Day 1: Wednesday 1 April 2026 – Travel to Hull
Depart North Wales and travel to York. Enjoy some time at leisure in this historic city before we continue to the port of Hull. After check-in and boarding you can explore and enjoy all the on-board facilities including bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, a cinema and entertainment. The ferry will depart around 8.30 pm for the relaxing overnight sailing to Holland. This evening sit down to your 5-course evening meal followed by on-board entertainment before retiring to your en-suite cabin.
Day 2: Thursday 2 April 2026 – Arrival in Rotterdam and travel to the Metz area
We will disembark the ferry in Rotterdam after breakfast and continue our journey through Holland, across Belgium and Luxembourg and into France for an overnight stop in the Metz area (minimum 3-star hotel). Dinner will be included at the hotel this evening.
Day 3: Friday 3 April 2026 – Travel to Lake Geneva
We will depart after breakfast for the onward journey south through France and into Switzerland and the Movenpick Hotel in the resort of Lausanne on Lake Geneva for the next 5-nights. After check-in there may be time to relax and explore the hotel/resort before dinner. The rest of the evening is at leisure.
Day 4: Saturday 4 April 2026 – At leisure in Lausanne
After breakfast, you can relax after our long journey and enjoy the hotel’s facilities and explore Lausanne which has plenty to offer.
With your free transport card** maybe take the metro to the old town or head down to the harbour area of Ouchy and visit the famous Olympic Museum which has the largest archive of Olympic Games memorabilia in the World plus some wonderful gardens with a nice café overlooking the lake. There are many other attractions and museums worth visiting. Dinner will be together in the hotel this evening.
(**Note: On arrival, all hotels in Lausanne provide guests with a Lausanne Transport Card which gives free use of public transport in the city and surroundings, including discounts for many museums, shops etc.)
Day 5: Sunday 5 April 2026 – Lake Geneva Cruise, Château Chillon and Charlie Chaplin
After breakfast, we will embark on a 2-hour (approx.) cruise* from Lausanne across the lake to Château Chillon, a 13th century medieval fortress located on a rocky islet in the lake. It is an internationally renowned symbol of the Lake Geneva region and one of the most visited castles in Europe and was the inspiration for the castle in the film 'The Little Mermaid'. Entrance to the castle is included for you to explore at your own pace.
From here we will drive along the lake to Vevey, passing Montreux, another famous lakeside resort, and on to Chaplin’s World the former home of Charlie Chaplin which is now a museum dedicated to his life as a legendary artist and his cinematographic genius. Entrance is included for a self-guided tour of the house, gardens/park and studios. There is a bronze statue of him as 'The Tramp' sitting on the quayside at Vevey which we may drive by before returning to the hotel for dinner and an evening at leisure.
*Drinks and snacks are usually available to purchase on board most ships
Day 6: Monday 6 April 2026 – Gruyères Cheese and Cailler Chocolate
Drive to the medieval town of Gruyères and to the Maison de Gruyères where we will see a demonstration and presentation of the famous cheese making process on an audio-guided tour, finishing with a tasting of 3 cheeses. From here we will drive the short distance to the old town to get some lunch (not included). The views from the town are stunning and there are plenty of nice cafes, restaurants and shops.
In the afternoon we will visit the wonderful world of Cailler Chocolate, the oldest existing Swiss chocolate brand. An interactive tour will highlight the history of cocoa and its manufacture. At the end of the visit, enjoy a tasting of Cailler chocolates with the option to make some purchases before returning to the hotel for dinner and an evening at leisure.
Day 7: Tuesday 7 April 2026 – Golden Pass Train Excursion and Lake Thun Cruise
One of the highlights of this tour is a comfortable 2nd class panoramic journey on the Golden Pass Train through one of Switzerland’s most picturesque routes, weaving its way up from Montreux through the Gruyère national park and the famous ski resort of Gstaad. From here it continues to the town of Zweisimmen where the train changes gauge and continues through mountainous valleys before passing Lake Thun and arriving at Interlaken-West station, which is where we will disembark. The journey takes 2 ½ - 3 hours approximately.
From here we will embark on a relaxing cruise on Lake Thun from Interlaken to Thun. The journey of just over 2 hours will offer stunning views of the surrounding Bernese Oberland mountains, charming lakeside villages and historic castles.
If time allows there may be time to stroll around the cobbled streets of Thun before leaving. The coach will meet us in Thun and take us back to our hotel in Lausanne for a final dinner and evening on Lake Geneva.
Day 8: Wednesday 8 April 2026 – Depart Lake Geneva
After breakfast we will depart for the homeward journey, travelling into France and stopping overnight in the Metz area (minimum 3-star hotel). Dinner will be included at the hotel this evening.
Day 9: Thursday 9 April 2026 – Rotterdam and overnight ferry
After breakfast, we continue our journey north through France, crossing into Belgium and then Holland and on to the port of Rotterdam where we will board the ferry for our overnight crossing back to the UK. Once again, you can enjoy the onboard facilities and a 5-course dinner before retiring to your en-suite cabin.
Day 10: Friday 10 April 2026 - Arrive UK and travel home
We will disembark the ferry after breakfast and continue our journey back across the Pennines and home to Wales, there will be a stop en-route.