Switzerland & Italy by rail

Meet your guide in your hotel for a two-hour walking tour of Basel. The tour will include a visit to the cathedral, a journey across the river and a walk through the narrow streets of the old town. In the afternoon, board your train for a three-and-a-half-hour journey through some of Switzerland's most remarkable landscapes to reach the Italian-influenced region of Ticino.

Spend the morning with your private guide exploring the cobbled streets of Lugano. You’ll stop for four gastronomic experiences, which give you the opportunity to sample some of Ticino's regional specialties, including pastries, cheese and local wine, before finishing in a lakeside restaurant for lunch. During the tour, you’ll pass some of Lugano's best-known sights, including the Catholic church dating from 1499 and the pink villa of Parco Ciani. You then have the rest of the day at leisure.

Make the 40-minute train journey from Lugano to Como town, on the shores of glittering Lake Como. After settling into your hotel, you have the remainder of the day at your leisure to relax and perhaps take a stroll along the lake.

Explore some of the highlights of Lake Como with a private guide. Your day will include visits to Villa Carlotta with its dramatic manicured gardens, as well as the scenic lakeside town of Varenna. Later, you'll stop in Bellagio, which offers some of the best views of the lake.

You'll be collected by your private driver ready to travel west from Lake Como to Lake Maggiore. Along the way, you can stop at a historic cheesemaker shop to learn about local cheeses and have a chance to sample some of their offerings. On arrival at Lake Maggiore, you have the rest of the day free.

A private boat will take you to the Borromean Islands, where you can explore the islands' beautiful palaces and gardens with your private guide. On Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromean Islands, admire the plant life and watch the peacocks strut among the gardens. Next, visit the island of Isola Bella, complete with a beautiful Baroque palace and grand formal gardens, before wandering the cobbled alleyways of Isola Superiore, also known as Isola Pescatori (Fisherman's Island).

Travel in a private vehicle to Milan, where you'll board the seven-hour train through the Alps to Paris. On arrival, your driver will meet you at the station ready to take you to your hotel in the ‘city of lights’.

You'll travel home today. After a private vehicle escorts you to Paris Gare du Nord, you'll board the Eurostar bound for London. Your return flight will arrive the same day.