CALL 1-866-563-4248 ITALY - Switzerland - Premium Inns Bike Walk Tour RESERVATION FORM

PREMIUM INNS
TRIP DETAILS

Trip Length
6 Days / 5 Nights

2008
Dates & Prices

Premium Trip Hotels

Premium Trip Meals
All breakfasts,
2 lunches and
all dinners but one

What's Included

Other Trip Versions
Self-Guided Trips
Classic Inns

Start - Finish
Bern - Brienz
SWITZERLAND

Trip Activity Easy to
Moderately Easy

Rated Ideal for Everyone !

NEED MORE INFO ?
Speak to a
Club Toscana
Senior Trip Leader


Premium Biking & Walking in the Spectacular Bernese Oberland

Switzerland is a biking and walking paradise. Using its ingenious system of cable cars, cog-rail trains, hard-pack mountain trails and designated bicycle lanes, we'll discover the best of Switzerland's beautiful Bernese Oberland. Walk under the majestic beauty of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. Discover its glaciers and soft blue mountain lakes. Ride through its chalet dotted alpine fairyland, along turquoise lakes and through quintessential Swiss villages where wooden chalets with flower filled windows dominate every view. Try hearty mountain fare at "bärgli" mountain huts during the day and dine on the traditional Bernese cuisine in the evening. Enjoy friendly greetings and genuine hospitality in a selection of Switzerland's most luxurious lodgings. Join Club Toscana in the Bernese Oberland where old-world charms and easy biking and walking go hand in hand.

Day 1 - Kandersteg - Meet in Bern, Switzerland's capital and an important World Heritage Site for its perfectly preserved sandstone arcades, painted fountains and Medieval streets.Private transfer to Kandersteg, a mountaineering center surrounded with picturesque chalets and snow capped 12,000 foot high mountains.Journey by cable car to a 5,500 foot high ridge.Walk along an alpine plateau with gentle grazing cows for spectacular views of the Oeschinenhorn glacier.Lunch on hearty local specialties at a mountain hut overlooking the glacier fed Lake Oeschinen.Walk through the Öschiwald with the sounds of swift running streams, cascading falls and a symphony of cow bells on the way to our family-run old-world lodging.Dine on traditional Bernese cuisine including rösti and alpkäse, and discover the differences between raclette and fondue.

Day 2 - Lake Thun & Interlaken - Ride down the Kandertal, a lush valley with wooden chalets, pastoral farms and rural villages.Follow quiet side roads and bicycle paths to the market town of Thun.Discover its arcaded Medieval streets and covered wooden bridges overlooked by its 12th-century fairy-tale turreted castle.Stop at the Schadau Palace with its Victorian flower gardens and Switzerland's most photographic lakeside views.Ride along the misty blue waters of the Thunersee surrounded by snow capped mountains.Visit the fashionable resort town and adventure sports capital of Interlaken.Arrive in Grindelwald resting on an emerald plateau with stunning views of the glacier crested Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn and Eiger mountains.

Day 3 - Grindelwald - Options await.Take a cable car to the high mountain ridge at Männlichen for stunning views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Schynige Platte and the majectic Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.Enjoy a Club Toscana lunch of traditional mountain specialties at Kleine Scheidegg.Walk through the Itramenwald plateau where cow bells ring and farmers are busy producing mountain cheese.Or, take an optional paraglide through the open skies of this alpine fairyland, or perhaps take the day to relax at Grindelwald's village cafés with a locally brewed refreshment and simply enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery.Dinner on your own this evening to discover your own romantic corner of this alpine paradise.

Day 4 - Lake Brienz - Follow quiet side roads and biking paths past wooden chalets and along the creamy turquoise waters of the Brienzersee to Brienz, with its time honored tradition of wood carving.Take a paddlewheel lake steamer to the quaint lakeside village of Iseltwald.Walk a forest trail to the imposing Giessbach Falls.Relax on the hotel deck and watch the romantic evening sunset drift over the lake's shimmering waters.

Days 5 - Ballenberg - Spin along the flat Aare River valley among orchards and quiet open pastures.Step back into the 19th-century for a tour of the open-air Ballenberg museum where Switzerland's rural lifestyle and architecture has been carefully preserved.Drop in at a "chocolaterie" where some of Switzerland's finest hand made chocolates are produced.Cycle to Meiringen where meringue is said to have been first made, and where the illustrious sleuth Sherlock Holmes met his untimely end at the nearby Reichenbach Falls.Visit the Aareschluct Canyon, one of Europe's narrowest glacial carved gorges.Celebrate your Swiss bike walk odyssey at a final dinner overlooking Switzerland's most beautiful lake.

Day 6 - Brienz - Homeward bound.Bid a final farewell to the beautiful Bernese Oberland and take a private transfer to the train station in Brienz for convenient trains to Bern, Zurich and Geneva; or extend your stay in this beautiful area.As always, we would be more than pleased to help you with any of your post-trip travel planning.
auf Wiedersehen !


"Spectacular...you took us to places we would never have found on our own
...thanks for the memories."
- Stephen and Gillian, Victoria, Australia


Our Swiss Travel
Specialists are Ready
to Help you with
All Your Travel Needs

  • Walking through the Öschiwald forest to the Oeschinenhorn glacier

  • Biking to Thun's Schadau Palace with its Victorian flower gardens

  • Hiking through the Itramenwald plateau high above Grindelwald

  • Lakeside biking and walking to the imposing Giessbach Falls

  • Touring the open-air Ballenberg cultural museum

  • Lake Bienz wines, Berner Alpkäse and Gruyère cheeses and Swiss chocolate
Click on Image for
TRIP MAP

More Club Toscana
Biking & Walking Trips

TRIP DATES & PRICES

Dates Premium Inns Guided Single Room Availability Detailed Itinerary Self-Guided
2008 Price pp dbl. occ. Add for sgl. occ. printer version Version

June 16 - 21 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.
June 23 - 28 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.
June 30 - July 5 ---------- ---------- Sold Out ! ---------------- -------------------
July 7 - 12 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.
July 14 - 19 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.
July 21 - 26 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.
July 28 - Aug 2 ---------- ---------- Sold Out ! ---------------- -------------------
Sept 1 - 6 $ 4,198. $ 1,450. Space Available E-mail us today Save $ 400. p.p.

Other Trip Dates - to find other trips with space available on your preferred travel dates, click on our 2008 Calendar.

Trip Prices - are per person based on a room with double occupancy. Single room charges are additional for guests traveling solo wishing a double room with single occupancy. Self-Guided prices are listed as a savings per person. Once you book a trip, your trip price will not change.

Featured Trips when listed above have space available and include guaranteed departures hosted by one of Club Toscana's Senior Trip Leaders.


OTHER TRIP VERSIONS

Classic Inns Trips - the above information represents our Premium Inns trip.
Click
here to view trip prices and itinerary details for the Classic Inns version of this trip.

Self-Guided Trips - the above information represents our Premium Inns Guided trip.
The Self-Guided version of this trip uses the same itinerary as above with the exception that only breakfasts are included, with the rest of your meals "on your own" with our well researched recommendations list, paid site admissions are not included allowing you more trip flexibility and trip guiding is provided on a limited basis.
A minimum of 4 participants are required to reserve space on any trip except any featured dates highlighted above.
For additional exempted dates, please e-mail or call our office.
For more information on the differences between our Guided and Self-Guided trips, please click here.


PREMIUM INNS SELECTION

Hotel Royal Park - Kandersteg (1 night) - a five star "Leading Hotels of the World" member located within a private park, is one of the Bernese Oberland's most luxurious hotels.

Grand Hotel Regina - Grindelwald (2 nights) - another five star member of "The Leading Hotels of the World" set at the foot of the glorious Eiger mountain.

Grand Hotel Giessbach - Brienz (2 nights) - this elegant and historic hotel set in a garden terrace above spectacular Lake Brienz is in a small exquisite world of its own. Offering romantic views over the unspoilt scenery of Lake Brienz, Grand Hotel Giessbach is an oasis complete with a pool and tennis courts.

Please note: The above selected inns are subject to accommodations availability upon trip request. As there are many beautiful Premium Inns located along our route, if we need to choose an alternative lodging, it will meet or exceed the above selection in ratings, settings, amenities and views.


TRIP START AND FINISH INFORMATION

Trip Start - Bern, Switzerland
As a convenience to our guests, we will meet you at your hotel in Brienz at 10:00 am. or by special arrangement, the main train station or airport.

Bern is serviced by an international airport with connections to most major European cities and a main train station located on Switzerland's main express and high speed train service routes from Zurich. Bern's main train station can be reached from Zurich in about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the train speed. We would recommend spending your pre-trip evening in Bern. Our reservations office can make all your pre- & post-trip hotel, flight and train travel arrangements.

For Swiss train information and online tickets, please go to the Swiss SBB National Train Schedules web site.

For pre-trip accommodations, we suggest a visit to Tripadvisor.com for a list of the most recommended hotels based on visitor reviews.

Trip Finish - Brienz, Switzerland
On the final trip day, we would be pleased to drop you off at Brienz train station for trains heading north to Zurich (1 - 1.5 hours).

Usual arrival in Brienz is around 10:00 am with earlier arrivals by request.

For Swiss train information and online tickets, please go to the Swiss SBB National Train Schedules web site.

For post-trip accommodations, we suggest a visit to Tripadvisor.com for a list of the most recommended hotels in your destination city based on visitor reviews.


TRIP ACTIVITY LEVEL

THIS TRIP IS DESIGNED FOR ALL ABILITIES - Though rated moderately easy to moderately easy, we have designed this trip to be suitable for everyone, from the casual or occasional walker & biker with other travel and site seeing interests to the experienced hiking or biking enthusiast looking for that extra challenge. Since your preferred walking & biking pace and your interests might vary from day to day, we have a daily list of optional routes, distances and route sections to give you exactly the kind of activity you would like to experience. To learn more about how we rate the activity levels on our trips, please go to our Activity & Terrain Levels web page.


Please note that the above itinerary and it's routes are typical for this trip and can be adjusted to accommodate different hotel choices, your choice of optional routes, optional shorter or longer daily distances, your personal daily walking & biking pace and interests, and special local events that you might wish to join. Weather conditions and unannounced trail or road repairs, etc. can also alter the routes, distances and daily schedules.

In an effort to enhance this itinerary and to help you get the most out this destination and your traveling experiences with Club Toscana, we are continually in the process of researching additional local routes, accommodations, dining establishments and interesting places to visit. Some of these "new finds" could be included in your specific trip.


WHAT'S INCLUDED ON YOUR CLUB TOSCANA BIKE WALK TRIP

Over 20 years of European adventure travel experience.

Cheerful, professional and trusted bilingual trip leadership with intimate knowledge of this trip's travel area, its culinary secrets, art history and cultural distinctiveness.

All transportation from trip start to finish.

Exclusive lodging with private amenities in wine & olive oil estates, charming country inns and historic town houses.

All buffet breakfasts, 2 lunches and 4 dinners featuring regional favorites and local specialties.

Private support vehicle for shuttles (throughout the trip), for welcome lifts (to bypass that extra effort or for a quick short cut to your hotel), bicycle repairs and on-board refreshments.

Special events, private tours, local experts and entrance fees to historical sites and museums, and other events or tours listed on the itinerary.

Use of a set of lightweight telescoping walking sticks, and a new personal water bottle.

Use of a professionally maintained, fully equipped 24-27 speed aluminum TREK road bike or TREK hybrid bike with gel seat & suspension, an insulated rear rack bag, and a Pro bike helmet.

Detailed trip maps, route directions with options and a complimentary Club Toscana T-shirt.

All baggage transportation from rendezvous to final drop off.

Unsurpassed customer service to compliment one of Italy's great biking vacations.


TOP REASONS WHY TRAVELING WITH CLUB TOSCANA IS SO REWARDING

Since our beginnings, Club Toscana has prided itself in producing active vacations that are the closest thing to a private trip complete with all the comforts and companionship that comes from visiting old friends.

We have spent over two decades designing itineraries that take in the most interesting countryside destinations, the most stimulating mix of history and culture, the best selection of terrain from flat to invigorating, and the region's best accommodations -- always with an eye on exceeding your expectations.

Flexibility - We design our daily routes and itineraries for maximum flexibility so you can have as much or as little activity as you would like each day -- with us you never need to follow the group.

Service - We take care of everything -- from meeting you at your pre-trip hotel, to making sure your luggage is taken care of, to always having a refreshment or a welcome lift when needed, and always allowing you as much free time as you would like to get the most out of your European active vacation.

Knowledge - Traveling with Club Toscana is about discovering beautiful locations, its people, history and culture, all in a private-group-like setting -- the ideal vacation experience.

Trip Leadership - Our pleasant natured, well organized and informative North American trip leaders individually have at least 20 years of experience guiding active travelers throughout every region visited by Club Toscana.


NEED MORE TRIP INFORMATION?

E-mail our office or call our professional travel advisers at
Club Toscana Reservations at 1-866-563-4248 toll free 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (EST) Mon. to Fri., 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Sat.
They are ready to answer your trip questions and arrange all your pre and post-trip travel needs for a truly all-inclusive European Active Vacation.



Royal City Travel / American Express Travel Services
10 Paisley Street, Suite 8, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1H 2N6
North America Toll Free 1-866-563-4248
Contact Us      info@clubtoscana.com

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