Day 1

Travel by Eurostar and ICE to Bregenz, beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Constance. Stay in a hotel close to the Old Town and the lakeside promenade, for example Hotel Messmer. During the Bregenz Festival, accommodation may be in Lindau, Friedrichshafen or Dornbirn instead.

Day 2

Enjoy a varied three-country excursion. Travel to Rheineck in Switzerland, then board the historic cogwheel railway to Walzenhausen, with panoramic views over Lake Constance. Continue by bus to Heiden and visit the Henry Dunant Museum, dedicated to the founder of the Red Cross and the first Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Descend on the Appenzeller cogwheel railway to Rorschach, using the open summer carriages when weather permits.

Continue by train along the lakeshore to Romanshorn and cross Lake Constance by ferry to Friedrichshafen in Germany. There is time to visit the Zeppelin Museum if you wish. Later, travel to Lindau Island to explore its picturesque harbour and historic centre before returning to Bregenz by train.

Day 3

Travel in around 90 minutes to Konstanz. Leave your luggage at the hotel before taking the ferry to the charming medieval town of Meersburg. Continue by bus to Unteruhldingen to visit the UNESCO-listed prehistoric pile dwellings. Afterwards, cross by boat to Mainau Island, famous for its Mediterranean gardens, extensive parkland, Baroque palace and butterfly house. Return to Konstanz by bus.

Stay in Konstanz, for example at the Steigenberger Inselhotel.

Day 4

Enjoy a scenic boat trip across the Obersee and along the Rhine to Stein am Rhein, one of Switzerland's most beautiful historic towns. Continue by boat to Schaffhausen and visit the spectacular Rhine Falls before returning to Konstanz by train.

Day 5

Enjoy one last stroll along the lakeside promenades before travelling through the Black Forest on the scenic Schwarzwaldbahn. Continue by ICE and Eurostar back to London or your preferred railway station in Great Britain.

8-day Rail Tour

Difference from the 5-day rail tour:

• 2 additional nights in Bregenz
• 1 additional night in Konstanz

Additional possibilities with the included Lake Constance transport pass:

• Day trip through the Bregenz Forest to Oberstaufen, returning by train.
• Walk from Walzenhausen to Heiden (approximately 1½ hours) along the famous Witzweg, a trail featuring traditional Swiss humour.