Via the Alps and Amalfi
to Sicily and Taormina

Start your vacation with a luxurious first day. At St Pancras,
ease through the station with fast-track and access to
an elegant lounge. Onboard, savour a three-course lunch
with wine and champagne. In Paris, a personal escort
will meet you at the train and guide you to a
chauffeured car for the short drive to Gare de Lyon. 

After a pleasant visit to Le Train Bleu’s opulent bar, board
your TGV Lyria. Enjoy premium first class with a three-
course dinner with wine served at your seat as you
approach Lake Geneva and Lausanne. Arrive early evening
and stay two nights in the old town high on a hill with
panoramic views of the lake and Alpine peaks.

Zurich unites global finance with historic elegance.
In the Old Town, Fraumünster’s Chagall windows,
the Lindenhof hill, and the Giacometti Hall reveal
quieter cultural depth. From the Grossmünster towers,
sweeping views stretch across the river, lake, and
distant Alps, highlighting a city of great beauty.

From Zurich you travel to Lucerne where you
board a historic steamer and sail across the
stunningly beautiful lake. This is the first part
of the legendary Gotthard Panorama Express –
on the opposite shore, a special train awaits to
take you through the historic pass to Lugano.

On the sun-drenched south side of the Alps,
nestled on the banks of a grand and scenic
Alpine lake, lies the historic and charning
town of Lugano. This is Ticino, the Italian-
speaking Swiss province, as the food, language
and palm trees will inform you.

Welcome to Executive Class, the finest premium first class
in Europe. The entire car seats just ten passengers, each ensconced
in a big reclining chair. A steward is at hand to serve espressos,
wine and prosecco, and to take  your order for the four-course
a-la-carte lunch. There are scenic views of Tuscany before you arrive
at Naples and your chauffeured car to the Amalfi coast.

Probably the most iconic coastline in Europe,
and one of the most stunning, the Amalfi Coast
beckons with its romantic towns perched on the
rocks above the Mediterranean.  If you enjoy
hiking, the Path of the Gods is one of the
finest trails anywhere.

Just after lunch you are picked up by your private driver for the
scenic ride on the coastal road to Salerno where you board
your train. You are traveling in Executive Class with a maximum
of ten passengers in the entire car, each enjoying a huge
reclining seat, personal service, free bar, and a four-course
meal served at the seat.

Enjoy the scenic four-hour journey that takes you along the
Mediterranean Sea, overlooking beaches, rocky headlands,
and small towns. Eventually you will catch your first glimpse
of Sicily just on the other side of the narrow Messina Strait,
and soon after you will arrive for an evening and night in
the lively city of Reggio di Calabria. 

Enjoy the morning in Reggio di Calabria before a car takes
you the short distance to the port city of Villa San Giovanni
where you board a direct intercity train for Taormina. A high point
of the just two-hour short journey is when the car is taken
onto a train-ferry for the crossing to Sicily. You are free to go
up on the deck and enjoy the view.

Once the train has come ashore in Sicily, it will proceed south
along the coast for the short journey to Taormina. The views
over the Messina Strain to the Italian mainland are wonderful.
Film buffs may recognise the small and historic railway
station of Taormina Giardino: It was used for Godfather III.
A chauffeured car takes you up to your hotel.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea,
Taormina   is often called the “Pearl of the
Mediterranean” for its blend of ancient history,
elegant streets, and stunning views of Mount Etna.
Visit the ancient Greek theatre, stroll the pedestrian
Corso Umberto, and take the cablecar to the beach.