Worldwide Rail Holidays 2023/24

Highlights of Germany in Summer –Steam in Berlin and the Harz Mountains

Monday 14th August to Thursday 24th August 2023

Enjoy a late summer holiday to Germany for relaxing river cruises, vintage transport in the vibrant capital Berlin and the famed steam trains of the Harz Mountains.

• Enjoy steam by land and water, as you first cruise on the river Havel in Potsdam aboard the vintage 1908 steamboat “Gustav”, then storm up Mount Brocken on the iconic 2-10-2 tank engines to the highest point in Northern Germany.

• Take a steam train journey at the Wulheide Park Railway in Berlin, travel on the heritage tramway in Woltersdorf and sample five different river cruises at scenic locations around the capital, including Berlin Mitte, Köpenick, Potsdam, Brandenburg and Szczecin, Poland.

• The short sidestep to Poland with a daytrip rail excursion to the historic port city of Szczecin (Stettin) with a cruise on the River Odra adds geographic variety to the holiday.

• This relaxed holiday takes place after the peak period of the German school holidays, when the Harz Mountains are less busy, but still have the most intensive ‘Plandampf’ steam timetable in operation.

• Spend 3 days in the Harz Mountains with an unlimited 3-day rover ticket, valid on all the famed “Plandampf” steam services.

Monday 14th August

London to Berlin by high-speed rail

With Eurostar and ICE services via Brussels and Cologne. Accommodation at a centrally located 4-star hotel in Berlin. Meet your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner in the hotel restaurant. (D)

Tuesday 15th August

Berlin Technical Museum, Time at leisure, Museum Island Sunset Cruise

After a leisurely breakfast, you collect your complimentary multi-day public transport rover ticket, which allows you full flexibility and individual travel in the city. You then visit the Technical Museum in western Berlin, which has one of the finest collections of old locomotives, aircraft, cars and stationary steam engines in Europe. The museum is built around an old freight yard and two former roundhouses. The guided excursion there will allow you to get familiar with Berlin’s layout and public transport network. Following the visit, you will have free time to discover the city at your own pace. In the evening you rejoin the group for a sunset dinner cruise with complimentary drinks on the River Spree in the city centre, passing all the major landmarks and the famed museum island on a vintage ship. (B D)

Wednesday 16th August

Woltersdorf heritage tramway and Köpenick cruise

Today you take an overground S-Bahn service to Woltersdorf, a charming village on the eastern edge of Berlin, which is noteworthy for its heritage tramway that leads to a small lake. You have a private charter tram ride on a classic tram dating from 1913, which unusually has no enclosed cabs, allowing the driver to stand on the open balcony. You visit the tram depot, before enjoying time at leisure in Berlin. You then depart on another evening dinner cruise, along the Eastside Gallery, Ostbahnhof, famed turret bridge at Warschauer Strasse to the

historic Köpenick District. (B D)

Thursday 17th August

Potsdam Palaces, vintage tramway and steamboat cruise in River Havel to the “Bridge of Spies”

This morning you have free time and the opportunity to see the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag or Checkpoint Charlie, all of which are in close proximity of your hotel. In the afternoon you take a DB double-deck train to nearby Potsdam for a vintage tramway ride through the historic Dutch Quarter, past the Russian Colony and famed old town gates. To cap the day, you once again enjoy a dinner and sunset cruise, travelling on the River Havel aboard the genuine tall-stacked steamboat “Gustav” from 1908. The scenic cruise will take you to the “Bridge of Spies”, where prisoner exchanges were made between East and West during the Cold War. You will also see the site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference, where Churchill, Stalin and Truman met. (B D)

Friday 18th August

Rail excursion to Szczecin Poland, private charter cruise on River Odra, sightseeing by vintage tramway

Today you add some international flair to the holiday, by making the railway trip from Berlin north-east to the historic Baltic port city of Szczecin in Poland. This will allow you to sample Polish railways, see the city’s historic old town on a privately chartered tramway, before making a private harbor cruise on the River Odra, seeing all of the city’s principal landmarks and expansive port facilities from the water. In the early evening you return to Berlin by service train. (B L)

Saturday 19th August

Steam at the Wulheide Park Railway and leisure in Berlin

In the southeast of Berlin, the Wulheide district features one of the largest park railways in Germany, built with 600 m gauge. For today’s steam running, you visit the railway and travel over the full length of the network. Like other cities in Central or Eastern Europe, the railway’s stations are operated by Children, under the supervision of adults. Following this delightful steam excursion, you have a final evening to make the most of Berlin and all that Germany’s vibrant capital has to offer. (B)

Sunday 20th August

Brandenburg River Cruise, arrival to Wernigerode and the Harz Mountains

Today the time has come to transfer from the city to the countryside, as you make your way to the Harz Mountains and the charming town of Wernigerode. While your luggage is directly transferred and forwarded to the next hotel by coach, you travel by rail and pause along the way in the historic city of Brandenburg for a lunch time cruise on the River Havel. You then continue by rail via Magdeburg and Halberstadt to the beautiful town of Wernigerode, famed for its well preserved old town, rows of colorful timber-framed houses and impressive hilltop castle. Dinner will be served at the hotel, after arrival (B L D)

Monday 21st to

Wednesday 23rd August

Steam, nature and culture in the Harz Mountains

For the next 3 days you are free to enjoy maximum steam, natural beauty and cultural heritage in the unique setting that is the Harz Mountains. You will have a 3-day unlimited rover ticket, allowing you to travel on all steam services in the Selke Valley and to Mount Brocken. Best of all, standard gauge transfer tickets from Quedlinburg to Wernigerode are also included. Storm to the summit of Mount Brocken as often as you like, enjoy trainspotting and railway photography at the Wernigerode yard with unique observation tower or storm over the steep embankments from Gernrode to Alexisbad. Your Tour Manager will be pleased to advise you of all the timetabled services and best connections, so you can maximize steam or individualize the excursions to best suit your taste. Every evening, dinner will be included back at the hotel in Wernigerode. (B D)

Thursday 24th August

Return to London by high speed rail

The time has come to return to London. You first have a direct and fast coach transfer from Wernigerode to Hannover Hbf, where you board an ICE service westbound to Cologne. From there you continue by high speed train via Brussels to London St. Pancras. (B)

Tour Summary

First Class £2275

Standard Class £1975

Single supplement £295

Ground only £1775 (Berlin – Wernigerode) Transfer to Hannover Hbf is also available.

Price includes:

• High Speed train travel from London to Berlin and from Hannover to London

• 10 nights accommodation with Breakfast at 4-star hotels in Berlin and Wernigerode

• 8 dinners and 2 Lunches

• All specially chartered steam trains, rail journeys and boat cruises as detailed in the itinerary

• All seat reservations and transfers

• Public transport rover tickets

• The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing.

Please be advised that First Class travel will be allocated in Standard Premier carriages on Eurostar services.

Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner August 2023