Rail and Fjords of Norway 26

fjords. Sights of note include the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site the fish market, busy quayside, and the home of Edvard Grieg. Alternatively, you can take the famous funicular railway to the top of Mount Fløien for panoramic views over the city and out to sea. Bergen will be your base for the next three nights. Dinner is not included this evening giving you the opportunity to try one of Bergen’s excellent restaurants. (B)

Wednesday 12th July Cruise on Sognefjord and Riding the Flåm Railway Bergen is the gateway to the fjords and today you board a ship for a cruise along the Sognefjord to Balestrand and Flam. Sognefjord is Norway’s largest fjord and the second longest in the world at over 200 km (127 miles). Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water and pretty villages cling to the steep sides. You arrive at Flåm for lunch ashore, before an afternoon ride on the electric Flåm Railway, one of the steepest railway lines in the world. It climbs 865 metres in 20 kilometres through spectacular scenery to Myrdal Station. The train stops by the famous Kjosfossen waterfall for film and photo opportunities. You then change trains at Myrdal for the journey back to Bergen. Dinner is at your hotel this evening. (B D)

Thursday 13th July Bergen and Garnes to Midttun After a free morning to explore Bergen, you transfer mid-afternoon by road coach to the Gamle Vossebanen, a heritage railway near Garnes. Here you join a chartered train from Garnes to Midttun, and return hauled by an ex-main line steam locomotive. The line is 18 km long and photographic run pasts will be staged as you pass through the Arna Valley. Later you return to Bergen by road coach for dinner in the hotel restaurant. (B D)

Friday 14th July Cruise to Stavanger Today you have a free morning to explore Bergen, before travelling by road coach from your hotel to Bergen Harbour. Here you will join an early afternoon ferry for Stavanger, enjoying a relaxing cruise through the calm coastal waters of the south-western islands, with an inclusive light buffet dinner served on-board. Your luggage will travel separately by coach from hotel to hotel. On arrival into Stavanger Harbour, you transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay. (B D) Saturday 15th July Free Morning in Stavanger: Train to Kristiansand You can enjoy a free morning in Stavanger, before re-grouping at the hotel where a group lunch will be served. Following lunch, you meet in the hotel reception with your luggage for a transfer by road coach to Stavanger railway station, where you board a train for Kristiansand. Your luggage remains on the coach and will meet you in Kristiansand for your overnight stay. (B L D)

Sunday 16th July The Setesdalsbanen Narrow Gauge Railway This morning after breakfast you travel by road coach to Grovane to join a steam charter train on the Setesdalsbanen. This 1067mm narrow-gauge railway has some rare types of locomotives, including two delightful Dubbs tank locomotives, built in 1894. Later you join a regular train from Kristiansand to Hamar via Oslo for an overnight stay. (B D)

Monday 17th July Hamar Railway Museum; Train to Ålesund This morning you visit the National Railway Museum at Hamar to view the national collection and take a trip on their steam operated museum line. You then board an early afternoon train to Andalsnes and continue by road coach to Ålesund. This is Norway’s fishing capital and it is situated on several islands. You stay overnight in Ålesund and have dinner in the hotel. (B D)

Tuesday 18th July Cruise the Geirangerfjord Today, you experience a full day’s cruise along the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is one of Norway’s most spectacular fjords and is rightly famous for its spectacularly high scenic waterfalls. You should arrive back in Ålesund by the early evening, with plenty of time to explore this Art Nouveau seaside town. Overnight accommodation and dinner are in Ålesund again tonight. (B D)

Wednesday 19th July Return to London You transfer by road coach from Ålesund to Andalsnes to join a service train to Oslo Airport for a late afternoon flight back to London. (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £2695 Single supplement £445 Ground only £2550 (Oslo – Oslo)

Price includes:

• Return flights London to Oslo • 11 nights hotel accommodation in 3 and 4-star hotels including breakfasts • 2 lunch and 9 dinners • Rail travel as detailed in the itinerary • All transfers • All travel advertised by ship and road coach • 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

July 2023

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

Railways and World War II History in Poland

Saturday 15th July to Monday 24th July 2023

See some of the most important and fascinating WWII sites in the Polish cities and countryside, on a tour that combines history and culture with First Class railway travel, private tramway rides and scenic river cruises. • An all new tour that takes you to the cities of Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw to see remarkable historical sites such as the

Warsaw Ghetto, Oskar Schindler’s Factory, Krakow’s Aviation Museum, the Gliwice Radio Tower and the ‘Great Escape’

Stalag Luft Prisoner Camp in Zagan . • Visits to the Kazimierz Jewish quarter in Krakow and the re-opened synagogue and Holocaust remembrance site in

Oświęcim, with an optional visit from the Oświęcim town centre to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. • Stay at centrally located hotels in Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw, near to all the historic sites, with plenty of leisure time to see the other historic and cultural attractions. You will also be given a complimentary public transport rover ticket in all three cities, ideal to discover the expansive tramway networks. • First Class point-to-point travel on PKP Intercity services between the different cities, including the Express Intercity

Premium (EIP) high speed train between Warsaw and Krakow. • Privately chartered river cruises in Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw (the ‘Venice of Poland’), including complimentary refreshments onboard. Additionally, a privately chartered vintage tram ride in Wroclaw will give you an opportunity to sightsee at ease.

Saturday 15th July Arrive to Warsaw Fly directly from London to Warsaw, before travelling by train from the airport to the city centre. Your hotel is located just outside of the landmark Warszawa Centralna railway station. After a welcome lunch, you will be given a complimentary public transport rover ticket to use at leisure on the extensive tram and metro system. (L) Sunday 16th July Warsaw Ghetto, Ghetto Museum and Uprising Memorial; Warsaw Old Town and River Vistula Sunset Cruise

Today you visit the sites and remains of the former Warsaw Ghetto, including admission to the Warsaw Ghetto Museum. From there you travel to the Memorial and sites of the Warsaw Uprising, organised by the Polish Resistance in late summer 1944. Next up is the nearby Old Town, which was largely destroyed during the war, but comprehensively rebuilt afterwards. Among the attractive sites are the Royal Palace and colorful main square with mermaid statue. You have refreshments at E. Wedel, the city’s most famous Grand Cafe. After free time exploring, you rejoin the group for a sunset cruise on the River Vistula, with complimentary refreshments. (B L)

Monday 17th July From Warsaw to Krakow, River Vistula sunset cruise Travel in First Class on the flagship Express Intercity Premium (EIP) high speed train of PKP to Krakow, one of the most attractive cities in Europe and the cradle of Polish history. You check into your centrally located hotel where lunch is served, before enjoying time at leisure. In the late afternoon you enjoy a sunset cruise on the River