Art at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna
Vienna is a delightfully graceful and elegant city with some of the most spectacular palaces
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Let yourself be totally mesmerised by the serenity and sheer beauty of this romantic city.
6 night / 7 day holiday by First Class rail travelling on daytime trains throughout, including 4 nights at the Hotel Ai Mori d’Oriente (4 star) in Venice from £1,495 per person with overnight stays in Zurich and Montreux (featured itinerary)
Alternatively, stay at the following hotels in Venice: Canal Grande Hotel (4 star) from £1,549 per person, Maison Venezia UNA Esperienze (4 star) from £1,575 per person, Hotel Bucintoro (4 star) from £1,649 per person, Ruzzini Palace (4 star) from £1,695 per person, or the Hotel Al Ponte Antico (4 star) from £1,795 per person.
You can travel to Venice via Turin and Milan, and save up to £100 per couple. This 6 night / 7 day holiday is priced from £1,395 per person.
Your holiday begins this morning as you stroll into beautifully restored London St Pancras International station. Take your time to admire the magnificent glass roof and then sit back, relax and watch the countryside glide past as you travel by Eurostar to Paris at speeds of up to 186mph. Enjoy the light meal and drinks served on board in Standard Premier Class (Eurostar’s 1st class for leisure travellers). On arrival at the Gare du Nord your private taxi will transfer you across Paris to the Gare de Lyon as you continue your journey by TGV through France into Switzerland.
You travel through the undulating Swiss countryside to attractive lakeside city of Zurich. Here you spend tonight at the comfortable, welcoming and highly-rated Hotel Helmhaus (4 star).
After breakfast why not make a whistle-stop tour of Zurich? Most of the city’s sights lie within the compact area on either side of the River Limmat, between the main station (Hauptbahnhof) and Lake Zurich.
The churches and burgher houses of the Old Town are clustered here, as are the elegant shops along Bahnhofstrasse. The baroque Rathaus (Town Hall), Zurich’s most impressive churches – the Grossmünster, Fraumünster – and the city’s oldest, St Peterskirche (its clock face is the largest in Europe), all lie within a short distance of the River Limmat, near the point where it opens onto the lake.
Then make your own way back to Zurich station, for the scenic journey along the impressive Gotthard route through the Swiss Alps. The line transports you through picturesque scenery, climbing to the foot of the snow-capped Alps and through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest tunnel and a marvellous feat of engineering. You soon emerge and continue across the Swiss border and through the outstanding Italian Lakes before arriving in Milan.
On arrival at Milan’s imposing art-deco station change trains and join the Eurostar Italia service to Venice. When you arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia station, walk out of the station and enter a different world. Your private water taxi will transfer you in the best possible style to your hotel for the next four nights, the Hotel Ai Mori d’Oriente (4 star), an attractive, welcoming hotel located in a quiet area just 15 minutes from the Rialto Bridge with its friendly service, elegant and comfortable rooms.
Step out in Venice and allow this unique and captivating city to carry where it will. Enjoy Venice at dusk and after dark when the crowds have gone home and the local Venetians take to the streets. From St. Mark’s Square to the Rialto Bridge, a gondola ride on the Grand Canal to a visit inside the stunning Doges Palace, feel yourself unwind as you wander amid the myriad of canals along blissfully traffic-free alleyways and campi (squares).
You have plenty of time to discover the city’s luminous quality which emanates from the colours of its painted palazzo, ornate stone bridges and Byzantine basilicas all reflected against the tapestry of canals and lagoons. A short boat ride will lead you to pretty islands on the lagoon, including Murano, home of glass-blowing and colourful Burano, where lace and linen abound.
This morning your water taxi re-unites you with the rest of the world as you leave Italy behind and board the Italo service for the First Class journey to Milan.
From here join the comfortable Euro City service as it snakes its way into the Alps for the spectacular journey through the Simplon Pass and onto pretty lakeside town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. On arrival in Montreux your hotel for the night is the belle époque Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4 star superior) located right next to the station. Take a stroll alongside Lake Geneva and visit this elegant lakeside town which is home to the famous jazz festival.
Stretch your legs this morning or board the trolley bus for the short journey to the stunning medieval Château de Chillon (payable locally). As you marvel at the spectacular setting, twixt sparkling lake and breathtaking mountains, spare a thought for the prisoners of this 13th century castle, considered to be one of the best-preserved in Europe.
You may have time for an early lunch before you make your way back to Montreux station. From here you join the Inter Regio train to Lausanne where you change trains and board the TGV to whisk you back to Paris.
Watch the rolling hills flash past or reminisce on the wonders of the past few days. Your private taxi transfer takes you to the Gare du Nord and the last leg of your journey. Here you join the Eurostar and let the train take the strain as you stretch out and savour the light meal and drinks included in your Standard Premier service. At 186mph the landscape is a blur at times, though memories abide as you return to London St. Pancras International.
ZURICH
The stylish and intimate Hotel Helmhaus Zurich (4 star), located in the Old Town dates from the 14th century, and is a minute’s walk from both the Helmhaus Art Museum and tram stop. The air-conditioned, individually decorated rooms have minimalist modern furnishings and oak wood parquet floors, plus free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars; tea and coffeemaking facilities are available on request. A complimentary hot and cold breakfast buffet is offered daily in an artsy dining room. Other amenities include loaner iPads and seasonal welcome drinks.
VENICE
Enjoying a great location in an area exclusively reserved for local Venetians, the Hotel Ai Mori d’Oriente
(4- star) offers an attractive and calm setting from which to enjoy and explore this most evocative of cities. Named after Turkish tradesmen, “mori”, who for centuries lived in this beautiful palace, the hotel offers guests contemporary accommodation equipped with air conditioning, mini- bar, ADSL internet access, hair dryer, telephone, satellite television, radio and a safe. The hotel benefits from a tastefully decorated breakfast room, bar and reading room. Guests can relax amidst the exotic atmosphere of the hotel’s furnishings which hark back to the times of oriental merchants, and traders, plying their trade on the “Silk Route” which had Venice as its main port. Located about 10 minutes’ walk from the Rialto Bridge, the Ai Mori d’Oriente offers visitors a fascinating insight into the real Venice as well as easy access to charming restaurants frequented by locals rather than tourists.
The Hotel Canal Grande (4-star) is a charming, highly-rated boutique hotel located in Ca’ Polacco, an elegant little palace which has just been restored. The furniture of the hotel is characterised by the elegance of Rococo style, typical of 18th century Venice. The lobby with its rose marble fireplace, the breakfast room with its golden mirrors, and the bar with its Venetian red velvet armchairs overlook the Grand Canal and are the best places to begin and end your day! The small terrace on the Grand Canal gives you the opportunity to have a drink in a very special setting and watch the Venetian world go by. Prestige double rooms are equipped with damasks, Murano glass and mirrors, and briar-root, gold decorated furniture. The room features retractable TV, safe, direct telephone, WiFi connection, private marble bathroom with mosaic decorations and air conditioning/heating working all year round.
Right in the heart of Cannaregio, in the Cà d’Oro quarter, one of the most important districts of Venice, the new Maison Venezia UNA Esperienze looks straight out onto the Rio Priuli Canal. It is only 5 minutes on foot from the Rialto Bridge and 10 minutes from magnificent St. Mark’s Square. This stately building has been restored to its historical splendour thanks to carefully thought-out renovation, with the emphasis on detail and furnishing. Special features are the Murano glass chandeliers which create a romantic atmosphere. UNA Hotel Venezia has only 37 rooms which are elegantly furnished in a typically ornate Venetian style, and provide every possible comfort. The UNA Café offers guests a complimentary afternoon buffet with tea / coffee, fresh fruit and pastries and later an aperitif with local wine and finger food.
Right on the waterfront in the heart of Venice and next to San Biagio Church, the Hotel Bucintoro (4 star) offers elegant rooms and suites with panoramic views over the Venice Lagoon. The Bucintoro Hotel is just across the bridge from Vaporetto stop, Arsenale. All of the hotel’s comfortable en-suite rooms come with air conditioning, satellite TV, and free Wi-Fi. Each room boasts a great view that includes St Mark’s docks, Palazzo Ducale, the Campanile, and the Island of San Giorgio. Hotel Bucintoro is set in the historic district of Castello, a 10-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square. The area is still full of small neighbourhood shops, cafés and Venetian inns.
Ruzzini Palace Hotel (4 star) is set in Campo Santa Maria Formosa, one of Venice’s largest and oldest squares.
This historic building has beautiful décor and enjoys an excellent location just 10 minutes’ walk from the Rialto Bridge.
The hotel has been completely renovated and all the en-suite rooms are comfortable and spacious, featuring typical Venetian décor, flat-screen satellite TV, mini-bar, safe deposit box, air-conditioning, courtesy kit and a hairdryer. The hotel staff are friendly and professional and the hotel also benefits from its own bar and lounge.
The Hotel Al Ponte Antico (4 star) is an intimate residence facing the Grand Canal, with a splendid view of the Rialto Bridge. The exceptional location of this charming palace, its tasteful design and comfortably furnished and fully-equipped rooms is sure to delight customers. The special quality of this exclusive family-run hotel of only 9 rooms is due to the warm welcome, refined atmosphere and highly personalised service and renowned hospitality of the Peruch Family and its staff. The hotel features luxurious interiors and a wonderful terrace,
where you can enjoy truly unforgettable evenings.
MONTREUX
The Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic (4-star superior) is a traditional Belle-Époque hotel, originally built in 1870 and located right in the centre of Montreux, just a few steps from the railway station. The hotel has 140 rooms and benefits from fabulous views of Lake Geneva and the Alps from its summer terrace. All the comfortable en-suite rooms in this stylish hotel feature air conditioning, TV, minibar, radio and telephone.
Throughout the year and tailor-made to suit your holiday needs
For information and booking Tel: 01347 825292 or email info@planetrail.co.uk
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