Tour Type:Winter Touring Tour Duration:8 Days (7 Nights) From:Zurich toZurich Tour Code:SCB Operator:Albatross
from AU $1,514 pp
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Tour Description
This independent tour has been specifically designed with individual flexibility in mind and includes travel on the incredibly reliable and comprehensive Swiss Rail system. We offer you the choice of staying in either of two superb hotels - the Hotel Alpenblick in the village of Wilderswil or the Hotel Oberland in the village of Lauterbrunnen. Both are good 3 star hotels. Imagine...an Austrian Christmas tour staying eight days in the enchanting Austrian Alps. Including the Salzburg Christmas Markets, Silent Night Chapel, Linderhof Palace, Oberammergau in Bavaria, a nostalgic, snow bound steam train ride to the chic ski resort of Mayrhofen, medieval Innsbruck, a sleigh ride, traditional Christmas meals, music, and much, much more!
Tour Highlights:
Celebrate Christmas over 7 nights in your choice of hotel in the heart of the magnificent Bernese Oberland
Excellent touring programme using the wonderful Swiss rail system – come and go as you wish
Versatility - you can start and end this tour from any point within Switzerland or any border point
Ride in the Brunig Panoramic Express beside Lake Brienz, past Meiringen to lovely Lucerne
Visit the Christmas Markets in the cobbled stone squares of medieval Berne
Travel through the soaring snow covered Alps on the Salon Blue and Crystal Panoramic express trains past Gstaad and Château-d’Oex to Montreux on Lake Geneva
See Interlaken and Lake Thun
Enjoy superb access to Switzerland’s greatest Alpine trains and cable car rides
Daily buffet breakfasts and 4-course dinners are included
Tour Inclusions
Round trip train transfers between any point in Switzerland and Wilderswil or Lauterbrunnen stations
7 nights accommodation with private facilities in your choice of hotel
Buffet breakfast daily including hot and cold selections
4-course evening dinners
Christmas Eve dinner and lunch on Christmas Day
Train excursions to Luzern, medieval Bern and to Lake Geneva/Montreux Region on the Salon Bleu/Crystal Panoramic Express train
Discount pass for further train travel and mountain excursions
To your Swiss Christmas Hotel
On arrival into Switzerland we have included rail transfers from Zurich, or any point in the country, to your Christmas hotel where you will stay the next seven nights. Buffet breakfasts and four course evening dinners are included each day. Both hotels are located in the heart of the Bernese Oberland - home to the mighty peaks of the Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger (of ‘The Eiger Sanction’ fame), the Breithorn and the Schilthorn, as well as internationally known winter resorts like Interlaken, Wengen, Grindelwald and Mürren.
Stay: Choice 1 - The Hotel Alpenblick in Wilderswil (7 nights) (D)
Stay: Choice 2 - The Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen (7 nights) (D)
Day 2 to
7
At your Swiss Christmas Hotel
The alpine peaks of Switzerland are world famous and you will be staying in the heart of this incredibly dramatic scenery. There are numerous world class ski fields nearby and the area is littered with excellent walking and cross country skiing trails. During your stay we have included three exhilarating alpine excursions by train – to Lucerne (on the Brünig Panoramic Express), medieval Berne and Montreux on Lake Geneva (on the Salon Bleu/Crystal Panoramic Express).
Nearby places of interest include Interlaken, Iseltwald, Brienz (noted for its wood-carvings), Thun, Spiez and Meiringen (of Sherlock Holmes fame and where the famous desert ‘meringues’ originated). Your train pass also offers fare discounts on additional train trips to these places plus various special scenic train rides such as the cog-railway trip up to the Jungrfraujoch – the highest rail station in Europe. At 11,000 feet high the views are magnificent. (B/D)
Day 8
Tour Ends
Sadly your Christmas Break is complete. Your train ticket allows you to transfer to any departure point in Switzerland. Maybe you will travel to Lucerne to join one of our wonderful New Year tours? (B)
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Tour Prices
Tour prices are per person. Please request a quote for tour availability.
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER*
Albatross Sale! Save up to $130 per couple. Exclusive to Global Journeys. Deposit this month only to qualify!
Subject to availability at the time of booking.
START DATE
END DATE
BROCHURE
(Twin Share)
BROCHURE
(Single)
OUR
SAVINGS
OUR
PRICE
21 Dec 2012
28 Dec 2012
AU $1,579
AU $1,719
Save $65
AU $1,514
Note: The majority of departures above will proceed or are guaranteed to depart. We will outline the status of your departure date in your quote along with all applicable discounts and specials.
Tour Discounts & Options:
Tour options, extras, upgrades and discounts!
Click on the descriptions below for more detail. We will apply all valid discounts automatically to your quote to provide you with the best possible price. Terms & Conditions apply to the discounts below.
The prices on our site are land only prices. If you would like to include flights with your quote, then we have some amazing specials for you to take advantage of!
Flight specials only apply for clients booking this tour from Global Journeys. Terms & Conditions apply and full details will be provided in your quote.
General Information
The information below relates to this itinerary only.
Tour Operator: Albatross Tours
Albatross Travel was established in 1995 and offers European escorted coach tours designed specifically for Australians and New Zealanders. With smaller group sizes and a more sensible pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays in most places, you will enjoy much more genuine sightseeing time and less time sitting on coaches. All Albatross tours are genuinely inclusive and already includes all excursions, special visits, sightseeing tours, feature dinners and even your end of tour tips!
Our tours are 'genuinely inclusive' – even 'end of tour' tips to your tour manager and driver are included. You will NOT find any 'options lists' or later charged excursions and extras. We include all the sightseeing, special dinners and relevant entrances.
Our tours are designed with a more leisurely pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays - that's important; you are not constantly packing and unpacking your bags.
Our tours are specifically designed to suit the travel needs of Australian and New Zealand passengers. We have less travelling time and more sightseeing time. We indicate the average number of kilometres travelled per day on each tour.
Our feature hotels are selected for their style, character or location
Travel documents, including any paper tickets or e-ticket itineraries and other information, are sent approximately two to three weeks prior to departure, provided full payment has been received by Global Journeys.
Not fully inclusive as we don't include all meals. Albatross Tours are genuinely inclusive - there are no 'options lists' or later charged excursions on our tours and even 'end of tour' tips to your tour manager and driver are included. We include all the sightseeing, 'special' dinners and relevant entrance fees.
Albatross touring coaches are first class, air conditioned touring coaches with 44-49 seats. Anzac and Christmas tours have a maximum of 42 passengers, European Summer tours have a maximum of only 30 passengers!
Our hotels are generally First Class. If a first class hotel is not used the alternative is selected for a very good reason - for its style, character or central location. Sometimes in certain towns or regions, first class hotels are simply not available. Naturally all bedrooms in all hotels have private facilities. Generally throughout Europe tea and coffee making facilities are NOT available in the rooms.
No, each country varies due to that country's system of grading hotel rooms (e.g. room size, facilities etc). Single rooms in European and Turkish Hotels are sometimes smaller than twin rooms and quite often have one single bed. Regarding twin share rooms. Throughout much of central Europe traditional hotels sometimes offer 'French Twins' which are 2 separate beds and mattresses attached together and sharing a single headboard. These are used for twin share or double rooms.
Yes, however Individual passengers can request us to match them up in a twin share room with another individual of the same sex. Should we not be able to match you in a twin share room by the final tour balance payment date the single room supplement rate will apply. Please Note: should you be 'matched' with another person we cannot be held responsible if the choice is not to your satisfaction. You must consider there will always be a certain risk of incompatibility.
Tipping is an integral part of the service industry in Europe. A service worker – waiter, taxi driver, barman etc will be paid a base salary to perform a task and their employers expect them to supplement their wages by earning tips. Remember your tour package price INCLUDES the end of tour tips to both your Tour Manager and Driver.
No, all prices shown are land only prices for the tours. You need to add the cost of international flights, air taxes and fuel surcharges, travel insurance. Your Global Journeys dedicated tour consultant can organise these for you if you wish or you can book your own. Before booking your flights please confirm with us that your tour departure date is Guaranteed to operate.
No – you will be required to make your own way to and from the hotel at the beginning and end of the tour. Our passengers all arrive independently on different dates, from different locations and since many arrive by train or using car rental we are unable to book individual transfers.
We have Guaranteed Group departures. All Albatross tours are group touring programmes. The term 'group tour' is defined as having a minimum of 7 passengers travelling. Once the tour confirms 7 deposited passengers travelling, it guarantees that the group tour will depart. Please ask your Global Journeys consultant and we will confirm the current status the tour departure.
We have a dedicated section on our website providing more detailed information on Albatross Tours including FAQ's on what you need to know before, during and after your travel; as well as information on their 'Touring Styles', and a comprehensive search facility to enable you to easily find more of their tours. Read more> (NB: This link will take you away from this tour itinerary page).
Airport Transfer Information
You will be required to make your own way to and from the hotel at the beginning and end of the tour. Albatross are unable to include individual transfers. Global Journeys can book extra pre and post tour accommodation to fit in with your flight arrival and departure dates.
Terms & Conditions:
Yep, all the boring small print! We still recommend you read it all though, as no one likes surprises. Click here to read them now - they will open in a new window, or print them off to read over later with a cup of coffee!
Albatross Travel was established in 1995 and offers European escorted coach tours designed specifically for Australians and New Zealanders. With smaller group sizes and a more sensible pace with 2, 3, 4 and even 5 night stays in most places, you will enjoy much more genuine sightseeing time and less time sitting on coaches. All Albatross tours are genuinely inclusive and already includes all excursions, special visits, sightseeing tours, feature dinners and even your end of tour tips!