Alpine vistas, charming towns, and enchanting forests await.
From Switzerland’s mountainous landscapes to Germany’s mystical Black Forest, impressive views are around every corner in this breathtaking region. See the iconic Matterhorn up close at Gornergrat, wind your way through Colmar’s charming streets in Alsace, then venture out into an ethereal land known for its fairy tales and decadent Black Forest cake.
Your tour package includes
10 nights in handpicked hotels
10 breakfasts
4 dinners with beer or wine
8 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
3 train rides
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
Lake Lucerne
Chillon Castle
Gornergrat open-air cog railway
The Matterhorn
Glacier Express train ride
Bern
Petite France
The Black Forest
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Zurich today.
Lucerne Region2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Lucerne via Zurich
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Switzerland! After arriving in Zurich, transfer to your hotel in the Lucerne region to meet your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This Belle Époque hotel is located near the lake promenade. Guests enjoy a restaurant, bar, and outdoor terrace. Nearby, you’ll find Lake Lucerne, Chapel Bridge, and the Swiss Museum of Transport.
Hotel Butterfly
This Alpine-inspired hotel is located in Zermatt Village Center. Guests enjoy a Finnish sauna, Turkish steambath, and a hotel bar. Nearby, you'll find hiking trails, Zermatt Bergbahnen, and the Matterhorn Museum.
Carlton Europe Hotel
This Art Nouveau-style hotel is located in Interlaken. Guests enjoy a spa, on-site restaurant serving traditional Swiss dishes, and the wellness area. Nearby, you'll find the Jungfrau region, as well as the recreation area...
Aloft Strasbourg Etoile
This trendy hotel is located in Strasbourg. Guests enjoy a vibrant bar with stunning city views, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an exciting game room featuring billiards and table tennis. Nearby, you'll find the...
Hôtel Mercure Nice Centre Notre-Dame
This vibrant hotel is located in the heart of Nice’s city center. Guests enjoy the rooftop pool with panoramic views of the city, rooftop bar, fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find the Promenade des Anglais, the Notre-Dame...
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
This tour visits Switzerland, France, and Germany. In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to **goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements **and searching the code SBF.
You will walk for about 2 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, and will reach high elevations on select portions of this tour.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times, as well as getting in and out of trains and boats.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in and depart from Zurich (or from Frankfurt on the tour extension). A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
The Glacier Express train ride from Zermatt to Andermatt is included in the price of your tour.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Airlines have varying weight restrictions on baggage. Some airlines may impose additional charges if you check any baggage; be advised that you are responsible for any such costs.
Contact your airline for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flight, but please note that our travelers are restricted to one checked bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
One carry-on bag of 45 total inches (length + width + height) is also permitted.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
Please be aware that on select portions of this tour, you will be traveling to altitudes as high as 12,000 feet above sea level. These high altitudes can sometimes cause breathing difficulties for travelers who have heart problems or respiratory ailments. If you suffer from any of these conditions, please speak to your doctor regarding any potential health risks.
Even healthy travelers may sometimes experience altitude sickness, a temporary condition featuring symptoms of headache, fatigue, nausea, and light-headedness. Until your body acclimates to the higher altitudes reached on select portions of this tour, we suggest that you drink plenty of fluids and limit your intake of caffeine and alcohol.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to **goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements **and searching the code SBF.
Swiss food is varied and sophisticated, and some popular dishes include sausages, breaded veal fillets, freshwater fish, and cheese dishes such as fondue and raclette. Be sure to try Swiss chocolate, which is among the world’s finest.
For a picnic with French flair, stop at a small grocery store for cheeses, pâtés, cured meats, fresh-baked bread, and fruit. In the cities, sidewalk vendors are known for their steaming crepes, while mouthwatering pastries and hot café au lait beckon from cafes. In restaurants, the prix fixe option is a popular way to enjoy a set three- or four-course menu for a good price.
German food is hearty and substantial. Among the specialties are dumpling stews, sauerkraut, sausages, smoked cheeses, and dark breads. Bavaria produces some of the world’s purest beers, and white German wines are exceptionally good.
Switzerland operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C or J plugs with two or three round pins, respectively.
France and Germany operate on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
Switzerland, France, and Germany are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the Swiss franc in Switzerland and the euro in France and Germany.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $8USD to $10USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
International travel is, by its very nature, unpredictable. We must therefore reserve the right to change this itinerary, without advance notice, to meet with local conditions at the time of travel. We appreciate your understanding. Please refer to our website for Terms & Conditions, dates, and prices.
I normally plan my own trips but decided to join this tour, and I'm so glad that I did. It was a small group (28) and we had the best tour guide! Joslyn A did a fabulous job, was so helpful and knowledgeable, and made the trip so enjoyable. We toured lots of beautiful,...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for sharing this wonderful feedback! It’s fantastic to hear that stepping away from self-planned travel to join this tour was...
The best tour director ever
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Yeleny, travelled in Oct 2024
We had the best tour director ever knowledgeable, considerate accommodating and a great human being he went out of his way to please everyone and make everyone feel important.
Great work keep him busy he is your best.
Switzerland France Germany
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anita, travelled in Oct 2024
Exactly what I was looking for. Everything was taken care of perfectly. A huge thanks to our amazing guide Shaun!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Anonymous, travelled in Sep 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and would recommend it to anyone!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Michael, travelled in Sep 2024
Our first trip to Europe
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Marcy, travelled in Sep 2024
Absolutely wonderful trip!!! Every detail was handled seamlessly - resulting in a totally carefree vacation Our tour guide, Joslyn, was fantastic!!! The beauty of Switzerland was breathtaking! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing our homeland of Alsace, France and learning a bit...
