France & Switzerland by Rail: Paris to Zurich and Back (Self-Launched)
9 days · France & Switzerland
Europamundo charges £1,365
No-markup version: ~£820 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 9-day coach circuit from Paris through Burgundy, Lyon, Geneva, Zurich, Grindelwald and Strasbourg — rebuilt on trains, buses and boats. Same headline sights (Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Montmartre, Seine cruise, Fourvière, Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich, Grindelwald's glacier views, Lucerne, Strasbourg), but you book everything yourself: hostels and budget hotels instead of 4-star chains, public transport instead of a coach, and GetYourGuide or direct tickets instead of a tour guide. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP, assuming shared dorm or budget twin rooms and self-catering where sensible — Switzerland is the budget-killer, so we've kept Swiss nights lean. Note: this is a fast-paced route; if you have the flexibility, dropping one Swiss night for a second Lyon or Strasbourg night is the best value tweak.
Day-by-day
Arrive Paris — Left Bank orientation and Seine sunset
Paris, France
Land at CDG or Orly and take the RER B (~€11.80) or Orlybus into the city. Base yourself in a hostel in the 10th/11th/19th arrondissement — Generator Paris, St Christopher's Canal or The People Belleville are all solid solo-friendly picks with dorms around £28-38/night. Afternoon: walk the free Left Bank route — Notre-Dame exterior, Shakespeare & Company, Latin Quarter, then across to the Louvre courtyard (skip entry today, it's busy). Evening: grab a cheap crêpe or falafel in the Marais, then ride the Batobus or a one-hour evening Seine cruise (GetYourGuide, ~£14) as a low-cost alternative to the operator's €40 Paris-by-Night panoramic tour. If you want cabaret, Moulin Rouge direct tickets start around £110 — book early, it sells out.
🚌RER B from CDG ~£10 / Orlybus ~£9; metro t+ tickets €2.15 each
🛏Hostel dorm in central Paris (e.g. St Christopher's Canal or Generator Paris), £30-38
- →Self-guided Left Bank and Latin Quarter walk
- →Evening Seine river cruise (GetYourGuide ~£14)
- →Optional: Moulin Rouge show (direct booking ~£110)
Versailles by RER, then Montmartre at golden hour
Paris / Versailles, France
Do Versailles independently and cheaply: RER C from Champ de Mars or Saint-Michel to Versailles Château Rive Gauche (~€4.40 each way, 45 min), then a short walk to the palace. Book the Passport ticket direct on the Château de Versailles site (~£19-21, timed entry, cheaper off-peak) — or just walk the gardens free on non-fountain-show days. Allow 3-4 hours. Back in Paris by mid-afternoon, head to Montmartre: metro to Abbesses, up the funicular (one metro ticket covers it) or the stairs, Sacré-Cœur free entry, then the vineyard, Place du Tertre and the windmills. Sunset from the Sacré-Cœur steps is the best free view in Paris. Cheap dinner in Pigalle or a picnic from a fromagerie.
🚌RER C return to Versailles ~£8; metro day use ~£7
🛏Hostel dorm in central Paris, £30-38
- →Palace of Versailles self-guided visit (direct ticket ~£20, RER C transport)
- →Montmartre walk and Sacré-Cœur (free, funicular covered by metro ticket)
- →Sunset from Sacré-Cœur steps
Eiffel Tower second floor and a slow Seine afternoon
Paris, France
Book your Eiffel Tower second-floor ticket direct on toureiffel.paris roughly 60 days out — around £18-20 for lift access to the 2nd floor (stairs to 2nd floor is cheaper, ~£11). Go early; the first slots are calmest. Afterwards wander Rue Cler market for lunch supplies, then use the afternoon for the free stuff the coach tour skips: the Louvre's exterior and Tuileries, Musée d'Orsay if you're keen (~£14), or the Père Lachaise cemetery. In the evening, take a second short Seine ride on the Batobus hop-on day pass if you want more river time, or just sit on the Seine quays with a supermarket bottle of wine like a local. Pack tonight for an early train south.
🚌Metro ~£7
🛏Hostel dorm in central Paris, £30-38
- →Eiffel Tower 2nd floor (direct ticket ~£18)
- →Rue Cler market and Tuileries walk
- →Optional Musée d'Orsay ~£14
TGV to Lyon via Beaune — Fourvière and old Lyon
Beaune & Lyon, France
This is the day the coach tour crams Beaune, Lyon and Chambéry into one — you can do it better. Take an early TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Beaune (~1h40, book on SNCF Connect 2-3 months ahead for £20-30), drop your bag in a locker and walk the free Hospices de Beaune exterior and the ramparts, with a €10-15 wine tasting in a cellar. Mid-afternoon, regional train Beaune to Lyon Part-Dieu (~1h45, ~£13). Stay in a hostel or budget hotel near Part-Dieu or Croix-Rousse — Alter'Hostel or Ho36 are good solo picks (~£25-32 dorm). Evening: metro + funicular to Notre-Dame de Fourvière (free entry, one ticket covers the funicular), then walk down through Vieux Lyon's traboules — free, atmospheric, and far better than a coach window view. Dinner in a bouchon if you want to splurge (~£20-25), or a Croix-Rousse market picnic for £8.
🚌TGV Paris-Beaune ~£25; TER Beaune-Lyon ~£13; Lyon metro/funicular ~£4
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Lyon, £25-32
- →Beaune self-guided walk and cellar tasting (~£12)
- →Fourvière funicular and basilica (free)
- →Vieux Lyon traboules walk (free)
Lyon to Zurich via Geneva and Neuchâtel
Geneva, Neuchâtel & Zurich, Switzerland
A long but scenic transit day. Take a morning train Lyon to Geneva (~1h50, book early on SNCF for £18-28). Stash your bag at the station and walk Geneva's free highlights: the English Garden and the Jet d'Eau, the Old Town, and the Palace of Nations exterior (~30 min on foot or a tram). If you want a dip, Bains des Pâquis is a cheap lakeside swim and the best value lunch in town (~£10-12). Then take the IC train along Lake Neuchâtel to Neuchâtel (~1h10) — hop off for an hour or two to see the castle courtyard and lakeside, if timing allows — before continuing to Zurich (~1h40). Swiss rail is pricey: buy point-to-point supersaver tickets on sbb.ch (roughly £15-25 per leg, released ~60 days ahead) instead of a Swiss Travel Pass if you're only doing a couple of Swiss travel days. Base in Zurich: Zurich Youth Hostel or a budget hotel near the Hauptbahnhof / Oerlikon (~£35-45 dorm, £60+ budget room — Switzerland is expensive).
🚌Train Lyon-Geneva ~£22; Geneva-Neuchâtel-Zurich supersaver ~£35 total
🛏Zurich hostel dorm or budget hotel (e.g. Zurich Youth Hostel), £35-45
- →Geneva self-guided walk: Jet d'Eau, English Garden, Old Town, Palace of Nations
- →Optional swim and lunch at Bains des Pâquis (~£12)
- →Lakeside stop in Neuchâtel (castle and old town)
Zurich old town and a Lake Zurich boat to Rapperswil
Zurich & Rapperswil, Switzerland
Morning: self-guided Zurich old town walk — Bahnhofstrasse, Lindenhof viewpoint, Grossmünster and Fraumünster, and the Niederdorf lanes. Most of the churches ask a small entry fee (£3-5), the viewpoints are free. Then take the ZSG lake steamer from Bürkliplatz on a short-hop or day ticket (~£15-25 depending on route) down Lake Zurich and get off at Rapperswil — climb to the castle (free) and wander the medieval lanes, then take the S7 train back (~35 min, ~£10). Alternative: the 90-minute round-trip short cruise (~£12) then afternoon in Zurich's lakeside parks. Swiss food is brutal on budget — self-cater from Coop or Migros for lunch (£6-8) and cook or picnic in the evening to claw back cash.
🚌Lake boat ~£20; S7 train return ~£10; trams ~£5
🛏Zurich hostel dorm or budget hotel, £35-45
- →Zurich old town self-guided walk (Lindenhof, Grossmünster, Fraumünster)
- →Lake Zurich boat to Rapperswil (~£20)
- →Rapperswil castle and old town (free)
Grindelwald first cliff walk, Lucerne, back to Zurich
Grindelwald & Lucerne, Switzerland
Ride the train Zurich to Interlaken Ost then on to Grindelwald (~2h45, supersaver ~£30-40 return with careful booking). In Grindelwald, ride the Firstbahn gondola up to Grindelwald First (~£50 return, book on jungfrau.ch) and walk the free First Cliff Walk — the suspended bridge with Eiger glacier views. A cheaper alternative if the budget is tight: the Pfingstegg gondola (~£15) or just hike from the village on the free trails with the same valley views. Lunch: a mountain-hut rösti (~£15-18) — the tour's included 'mountain lunch' equivalent. Descend early afternoon, train to Lucerne (~2h, ~£20), walk the Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument and old walls before the light goes, then train back to Zurich (~50 min, ~£15). Note: the operator's €185 Mount Titlis add-on is roughly £160 — skip it unless you're desperate for snow, since First gives you glacier views for less.
🚌Zurich-Grindelwald return + Lucerne leg, ~£75-90 with supersaver tickets
🛏Zurich hostel dorm or budget hotel, £35-45
- →Grindelwald First gondola and First Cliff Walk (~£50, or free walking alternative)
- →Mountain lunch in Grindelwald (~£16)
- →Lucerne old town walk: Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument (free)
Zurich to Strasbourg, then evening TGV to Paris
Strasbourg, France
Take the morning train Zurich to Strasbourg via Basel (~2h15, book on sbb.ch/SNCF ~£25-35). Drop bags at the station lockers, then walk the free block: the cathedral (free entry, pay ~£4 to climb the tower for the best view), Petite France's half-timbered canals, the covered bridges and Place Kléber. Lunch: a tarte flambée at a winstub (~£10-12) — the cheapest great meal in the city. Mid-afternoon, take the TGV Strasbourg to Paris Gare de l'Est (~1h50, book 2-3 months out for £25-40). The coach tour arrives in Paris at 21:00; you'll land earlier and have a final evening. Check back into a Paris hostel in the 10th/11th; note the operator's own version doesn't include this night's hotel, and neither does this estimate explicitly — budget separately if you need it.
🚌Train Zurich-Strasbourg ~£30; TGV Strasbourg-Paris ~£32
🛏Paris hostel dorm (e.g. St Christopher's Canal), £30-38
- →Strasbourg cathedral and tower climb (~£4)
- →Petite France and covered bridges walk (free)
- →Tarte flambée lunch (~£11)
Final Paris morning and departure
Paris, France
Keep the morning light: a market breakfast in Bastille or Belleville, the Coulée verte (Promenade Plantée) elevated walk, or a last free wander through the Marais. If you haven't yet, the Louvre is worth 3 hours IF you pre-book a timed slot (~£19). Head to the airport with a 3-hour buffer — RER B to CDG ~£10, Orlybus ~£9. Trains and flights back-to-back are risky, so don't book anything tight on the same day.
🚌RER B to CDG ~£10 or Orlybus ~£9
🛏None included — book a final night if your flight is next day (£30-38)
- →Free morning walk: Promenade Plantée or Marais
- →Optional Louvre timed entry ~£19
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£820 | £1,365 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £545 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£820
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does France & Switzerland by Rail: Paris to Zurich and Back (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £820 per person for 9 days in France & Switzerland. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Europamundo?+
Yes — Europamundo charges around £1,365 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £820 — a saving of roughly £545 (40%) per person.
How long is the France & Switzerland trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through France & Switzerland.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through France & Switzerland, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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