GENERAL INFORMATION
This rail holiday is one of several suggested rail holidays we can offer you exactly as it is but also with any alterations you might want including extra nights in one or more places or adding in extra places . All our tours can be extended so that you can include a longer stay in one mountain or lake resort too , perhaps at the end of the itinerary . Do call to discuss the options with our travel consultants .
OUR TOURS
Our rail tours are for individuals travelling on their own or in their own family group . You do not join a group and you are not escorted .
FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENTS
Our arrangements are very flexible in that you choose to travel on any day you want , subject to availability of trains and hotels . As mentioned above , additional nights can be added at any point .
FLEX PASS INCLUDED
We include travel to and from your first and last hotel but also a Flex pass is included for the rest of the holiday , depending on its length . For example , on a long stay we would include an 8 day Flex pass . This gives you 8 nonconsecutive but selected days of travel within a one-month period .
The pass gives you a choice that includes
• Unlimited travel by rail , road and waterway on your selected days of validity , including most panorama routes and public transport in 75 towns and cities
• Free admission to more than 490 museums on the selected days of validity
• Children under the age of 16 travel free of charge when accompanied by at least one parent holding the Swiss Family Card
If we have included a panoramic route in your holiday , we will automatically include any applicable supplements for that train .
TRAIN TIMES
We have planned our itineraries based on train times that work day by day at the time of planning which can be up to a year before you travel . Usually train times stay more or less the same every day , season by season . The times we have planned will be discussed with you at the time you enquire about the holiday and they are detailed to you in your written holiday quotation . It may be that the timetable changes between the planning of the itinerary and when you come to book but we can always adjust the itinerary to suit the actual train times and any requirements you have for particular times of travel .
FIRST OR SECOND CLASS
We will automatically include travel in second class but lots of our clients do upgrade to first class service . On Eurostar this is called Premier Standard for leisure travellers as it gives you an upgraded on-board service and more spacious seating but without paying for the fully-flexible business tickets . On the TGV trains from France to Switzerland , upgrading to first class gives you more spacious seating with increased legroom . Within Switzerland , first class gives you again more space and more comfortable seats , often with a quieter environment . The price of upgrading varies from route to route but is something that is not always proportionately a lot more on the price of the overall holiday , so well-worth considering .
LUGGAGE TRANSFER SERVICE
Swiss rail operates an efficient transfer service for your luggage . This works in a number of ways :
For travel to Switzerland by air , you can checkin your baggage with any airline , from any airport in the world and it will be forwarded to our destination station in Switzerland from Zurich , Bern or Geneva airports . Simply collect your baggage from the station at your destination .
For departure from Switzerland if flying with Swiss , you can check-in for your flight at the train station the day before you fly ( major stations only ). You receive your boarding pass and your seat allocation and your baggage will be transported onto the aircraft . For departure from Switzerland with other airlines eg British Airways or Easyjet , you can have your baggage transported to the airport train station ie Zurich or Geneva and you collect it from there to take it to check-in as usual . Just allow enough time for the luggage to reach the airport station , so well before you travel . Your station will be able to advise a day or two beforehand .
Within Switzerland you can transfer your luggage from one location to another . The Fast Baggage service is available between 45 destinations . You just have to check-in your luggage before 9am at your departure station and collect it by 6pm on the same day at your destination ( or sometimes the following day , depending on the actual destination ). The cost of this service is approximately £ 17 per item .
TRANSFERS
Transfers in Paris between stations and from the station to each hotel are not automatically included in the price of the holiday . In Paris most clients choose to take a taxi between the stations rather than go on the Metro but we can arrange a private car with driver to take you in between . This is quite useful if you are a family group that can ’ t fit into one Paris taxi . In Switzerland , depending on the location , hotels sometimes have their own transfer vehicles that they will send to collect you if we advise them in advance ( eg in St Moritz and Zermatt this is usual ) but elsewhere some hotels are within walking distance and others are a short taxi ride away .
Telephone number 01392 441250 Email info @ expressionsholidays . co . uk 7