Autumn in Alsace 10

Sunday 9th October Steam on the Thur Doller Railway; visit to the vineyard town of Eguisheim Today you visit the enchanting Train Thur Doller Alsace, which operates a 13 km (8 mile) long standard-gauge branch line from Cernay to Sentheim, along the foothills of the Vosges Mountains and crossing the River Doller. The railway features a rake of authentic photogenic coaches dating from the late 19th century. A powerful early 20th century steam tank locomotive hauls you over this preserved line on a privately chartered train at a time when there is no regular traffic, so numerous run pasts can be staged. A typically French buffet lunch will be served at the station building in Burnhaupt, where you’ll visit the shed and see the railway’s extensive collection of historic rolling stock. At the end of the return journey you travel by road coach to Colmar via the ‘Alsatian Wine Route’, stopping for a visit to the delightful little village of Eguisheim, one of the most famous vineyard towns in France, before returning to dine with fellow travellers at your hotel. (B L D)

Monday 10th October Steam in the Black Forest of Germany; visit to historic Freiburg The German theme continues today as you visit the Kandertalbahn, located on the very tip of Southern Germany, near Basel. This 12.9 km (8 mile) long branch line runs through rural scenery in the Kander Valley. Your train comprises an early 20th century German steam tank locomotive with matching period carriages, and a buffet lunch of regional delicacies will be served when you reach the end of the line at Kandern. There will be plenty of photo opportunities until you return to Colmar by road coach later, stopping to visit the historic city of Freiburg im Breisgau, a German city noted for its medieval university and cathedral. (B L)

Tuesday 11th October Museums and trams in Mulhouse Today you travel by train to Mulhouse, famous for its outstanding museums, especially the ‘Cité du Train’ and ‘Cité de l’Automobile’, respectively the largest railway and automobile museums in Europe. You’ll receive a rover ticket for the city’s urban tram network, which you’ll use to travel to the ‘Cité du Train’, the national railway museum of France and one of the largest and most amazing collections of technically unique steam locomotives in the world. The vast collection of classic cars in the nearby ‘Cité de l’Automobile’ is also worth a visit. The remainder of your time in Mulhouse will be free to explore its medieval city centre, with both French and Swiss architecture, the pedestrianised Place de la Réunion main square, and St. Stephen’s church. In the evening you return to Colmar by service train. (B)

Wednesday 12th October Steam at the Abreschviller Forest Railway Today you make a side-step from Alsace and visit nearby Lorraine. At Abreschviller you will find a remarkable ‘hidden gem’ in the form of the local forest railway, which operates steam locomotives on the unusual 700 mm gauge. You are comfortably accommodated on the railway’s ‘Belle Epoque’ luxury coach and hauled by a 0-4-4-0T Mallet type steam locomotive dating from 1906. Running through dense forests and crossing the Red Saar River, the train will pause for photos and run-pasts near the village of Grand Soldat. At the terminus of the line, you will also see an old saw mill. Once back in Abreschviller, you still have time to visit the local steam shed and see the other stored steam locomotives, before returning to Colmar. In the evening you have a farewell dinner at the hotel. (B L D)

Thursday 13th October Colmar to London You say a fond ‘au revoir’ to Alsace today and return to Paris by TGV express train. You transfer from Paris Gare de l´Est to Gare du Nord and board a Eurostar service to London St. Pancras International. (B)

Tour Summary

First Class £1995 Includes First Class on Eurostar, TGV and other SNCF service trains.

Standard Class £1695 Includes Standard Class/Second Class on Eurostar, TGV and other SNCF service trains.

Single supplement £225 Ground only £1575 (Colmar – Colmar)

Price includes:

• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast • 5 lunches and 2 dinners • All specially chartered steam trains as detailed in the itinerary • All rail, road, tram and boat trips as detailed in the itinerary • All visits as detailed in the itinerary • Rail travel from London to Colmar and back • Rover ticket for the Mulhouse urban tram network • All seat reservations and transfers • The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing. Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

October 2022

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6

Highlights of Switzerland in Autumn

Thursday 13th October to Wednesday 19th October 2022

Enjoy the very best of spectacular Alpine railways in Switzerland, France and Italy, while relaxing on historic steamboats in the Bernese Oberland, for an enchanting holiday by land and lake. • Experience Alpine splendour during the most colourful time of the year, when nature puts on its best clothes. • Enjoy an epic line-up of world famous panoramic railways, including the Glacier Express route to Zermatt, the Gornergrat rack railway to the Matterhorn, the Schöllenen Gorge to Andermatt, the Lötschberg summit route to the Bernese

Oberland, the Centovalli narrow gauge in Northern Italy and the brand-new ‘Treno Gottardo’ over the original Gotthard summit route from 1882. • Cruise on beautiful Lake Thun for a private charter on the venerable steamboat ‘Spiez’ from 1901, Switzerland’s largest as well as oldest screw steamer, which only just returned to service in 2020 after more than a half century out of steam. • Make the most of your 4-Day Swiss Travel Pass in First Class, allowing you flexible mobility during the tour and time for individual rail discoveries on a full free day. • The tour benefits from a relaxed pace, First Class rail travel and just one convenient base in Brig, at the typically Swiss

Hotel Victoria opposite the station.

Thursday 13th October London to Brig You travel from London St Pancras International to Brig via Paris and Geneva, using Eurostar and TGV high speed services. You arrive to Brig in the evening and check into the 3-star Hotel Victoria, which is conveniently located opposite the railway station. A welcome dinner is served at the hotel. (D)

Friday 14th October Mountain Railways to Saint Bernard Pass; Alpine splendour in Verbier After breakfast you take an SBB service train through the scenic Rhone Valley and past the two fortresses at Sion, before reaching the junction station Martigny. There one of Switzerland’s “best kept secrets” waits for you, as you discover the stunning standard gauge branch lines towards the famed Saint Bernard Pass. You travel by train through pristine landscapes on both branch lines to Orsieres and Le Chable, before taking the direct cableway from the Le Chable terminus to the famed mountain village of Verbier. This is one of Switzerland’s most enchanting and best preserved chalet villages, located at a sunny perch high above the valley, offering superb views in multiple directions. After lunch in Verbier you return to Martigny and Brig by train, with time for a break in Sion to see the historic old town and mountain top fortresses. (B L D) Saturday 15th October Lötschberg Summit Route, Mountain Magnificence in the Bernese Oberland and private steamboat cruise on Lake Thun

This morning you take a BLS service train over the spectacular Lötschberg summit route, which first opened in 1913. Travelling via Kandersteg and Frutigen, you enjoy one of the most breathtaking main line railway journeys in Switzerland before reaching the historic city of Thun. There you board the tall-stacked screw steamer ‘Spiez’, the largest such steamboat in Switzerland. This Sulzer-built icon dates from 1901 but was dieselized in the 1950s. After a lengthy overhaul, the ship has been equipped with a brand-new, Swiss-built, V-shaped steam