The Rheingold

Welcome onboard one of the most important and historic rail journeys in Europe – the fulfilment of the centuries-old dream of connecting England with the continent. You travel under the Channel at high speed and in great comfort. We seat you in first class – called Standard Premier here. During the journey, your steward will serve you a light meals and drinks at your seat.

Upon arrival you will be met by your private guide who will escort you to your waiting chauffeured car and join you for the ride to your four-star hotel.

Then, she will invite you on a privately guided two-hour city walk. As a local insider, they have an excellent idea of what to show you. But remember: This your private guide, so feel free to mention anything you would like to experience on the walk.

To Amsterdammers, it seems perfectly natural that a kindergarten is in the middle of the red-light district, and that a statue of a prostitute stands right in front of a church. Europe has other historic cities with picturesque canals, charming squares, and beautiful old buildings, but nowhere else does a 17^th century fairy-tale collide with a 21^st century free-spirited mind-set like in Amsterdam. This is what elevates the Dutch capital from quaint to unforgettable.

At first, it’s hard to realize how modern and progressive Amsterdam is, because the city is all dressed up in a very charming old-world way. But you soon notice the cannabis café just around the corner from the museum with the Van Gogh masterpieces.

You need to go to Venice to find a city with more canals, and the similarity does not end there: Both were constructed during periods of great wealth when their trading ships ruled the world. For Amsterdam, this was in the 1600s, and all the gabled houses, architectural treasures, and legendary painters, hail from that golden age.

Settle down in your spacious and comfortable first-class seat on Thalys – the international high-speed TGV service between the Benelux countries. The train offers a bar with drinks and sandwiches.

Upon arrival you will be met by your private guide who will escort you to your waiting chauffeured car and join you for the ride to your four-star hotel.

Then, she will invite you on a privately guided two-hour city walk. As a local insider, they have an excellent idea of what to show you. But remember: This your private guide, so feel free to mention anything you would like to experience on the walk.

There is a high-speed line from Cologne, but we ensure that you travel on a slow train on the old line. Because these tracks faithfully follow the undulating course of the Rhine for mils and miles, offering you an ever-changing fairy-tale view of medieval castles, terraced vineyards, charming riverside-towns, and of course the mythic Lorelei Rock.

Not only do you travel in first class, but because of our insider knowledge we can do even better for you: We place you in a Swiss panorama car with curved windows that offer perfect views of the hillsides rising above you. An extra benefit is that the car feels very airy and inviting. Right next to your car you will find the dining car.

When you arrive in Basel, your Silver Tray guide stands ready right at your train car to welcome you, escort you to your waiting car, and follow you to the hotel. Once you are checked in, she will treat you to a private city walk in Basel’s Old Town.

The Rhine has always been one of the defining features of Basel. The city is the last important town on the navigable stretch of the river, and Basel has built its fortune on its strategic position. In medieval times, the city prospered by building a bridge where traders could cross. This bridge from the 13^th century has been replaced by a newer version, but you can still get a sense of history as you stand here and take in the view of Basel’s beautiful riverfront.

It’s easy to spend all day wandering the cobbled streets of the old Altstadt, and to visit some of the many great museums and galleries in the city. But if you truly want to experience Basel like the locals (and if you are here on a warm summer-day) take a leap of faith and jump into the Rhine with them. The strong current will whisk you through the city center, until you make your exit at a designated point. Your local insider will be glad to explain you the practicalities.

Travel in first-class on a comfortable Swiss intercity train directly to Chur, alongside beautiful lakes and with the Alps looming ever higher above you.

At Chur you will be met at the train platform by your private guide who will escort you the few steps to your modern and comfortable hotel. Then, she will invite you on a privately guided walk of the city, the oldest in all of Switzerland.

Chur is the oldest city in all of Switzerland, founded thousands of years ago by the shore of the fledging Rhine. The city seems surprisingly modern when you first encounter it at the train station, but just a few minutes away lies the old town with its winding cobblestone alleys and immaculate buildings. A cable car can quickly whisk you up the local mountain for some fine walks, but the high-point for hikers here is the Rhine Gorge, reachable in just a few minutes by local train.

The Glacier Express is the world’s most legendary panoramic train. The 8-hour journey takes you over spectacular bridges, over the iconic Landwasser Viaduct, and through spiral tunnels that slowly gain height. You will travel through the winding Rhine Gorge – the Grand Canyon of Switzerland – and over the 2.000-meter-high Oberalp pass. The final stretch to Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn is so steep that it is a rack-and-pinion railway.

You travel in first class. The train carries a full-service kitchen and you may order a three-course lunch to be served at your seat (at quite reasonable prices). Here is also a good wine list with local products. If you order a grappa, schnapps, or some other digestif, the head waiter will perform a little show for you, pouring the spirit from an alarmingly high altitude.

In car-free Zermatt, your private transfer will be by electric buggy.

As your train approaches Zermatt, the views keep getting ever more impressive as Alpine peaks start towering high above you. But only when you walk down Zermatt’s main street does the most beautiful mountain in the world finally reveal itself. The Matterhorn has attracted climbers for 150 years, and the local cemetery (a must-visit) is crammed with gravestones commemorating souls who perished while attempting to reach its peak (a few of them just featuring an ice pick, as the body was never recovered).

Zermatt is a wealthy town, with great shopping and superb dining. But everyone is here for the mountains, not for the shopping. If you’re here, you’ll probably also want to hit the heights. You could certainly go hiking – the possibilities are endless, and we really recommend heading for a lofty mountain hut where you can enjoy lunch with a beer (usually brought in by helicopter), before heading down to the valley again.

Your final journey to the airport is one to remember: First you retrace your path down the Mattertal valley, bidding a final farewell to the 4000-meter peaks of the Valais. Then, you easily change trains and travel through the Rhone Valley and alongside Lake Geneva with views of castles and terraced vineyards. The train terminates at Geneva Airport for your flight home to London.