Stunning Switzerland

Overview

If you would like to join, please mail first with info@expatclub.org or call 0495-345144.
We must be able to check if we can guarantee new spots.

For sure we can offer a reduced price for a lady who wishes to share a room.
Boarding us in Luxembourg is still possible!

Click here to book your spot for this extraordinary trip ≫

Did you always want to visit Switzerland? To really explore major parts of the country? Expat Club organises a second epic trip to this beautiful Alpine land in 2019. We visit many historic Swiss villages and cities, drive through the most scenic regions, and enjoy the best panoramic views of the highest mountain tops. We stay in good 4* and 3* hotels, travel with a super-de-luxe bus and designed a great program for you with several optional visits. This will be a trip to never forget. Since the bus has only Royal Class seats, there are less spots available than our usual trips.

“I am grateful for all the serious effort you put into planning and leading the trip. After one week of relaxation, I was so used to being guided that I felt strange taking the bus home, since I had to think about which bus to take and where to transfer and all that. 🙂 It was truly a luxury for me to spend a week in complete relaxation and not having to make any plans.” – Participant 2018

“It was perfect!! It was even better than I have expected, really!
I loved all the experiences and all destinations.” – Participant 2018

“Thank you very much for leading us on the stimulating trip to Switzerland.
It was great that we packed in so many things,
and saw a wide variety of landscapes and points of interest.
I really enjoyed getting to know such a beautiful country.” – Participant 2018

Program

We have designed an amazing program for you that allows you to discover some of the most beautiful parts of the country. You will be falling in love with this country, that’s a guarantee. We have added one extra day in the program compared to 2018, to make it less busy on the first two days. We’ll be travelling less on the first day and have more time to discover Zürich. The below program is very precise, but may be adapted if required by circumstances and especially weather conditions (to avoid being on a mountain top when there is no visibility).

Day 1 – Saturday 27 July: trip to Switzerland
Today we travel to Switzerland. We stop in Luxembourg City to pick-up a few expats living there. We stay the night in a hotel in the Black Forest region.

Day 2 – Sunday 28 July: Rheinfälle & Zürich
We begin our visit to Switzerland where it ends for a great part of the water flowing from the country, namely in Schaffhausen. The scenic and impressive Rheinfälle are Europe’s largest waterfalls. You will be amazed with the amount of water coming down here. Optionally you can make a boat tour along the falls.

In the afternoon we visit Zürich, a city that ranks in the top of cities with the highest quality of living in the world. FYI, it’s also one of the most expensive place to live, but that aside…. We make a bus tour around the city and of course visit the old town itself. It’s great to walk along the river and the beautiful lake shores. It’s a true warm up for the rest of the trip!

Day 3 – Monday 29 July: Sankt-Gallen, Appenzell & Liechtenstein
On our third day we visit several unique places in this region of Switzerland, including the historic city of Sankt Gallen, with its highly ranked University, and the picturesque Appenzell region with the famous Swiss cows. You’ll certainly totally fall in love with Switzerland already today. And as an extra bonus you’ll be invited to score another “country point” by driving with us through micro-state Liechtenstein. It’s not the most “happening” place, but since we’re in the neighbourhood anyway, let’s not let go of this opportunity before we drive onward to the lovely Appenzell region.

Day 4 – Tuesday 30 July: Titlis and Zürich
We spend this day South from Zürich in the Vierwaldstätter region. Its stunning lake has four “arms” and many sharp bends, a rather complicated shape compared to most other Swiss lakes. It’s situated between various mountains and on its coastline you will find many lovely cities and smaller villages. Of course we visit the largest city: Lucerne or Luzern in Swiss German (the official name). Like Zürich it is a rather rich town, with many exclusive hotels and shops. No wonder, because the location is amazing at the very end of one of the arms.

In the morning we plan to ascend to one of the most famous Swiss mountain tops, the Titlis. This is an optional visit and you may decide to spend more time around the lake, or you may just go for some hiking in Engelberg, the base station for the Titlis mountain.  FYI, last year everybody joined to Titlis and it’s really worth it!

Day 5 – Wednesday 31 July: The best transfer day ever
Today we travel from the Northern part of Switzerland to the Southern Wallis / Valais region, which is half German and half French speaking. But instead of just spending time on the highway, we will travel over the most impressive mountain roads of Europe. We will be crossing 2 mountain passes, the Süstenpass and the Grimselpas before we reach the village of Fiesch, our final destination of the day. We stay in nice 3* hotels at the foot of the mountain.

During the day you could opt for joining the super steep mountain train (Gelmerbahn). We will only make reservations once we are certain the weather conditions will be beneficial for these visits, so no worries that you will be charged.

Day 6 – Thursday 1 August: Aletsch Glacier & Zermatt
We begin our day early in the village of Fiesch, at least for those who want, because at 8h25 we go up the Eggishorn (optional). With an altitude 2.975 meters it is certainly a high mountain top, but with many “four-thousanders” around it you are not going up here for the altitude. It’s the views that are so spectacular. From the Eggishorn you will have an awesome panorama over the mega Aletsch glacier that runs all the way from the famous Jungfrau to deep into the valley. This visit is optional, and obviously only worth it if the weather is good, but for those who stay behind, you can stay in the village, or just go up half-way the mountain to Fiescheralp. You can indicate during checkout what you prefer.

In the later morning / early afternoon we travel onward to probably the highlight of our Switzerland trip, the exquisite car-free mountain village of Zermatt. Needless to say that this place is forever connected to the awe inspiring Matterhorn, one of the worlds steepest, most dangerous and most iconic mountain tops.

In Zermatt we stay in highly rated 3* hotels in the village center, at just a few minutes from the railway station. That’s handy, because the bus has to stay behind in the lower village Täsch, so we won’t have to walk too far with our luggage when we arrive by train. Also it is good as many of us are likely to go up the famous Gornergrat with the Gornergratbahn.

Gornergratbahn Zermatt
A trip to the Gornergrat (3.089 meters) is unforgettable. Not only is it one of the most scenic train rides in the world, but the views from the top are over-the-top breathtaking. If the weather is good, we advise everyone to take this ride up!

Zermatt Glacier Paradise
Another amazing ride. In fact, this one leads you to the highest reachable point in Europe by cable car at a whopping 3.833 meters. You can see many “four-thousanders” (mountain tops over 4.000 m high), including the Breithorn (4,164 m), the Gran Paradiso (4.061 m) in Italy, and of course the Mont Blanc (4,810 m) in France, the Alp’s highest mountain. Also this one is highly recommended.

Helicopter ride Zermatt
You thought it doesn’t get any better? What about flying over many glaciers and around the Matterhorn itself? This is truly unforgettable!  We propose a 30-minutes flight.

Day 7 – Friday 2 August: Zermatt
Just one day in Zermatt is not enough, so today we spend the entire day in this beautiful mountain village. Depending on the weather conditions we decided what to visit when exactly.

Day 8 – Saturday 3 August: from Zermatt to Bern & Basel
We leave Zermatt in the morning and drive down the mountain into the Rhône valley. Soon we end up in the French speaking part where we drive by Switzerland’s largest Lake, the Lac Leman or Lake of Geneva. The North side of the lake is Swiss and the South side is French.

We make a short stop in the beautiful town of Montreux for a little stroll on the edge of the lake, which is world famous for its Jazz festival. One of its main tourist attractions is the medieval Chillon Castle. We may optionally visit this castle, depending on the time available after our trip from Zermatt.

 

Day 9 – Sunday 4 August: Why do all good things come to an end?
On our final day we will wake up in a nice 4* hotel near Mulhouse. We may visit a small town in the Alsace region before we return to Brussels. We should arrive in the early evening.

As with all Expat Club trips, our schedule is carefully designed to ensure you can enjoy this trip through Switzerland optimally. Please note that the above schedule is tentative and may still change for various reasons, such as weather or traffic conditions. Your host, the bus driver, and receiving destinations will always do their best to give a great experience. Thank you for your understanding.

Transportation

For this trip you will travel with Belgium’s most comfortable bus, namely one that is configured with full-leather Royal Class seats. These seats recline with a large angle and offer much leg space, as well as leg flaps and foot rests. All seats have a USB port, so you will never have an empty phone or iPad. But what makes this bus really special is the inclining theater-style seat configuration, which means the seats in the back of the bus are positioned higher than in the front. Therefore everyone sees what is happening on the road. This luxury experience is completed with a front-to-back roof window. It doesn’t get any better!

Accommodation

We will be staying in 5 fantastic hotels during this trip, namely three 4* hotels and two 3* hotels in the Black Forest, Zürich, Fiesch, Zermatt and Mulhouse. Breakfast is included already, so you can start the day in the best possible way. Here are our hotels.

During the reservation process you can select your preferred room. Each one has an ensuite bathroom with toilet and shower / bath.

• Single rooms (one single bed, or one double bed, a single surcharge applies)
• Double rooms (one double bed or 2 single beds, for couples).
• Twin rooms (two single beds, for 2 friends sharing and for for 2 solo travellers who want to share the room)
• Triple / family rooms (please contact us if you travel with a family or a group of 3 or more)

Note about the single surcharge. There is a limited availability for single rooms in general, and more so of the more economic ones. Therefore, if you travel alone and would like a single room, it is highly suggested to book early.

Note about rooms in general. Early bookers will get the best possible rooms available. For our hotels in the Black Forest, Fiesch and Zermatt there is a limited availability to begin with. When full, we will only be able to offer you a room in an alternative hotel (still good, but either 1 star less or lower rated).

Room sharing
We offer twin rooms for those who would like to share a room. This could be for 2 friends or colleagues who already know each other, or for solo travellers who prefer not to spend extra money on a single room. We introduce all solo ladies to each other, and of course also all gentlemen. This means that Expat Club does not assign you to a room, but you can decide mutually with who you would like to share a room. From previous trips we can conclude that many people like this extra service a lot. Note for male solo travellers, we only have 1 shared room available (2 spots).

Families are welcome
This trip is excellent for families. Expat Club very often welcomes parents with their children on board. Our groups are always open-minded and friendly, and the activities are all great fun for young and old. Of course children receive a discount, but it depends on (a) their ages, (b) the size of the family (to ensure you get the right rooms), and the time of booking. Therefore we would like to ask you to contact us at info@expatclub.org with this information.

Optional

Switzerland is just one big open-air museum, and most parts of our program are already included in the price. However, for the most spectacular panoramic viewpoints it will unfortunately cost some money.  Expat Club can recommend every optional visit, they are all just amazing and totally worth it. We are not just going up any cable car but only selected the most famous and most special ones. Trust us on this, we know what we’re talking about! Of course we fully understand that you may want to opt out of one or more visits for a variety of reasons (budget, create a resting point, afraid of heights etc). Really no problem at all. There are always good alternatives, such as hiking, visiting a village, or just resting in a nice spot or local restaurant.

As written above, many of these places are only worth it with the right weather conditions. Therefore we will not charge you in advance for any additional visits at the time of booking. During the trip you will receive more information about these places, what you can see, and their costs. You can than indicated which ones you would like to join. Once we’re on the trip you can confirm this and we will organise the tickets for you. Payment of these optional visits follows only at the end of the trip. The current prices are indicated on the checkout page in Swiss Francs.

Titlis

At 3.238 meters altitude the Titlis is the most impressive mountain in the Luzern region. It of course offers stunning views. The ascend is rather special with its rotating cable car. | © oscity - Fotolia

Titlis Glacier Cave

At the top of the Titlis you can visit the beautiful blue Glacier Cave, take the Ice Flyer chairlift over the snowcapped mountain. In 2018 there was a super fun ice toboggan, which many of us tested. | © Henryk Sadura - Fotolia

Titlis Cliff Walk

If you dare you can cross the scary Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge 500 meters above the ground (free). | © amnach - Fotolia

Gornergratbahn in Zermatt

A trip to the Gornergrat (3.089 meters) is unforgettable. Not only is it one of the most scenic train rides in the world, but the views from the summit are over-the-top breathtaking. If the weather is good, we advise everyone to take this ride up! | © by Johnw (own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Klein Matterhorn

Ascend to the highest reachable point in Europe at a whopping 3.833 meters. You can see many “four-thousanders” from here, of course including the Matterhorn. This ride is highly recommended. | by Papa Lima Whiskey 2, KleinMatterhorn.jpg

Additional videos

Comments

• The trip will be carried out by our trusted coach partner Lauwers Reizen.
• This trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings and schedules indicative and may change if required by circumstances such as weather conditions.
• The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know and we may consider a discount.
• You are personally responsible for getting a good travel and/or cancellation insurance that covers you for any unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses during the trip.
• You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for long delays that influence the program (e.g. missed guided tours, traffic d-tours and delays), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the coach, strikes, weather etc.
• Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during mountain walks.
• If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). We organise at least one get-together before the trip so you can meet the other travellers. Also, during the outbound trip we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself.
• If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement.
• The Royal Class bus may be replaced with a Princess Class bus (slightly less leg space) if our group is smaller than 30 participants.
• Expat Club may “upgrade” or “downgrade” you to another hotel. In case of a downgrade, you will be refunded the surcharge. However, we have never done so in the past and it is certainly not our policy. For this trip we have the policy that those who book early will get the better rooms (e.g. with a balcony or nicer view).