has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. It's widely recognised as one of the finest rail journeys in the world, and as we tunnel through snow-capped mountain ranges, cross spectacular canyons and valleys, and glide alongside frozen lakes, we see for ourselves what makes it so special.

On arrival in the Italian town of Tirano there's a little free time; a fantastic opportunity to discover the flavours of Italy at Christmas, at the most wonderful time of year. Tonight, back in Tiefencastel, we sit down to a special Christmas dinner with drinks - raising a glass to a wonderful day.

Today is free to relax at the hotel or explore Tiefencastel, or indeed the rest of the region, further. At the confluence of the Albula and Julier rivers, the small village of Tiefencastel is surrounded by incredible scenery, while the church of St Stephen was expanded in 1650 by Capuchin monks and contains intricate wood carvings.

With a train station located on the spectacular routes of the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, there are many great rail journeys to take from here. The premier mountain resorts of Davos and Klosters, a favourite of the Royal family, are within easy reach. However you spend the day, dinner is served at our hotel this evening.

Today brings a journey on the delightful Arosa Line today, climbing to the charming lakeside town of Arosa. Take in the rocky, wintry scenery of the Graubünden canton enroute, winding through wild and dramatic landscapes before arriving in Arosa, where you're met with stunning vistas across the icy waters of Lake Obersee. After some free time, continue by train to Chur, Switzerland's oldest settlement with a history dating back over 5,000 years.

You have some time to explore this quintessentially Swiss town. You could head to the medieval Old Town, which has well-preserved walls and buildings and is entirely traffic-free, making it the ideal place to explore on foot. At this time of year, Christmas decorations adorn the buildings, adding an extra touch of magic.

A highlight of our holiday awaits today, as we bid farewell to Tiefencastel and embark on an incredible journey on the world-renowned Glacier Express, travelling to Brig. Known affectionately as the 'world's slowest express train', the Glacier Express gently makes its way through the glorious scenery, affording you a front-row view of some of the best of Switzerland's natural beauty.

During the winter months, the striking vistas are transformed into a picture-postcard landscape of snowy meadows, frozen waterfalls and white mountaintops. On board, a handy audio guide narrates your journey, letting you know when a particularly scenic or interesting spot is coming up, so you don't miss a moment of the views. On arrival in Brig, you change trains and head to Basel for an overnight stay.

Shortly after checking in, we are served dinner at the hotel.

This idyllic Christmas retreat was based in the glorious Albula Valley, a spectacular region of Switzerland with picture-perfect scenes of snow-capped mountains, shimmering lakes and fairytale towns. We've journeyed on iconic railways including the much-loved Bernina Express into Italy, the world-renowned Glacier Express and the scenic Albula Line.

We make our way to Basel train station after breakfast where we join the TGV train to Paris this morning. In the French capital, we transfer to the Eurostar service which returns us to London St Pancras where your festive 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, soft drinks, tea and coffee each evening between 7pm to 9pm 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.