Paris to Rome by Rail

A rail-only journey from The City of Lights to The Eternal City

Take a ten-day rail-only adventure from Paris to Rome. You’ll start in the City of Lights, then you’ll zoom to Switzerland for a mountain getaway. In Lausanne, see the iconic Cathedral and maybe visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vineyard Terraces of Lavaux for a wine tasting, then head to Lucerne for incredible views of the lake and surrounding Alps on Mount Pilatus. Take the Gotthard Panorama Express to the city of Bellinzona, where you’ll hop on another cable car for more mountain views. Make your way to Rome, where you’ll have plenty of free time to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World and sit down to a fresh lunch with an Intrepid Foundation partner, Cooperativa Coraggio.

Trip code: BMSR

Start: Paris, France

End: Rome, Italy


Duration
10 days
Group size
1 to 12
Minimum age
15 years old
Style

Basix: Simple accommodation, local transport and lots of free time

Original: Tourist-class hotels, some meals included and a great mix of included activities and free time

Comfort: Comfortable accommodation, with a relaxed pace of travel and many included meals and activities

Premium: Our best accommodation, exclusive inclusions and our most experienced leaders

Original
Theme

Our themes categorise trips based on a common interest or activity, while showcasing the highlights of a destination.

Explorer, Rail
Physical rating

Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings


From
CHF  2,925

Why you'll love this trip

  • Choose a slower-paced European journey on a comfortable rail-only trip – as well as travelling like the locals on domestic trains, you’ll also hop aboard the Gotthard Panorama Express and take the Mount Pilatus Silver Circle tour (which includes an aerial cableway)!
  • Watch a cooking demonstration using fresh, locally harvested produce, then sit down to lunch during a visit to The Intrepid Foundation partner, Cooperativa Coraggio, who work to regenerate 22 hectares of unused public land to create local jobs and produce organic food in Italy.
  • Walk along the Musegg Wall and the nine Musegg Towers of Lucerne – an old fortification surrounding the city that is now home to endangered plants and wildlife like bats and birds. This is one of the best ways to see Lucerne like the locals!
  • Take a scenic hike in Bellinzona to make the most of the incredible views – surrounded by the Swiss Alps, Bellinzona also features not one, not two, but three medieval castles.
  • The Silver Circle tour is one of the best ways to make use of your time in Lucerne. Scaling the impressive Mount Pilatus, you’ll travel by railway, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway and then jump on panorama gondolas for incredible views of the surrounding Alps and Lake Lucerne.
This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2026

Itinerary

Map of Paris To Rome By Rail including France, Italy and Switzerland

Inclusions and activities

Destinations
Italy, Switzerland, France
Meals

9 breakfasts, 1 lunch

Transport

Train, Metro, Local Bus, Private Vechicle

Accommodation

Hotel (9 nights)

Included activities
  • Paris - Orientation Walk
  • Paris - Welcome Meeting
  • Lausanne - Orientation Walk
  • Lucerne - Walk on the Museggmauer Walls
  • Lucerne - Mount Pilatus Silver Circle Tour
  • Bellinzona - Orientation Walk
  • Bellinzona - Leader led hike
  • Rome - Orientation Walk
  • Rome - Cooperativa Coraggio (The Intrepid Foundation partner) visit

Optional activities
  • Paris - Hidden Montmartre Urban Adventure - EUR35
  • Paris - Palace of Versailles - EUR20
  • Paris - Louvre Museum (must be prebooked in advance) - EUR22
  • Paris - Arc de Triomphe - EUR16
  • Paris - Musee d'Orsay - EUR16
  • Paris - Rodin Museum - EUR14
  • Paris - Napoleon's Tomb & Les Invalides Army Museum - EUR15
  • Paris - Eiffel Tower (from - must be prebooked in advance) - EUR23
  • Paris - Da Vinci Code Walking Tour - EUR25
  • Lausanne - Visit to Unesco-listed Lavaux vineyards and wine tasting (including return local trains) - CHF23
  • Lausanne - Boat tour on the Leman Lake - CHF38
  • Lausanne - Visit to the Olympic Museum - CHF20
  • Lausanne - Chocolate tasting tour - CHF29
  • Lausanne - Visit to Plateforme 10 museum - CHF15
  • Lucerne - Swiss Museum of Transport - CHF62
  • Lucerne - Fondue lunch or dinner - CHF27
  • Lucerne - Boat tour on the lake - CHF30
  • Lucerne - Paddle boat on the lake - CHF40
  • Lucerne - Gletschergarten Luzern Museum - CHF22
  • Lucerne - Guided tour of the Sonnenberg Bunker - CHF350
  • Vatican City - Vatican Museum - EUR25
  • Rome - Pantheon One Hour Guided Tour Urban Adventure - EUR35
  • Rome - Castel Sant'Angelo - EUR19
  • Rome - Christian Catacombs - EUR10
  • Rome - Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill - EUR19
  • Vatican City - St Peter's Dome Climb & Elevator - EUR10
  • Rome - Pantheon - EUR5
  • Rome - Galleria Borghese - EUR17
  • Rome - Venezia Palace - EUR17
  • Rome - Keats-Shelley Memorial House - EUR6

We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, find out more about our climate commitments and carbon reduction target.

When you travel with us, The Intrepid Foundation gives you more opportunities to support important causes in destinations you visit.

Is this trip right for you?

  • If you love avoiding airport queues, this is the trip for you! As public transport is the predominant form of transport on this trip, we highly recommend packing as lightly as possible as you will be expected to carry your own bags on and off trains as well as to and from your accommodation.
  • If travelling to Paris from London we highly recommend using the fast Eurostar train from London's St Pancras station. At under 2.5 hours travel time and with no airport queues, this is by far the most convenient travel option.
  • If you love avoiding airport queues, this is the trip for you! As public transport is the predominant form of transport on this trip, we highly recommend packing as lightly as possible as you will be expected to carry your own bags on and off trains as well as to and from your accommodation.
  • If travelling to Paris from London we highly recommend using the fast Eurostar train from London's St Pancras station. At under 2.5 hours travel time and with no airport queues, this is by far the most convenient travel option.

Dates and prices

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. The primary form of transportation on this trip are scheduled local and intercity trains.
3. On day 5 of departures operating in April, we’ll be making a slight adjustment to how we reach the top of Mount Pilatus. The cogwheel train will be out of service seasonal maintenance and potential weather conditions and instead, we’ll enjoy a scenic cable car ride from the village of Kriens, offering stunning panoramic views along the way.
4.Please provide your date of birth at the time of booking so that we can secure train tickets for you.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Reviews

5 . 3 reviews
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Allan
Traveled July 2025
Margaret
Traveled July 2025
Patricia
Traveled July 2025
Paris to Rome by Rail
From
CHF  2,925