Steam and Christmas Markets in Germany

Thursday 30th November to Friday 8th December 2023

Discover the festive splendour of Christmas Markets in Germany, including the romantic Rhineland and enchanting Harz Mountains. Enjoy a unique steam holiday exploring historic towns and cities in a Winter Wonderland landscape.

• This all-new winter tour is based in the vibrant city of Bonn and the picturesque town of Wernigerode. It offers travel refinement and a relaxed holiday experience for the seasoned traveller or Christmas Market newcomer alike.

• You’ll steam on different gauges, while sightseeing historic cathedral cities and rural landscapes.

• Enjoy a ride on the Drachenfels rack railway above the River Rhine, cruise in Frankfurt on the River Main as the city and its stunning skyline sparkle for nocturnal illumination and experience the large steam locomotive collection at the Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum.

• A private charter on the metre gauge Brohltalbahn with its giant, green Malle steam locomotive is a special railway highlight.

• In the Harz Mountains you can experience steam to the summit of Mount Brocken as often as you like, with a complimentary network rover ticket.

Thursday 30th November

London to Bonn by rail

Travel from London to Bonn by Eurostar and high speed rail. Arrive Bonn by late afternoon, in time to enjoy a mug of mulled wine and sample the culinary delights of the local Christmas Market, right next to the landmark cathedral. You are based here for the next 4 nights.

Friday 1st December

Steam in the Rhineland with giant Mallet at the Brohltalbahn and Bonn Christmas Market

Today you sample the famed ‘Vulcan Express’ on the Brohltbahn heritage railway, which runs for 18 km from Brohl to Engeln in the heart of the beautiful Rhineland. The star attraction is the mighty 0-4-4-0 Mallet tank engine No. 11, which will haul your privately chartered steam train and along the way pause for run-pasts. Coffee, cake and mulled wine will be served on the train. On the return to Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, you are free to enjoy the local Christmas Market, which is near the main station and attractively framed by the impressive cathedral. Here you may once again embark on a culinary journey of discovery and sample typical festive fare. (B)

Saturday 2nd December

Steam in Frankfurt and River Main

Illuminations Cruise

After breakfast you take a DB ICE on the high speed line directly to Frankfurt am Main. You then transfer to the local steam railway at the Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum by tramway.

This delightful narrow gauge railway has one of the largest 600 mm gauge (two foot) steam locomotive collections in Europe and also runs through a charming park. You will have a private steam charter, which will include numerous run-pasts and photo stops, skillfully organized by the volunteer crew. In the afternoon you venture to the Old Town of Frankfurt where you enjoy refreshments at the city’s famous Christmas Market. Then, as the nocturnal illuminations commence, you enjoy a sightseeing cruise on the River Main, taking in the spectacular scenery of Germany’s tallest skyline. The cruise includes complimentary mulled wine, beer and other nonalcoholic beverages. In the evening you return to Bonn on the high speed line by ICE. (B)

Sunday 3rd December

At leisure in Bonn and Drachenfels scenic rack railway

You may use the tranquil hours of Sunday morning to sightsee in Bonn or use your complimentary public transport ticket to travel on the city’s extensive tramway network. In the afternoon you take a service train to Königswinter to ride the famed Drachenfels (Dragon’s Rock) rack railway high above the River Rhine. This impressively engineered line is just one of four rack railways in Germany. Originally opened in 1883, the Drachenfelsbahn is only operated by vintage electric trains and from the top offers sweeping views of the Rhineland. You return to Bonn in the late afternoon with more time for leisure and discovery in the city. (B)

Monday 4th December

Steam at Mühlenstroth, arrival in the Harz Mountains

The time has come to leave the Rhineland and head east to the Harz Mountains in Central Germany. You take a DB ICE from Köln Hbf to Bielefeld, where a private coach picks you up for the short transfer to Mühlenstroth railway, where you will enjoy a private steam charter on the preserved 600 mm railway. Cared for by dedicated volunteers, this railway boasts a formidable collection of impressive tank engines. During your private steam charter there, numerous run-pasts and photo stops will be staged. Then return by coach to Bielefeld for a visit to the local Christmas Market, with a chance for mid-day refreshments. From Bielefeld you proceed directly to Wernigerode, arriving there in the early evening. After a hearty dinner at the hotel, you are free to wander to the formidable Wernigerode steam shed for night-time observation of the steam locomotives simmering outside, making great use of the attractive viewing tower. (B D)

Tuesday 5th December to Thursday 7th December Steam and leisure in the Harz Mountains

For the next three days you are free to make the most of your complimentary HSB rover ticket, which will allow you to travel the length of Germany’s largest narrow gauge railway network. Enjoy unlimited steam in the snow to the summit of Mount Brocken, an experience that never gets old, or ride on the long trunk line to Eisfelder Talmühle. On one of these days you are also free to use your 5-day Interrail pass and could take advantage of it to reach the attractive nearby towns of Goslar, Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, Magdeburg or Halle by standard gauge train. These destinations are steeped in history, feature rows of timber-framed buildings as well as other impressive sights in attractively pedestrianised town centres. The choice is yours and your Tour Manager will be happy to advise you of the connections. Each evening a hotel dinner is included. (B D)

Friday 8th December Return to London

In the morning you have a comfortable and convenient coach transfer from Wernigerode to Hannover, where you board DB ICE to Cologne. From there you continue by high speed rail to Brussels, where you connect on to Eurostar back to London. (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £2195

Single supplement £225

Ground only £1945 (Bonn – Wernigerode)

Price includes:

• First Class travel from London to Bonn and from Wernigerode to London

• 8 Nights accommodation, 4 nights in Bonn and 4 Nights in Wernigerode

• 8 Breakfasts and 4 Dinners

• HSB 3-day network rover

• 5-Day First Class Global Pass with one free day to use during your stay in the Harz Mountains

• Private charter steam trains as per program

• River Main illuminations cruise

• 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

Christmas and New Year in the Swiss and Italian Alps

Friday 22nd December 2023 to Tuesday 2nd January 2024

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 Bellinzona, thus providing excellent value and ideal comfort.

Friday 22nd 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)

Saturday 23rd 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)

Sunday 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 worldfamous 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. Your Tour Manager will be happy to advise you about attractive options and specific connections.

Monday 25th December

Festive Lake Lucerne steamboat cruise with Christmas lunch

For Christmas Day, the memorable highlight is a gala cruise on the vintage 1901 paddle steamer ‘Uri’. A festive 4-course Christmas meal will be served to you in the ornate Belle Epoque salon of the ship, as you cruise over stunning Lake Lucerne with Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi in full view. Watch the big steam engine push the bright red paddle wheels, as the steamer gently glides over the water. After the cruise, you’ll have free time in Lucerne to explore this elegant city. Then you could use your Swiss Pass to travel back to Bern and Brig on a different railway route than in the morning, either travelling through the Emmental or over the Brünig Pass. In the evening, a light dinner will be served at the hotel. (B L D)

Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th December

Freedom of Switzerland with First Class Swiss Travel Pass

For the next three days you have total freedom to discover all that Switzerland has to offer. Aside from attractions like the nearby Bernese Oberland or Lake Geneva, you can explore the less-famous railway lines in the serene Gruyere region or make a side-step to Chamonix, France on the Mont Blanc Express, all offering iconic ‘little trains’, towering viaducts and mountain views. Excursions over the Oberalp Pass to the Rhaetian Railway are also possible. Each night, dinner is served at the hotel in Brig. (B D)

Friday 29th December

Mountain magnificence in the Bernese Oberland

Today you may join your Tour Manager for a guided excursion to the world famous Bernese Oberland. After arriving to Interlaken by SBB service, you can explore the countless ‘Little Trains’ of the region and travel by scenic train to such famed mountain villages as Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren, where you will be rewarded with the most amazing views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. In case you would like to follow in the footsteps of James Bond, you can make the optional excursion to the summit of Mount Schilthorn, the filming location of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. (B D)

Saturday 30th December

Journey on the Centovalli Railway in Northern Italy, Lake Maggiore in Locarno and Ascona; Arrive in Lugano

The time has come to venture further south to Italy as well as Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. While your luggage is directly forwarded by SBB’s excellent transfer service from hotel to hotel, you take a direct EuroCity train along the legendary Simplon Railway south to Italy. You change trains in Domodossola and then take the stunning Centovalli narrow gauge railway past 100 valleys and over numerous towering viaducts to Locarno. After ample time to explore Mediterranean Locarno with its spacious piazza and a side-step to the adjacent lakeside village of Ascona, you take an SBB train to nearby Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian speaking canton. Check-in to your centrally located hotel, where you will stay for the next three nights. On arrival, dinner is served in the hotel restaurant. (B D)

Sunday 31st December and Monday 1st January

Railways and Funiculars of Ticino; along the Gotthard Railway and Swiss Riviera in Locarno and Lugano

The mountain railways of Ticino are particularly exciting, as are the lakeside cities of Locarno and Lugano with their Mediterranean flair. For all railway enthusiasts, the busy border station of Chiasso is also a must. You first make a group visit to the Madonna del Sasso funicular, for spectacular views from this Italianate basilica high above Locarno. Then you are free to travel the length of breath of the Ticino railway network for the next two days, including the Gotthard summit route with its winding horseshoe curves, the Ponte Tresa narrow gauge railway or the main line along Lake Lugano towards Italy. You could even make good use of the 57 km long Gotthard base tunnel and make an easy day-trip to the Mount Rigi rack railway at Arth-Goldau. On both evenings you have dinner at the hotel in Lugano. On New Year’s, complimentary drinks are included with your dinner to celebrate the New Year. (B D)

Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Return to London

After your exhilarating Christmas holiday you return to London via Paris by TGV and Eurostar services. (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £2695

Single supplement £245

Ground only £2400 (Brig – Lugano)

Optional Schilthorn excursion £45

Price includes:

• 11 nights half board at centrally located quality hotels (opposite the station) in Brig and Lugano

• First Class rail travel from London to Switzerland and back (seats are reserved in standard premier carriages on Eurostar services)

• A 15-Day Swiss Travel Pass national rail rover in First Class

• Gornergrat mountain railway excursion

• Festive Lake Lucerne Christmas Day Cruise with 4-course meal

• SBB luggage transfer from Brig to Lugano

• Train tickets in Italy for excursion on Centovalli Railway

• New Year’s Eve 3–course dinner with drinks included

• All seat reservations and transfers (except on free days)

• 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 2023 – January 2024