This 7-day train journey traverses 5 European nations and features a ride on the continent's highest railway.

Occasionally, a train adventure emerges that is truly remarkable — and if experiencing Europe’s highest railway while ringing in the New Year in Switzerland isn’t extraordinary, I don’t know what is. The “Interlaken and the Jungfrau Express at New Year” offered by Vacations By Rail is a guided week-long excursion by train through five countries during the New Year holiday. Travelers will enjoy a stunning ride on the Jungfrau Railway, the highest train station in Europe, a cable-car ascent to the pinnacle of the Bernese Alps, and five nights in a charming Swiss village. To top it off, there's a New Year’s Eve gala dinner with new friends in Interlaken, Switzerland.

The journey begins and concludes in London, offering seven days filled with train travel and breathtaking mountain vistas. Accommodation at four-star hotels is included, along with most meals.

The adventure begins in London, where travelers will board their first train: the Eurostar to Brussels, Belgium. After a transfer in Brussels, the journey continues to Cologne, Germany, where guests will check into their initial hotel and enjoy dinner.

The following morning, everyone will take a German train into Switzerland, traveling through the picturesque Rhine Gorge, famous for its towering mountains adorned with castles and fortresses. The journey culminates in Interlaken, Switzerland, nestled in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, surrounded by the majestic Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains.

Interlaken, a charming Swiss village situated between mountains and lakes, will be the group’s base for the next five nights. From here, participants will embark on smaller day excursions, including a train ride to the mountain village of Mürren, where a cable car transports travelers to the summit of Schilthorn Mountain, home to a revolving restaurant that was featured in the James Bond film, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service.'

Following a relaxing day in Interlaken, where travelers can independently explore the region's 45 mountain railways and aerial gondolas, the group will head to Grindelwald, a picturesque snowy village at the foot of the Eiger, before returning to Interlaken for a festive New Year’s Eve dinner.

On New Year’s Day, the adventure reaches its peak with a ride on the Jungfrau Railway, a legendary route that tunnels through the Eiger mountain and ascends to Jungfraujoch, a viewpoint at an impressive 11,332 feet above sea level — well above the snowline.

From the heights of Jungfraujoch, the tour continues by train to Basel and then on to Paris, where travelers will board their final train: the Eurostar back to London.

The journey takes place from December 27 or 28, 2023, to January 2 or 3, 2024. This week-long experience is currently priced at $2,595 per person, covering all rail travel, six nights of hotel accommodations, a professional tour guide, local guides, and 11 meals. Guests are responsible for booking their own flights to and from London and for arranging their airport transfers.