Travel: A grand tour of Italy and Switzerland in the footsteps of Lord Byron
So there I was, starved of travel for two terrible pandemic years and desperate to see the world again. I had only traveled during the great plague of Britain, and even then I was prudent.
This year I wanted freedom and a summer full of adventures. I didn’t just want to sit by a pool in the Mediterranean Sea and relax with cocktails and books – I really wanted to see the world and most importantly, contribute to the Scottish economy if I could.
So I found the perfect solution: a grand tour around the Italian lakes and Swiss Alps – à la Lord Byron – with a local, tailor-made tour operator.
Rabbie’s from Edinburgh arranged me a six day trip, complete with personal driver and guide – and I had perhaps the best holiday of my life. The tour started in Milan, so we included a weekend in this beautiful, cool, renaissance city on either side of our vacation.
My wife and I were in the safe and charming hands of Christina our guide and Giancarlo our driver.
Both were effortlessly knowledgeable, great companions and – crucially – there to ensure a fairly complex journey through some of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes went smoothly. Planning? Not for me. That was her job. I just had to enjoy myself.
On the first day we drove to Lake Como. If you haven’t seen the Italian Lakes, they are stunning, framed by mountains and with water as clear as the sky is blue. We had lunch in the quaint little town of Lenno, then made our way to Lugano and rode the funicular up the mountainside to see the frescoes of the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli. We spent the night in Locarno, Switzerland, at the tip of Lake Maggiore.
The hotel was a gem – family owned, filled with unique local art and smart appliances, and with staff who would do just about anything for you.
We had some of the best meals of the tour here – osso buco with the local polenta, since we were in Italian-speaking Switzerland, and gnocchi with wild boar.
Half the fun of Switzerland is that one day you’ll find yourself in the French part and the next in German or Italian. So if you know a few languages and enjoy trying them out, that’s a match-sample linguist’s delight.
Day two and we are in Stresa. If you have ever been to Nice, you will immediately feel at home. It’s the Riviera in all its beauty. The highlight here was a boat trip to Isola Bella – a tiny island in the bay with its own medieval castle and elegant clipped gardens.
Keep an eye out for the creepy dolls in the castle cellar when you come here – they’re not to be missed for fans of the odd. For lunch, try a picnic in the pretty gardens of nearby Varese, home of playwright Dario Fo.
By the way, this tour was almost designed for literature lovers since almost every city on the itinerary is associated with an outstanding writer.
On the morning of the third day we drove over the Simplon Pass up into the Alps – a wild and rugged part of the world where Napoleon marched into Italy with his Grande Armée, as you can still tell by the statue of his imperial eagle perched on the rocks. This has been an important stopover for European travelers since the Stone Age.
On a perfect summer afternoon, we got off our bus and took the train to car-free Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn.
If a Hollywood producer asked for a postcard Swiss village, then Zermatt would be what the set designer would create. If you fancy an ice cream to cool off, watch out, though, as it comes with a double shot of schnapps, so I was a little tired on the drive to Lausanne.
We spent two nights in this elegant city on the shores of Lake Geneva in a rather posh hotel that served the best Negronis I’ve had since Milan.
The fourth day was probably the highlight of the trip for me. After a little visit to the artisans who make the famous cheese, we traveled to Gruyères, where the air smelled of thyme and lavender.
This city was even prettier, even more rustic than Zermatt. For fans of the odd, take a trip to the nearby HR Giger Museum, dedicated to modern-day Hieronymus Bosch, best known for designing the space monster in Ridley Scott’s Alien. Be warned – it really is for adults only.
Lunch that day was in glamorous Gstaad – home of the jet set. We went full Switzerland: Rösti with ham, fried egg and cheese, then raclette cheese, followed by cheese fondue (Switzerland really is for cheese freaks) and lots of wine. Swiss whites are a revelation. We need to start importing.
Later we explored Chillon Castle near Montreux. I hit full literary nerd mode when I found Lord Byron’s signature etched into the dungeon walls. The castle inspired one of his most famous poems, The Prisoner of Chillon.
The fifth day was a hymn to nature. We traveled to the towns of Lauterbrunnen and Murren at the top of Europe – where the Eiger touches the sky – and ate lunch overlooking glaciers before us and paragliders dangling in the sky hundreds of meters below our feet.
What we saw here was so beautiful that fellow travelers actually cried at the majesty of the mountains. I wasn’t too far behind if I’m honest. If I could I would live here forever.
We spent the night in Interlaken – a city literally between two lakes, nestled in the mountains.
Head into the old town here and sample some great traditional Swiss dishes while the milky rivers flow past your restaurant terrace, filled with the rich silt of glacial meltwater.
Finally, we traveled to the land of William Tell and the town of Aldorf – don’t miss the local cakes – and made our way through the hilly beauty of the Unesco Biosphere in Entlebuch before saying goodbye to pretty Bellinzona in the evening.
Then back to Milan for some time off before heading home. The adventure may be over, but the magic remains.
Travel Facts
RABBIE’S Travel started in 1993 as a one man outfit owned and managed by Robin Worsnop guiding adventurers around Scotland. Today the company is brimming with awards, has a fleet of almost 100 luxury coaches and operates across the UK and Ireland, as well as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.
Just this summer, Piper, the leading specialist investor in consumer brands, put a whopping £7million into Rabbie’s as it is a market leader in off-the-beaten-track tours.
Tours can take up to 16 people, but on our trip it was only seven, plus the guide and driver. Everyone had plenty of space and privacy. Make friends if you want, or keep to yourself. It depends on you.
Crucially, during these turbulent times for the travel industry, tours still depart when just one person books – so you’re guaranteed an unforgettable adventure. Find them here: https://www.rabbies.com/en