Lake Lucerne and the Bernese Oberland

Day 1

We depart home area and travel to Folkestone for our Eurotunnel crossing. We continue travelling through France making suitable refreshment stops via Saint Quentin, Reims and Champagne country of France. Arrive at our overnight hotel in Forbach with time to freshen up before your evening meal.

Day 2

After breakfast we travel via Strasbourg to the pretty town on the Alsace Wine route to Riquewihr situated between the peaks of the Vosges mountains and the Plain of Alsace. Its cobbled streets are dotted with half-timbered winemaker's shops and tasting rooms, and cafes where you can sit outside and eat and take in the wonderful ambience of this delightful place. Browse the individual unique shops offering ceramic and gifts from the region. Re-join the coach and we continue through France and cross the borders into Switzerland and arrive at our hotel where a warm welcome will be waiting for us from the hotel staff.

Day 3

Enjoy a morning at leisure to relax at the hotel and enjoy the views. In the afternoon we take a short excursion down to the village of Sarnen and its nearby lake which is nestled in the pre-Alpine landscape of Central Switzerland. In the town square there is a group of beautifully preserved historic buildings including the Rathaus (Town Hall), parts of which date back to 1418 and the Maria Chapel originally built in 1556 and rebuilt in 1662 after earthquake damage. Opportunity to purchase lunch in one of the cafes/ coffee houses with time at leisure before returning to our hotel.

Day 4

After breakfast we travel a short distance to the shores of Lake Lucerne and visit the beautiful ancient City of Lucerne. Walk over one of Europe's oldest covered bridges, the Chapel Bridge, which serves as a centre piece, see the fresco-adorned historic houses line the streets. Browse the many shops and visit Bucherer, the best place to buy a Swiss watch or maybe shop in nearby C & A's. There are so many shops to choose from you will be spoilt for choice. Our highlight today is a lunch cruise on the spectacular Lake Lucerne where you will enjoy a light meal in wonderful surroundings. The cruise lasts just under two hours where you will be privileged to outstanding scenery. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure before retuning to your hotel.

Day 5

We spend a full day today travelling via the Brunig Pass, at an altitude of 3307 feet which connects the Bernese Oberland and central Switzerland, to our first stop, the Ballenberg, Swiss Open-Air museum where you stroll through the past. See more than one hundred century old buildings from all over Switzerland, traditional old-time gardens and demonstrations of local crafts which create a vivid impression of rural life in days gone. Afterwards we visit Meiringen with opportunity to take a ride on the nostalgic funicular (extra cost) which transports you to the Reichenbach waterfalls, affording picturesque views of smaller waterfalls en route. The viewing platform at the mountain terminus allows a view over the torrent of the 120-metre-high Reichenbach waterfall where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictitious detective Sherlock Holmes plunged to his death in 'The Final Problem'. Conan Doyle spent many holidays in Meiringen and there is a museum dedicated to him and his famous detective. Readers reacted to the news of Holmes' death with displeasure, which led the novelist to resurrect him three years later. Meringues are said to hail from Meiringen and can be enjoyed in one of the many cafes and restaurants. where the fictitious detective Sherlock Holmes plunged to his death here, only to be resurrected three years later.

Day 6

Today we travel along the Lake Lucerne to the small idyllic holiday resort of Weggis, which is located at the foot of the renowned Rigi and offers tranquillity and relaxation in front of beautiful lake Lucerne with a mountainous panorama. Time to purchase lunch here before retuning to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Day 7

We say farewell to Switzerland and start our return journey homeward stopping in Strasbourg, the European capital and capital of Alsace and boasts an exceptional architectural heritage, for time at leisure and to purchase lunch before continuing to our overnight hotel in Forbach.

Day 8

After breakfast we retrace our outward journey and return to home area approx. 9pm.

B=Breakfast Included, D=Evening Meal Included, L=Lunch Included