Interlaken and the Jungfrau Express at New Year

From London St Pancras, we travel on the Eurostar to Brussels. Here, we change trains and continue to Cologne for the night.

• Dinner

We journey into Switzerland after breakfast at our hotel, passing through the Rhine-side city of Mannheim and Freiburg in the Black Forest on our way to Basel. Here, we change for a beautifully scenic journey past sparkling lakes and snowy peaks to Interlaken in the heart of the Bernese Oberland - one of the most gorgeous regions in the Swiss Alps. This remarkable town is uniquely nestled between Lakes Thun and Brienz, sitting peacefully in a picturesque valley that's watched over by the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. On arrival, we check into our hotel for five nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A spellbinding train journey awaits today as we travel by rail to Lucerne, known as the 'City of Lights'. Riding along the banks of beautiful Lake Brienz, we travel to Meiringen, in the shadow of the famous Reichenbach Falls. From here, we climb the Brünig Pass through a winter wonderland of snowbound scenery to an elevation of 3,287 feet. On the descent, we pass shimmering lakes before arriving in charming Lucerne. With free time to wander its pretty old town, you can discover plenty of interesting attractions, from ornate churches to frescoed historic houses, while its cobbled streets embody tradition and culture with their well-preserved medieval architecture. Set on the crystal-clear lake, vibrant Lucerne is a great place to explore and find somewhere to eat at one of the many cosy cafés and restaurants. This evening, we retrace our gorgeous journey back to our hotel in Interlaken.

• Breakfast

Enjoy a free day to explore Interlaken. You could take a boat ride across the shimmering turquoise waters of Lake Thun, before warming up at one of the cosy cafés or perhaps wrap up and head out on one of the many nature trails that start in the town. Interlaken's history can be traced back to a monastery built here in the 12th century, while the surrounding landscapes provide a gateway to the Bernese Oberland, a region home to more than 45 mountain railways and aerial gondolas that you can discover using your Swiss Travel Card.

• Breakfast

We make our way by rail to the snow-bound alpine village of Grindelwald, a delightful town nestled at the foot of the imposing north face of the Eiger. We enjoy an incredible cable car journey to the summit of the Grindelwald First mountain for breathtaking panoramas of the twinkling valley below - and the mighty Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau opposite. Returning to Grindelwald, there is free time to admire the attractive wooden chalets and town squares which combine the old comforts of classic alpine architecture with more contemporary winter sports facilities. Back at our hotel, we sit down to celebrate the coming of the New Year with a fantastic gala dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

On New Year's Day we enjoy what is undoubtedly the highlight of our stay in the Bernese Oberland - an excursion to the summit of the Jungfrau. We begin on the Bernese Oberland Railway to Lauterbrunnen. Here, we change trains to reach Kleine Scheidegg, joining the Jungfrau Railway itself. Rising higher from Kleine Scheidegg, the distinctive string of red and yellow carriages disappear into the tunnel through the Eiger mountain, making stops at the observation windows hewn out of solid rock, before emerging at Jungfraujoch. The 360° views from the highest train station in Europe are utterly spellbinding. The Mönch and Eiger dominate, while the Aletsch Glacier - the longest in the Alps - winds past spectacular peaks. We have time here to soak up the dramatic scenery before making the return journey down the mountain.

• Breakfast, Dinner

As our spectacular seasonal holiday draws to a close, we leave delightful Interlaken on a train bound for Basel, before transferring to the onward service to Paris. After boarding the Eurostar to London St Pancras we can take time to recall the majestic views from the 'Top of Europe' and idyllic lakes that have provided such breathtaking views and unforgettable memories on this incredible trip to the winter wonderland that is Switzerland.

• Breakfast