France & Switzerland Tour Packages for 2025 & 2026

Most of our guests travel to France and Switzerland from the US by air, unless they are already traveling in a neighboring European country. There are direct flights from the US to many of the large cities in France and Switzerland, such as Paris, Geneva, and Zurich. We usually recommend getting an open-jaw ticket, which has you flying into the first city on your trip and out of the last. This will save much time and usually cost less when you factor in the cost of returning to the first city on your itinerary.

Starting in Paris, Geneva, or Zurich makes sense, depending on your route. 

It very much depends on your priorities. If you want to visit the most famous places in Switzerland and France, Lucerne, St. Moritz, Paris, Provence, and the French Riviera might be top of your list. If you’ve been to France before but not to Switzerland, we can arrange a trip combining lesser-known French destinations, such as Bayeux, Amboise, or Carcassonne, with Switzerland’s most popular destinations, such as Geneva, Zurich, and Lucerne. We can build an itinerary around anything on your must-see list.

Absolutely. That’s the whole point of working with a custom tour operator like us. We’ll work with you to tailor the perfect trip for you, so you can be sure you have enough time to see what you want without worrying about details like how to get to the train station or make advance reservations at a local restaurant. We take care of all of that.

Our tour packages are designed to make touring France and Switzerland effortless. From working with our travel advisors and expert trip planners to craft your ideal itinerary to the moment you get on the plane to return home, we will take care of everything. Your custom tour package will include accommodation, airport transfers, any kind of transportation between destinations, walking tours, day trips, and, most importantly, the support of our local staff in Europe. They’ll be in touch with you before your trip to finalize any details. Upon request, we can provide you with a local e-SIM so you can be in touch by phone, email, or instant message. It’s like having a tour director but still traveling independently.

Our France and Switzerland packages start from around $350 per person per day. The largest element is often accommodation, but any private full-day excursion can increase the cost, too. All our sample itineraries have a Price Guide function to give you an idea of the cost for different levels of accommodation, the month of travel, and the number of travelers.

No. As our tours are completely tailor-made to your needs and preferences, you choose the dates and specific destinations you want to visit. All our tours are completely customized and private, providing a much more personal experience. Every tour is a definite departure because it’s based on your travel dates. No worrying about whether your preferred departure meets a minimum number of guests to go ahead, then scrambling to find an alternative because your flights are already booked.

The best time of year for your trip to France and Switzerland will depend on what you want to do. Both countries can be great places to travel year-round. Keep in mind that locals tend to leave the cities in peak summer, heading for the coast or mountains. If you want to swim, you should travel between mid-June and the end of September. If you are more interested in sightseeing and avoiding the hottest time of year, mid-July and August could be too warm for you, while fall and spring would be ideal for visiting top-rated attractions or historical sites and delving into the local culture. For some destinations in Switzerland, like St. Moritz, the peak season coincides with the winter months, when winter sports enthusiasts flock to the Swiss Alps. Most cities in both countries experience another busy period with Christmas market visitors from late November until New Year’s.

We can arrange rental cars for all or part of the trip, but bear in mind that dropping off a rental in another country incurs high one-way fees. Your JayWay trip planner can arrange separate rentals where needed so you can avoid unnecessary expenses and have the freedom to get around by car when you need to. In France or Switzerland’s countryside, a car could be useful, and a scenic drive would add to your overall travel experience. Should your trip be mostly city-based, though, trains and private transfers will be a lot more convenient.

This is mostly a question of how many places you want to see. Each time you move to another destination, you’ll spend half a day traveling. For this reason, we recommend three nights in most destinations. Adding fewer destinations to your itinerary means less time and money spent moving between them and more leisure time, soaking up the atmosphere, and seeing the sights.

The quickest way to travel between France and Switzerland is by air. Flights between major tourist destinations in both countries are quick – maximum two hours – and relatively cheap thanks to several low-cost airlines providing service. To simplify your planning, we can include these intra-European flights in your vacation package. Alternatively, you can take it slow and move between the two countries by train. This way, not only will you travel comfortably, but also have the chance to experience the magic of Europe’s ever-changing scenery. There are several ride routes that connect France to Switzerland. For instance, the journey between Paris and Zurich by train takes about four hours. Our trip planners will ensure the best train tickets for your itinerary are included in your package. 

Unfortunately, no. The Euro is the currency of France, but not Switzerland. Although Switzerland is part of the European Economic Area, it is not a member of the EU and has its own currency, the Swiss Franc.

You don’t have to worry about group sizes as all our itineraries in the region are private, custom tour packages. We like to call this semi-independent travel. We make all the travel arrangements, from airport transfers, comfortable accommodation, excursions, and transport between cities. Unlike an escorted tour, you aren’t paying to have a tour guide, driver, or tour director the whole time, just when needed, so our packages are more affordable, too. That said, although our Switzerland and France tours are private, within your tour, we can include some shared experiences where you can meet fellow travelers and like-minded people. Some included activities that focus on the cultural aspect, like food tours, wine tastings, and cooking classes, are more fun when you join tours for small groups. A walking tour, on the other hand, is often better one-on-one, so you can ask questions even beyond the regular content of the tour.

Our travel experts have inspected all the best 3- to 5-star hotels across our destinations, with an emphasis on small, locally owned boutique properties in the city center as well as signature larger properties. During the planning process, we will give you a choice of hotels and available room options to choose from in a carefully selected range. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, let our trip planners know at the time of booking, and they’ll make sure you stay in a hotel room that will add to your unforgettable experience. You can choose your preferred room type or share with us any specific accommodations you have in mind, and we’ll take it from there.

To keep our tours affordable, you won’t have a tour manager with you the whole time. Instead, you will be looked after by a dedicated local representative for each country, who is available by phone, email, and messaging. You will meet a local expert tour guide for each of your excursions. Not at all. Our approach is to get the basics set first. To begin, we’ll set the dates and number of nights in each destination, your hotels, and how you’ll get between each city. In each destination, we recommend taking a guided tour with a local guide that will get you oriented and familiarize you with the city. Later, after this brief overview of the tour is ready, you can choose any optional tours according to your preferences.
To keep our tours affordable, you won’t have a tour manager with you the whole time. Instead, you will be looked after by a dedicated local representative for each country, who is available by phone, email, and messaging. You will meet a local expert tour guide for each of your excursions. 

Not at all. Our approach is to get the basics set first. To begin, we’ll set the dates and number of nights in each destination, your hotels, and how you’ll get between each city. In each destination, we recommend taking a guided tour with a local guide that will get you oriented and familiarize you with the city. Later, after this brief overview of the tour is ready, you can choose any optional tours according to your preferences.

Other than breakfast or meals that are part of an experience, like a food tour or cooking class, we don’t include meals, although for larger groups, we often arrange welcome or final night dinners, for example. Once you book, you will receive access to your Guest Page, which is packed with our curated recommendations for local restaurants you can enjoy during your custom trip.