Marie's Swiss Bliss: A Holiday to Remember

I flew to Zurich airport from Manchester and took the train to Luzern where I checked into the 5-star National Grand Hotel.

We then had a walking tour of Luzern which is a beautiful city on a lake, with plenty of shops, and is excellent for Christmas Markets.

We met up with the rest of the group to find out where we would go next, as we were still waiting for someone to tell us. I was lucky enough to be going on the Bernina Express where we had a three-course dinner at the Rebstock restaurant for regional specialities.

Our tour guide, Claudia, from Swiss Tourism was a fantastic host who didn't let us pay for anything, even when using the public toilets (which were £1.50).

After the tour, our luggage was handed to the hotel reception who were transferring it for us to our next hotel.

We took the train back to Zurich and went on a tour around the vast and busy city. The old town was lovely but very expensive.

After having lunch in an Old Guildhouse, we took the train to Chur and stayed in the four-star Hotel Stern, where our luggage was waiting for us in reception. It was in a great location and had friendly staff.

Then, we ate in the fantastic restaurant Flavours (top on Trip Advisor).

We checked out of the hotel early and had our luggage transferred to Thun. We then had a city tour of Chur, a small town primarily known for the Bernina Express boarding point and small ski resort.

The fondue for lunch, was such a good experience.

The next hotel we stayed in was Deltapark Hotel Vitality. That evening was a VIP evening where we had a fantastic meal and watched the water magic show. We also met with the rest of the group and shared stories of our day. Some had done hikes, zip lines, spas, gondolas, caves, etc.

WHO WOULD THIS TYPE OF TRIP BE SUITED TO?

Bucket List Trip

Lakes & Mountains

Walkers/Hikers

Skiers

City Break

BEST EXPERIENCE FROM THE TRIP?

The Bernina Express, I never thought I would experience first class on an express train. The views were just unreal.

Favourite Hotel Visited

We chose the National Grand in Luzern because it was very luxurious. We were given the best rooms with the best views of the lake.

Favourite Restaurant Visited:

The flavours in Chur's atmosphere were great, as were the service and food, and the waiter wasn't bad either. However, the Fondue one lunchtime was our best meal because it was different to anything I've ever had.

General Comments and Tips:

Switzerland is a very scenic, beautiful place. It is easy to get around, especially if you have a Swiss pass like ours. A Swiss pass means you can get around by train, boat, or bus and also get discounts for different museums throughout Switzerland. It's more expensive to eat and drink the more central you are. For any information that is ever needed, myswitzerland.com is a great website.

We got Swiss Airlines both ways, and the flight had excellent service! I even got a free bar of Swiss chocolate and a bottle of water.

I understand more about how to get around using all the different transport methods and what is on offer in different resorts/cities. I also understand more about the different Swiss passes available.