Walking the Trail of the Bernina Express

On an Adagio Plus holiday, there will be a greater emphasis on getting out into the countryside on half day walks leading to an afternoon sightseeing. The programme on these holidays will have a more active content. Although the walks will be on unchallenging terrain and at an undemanding pace, you will need to be able to walk for longer periods than on the standard Adagio holidays and, for the enjoyment of all in the group, be able to maintain a pace to walk with your fellow travellers.

We use a mix of privately hired vehicles, taxis, and public transport which gives us some flexibility in our itinerary. We have a wonderful programme of walking, sightseeing and visits planned to let you fully experience the area along with opportunities to relax at our wonderful hotel and enjoy your surroundings.

Local transport costs, entrance fees and tips to local providers are included in your holiday price. You may wish to budget for any meals and drinks not included in the holiday arrangements, non-included entrance fees and any optional excursions you may choose to participate in locally. A general guideline for lunches and drinks is £10-£20 per person per day.

All local transport costs in conjunction with the advertised activity programme are included in the holiday cost. There may be occasions where additional visits or excursions are added to enrich your experience, these will be paid for locally by you if you choose to participate. Local transport can be a mix of private hire coaches, taxis, local buses and ferries depending on the itinerary.

The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. The euro is widely accepted in Switzerland, however occasionally change may be given in Swiss Francs. ATMs are widely available in most towns and villages throughout Switzerland.

We include tips in the holiday cost and your Adagio Leader will take care of making sure tips are given to hotel and restaurant staff and to local guides and drivers.  If you feel that someone has gone out of their way to make your holiday enjoyable or help you in anyway, please feel free to give a personal tip to the person should you wish. If you are having an independent lunch or other service not included in the holiday arrangements, tipping is at your own discretion.

We believe that the best things come in small packages, and our Adagio holidays prove just that. We limit our groups to a maximum of 18 persons, plus the Adagio Leader, so that everyone has the opportunity to mix, share their love of travel and return home with new friendships. Small groups also have less detrimental local impact, allows us to use public transport on some days, eat at small local restaurants and, we believe, offers a better experience.

An Adagio Leader will accompany you throughout the holiday. They are all experienced travellers with a love for exploring and will help capture the true essence of the destination with their stories, knowledge and insights.  They are well-organised, pay great attention to detail and enjoy being with people.  They are there to help make your holiday as enjoyable and stress free as possible.

Your Adagio Leader will discuss the programme for the following day with the group at each evening briefing. This will be your opportunity to find out more details and ensure the planned activities suit your walking ability. Also, if you have any questions or concerns on clothing or lunch arrangements, this can be discussed then. If you wish to opt out of the organised group programme, this is fine, just let your Leader know.

Visiting historical sites, churches or museums are much more rewarding with a local guide. They give an insight to the local culture, language and traditions and can bring a destination alive. Many of our Adagio holidays include a knowledgeable English speaking guide on at least one of the days. Please refer to your daily itinerary to see where a guide is included.

We fly with British Airways from London Heathrow to Zurich airport and return. We also offer return flights from Manchester and Birmingham to Zurich Airport with Swiss. The flights duration is about two hours. Details of your baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days before departure. 

Our transfer from Zurich Airport to Chur is by rail and will take around 2 hours. The rail transfer on arrival will serve all flights, we apologise for those who may have to wait. There is at least one change of train on arrival and departure, and you will be responsible for your own luggage so we advise that you pack lightly. 

Your luggage will be transferred for you so you are not required to carry your luggage with you to each centre. Please ensure you have a day pack to carry any essential items that you will require throughout the day.

Land only package: This applies if you will be organising your own travel arrangements to Switzerland and travelling to the hotel independently to the rest of the Adagio group. You will still be entitled to receive your rail tickets. This enables you to travel by train between the airport and Chur. To obtain your tickets ahead of your holiday then please email Rebecca Allen at [email protected] at least 6 weeks ahead of departure and we can organise the delivery of your tickets. Please be aware that the tickets are not usually sent to the Adagio office until ten days prior to the departure date, so you will receive your tickets after this time. If you intend joining the party in Chur, we assume, unless you have advised us otherwise, that you will meet and leave the party at our hotel. If this is not your intention, please let us know in writing at least 6 weeks before departure. The leader will provide tickets for those travelling and transferring with the group at the airport on arrival.

During the week we’ll travel on foot, public buses, trains and cable cars.

If you wish to organise your own flights from either a non-UK or UK regional airport, or travel by rail or car to your holiday destination, 'land only' reductions are often available. If you choose to do this, before finalising any independent travel arrangements, please check with us first - especially if doing so 12 weeks or more before your intended date of travel. If you do intend to join your holiday locally please do tell us at least 14 weeks in advance.

If you are joining and leaving your holiday overseas we assume, unless you advise us otherwise, that you will join and leave the holiday at the hotel. Although airport/train station transfers are not included for those making their own independent travel arrangements, if you wish to join the group at the overseas airport/train station, depending on your flight/train arrival time, you may be able to be included on the group's transfer. Please contact us at least 5 weeks before departure for more details. 

Please note that your flight/train must arrive within 30 minutes of the group flight/train to be able to join the group transfer. We also need your flight/train number, arrival time and departure point so that your Adagio Leader is able to meet up with you.

When booking a flight or rail inclusive holiday with us, details of your travel arrangements and baggage allowance will be confirmed in your travel documents, sent to you approximately 10 days prior to departure.

Please ensure that the personal details we have on file for you are up to date and that you have provided the information we need to secure your holiday travel and accommodation arrangements. 

Please check your passport details, date of birth and any other important details necessary for us to accurately manage your holiday booking are correct at the time of booking (including health and dietry requirements). You can view and update information already provided, and add details not yet asked for, by using the Manage My Booking facility on our website www.adagio.co.uk, or by calling our Sales and Reservations team on +44 (0)1707 386700. When you receive your booking confirmation please check the details as soon as possible.

It is a good idea to carry photocopies of the personal details pages of your passport page (with your photo on). Should you lose your passport, this may assist with the issue of replacement documents and your return to your home country. Passport and visa requirements can change at any time. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you inform yourself from a professionally qualified source on, and comply with, such requirements. 

General travel and destination advice for UK nationals is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and at www.gov.uk/travelaware.

You should have at least 6 months validity left on your passport from your date of arrival.

If you renewed a 10 year passport before it expired, extra months may have been added to your passport’s expiry date. These extra months will not count, so you should ensure that your passport is not older than 9 years and 6 months from the date of issue at the time of travel.

You may wish to renew your passport sooner rather than later, in order to make sure you have it in time for your holiday or travel plans.

Please ensure to regularly check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for updates on passport requirements leading up to and after Brexit or contact us for more assistance. 

UK Government Brexit Information for Passports can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-Brexit.

The UK Government has published a website tool to check the validity of your passport under these rules  which can be found at www.passport.service.gov.uk/check-a-passport.

In the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK citizens will be able to visit the EU for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. The UK Government also has information for travellers available at gov.uk/EUexit

Non British Passport holders should consult the host country’s embassy for applicable passport and visa entry requirements.

All breakfasts are included in the price of the holiday and are taken at the hotels. We include 4 dinners in the price of the holiday, and these are also taken in the hotel’s restaurant.

The Hotel Chur’s restaurant serves organic seasonal cuisine with a selection of traditional and international dishes. A buffet breakfast is provided every morning with a selection of local produce, including fresh fruit, meats, cheeses, and homemade bread.

The Sporthotel serves organic and seasonal dishes from local producers. There are a number of dining options available at the hotel. Breakfast is usually taken in the Arkade and Roseg restaurant where a healthy buffet is served, including wholegrain breads, muesli and cereal.

The Hotel Croce Bianca’s restaurant serves a delicious buffet breakfast with fresh fruit, cold meats, cheese and homemade cakes.

We can expect delicious four course evening meals, sometimes with soup for starter and/or a salad buffet. Main courses are usually a choice of fish, meat, or vegetarian. Dessert usually consists of traditional delicacies or regional cheese specialities.

All hotels can cater very well for various dietary requirements and allergies so please advise us at the time of booking.

Three evening meals are not included in the price to allow self-exploration of the local cuisine and restaurants. With its Italian influence, pasta in parts of this region is usually cooked ‘al dente’, meaning ‘to the tooth’ in Italian. Pasta is cooked firmer to the bite, Italian style! 

We don’t include other lunches in the price of the holiday – normally these can be taken as a picnic or in a local café.

Comfortable, broken in, walking boots or shoes with a good sole are recommended for this holiday. Walking shoes or other comfortable footwear will be suitable for sightseeing days.

We recommend you bring the following items with you:

• Walking boots or shoes with a good sole and waterproof uppers. 
• Waterproof jacket and trousers. It does rain sometimes!
• A sunhat, fleece hat and gloves… to cover all weather eventualities.
• Sun cream. 
• Hand sanitiser
• Swimwear in case there is time for swimming if the hotel has a pool
• A water bottle.  (see Water-to-Go below)
• A picnic knife, fork and spoon, as required.
• A simple basic first aid kit.
• A daypack to hold all the above.
• Trekking poles (if you usually walk with poles)

An alternative to bottled water from single-use sealed water bottles is filtered water from a refillable bottle containing its own water filter such as a Water-to-go bottle available from www.watertogo.eu. Just fill up from any water source and save the environment from disposable plastic bottles.

We have negotiated an exclusive 15% discount with our partners Water-to-Go for you as a thank you for helping the environment. Please go to their website at www.watertogo.eu and enter the code RWH17 when ordering. In addition, Water-to-Go will match the discount with a donation to our charity, Heart & Sole, which will allow us to continue to make a difference in the countries you visit on our holidays.

To ensure your holiday gets off to a good start, please make sure that you bring the following documents and information with you:

• Passport (make sure it's yours and valid)
• Your travel tickets or e-ticket itinerary
• Any visa or electronic travel authorisation (if required)
• Holiday currency
• Credit or debit cards (and separate details of who to call if lost)
• Car parking ticket and car park directions (if prebooked)
• Coach or rail travel tickets (if prebooked)
• Your holiday Booking Confirmation document
• Your travel insurance details
• Alternative form of identification (such as a driving licence)
• Photocopy of the personal details pages of your passport
• A valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if relevant
• Details of any medical condition or allergy your holiday leader should know about

Electricity in Switzerland is supplied at 230 Volts. If you wish to use electrical equipment you will need a two prong round pin continental pug adapter which will fit into any three prong receptacle. More information can be found at www.power-plus-sockets.com.

Books:

Bernina Express by Bernina Express

Bernina Express by Conrad Ernst

Walder: Glacier – Express and Bernina Express

Switzerland by Rick Steve

Cicerone guide to Alpine Flowers. We like this pocket-sized book on the 230 Alpine flowers  you are most likely to come across on a holiday in the Alps. There’s a really interesting introduction to the properties flowers need to survive life at altitude and good clear photos with short descriptions arranged according to the predominant colour of the flower. Order it from Cicerone directly and quote code RAMBWH for a 25% discount.

Websites: 

The following websites include information about the Bernina express:

The Rhaetian Railway

My Swiss Alps

Eurail

World’s Most Beautiful Railway – The Bernina Express

Music:

Bernina Express by Swiss Mountain Music

TV:

Channel 5’s World’s Most Scenic Railway journeys: Season 1 Episode 6 - Switzerland

Mighty Trains Bernina Express: Season 3 Episode 6

BBC’s Great Continental Railway journeys: Series 1 Episode 4 – Switzerland

If you cannot find the maps or books locally we recommend:

The Map Shop
5 High Street
Upton upon Severn, Worcs
WR8 0HJ
England

Tel: 01684 593 146
Website: www.themapshop.co.uk
E-mail: [email protected]

If you key many of the local places mentioned in this holiday fact sheet into YouTube, you will find a vast array of spectacular footage of the area.

No compulsory immunisations are required for visits to Switzerland.

You should be up to date with the usual immunisations recommended in the UK.

You may wish to consider immunisations against Tetanus and Tick-borne Encephalitis.

For further advice please visit:

• The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) travel health website at www.travelhealthpro.org.uk
• The NHS 'Fit for travel' website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk
• The Foreign Office Travel Advice Website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
• Or a local travel health clinic.

You might wish to take a small bottle of antibacterial hand gel with you for times when you're unable to wash your hands.

Please make sure you are insured for guided walking. It is important that you bring your travel insurance documents with you on holiday, including your policy number and 24-hour assistance telephone number.

Please take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you; it will help you in the event of you needing medical assistance during your holiday. Please note that the EHIC has an expiry date, so please check that your card is valid for the duration of your holiday. Please note however the EHIC should not be considered a substitute for medical or travel insurance. 

For more information please visit ehic.org.uk.

We're committed to operating responsible tours in all our destinations as best we can. Our holidays are designed for you to discover the essence of the country you are visiting. Travelling in small groups not only gives you an up close and personal experience of your destination, but minimises your impact on the immediate environment. We feel that the most important starting point to protect the environment is to be out in it. For more details visit our website.

Unlike many tour operators we have our own trust through which RWH Travel Ltd’s (inc Adagio) profits are channelled back into a variety of outdoor, walking-related or environmental conservation projects in the UK. The focus of the Trust’s financial support is Britain’s leading walking charity, The Ramblers, and their role in promoting the benefits and importance of walking to the British public. 

In addition the Trust welcomes applications for small grants from local organisations in the UK who need support for walking-orientated activities. This includes the establishment of footpaths and bridleways, funding for rebuilding bridges and renovating huts, as well as bursary funding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for children who could not otherwise afford to do it. Please visit the ‘About Us’ section of our website and click on the Charitable Trust link for more details.

We appreciate that we are in a fortunate position to be able to use our profits to help make a difference to people's lives. Heart & Sole is a venture managed by our office staff, whose aim is to reach the heart of the communities in the countries we visit. Through Heart & Sole, we hope to make more of a long term, direct impact to these communities, particularly in less developed countries where even a small amount goes a long way.