Steam and Christmas Markets in Saxony and Silesia 16

Sunday 4th December Steam at the Lössnitz Railway, Dresden Christmas Market; Arrival to Görlitz After breakfast you join a DB service train to Radebeul and visit the famed Radebeul to Radeburg steam railway. You’ll travel the full length of the line, passing through terraced vineyards and tranquil ponds, steaming beyond the famed Moritzburg Castle to Radeburg. After returning to Radebeul, you continue by service train to Dresden for a visit to the city’s famous Christmas Market. You’ll have free time to look around Dresden’s enchanting old town before taking a service train to the beautiful city of Görlitz. Located right on the Polish border and known as “Görliwood”, due to it being the site of many major film productions, Görlitz boast stunning historic architecture. You stay at an elegant 4-star hotel near the station for the rest of the tour and enjoy a welcome dinner on arrival. (B D)

Monday 5th December Steam at the Muskau Forest Railway and Pückler Park Visit; Trams and Culture in Görlitz

Today an exciting private steam charter trip awaits you on the 600mm gauge Muskau Forest Railway, covering the two scenic branch lines from Weisswasser to Bad Muskau and Kromlau. Your steam special then arrives at the spa town of Bad Muskau, with its charming local chateau and the enchanting UNESCO World Heritage Pückler Park, a beautiful 19th century English landscape garden spanning both sides of the German-Polish border. There’ll be time to enjoy the chateau and gardens and also stroll across the River Neisse to Poland. Light refreshments will be provided on the train. You return back to Görlitz to visit the local Christmas Market or ride the Tarta vehicles on the local tram network using your complimentary rover ticket. Dinner will be served at your hotel. (B L D)

Tuesday 6th December Main line steam in the Giant Mountains of North Bohemia After breakfast you take a service train from Görlitz via Zittau to Liberec in the Czech Republic. This train journey is scenic and exciting, as the tracks pass through Poland no less than three times, traversing some stunning river viaducts. After arrival in Liberec, referred to as “Czech Innsbruck” you board your private charter steam train for an enchanting journey through the rural landscape of the Giant Mountains. Highlights along the way to Tanvald, include the curved stone-arched viaduct at Smrzovka. Your train will be hauled by the rugged 0-6-0 tank engine 310.0134 dating from 1913. After your steam-hauled roundtrip there is time to visit the town centre of Liberec, with its landmark city hall, modelled after the Rathaus in Vienna. In the late afternoon you return back to Görlitz for dinner at the hotel. (B L D)

Wednesday 7th December Steam and natural splendour in Zittau Another narrow-gauge highlight awaits today on the Zittau steam railway in Saxony, in the south eastern corner of Germany along the frontier with Poland and the Czech Republic. From Zittau the 12.2 km branch line proceeds to the resort town of Kurort Oybin, sited among picturesque hills and impressive rock formations. Enjoy a steeply graded, 3.8 km long stub from the junction station of Bertsdorf to Kurort Jonsdorf. After traveling over the entire Zittau network behind an impressive 2-10-2 tank engine, you have time to visit the Old Town of Zittau. Here you travel by service train over the scenic main line passing through Poland on its return to Gorlitz. Dinner is once again in the hotel restaurant. (B L D)

Thursday 8th December Polish main line steam around Wroclaw; city sightseeing and Christmas Market

Today’s programme adds an international flavour to your holiday. First you take a Polish service train From Görlitz/Zgorzelec on the newly electrified main line to Wroclaw Glowny. There a private steam charter awaits you, hauled by a historic 0-6-0 tank engine. The unique spectacle of a small engine running on the main line with four-wheeled coaches provides excitement, as you cross over the River Odra and view the city’s spires from your compartment window. After refreshments back at Glowny station, you take a privately chartered tram for a sightseeing tour of the city, travelling over the landmark bridges and little river islands for which Wroclaw is known as the ‘Venice of Poland’. The tram tour concludes near the main market square, where you can then sample the local Christmas Market. You return to Görlitz by service train and enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travellers. (B D)

Friday 9th December Return to London You return to London from Görlitz via Dresden Neustadt by rail, westward to Cologne and Brussel. (B)

Tour Summary

First Class £2145 Standard Class £1965 Single supplement £245 Ground only £1795 (Leipzig – Gorlitz)

Price includes:

• 8 nights’ accommodation with breakfast at 4-star Hotels in Leipzig and Gorlitz • 4 lunches and 7 dinners • First or Standard Class travel from

London St Pancras to Leipzig and from

Gorlitz to London • All seat reservations and transfers • Private charters as detailed in the itinerary • 3 day rover ticket • 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

December 2022

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Christmas and New Year in the Swiss and Italian Alps

Wednesday 21st December to Sunday 1st January 2023

Make it a Christmas and New Year to remember as you spend the holiday in a genuine Winter Wonderland, surrounded by the snow-capped Swiss Alps and enchanting Italian lakes. • The tour includes a 15-Day Swiss Pass rail rover in First Class as well the extra journey on the world famous mountain railway to the Gornergrat, where you will see glaciers, the Matterhorn and unrivalled high altitude landscapes. • Celebrate Christmas Day in style with a festive steamboat cruise with a refined 4-course dinner on Lake Lucerne. • Additional paddle steamer cruises on Lake Thun and Lake Geneva are possible with the Swiss Pass. • Make the most of your First Class Swiss Pass on 6 free days of the tour for individual discovery of the countless mountain railways, such as the Golden Pass, Glacier Express route and many more. • Enjoy the best of Northern Italy during a trip on the iconic Centovalli narrow gauge railway through 100 valleys from

Domodossola to Locarno, then relax in the Italianate towns of the Swiss Ticino. • This tour is running on a half-board basis, with breakfast and dinner included every day at your centrally located, quality hotels in the mountainous towns of Brig and Lugano, thus providing excellent value and ideal comfort.

Wednesday 21st December London to Brig by high speed rail You travel from London to Brig via Paris on Eurostar and TGV services. On arrival you check in to the 3-star Hotel Victoria, located directly across the street from the railway station. A welcome dinner will be served at the hotel this evening. (D)

Thursday 22nd December Along the Glacier Express route to Zermatt, Gornergrat rack railway and Matterhorn

Your tour starts with a real highlight as you take the scenic narrow gauge railway to Zermatt, following along the route of the famed Glacier Express. Then you transfer to the Gornergrat Railway, ascending to 3089 metres. It’s Europe’s second highest railway, eclipsed only by the Jungfrau. From this high Alpine summit, enjoy 360-degree views of the surrounding glaciers and a front view of the Matterhorn. After refreshments at Gornergrat you can descend back down to Zermatt, with ample time to explore the car-free village centre that is lined by typical Swiss chalets. This initial group excursion will allow you to get familiar with the Swiss railway system, giving you useful insights on how to best use your Swiss Pass for individual trips on successive days. In the afternoon, there is still free time for individual discovery, before dinner back at the hotel in Brig. (B D) Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th December Freedom of Switzerland with your First Class Swiss Travel Pass Today is the third day of validity for your 15-Day First Class rail rover. This allows you to travel anywhere in Switzerland on the extensive network of standard gauge and narrow-gauge railways, and includes travel on buses, trams, ferries and some mountain railways. The choice of where to go is yours, with highlights ranging from world-famous panoramic railways to ‘best kept secrets’ in the hinterland. Discover for yourself why Switzerland is so much fun to explore by public transport, with frequent, clockwork connections and easy, seamless interchange at all stations.