2026 – 2027
We are a boutique Australian family-owned and operated tour company, based in Toowoomba, Queensland, specialising in historical and cultural tours of Europe, travelling on Europe’s great trains. We offer only a limited number of tours each year, personally led by the Company Principal, former history teacher, or by an equally qualified co-owner family member. Our family has been introducing people to our beloved Europe since 1977.
After 16 very happy years as owner / operator and tour director at Great Trains of Europe Tours, I am seeking pastures greener.
We have nearly finalised the sale of Great Trains of Europe Tours to our son David Klan, also a History and English teacher and, to the end of 2025, Head of Secondary at Toowoomba Anglican School. In addition to his academic and teaching qualifications, David holds Diplomas in Tourism and Business. David has experience as an Assistant Tour Director, and vast administrative experience at many levels during his educational career. David is married to Miranda and together they have a son James.
Until June 2026, I shall continue to be the Tour Director for all tours, with David assisting me. From July 1st until the end of 2026 David will be the Tour Director of all tours and I shall be his assistant. We believe that this will provide a smooth transition for our many faithful tour members.
Thank you for your wonderful support over these years. I am sure that you will give David and his family the same loyalty. Happy travels
Stan Klan
• Leisurely pace — stops generally three or four nights minimum
• Quality, centrally located 4 & 5 star hotels and historic village inns
• First Class rail travel in reserved seats
• Full luggage handling between stops
• Tours personally escorted by an Australian historian who is the company owner
• Small groups
• Many repeat customers (up to 11th tour) happy to give personal recommendations
• Consider the environment — diesel bus or electric train?
Europe's trains are the finest in the world — from the highspeed French TGV streaking across the continent at 320kph to quaint Swiss mountain trains. A rail journey permits you to meet the locals, to stroll down to the restaurant car and bar, or simply to take in the ever-changing scenery — vineyards, alps and lakes. All rail travel is in First Class reserved seats, except on some small local trains where seats are not reservable or where only standard class is offered.
Travellers quickly tire of whistlestop coach tours which move on to a new hotel every night. On the Great Trains of Europe tours, stops are at least three nights giving you time to unpack, explore the city, and start feeling like a local. Short stops are only on specific tours.
Were you ever on a tour where your hotel was a motorway chain motel an hour outside the city you came to experience? On the Great Trains of Europe Tours, we use centrally located hotels — Grand Canal in Venice, in the heart of Montparnasse of the Left Bank in Paris. In cities we use 4 star boutique or 5 star hotels, and the highest category historic village inns available in the countryside.
Have you tried a rail journey but found loading your luggage a pain? No problems on the Great Trains of Europe Tours: your luggage is collected from your hotel on departure morning and is transferred on ahead to await your arrival in your new city.
The maximum number of participants on each tour is limited to 25 paying guests. This makes the groups small enough to avoid the “herd mentality” yet big enough to offer a variety of new friends.
How much to include? How to provide for first timers who want to see everything and also for those experienced travellers who want to have a more leisurely time? The eternally popular “must see” sights are included in an orientation sightseeing tour in each new city. On some tours, clearly explained and optional excursions
are offered. In the months leading up to your tour, we will finalise which optional tours you want to sign up for, ensuring you are able to experience everything that there is to offer. Freedom to do your own thing, or a full sightseeing and activity program, on the Great Trains of Europe Tours, the choice is yours.
On the Great Trains of Europe Tours we include in the tour cost an evening meal in each new city or village, at a local trattoria or bistro. Drinks are at your own expense. On the other nights your Tour Director is available to recommend meals or provide company for dinner.
Tours are personally escorted by an Australian historian with years of experience in introducing people to Europe. The Tour Director is also the company owner — guaranteeing a level of quality control that few can match.
While all are welcome, the tour member profile is usually in the 40+ age bracket, families are most welcome on all tours. The Winter Wonderland tour is the most family friendly. As part of the Classic Collection we run this tour every year over the Christmas holidays.
Advice of any mobility or dietary issues is required at the time of booking. If you are not able to walk 800 m and climb 50 stairs without assistance, your booking will be accepted only along with a booking from a designated carer.
Our travellers (some up to their 11th tour with us) have an interest in history and art but don’t necessarily want indepth lectures from professors; they love food and wine but don’t take too kindly to “pompous” experts; they enjoy new experiences and have a sense of humour.
While the majority of our tour members are Australians and New Zealanders, we have also welcomed (and become friends with) Americans, Canadians, South Africans, Malaysians and Brits. All are welcome. All tours are conducted in English.
Springtime Gardens of Europe and UK with Chelsea Flower Show
May 3rd 2026
May 2nd 2027
Pages 6-7
Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic
November 30th 2026
November 30th 2027
Pages 10-11
Experience Japan’s highlights and hidden gems via Shinkansen. From Tokyo’s neon to historic Kyoto, Kanazawa gardens, Sendai, Hiroshima, and vibrant Osaka.
Hill Vilages and Market Towns of Italy and France
October 11th 2026
October 10th 2027
Pages 8-9
Swiss and Austrian Alps, Venice and Prague
December 28th 2026
December 28th 2027
Pages 12-13
Explore Italy’s highlights from Venice and Lake Como to Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast, ending in Tuscany and Cinque Terre— blending iconic cities, scenic coastlines, and charming countryside experiences.
London, Cornwall, and Cotswolds May 21st 2026
Pages 14-15
England, Scotland, with optional Ireland August 26th 2026
Pages 16-17
Scandinavian Capitals, Norwgian fjords with optional Iceland March 2nd 2027
Icelandic Adventure pre-tour: February 25th 2027
Pages 18-19
The original European Holiday May 21st 2027
Pages 20-21
We’re already dreaming of our 2029 journeys. Follow us on social media and get in touch to share your travel wish list. The possibilities are endless; your ideas will help us to shape what’s coming next.
A truly special journey held just once every 10 years. Register your interest today to be among the first to receive details when the tours are released and secure your place when bookings open.
May 2nd 2027 AMSTERDAM The tour commences at check-in to our city centre hotel, our home for four nights. We rest from the flight, or take an afternoon canal cruise to get our bearings, before meeting our fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink and Dinner. [D]
May 3rd: AMSTERDAM Every day on the Great Trains of Europe Tours begins with a full buffet breakfast. [B] We spend a full day in one of the world’s finest bulbfields, the Keukenhof Garden, with 80 acres of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other flowering bulbs, shrubs, ancient trees, exhibitions, gurgling streams, flower parades, and seven themed gardens. Little wonder we need all day to visit the Keukenhof! There are restaurants and tea shops. [B]
May 4th: AMSTERDAM We head into the countryside today (who will be first to see a windmill?) to the Gardens of the Dutch Baroque Palace Het Loo, the Royal Palace from the 1680s until 1982. Established by LeNôtre, the gardens feature perfect symmetry, axial layout with radiating gravel walks, parterres, fountains, basins and statues. [B]
May 5th: AMSTERDAM This morning there is an optional visit to The Aarlsmeer Flower Markets this morning, the hub of the world flower trade, where 19 million stems are auctioned each day. This afternoon we visit the historic and beautiful Dutch city of Delft, home of Vermeer, and imaginewhatAmsterdam mighthavelookedlikecenturies ago. [B]
May 6th: PARIS A great rail journey today. Our luggage is taken on ahead as we take our reserved First Class seats in the sleek Thalys train, for Paris at 300kph. On arrival we settle in to our 4 star hotel on the Left Bank. On our city sightseeing tour we begin our acquaintance with the City of Lights. [B,D]
May 7th: PARIS A quiet morning to stroll in the nearby Luxembourg Gardens or to visit a museum. Monet’s waterlilies are finally on view in their original context at l’Orangerie. See them in real life this afternoon on our visit to Giverney and Monet’s Garden. We enjoy the flower garden called Clos Normand and the water garden with its famous Japanese Bridge covered with wisteria, which should be at its best this week. Then the weeping willows, and the famous nympheas (water lilies). [B]
May 8th: PARIS A high speed French TGV train today into the Loire Valley and the Garden of Villandry, created by Dr Joachim Carvallo, from 1906, in complete harmony with the Renaissance architecture of the chateau. Great horticultural skill was deployed, especially in the use of vegetables. An arbour of grape vines leads to a great
parterre, conceived as a Garden of Music. On the other side of the canal is a Garden of Love. [B]
May 9th: NORTH YORK MOORS Another of thegreat rail journeys ofthe world aswe farewell Paris andjoin the 300kph Eurostar through theChunnel. Customs requires that we travelwithour luggage today. In Londonwe join BritishRail in the tracks of the Flying Scotsman to the mediaeval city of York. We see the Minster and the Shambles, then transfer to our inn in theNorth YorkMoors villageof Pickering. Apub dinner tonight. [B,D]
May 10th: NORTH YORK MOORS This morning we visit nearby Scampston Walled Gardens, then we lunch (with Claude Jeremiah Greengrass?) in the village of Goathland, “Aidens field” in the TV series ‘Heartbeat’. Here we join the historic North York Steam Railway home to Pickering.
May 11th: NORTH YORK MOORS This morning we visit historic Harewood House. Its garden is classic Capability Brown - forming an idyllic rural setting. We move on to the spa and garden town of Harrogate for a cream tea or a stroll around Harrogate’s famous public gardens. Can you spot Agatha Christie? She ‘disappeared’ here in 1926. [B]
May 12th: LAKE DISTRICT We journey this morning through the Yorkshire Dales, immortalized in James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small” novels and television series. A village pub lunch stop, then on to the Lake District where we settle into our Lakeside hotel. [B,D]
May 13th: LAKE DISTRICT A visit this morning to a very special Lakeland garden, Holehird, which specialises in Lakeland flora and offers sweeping views of Lake Windermere. A bit of whimsy on the way home: we drop in on Beatrix Potter’s garden, Hill Top - watch out for the fierce bad rabbit. [B]
May 14th: LAKE DISTRICT We take a magical rail journey today through some of the Dales’ and England’s finest scenery on the historic Settle to Carlisle Railway. A pub lunch, an afternoon cream tea and visits to some more of the Yorkshire Dales’ picturesque villages. [B]
May 15th: COTSWOLDS Our British Rail journey south today brings us to the Peak District of Derbyshire, to visit the gardens of historic Chatsworth House, dating from 1687. Another Capability Brown garden, Chatsworth has been famous for its beauty since Jane Austen’s Day. We move on in the late afternoon to the Cotswolds where we stay in a village inn in the pretty riverside village of Bourton-on-the-Water. [B,D]
May 16th: COTSWOLDS This morning’s sightseeing takes us to picturesque Cotswold villages of honey-golden stone: Lower Slaughter, Stow-on-theWold, Chipping Campden. After a village pub lunch we visit one of England’s favourite gardens - Hidcote Manor, designed and developed by Maj. Lawrence Johnston, who scoured the world to secure rare and exotic species for this extremely pretty garden, a series of “outdoor rooms”. [B]
May 17th: COTSWOLDS Today we visit Stowe Landscape Gardens, covering 750 acres and including 40 listed historic monuments and temples. It is considered one of England’s most important landscape gardens and the greatest names in English garden design were involved in its creation from Bridgeman in the 1710s to Vanbrugh, Kent, Gibbs and “Capability ” Brown. Afternoon tea in the Cotswold village of Burford, serious about antiques. [B]
May 18th: LONDON Back on British Rail today we journey through more of the Cotswolds’ rolling hills, as our luggage is taken on ahead to await our arrival in our London hotel. We enjoy London’s sights from a double-decker bus. The Oxford Street shops are only a bus ride away from the hotel. A West End Show tonight? [B]
May 19th: LONDON The Oxford Street shops or Harrods this morning before an afternoon excursion to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Garden, where keen English gardeners have gone to be inspired for over 100 years. Spread out over 240 acres, Wisley is a lovely, peaceful place for a stroll as well as a demonstration garden full of practical garden design ideas and cultivation techniques. [B]
2026 Tour SOLD OUT
May 20th: LONDON A full day today at the renowned Chelsea Flower Show, arguably the world’s greatest and best known. Our Farewell Dinner tonight. [B,D]
May 21st: HOMEWARD BOUND Our tour ends this morning after breakfast. Thank you for your company on the Great Trains of Europe Tours. [B]
May 2nd 2027 May 1st 2028
16,950 per persontwin share
Single Supplement : $2,000
Enquireabout competitiveairfares
Prices listed are 2027 prices
Afull day at CHELSEAFLOWER SHOW
RAIL JOURNEYS
• High Speed Thalys
•EnglishChannelEurostar
•Tracks of the Flying Scotsman
•North York Moors Steam Railway
• Settle toCarlisleHistoric Railway
• Keukenhof Gardens
• Het Loo
•Monet’s Garden
• Villandry
• Scampston Walled Gardens
• Harewood
•Holehird
•Chatsworth
•Stowe
INCLUDED FEATURES:
• Hidcote
• Wisley
SIGHTS
• “HeartbeatCountry”
• Heriot’s YorkshireDales
• LakeDistrict
•Cotswold Villages
• First Class rail travel in reserved seats
•4 star city centrehotels
•3or 4 star historic village inns
gagehandling [notonEurostar] denguides [where permitted]
TourDirector
From Paris to Rome via the hill villages and market towns of the South of France, the Cinque Terre and Tuscany.
October 11th 2026: BIENVENUE a PARIS Our tour commences with Welcome Drinks and Dinner [D]. We meet in the hotel bar at 6pm. [D]
October 12th: PARIS Every day on the Great Trains of Europe Tours begins with a buffet breakfast. Our morning's sightseeing includes Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel tower. The afternoon is free for your own sightseeing. The Louvre will be closed tomorrow, so if you wish to visit Mona Lisa, today’s the day. An optional excursion is offered this afternoon to Monet’s Garden at Giverney. We are spoilt for choice of restaurant this evening. [B]
October 13th: PARIS Most Paris museums are closed Tuesdays, but the Orsay (home of the Impressionists) and the Marmottan (a mansion with more than 50 Monets) are open today. An optional excursion is offered today: a full day to the Somme Battlefields of World War I [B]
October 14th: To SARLAT, Dordogne Our luggage is taken on ahead as we head South at 300kph on the high speed French TGV to Bordeaux (lunch available on board) where we change to the little local train winding its way through the world famous Bordeaux vineyards into the Dordogne region. The walled mediaeval market town of Sarlat is our home for 3 nights. As our luggage arrives we settle in. The village has 5,000 inhabitants and 11 restaurants in the Michelin red book. Excursions from Sarlat are offered each day and included in the tour cost, but feel free to enjoy lazy days in our ‘home’ village. [D,B]
October 15th: SARLAT Our day begins with a visit to the walled ‘bastide’ town of Domme, with excellent shopping and a fine view of a vast sweep of the Dordogne River Valley. It is Market Day in Domme. After an early lunch, we wind along the banks of the Dordogne River on our way to the mediaeval cliff-face village of Rocamadour - very much ON the beaten track. Pilgrims have come to visit the Black Madonna here since the 12th century. [B]
October 16th: SARLAT
The morning is free in the village of Sarlat. This is a ‘foodie’s’ paradise with a vast array of gourmet shops. In the afternoon we visit one of France’s most beautiful gardens, the nearby Jardin d’Eyrignac. [B]
October 17th: VILLENEUVE-les-AVIGNON, Provence
Our luggage is taken on ahead, as we join our cross-country trains, via Toulouse, to the historic Provence village of Villeneuve-les-Avignon. Excursions from Villeneuve are offered each day and included in the tour cost. Our hotel boasts an excellent restaurant where we have our included dinner tonight. [B,D]
October 18th: VILLENEUVE-les-AVIGNON The nearby village of L’IsleSur-la-Sourge prides itself on being France’s second largest antiques centre. Visa cards with chronic fatigue syndrome have been known here. It is a very attractive town with streams and water wheels, nicknamed the “Venice of Provence”. Today is Market Day. We move on to Fontaine de Vaucluse for lunch beside the waterfall. [B]
October 19th: VILLENEUVE-les-AVIGNON A visit this morning to the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct dating from Classical times. Then we move on to van Gogh country and the village of St. Remy, ending the day in the walled city of Avignon, seat of the Popes from 1309 to 1377. The afternoon is free in Avignon. [B]
October 20th:VILLENEUVE-les-AVIGNON Off the beaten track again today as we drive through some of Provence’s favourite villages – hilltop Gordes (market day), Bonnieux, rainbow-coloured Roussillon, and Loumarin - with stops for coffee, lunch & shopping. [B]
October 21st: SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE An early start for the TGV train along the French Riviera to Nice, then a progression of slower local trains across the Italian border to our seafront hotel in Santa Margerita Ligure, just north of the Cinque Terre. Our luggage awaits our arrival [B,D].
October 22nd: Cinque Terre - SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE Today we take a boat ride down the Italian Coast past the five villages more commonly known as the Cinque Terre, making stops at two of the villages. Elevenses, a ridiculously long lunch in a seafront restaurant or just a sundowner overlooking the Mediterranean? Back to our hotel tonight. [B]
October 23rd: Portofino - SANTA MARGHERITA LIGURE A leisurely stroll or short bus ride brings us to uber-touristy Portofino. [B]
October 24th: San Gimignano, TUSCANY An early start today, so that we can get to San Gimignano before its Market Day ends. Our luggage is transported on ahead as we wind along the Mediterranean coast and into archetypal Tuscan countryside - vineyards, olive-groves and cypresses - down the Vale of Chianti and up the hill to San Gimignano. This walled hilltop village with its 13 towers, standing almost unchanged since the 12th century, is our home for 4 nights. Short day excursions from San Gimignano are provided (and included in your tour cost). You may choose to join the excursion or simply stay in San Gimignano and relax. [B,D]
October 25th: San Gimignano, TUSCANY A drive off the beaten track today through Southern Tuscan vineyards and olive groves to visit two beautiful hilltop villages and wine centres – Montalcino and Montepulciano. [B]
October 26th: San Gimignano, TUSCANY This morning we explore the artistic gem of Siena, which stands today much as it did in the twelfth century. You know it from “My House in Umbria” and “Under the Tuscan Sun”. Where better to take lunch than at one of the open air trattoria on the Campo? This is the historic city square, the setting for the Palio horse race in the summer. On the way home to San Gimignano we visit the walled village of Monteriggioni. [B]
October 27th San Gimignano, TUSCANY This is a good day to climb the tallest tower for panoramic views of the Vale of Chianti, and to visit the small cathedral with its Ghirlandaio painting. You recall Judi Dench’s efforts to preserve it in the film ‘Tea with Mussolini’.
Anyone fancy a day trip into Florence? Pisa is also a possible destination for a day trip. Your tour guide will provide details. [B]
October 28th: To ROME Our luggage is taken on to Rome as we wind our way through the Vale of Chianti on the local slow train to Florence, where we change to Italy’s High Speed Frecciarossa to the eternal city, Rome. Our included dinner is not tonight, but on our final night, but let’s go the Piazza Navona anyway for pizza as the Bernini fountains play. [B]
FACT BOX: DURATION: 21 DAYS
October 29th: ROME Today's sightseeing focuses on Classical Rome and includes entrances to the Pantheon, the Forum and the Colosseum. “Roma - non basta una vita!” (Rome - one life is not enough!) Join your Tour Leader for a stroll to the Trevi Fountain after dinner. If you throw three coins in the fountain, your return to Rome is guaranteed, so the legend goes. [B]
October 30th: ROME Catholic Rome today, including entrances and a guided tour of St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's masterpiece. The fashion shops on the Via Condotti are open this afternoon. Our Farewell Dinner tonight. [B, D]
October 31st: GRAZIE e ARRIVEDERCI Our tour ends after breakfast this morning. Thank you for your company on the Great Trains of Europe Tours. [B]
DEPARTURE:
October 11th, 2026
October 10th, 2027
COST: Land Cost Only (Join in Paris, leave from Rome)
$AU 15,950 per personTwin Share
SingleRoom supplement $2,000
Enquire about competitive airfares *Prices listed are for 2026 only
Enjoy theworld-famous Christmas Marketsand Classical Music tradition of Germany,Austria and the Czech Republic. One performance - orchestral, opera or ballet - isincluded at eachstop.
November30th: MUNICH The tour commences today in our 4star boutique hotelin the heart of Munich. Get to knowyour fellow travellers at Welcome Drinks and Dinner. [D]
December 1st:MUNICH A sightseeingtour this morning of this thousand yearold city.Munich is thecapital of Bavariawith strong Wagner, Carl Orff and Richard Straussassociations. Munich is home to the Bavarian State Opera,the Bavarian State Ballet, and the Bavarian State Radio Orchestra. Details of our Classical Music performancewill be provided closer to departure. The afternoon is free for the Christmas markets. [B]
December2nd:MUNICH - Visit Nuremberg markets Ask any Germanwhich city has thevery best Christmas marketsand the unequivocal answer will be“Nuremberg”. We have a mid-morning departure for the one hour train journey to Nuremberg, Bavaria’s second city. The markets come aliveas the lights comeon Back toour Munich hotel this evening. [B]
December3rd:MUNICH - King Ludwig’s Castle
Visit An excursionby local rail today into the foothills of theBavarian Alps to visit thefairy tale Neuschwannstein Castle, built by “mad” King Ludwig.Back to our Munichhotel. Will this be the night for a classical concert or an opera? [B]
December 4th: SALZBURG Our luggage is taken on ahead aswe join Austria’s flagshiptrain, the Railjet, to Salzburg the city of Mozart and Maria vonTrapp. On arrivalwe enjoy a walking tourthroughthe Old City,and a funicularride tothe Hohensalzburg Fortress for a panoramic view across thecity. Then someof the major Mozart sights and Christmas markets before our included dinner. [B,D]
December5th:SALZBURG A day for Sound of Musicfans, aswe join a tour of the main locations used in the film.Anotherbash at the Christmas markets. [B]
December6th:SALZBURG How about a day in theAustrianAlps? We take theRailjet againto the Hapsburgs WinterCapital, Innsbruck where aftera short walking tour, we take a cablecar up the Alps for lunchwith a viewacross the city from 7,000 feet. Back to Salzburg, her markets, and our hotel [B]
December 7th: VIENNA Today we join Austrian Rail’s Railjetto Vienna, the ImperialCapitalof the Hapsburgs and– after more than two centuries – is still the world’s capital of Classical music. It was home toMozart, Beethoven,Haydn, Mahler, Brahms, Schubert, Bruckner, Korngold, Gluck and Strauss. Not a bad roll call! We settle into our city-centre hotel,whereour luggage awaits. Vienna’s fine buildings look magnificent by night, as do her Christmas markets. [B,D]
December 8th: VIENNA Ourmorning city sightseeing programme introduces us to this stately city -the Ring, the Hofburg and StStephen’s (setting ofMozart’s wedding and hisfuneral) Watch the fountains and listen to the music [B]
December 9th: VIENNA A freeday in Vienna Her Christkindlmarkt (Christmas markets) are world famous,asare her opera companies and orchestras Will this be the night for our classicalmusic performance? We will be advisedas programmes are released. [B]
December 10th: VIENNA After a short rail journey we arrive in the Hapsburg’s second capital – and home to Franz Liszt, Dohnányi, Kodályand Béla Bartók- Budapest.Our city sightseeingincludes the Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, the Gothic St Matthew’s Church, and theFisherman’s Bastion. Visit one ofthe famous historic coffee houses and the Christmas markets before re-joining our train to our hotel in Vienna. [B]
December 11th: PRAGUE Today’s railjourney brings us in the earlyafternoon to magical Prague Our afternoon stroll includes the nearbyOldTown Square which has buildings from the fourteenth to the twentieth century. Enjoy the view overcoffee in anoutdoor café. [B,D]
December 12th: PRAGUE This morning we begin todiscoverthis magnificent city. Prague was never bombed, and much of the Old City is untouched from the fourteenth century. The Castle,the Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, and the Jewish Quarter feature in our sightseeing.Classicalmusic opportunities abound. Mozartloved Prague, andhis love was reciprocated. [B]
December 13th: PRAGUE Enjoy your free day in this beautiful city, shopping or enjoying the music and the markets. Prague is thecentre for world famousBohemian crystal. [B]
December 14th:LEIPZIG Our luggageis taken on ahead as wejoin Deutsche Bahn(German Rail) for a panoramic rail journey down the gorges of the Vlatava River and on tothe city of Bach, Mendelsohn and the Schumanns – Leipzig. Enjoy the markets before our included dinner. [B,D]
December 15th:LEIPZIG This morning’s city sightseeing includes the ThomasChurch where we pay homage at Bach’s grave, the University of Leipzig which counts both Bach andGoethe among its alumni, andthe Nicholas Church – famous for its rolein the end of Communism. The afternoon is free for the Christmas markets.. [B]
December 16th:LEIPZIG - Visit toDresden While Leipzig was the cultural capital of the Kingdom of Saxony,its princes ruled from the palace in their capital Dresden Today we visit this stately city which is still being rebuilt from its near-total destruction one night in February 1945 Sensational museums, the SemperOperaHouse and plenty of Christmas markets. Back to Leipzig tonight.[B]
December 17th: BERLIN Our short rail journey today has us in Berlin beforelunch time Our afternoon’s sightseeing introducesus to the city which divided Europefor 45 years - the BrandenbergGate, the Reichstag, Unter denLinden. Tonight’s classical music performance, if available, will be chosen from some of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies. [B]
December 18th: BERLIN More sightseeing today in the city with a greater concentrationof museums than London, and one of the world’sgreat zoos. Will the Berlin Philharmonic be in town? [B]
December 19th: BERLIN A finalday for thatlast minute Christmas shopping.Couldn’t find it in the markets? Visitthe greatestdepartment store in the world [in yourTourDirector’shumbleopinion] –KaDeWe, a short walk from ourhotel Our farewell dinner tonight. [B,D]
December 20th: AUFWIEDERSEHEN Our tour ends after breakfast. If you arejoining the White Christmas Week in the Swiss Alpine village of Grindelwald, there is an included transfer to Grindelwald in Switzerland.
Europe’s pre-Christmas
IncludedClassical musi performances - ideally each city,butthiswilldepe offerings once program
POST-TOUR ADD-ON TO THE PRE-CHRISTMASMAGIC TOUR:
Why not enjoy a White Christmas in a beautiful Swiss Alpine village (with opportunities to visit Christmas markets) after the Pre-Christmas MagicTour?
Plenty offree timefor s in Europe’s legendaryC markets,department stor boutiques
• All stops 3 or 4 nights
• First Class rail travel
• 4 and 5 Star Hotelswit
FACT BOX: DURATION: 21 DAYS DEPARTURES: November 30th2026 November 30th2027
FACT BOX: 21 DAYS
DEPARTURES: NOVEMBER 30th 2024 NOVEMBER 30th 2025
•Tips for local guides included
•Full luggage handlingbetween cities
•6dinners, sightseeingandentrances as indicated
•1 Classical Music / Opera / Balletperformance in each ofthe citieswhere we stay.Details will be advised when programs arefinalised.
perpersontwin share
On arrival on December 21st there is a transfer included to the picturesque Swiss Alpine village of Grindelwald, nestled under the North Face of the Eiger. Our hotel is rated 3+ stars and oozes Swiss charm. There are breathtaking Alpine views and a roaring log fire. We have reserved superior standard rooms with private facilities for our tour members.
Land Content Only, commencing in Munich and ending in Berlin
*Price listed is for 2026 only LandContent Only,commencing in Munich andendinginBerlin.
Every morning there is a buffet breakfast, and every evening a four course dinner is provided for our tour members. This includes the festivities of a special Christmas Dinner, as Swiss tradition dictates on the night of Christmas Eve. There is a beautiful church 50 metres away with a midnight service on Christmas Eve should you wish to attend.
Grindelwald is a snow sports fan’s heaven. But if you are not a snow bunny, there are a million other things to do. Grindelwald is a hub for the Swiss mountain train networks and there are many gondolas and cable cars to the Alpine peaks all around. It is an easy train ride to the cities of Berne, Basel and Zurich with their Christmas markets.
The village itself offers excellent shopping and a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops for lingering lazy lunches, before returning to the hotel to read or snooze in front of the log fire.
7 nights accommodation in a superior standard room with private facilities in a 3 star hotel in the Swiss village of Grindelwald.
7 buffet breakfasts, 7 four course dinners (inc. Special Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve).
Transfer from Berlin to Grindelwald at the end of the Pre-Christmas Tour.
NOTE: Your hosts are on hand to provide sightseeing suggestions and assistance, but there are no escorted activities during this relaxing week.
FACT BOX: DURATION: 7 DAYS DEPARTURES: December 21st 2026 December 21st 2027 COST: $AU 3,500 per person twinshare Singlesupplement$1,500
...on the right track in Europe since 1977
December 28th:PARIS Settle into our 4 star Left Bank Hotel. Meet your fellowtour members for Drinks and Dinner. [D]
December 29th:PARIS Every day on a Great Trains of Europe tour begins withafull buffet breakfast. Our morning sightseeing includes the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and the Eiffel Tower, winding up in the Latin Quarter for lunch. There is time this afternoon for a museum or art gallery. [B]
December 30th:PARIS Department stores, fashion boutiques, a long lunch watching the crowds?
December 31st:PARIS A final free day in every true romantic’s favourite city.Join thecrowds tonight on the Champs Elysees to celebrate the dawning of the New Year.There isan optional excursion offered today to theSomme Battlefieldsof WWI. Herewevisit sitessacredin Australia& NZ’s national history. [B]
January 1st:INTERLAKEN –Swiss Alps & Lakes Farewell Paris this morning.We begin our love affair with the Great Trains of Europeonher fastest – theFrench TGV – reaching 320kph towardsthe Alps and Interlaken withstunning views of the Eiger and Jungfrau. Thisis our home for3 nights. Interlaken hostsa hugestreet party on New Year’s Day culminating in spectacular fireworks. [B,D]
January 2nd:INTERLAKEN – Swiss Alps & Lakes The snow bunnies are off to the snow early, while the rest of us enjoya late and leisurely brunch before deciding whether to do nothing or to do very little. YourTour Director willhave suggestions for some mountain railway or cablecarrides to the peaks of thesurrounding Alps. There is an optional excursion the Top of Europe, the Jungfrau, Europe’s highest railway station at 3,463 metres, that’s 11,360 feet. [B]
–
January 3rd:INTERLAKENSwiss Alps & Lakes Todaywe take one of the Great Rail Journeys of theWorld – the tiny red Glacier Express throughthe Alps as we enjoy breathtaking views fromthe panoramacar. [B]
January 4th: ToVENICE Another of Europe’s great rail journeys today. The Swiss-Italian Cisalpino takes usthrough the Alps past the Northern Italian lakes via Milan andon to the City of Canals, Venice, another of Europe’s truly romanticcities.Our 4star hotel overlooks the Grand Canal. Settle in and watch the lights come on as the waterbuses chug past. [B,D]
January 5th: VENICE This morning we begin to explorethe art and history ofVenice. Byzantine St Mark’s is considered by many to be the most beautiful church in theworld and the historic Doge’s Palace and its Bridge of Sighsare“must sees”. In the afternoon Art lovers willwant to see the Tintoretto paintingsin the Scula di San Rocco, theTitian in the Friary Church and thecollection of Venetian Renaissance art in the Accademia Gallery [B]
January 6th: VENICE There is time fora gondolaride. Your Tour Director will accompany you on a visit to an outer and a visit to an outer island –Burano for exquisite lace, Murano for world famousVenetian glass [B]
January 7th: VENICE or Day Trip to Florence Either another quiet daytoday exploring the bridges and canals ofVenice orjoin an optional excursion on Italy’s flagship train the Eurostar Italia for a visit to Florence, the cradle of Western civilisation and birthplace of the Renaissance
January 8th:To INNSBRUCK Farewell Italy, aswe headback towards the Alps After lunch we join our Eurocitytrain for Innsbruckas our luggage istaken onahead. Thisis ourhome for 4 nights. [B,D]
January 9th:INNSBRUCK Choices today: skiing or join your Tour Leader in an exploration of Innsbruck, the Imperialcity of Hapsburgs. Explore the mediaeval quarter and take a ride up the Hungerberg railway for a panorama of the Alps. Your Tour Director will accompany those who wish to take a cable car to the top of the Alps for a stunning panorama over lunch. [B]
Todayyou may choose
January 10th:INNSBRUCK or Day Trip to Salzburg to ski, to potter about Innsbruck, or ride a tram to one of the surrounding villages. There is an optional excursion by Austrian Railjet train to Mozart’s birthplace,Salzburg. [B]
January 11th:INNSBRUCK Another quiet day in our Alpine haven. Alternatively, your Tour Leader will assist you if you wish to make a visit to nearbyMunich or the fairy-talecastle of Neuschwannstein. [B]
January 12th: To PRAGUE Our luggage is collected and takenon ahead as we bid farewell to the Alps and join a EuroCity train for anotherof Europe’s great romanticcities – Prague. Ourhotelis in the historic centre. [B]
January 13th: PRAGUE the city Here isalso the cathedralchurchofSt Vitus, incorporating the chapel built to house the relics of Good King Wenceslas, murderedherea thousand yearsago. A freeafternoonfortheshopsor toenjoythemusic. [B]
Today thereis a visit to Prague Castle overlooking
January 14th: PRAGUE or Day Trip to DRESDEN exploration of this city or join an optional excursion Europe’scultural wonders nowemerging from the ashes ofWorldWar II bombing and 44 yrs of communism. [B]
A freeday – continue your to Dresden, one of
January 15th: PRAGUE Enjoya last free day in magical Prague.Understand whyMozart loved it. Crystal and garnet are popular with shoppers. Our Farewell Dinner tonight [B,D]
Janaury 16th: HOMEWARD BOUND The tour ends after breakfast this morning. [B]
• 4 nights ineach of Eu
Most Romantic Cities: Paris, Venice & P
•
•
• •
New Year’s Eve in Pa 3nights in theSwissAl 4nights in the Austria Ridethe Glacier Expr
• First Class rail travel
•4 star city centre hot
•5dinners
•Full luggage handlin
•Australian Tour Direc
28th2026 December 28th2027
Why not enjoyaWhite Christmasin abeautiful Swiss Alpine village(with opportunities to visit Christmas markets) before embarking on theWinterWonderland Tour?
COST: Land OnlyContent (Join in Paris, leave in Prague).
$AU 12,950
$2,000 Single Supplement
*Price listed is for 2026 only
The Winter Wonderland tour is available as an unescorted tour departing any day of the year. Please contact us directly to see how much you can save from the group tour cost. For independent touring we provide hotel accommodation, rail travel, and detailed sightseeing notes.
OnarrivalonDecember21sttransfer tothepicturesque SwissAlpinevillageofGrindelwald, nestledunderthe NorthFaceoftheEiger.Ourhotelis rated3+starsand oozesSwisscharm.Thereare breathtakingAlpine viewsandaroaringlogfire.Wehave reservedsuperior standardroomswithprivatefacilitiesfor our tour members.
r y morning a includes as Swiss ser vice Grindelwald not a Grindelwald peaks The variety lunches, in so
Everymorningthereisabuffetbreakfast,andeveryevening afourcoursedinnerisprovidedforourtourmembers. ThisincludesthefestivitiesofaspecialChristmasDinner, asSwisstraditiondictatesonthenightofChristmasEve. Thereisabeautifulchurch50metresawaywithamidnight service on Christmas Eve should you wish to attend. Grindelwaldisasnowsportsfan’sheaven.Butifyouare notasnowbunny,thereareamillionotherthingstodo. GrindelwaldisahubfortheSwissmountaintrainnetworks andtherearemanygondolasandcablecarstotheAlpine peaksallaround.Itisaneasytrainridetothecitiesof Berne, Basel and Zurich with their Christmas markets. Thevillageitselfoffersexcellentshoppingandawide varietyofrestaurantsandcoffeeshopsforlingeringlazy lunches,beforereturningtothehoteltoreadorsnooze infrontofthelogfire.OnDecember28th(isitallover sosoon?)youareescortedontherailjourneytoParisto commence the Winter Wonderland Tour.
8 nights accommodation in a superior standard room with private facilities in a 3 star hotel in the Swiss village of Grindelwald.
8 buffet breakfasts, 7 four course dinners (inc. Special Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve).
Escorted rail transfer from Grindelwald to Paris on Dec 28th to join Winter Wonderland Tour.
NOTE: Yourhostsareonhandtoprovidesightseeing suggestionsandassistance,buttherearenoescorted activities during this relaxing week.
to FACT BOX: DURATION: 7 DAYS
DEPARTURES: December 21st 2026 December 21st 2027
COST: $AU 3,750 per person twinshare Singlesupplement$1,500
*Price listed is for 2026 only
May 21st: LONDON Our tour commences as we gather for a Welcome Dinner in our London hotel. [D]
May 22nd: LONDON A full day to enjoy the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. [B]
May 23rd: LONDON A mid-morning departure for our excursion to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley Garden, where keen English gardeners have gone to be inspired for over 100 years. Spread out over 240 acres, Wisley is a lovely, peaceful place for a stroll, as well as a demonstration garden full of practical garden design ideas and cultivation techniques. [B]
May 24th: St Austell, CORNWALL A quiet Sunday morning for a sleep-in, a walk in the beautiful London parks, or to go to church. Our luggage is sent on ahead to Cornwall and, after an early lunch, we cross to Paddington Station to commence our Great Trains love affair heading Southwest. We arrive in St Austell where our historic village inn – our home for 3 nights - is a short walk from the station. Our included dinner is in the hotel. [B,D]
May 25th: CORNWALL Through stunning Cornish and Devon countryside today, across Bodmin Moor, to visit the RHS garden Rosemoor. The name says it all. Enjoy the fabulous rose collection. [B]
May 26th: CORNWALL Today we visit nearby the Lost Gardens of Heligan located in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with sweeping seascape views. Then we drive through the Cornish countryside to the North Coast. [B]
May 27th: To Bourton-on-the-Water, COTSWOLDS Back on the train today, as our luggage is taken on ahead, to the beautiful Cotswolds and the chocolate box village of Bourton-on-the-Water, our home for 5 days’ exploration of this picturesque corner of the heart of England. Our included dinner is in the award winning nearby Italian restaurant. [B,D]
May 28th: COTSWOLDS This morning’s sightseeing takes us to picturesque Cotswold villages of honey-golden stone: Stow-on-theWold, Chipping Campden. After a village pub lunch, we visit one of England’s favourite gardens - Hidcote Manor, designed and developed by Maj. Lawrence Johnston, who scoured the world to secure rare and exotic species for this extremely pretty garden, a series of “outdoor rooms.” [B]
May 29th: COTSWOLDS Sudeley Castle is the only private castle in England hosting the grave of a queen, Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s surviving wife. It is also a popular filming location because of its ruins and stunning gardens. We explore them today. [B]
May 30th: COTSWOLDS
Ask any English gardener the best source of roses, and the answer will be David Austin’s Roses in Shropshire, our destination today. As well as a very large rose nursery, it offers 6 themed gardens containing over 4,000 roses. [B]
May 31st: COTSWOLDS The Kiftsgate Gardens, famed for their roses, are the creation of three generations of women gardeners. Started by Heather Muir in the 1920s, continued by Diany Binny from 1950 and now looked after by Anne Chambers. It is the home of Rosa filipes, the Kiftsgate rose, said to have the largest blooms in England. [B]
May 31st: COTSWOLDS The Kiftsgate Gardens, famed for their roses, are the creation three generations of women gardeners. Started Heather Muir in the 1920s, continued by Diany Binny from 1950 and now looked after by Anne Chambers. It is the home of Rosa filipes, the Kiftsgate rose, said the largest blooms in England. [B]
June 1st: To Pickering, NORTH YORK MOORS Our five days in the beautiful Cotswolds have come to an end so soon. Our luggage is taken on to our village inn on the North York Moors, with a few hours stopover en route to visit the mediaeval and Viking city of York. Our included dinner is in our hotel in the market town of Pickering. [B,D]
June 1st: To Pickering, NORTH YORK MOORS Our five days in the beautiful Cotswolds have come to an end so Our luggage is taken on our village inn on the North Moors, with a few hours stopover en route visit the mediaeval and Viking city York. Our included dinner is our hotel in the market town of Pickering.
June 2nd: NORTH YORK MOORS This morning we visit nearby Scampston Walled Gardens, then we lunch (with Claude Jeremiah Greengrass?). Then we visit nearby Scampston Walled Garden, then cross the North Yorks Moors National Park to visit the moorside village of Goathland, better known as Aidensfield in the TV cop drama “Heartbeat”. Here we join the historic North York Steam Railway home to Pickering.[B]
June 2nd: NORTH MOORS This we nearby Scampston Gardens, then we lunch (with Claude Jeremiah Greengrass?). Then we nearby Scampston Walled Garden, cross the North Yorks Moors National Park visit the moorside village of Goathland, better known as Aidensfield the TV cop drama “Heartbeat”. we join the historic North York Steam Railway home to Pickering.[B]
June 3rd: NORTH YORK MOORS A train ride north today into Northumberland, to the stunning Alnwick Castle Gardens, in the grounds of a 700 year old castle. The ornamental garden, the cherry orchard, the maze and the fountains all complement one of the best rose collections in England. [B]
June 3rd: NORTH YORK MOORS A train north today into Northumberland, the stunning Alnwick Castle Gardens, in the grounds of a 700 year old castle. The ornamental garden, the cherry orchard, the maze and the fountains all complement one of the best rose collections in England. [B]
June 4th: To LONDON Back to London today, as our base for the many fabulous rose gardens in the South-East, also some museum and shopping time for those who are all “gardened out.” Our included dinner is not tonight, but on Monday, our Farewell Dinner. [B]
June 4th: To LONDON Back to London today, as our base for the many fabulous rose gardens the some museum and shopping for those who are all “gardened Our included dinner is not tonight, but on Monday, our Farewell Dinner. [B]
June 5th: LONDON A day trip today to Mottisfont in Hampshire, whose walled gardens are home to a world famous old-fashioned rose collection created by horticulturalist Graham Stuart Thomas. This is home to the National Plant Collection of pre-1900 roses. [B]
June 5th: LONDON A day trip today to Mottisfont Hampshire, whose walled gardens are home a world famous old-fashioned rose collection created by horticulturalist Graham Stuart Thomas. This is home to the National Plant Collection of pre-1900 roses. [B]
June 6th: LONDON Today we discover why Sissinghurst in nearby Kent is famous as the epitome of the English garden and we explore its series of garden rooms, each filled with different planting schemes and unique designs. Like Hidcote, this is a Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West Garden. For our visit the Rose Garden should be in full bloom. Vita declared herself to be ‘drunk on roses’ here. [B]
June 6th: LONDON Today we discover why Sissinghurst nearby Kent is famous as the epitome of the English garden and we explore its series of garden each filled different planting schemes and unique designs. Like Hidcote, this a Harold Nicholson and Sackville-West Garden. For our visit the Rose Garden should be in full bloom. Vita herself to be ‘drunk on roses’ [B]
June 7th: LONDON Queen Mary’s Gardens in London’s Regent’s Park are world-famous and are home to London’s largest collection of roses, with 12,000 roses in bloom each year. A day to enjoy. [B]
June 7th: LONDON Mary’s Gardens in London’s Regent’s Park are world-famous and are home to London’s largest collection roses, 12,000 roses in bloom each year. A day to enjoy. [B]
June 8th: LONDON “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” Thus spake Samuel Johnson in 1777 (or did he?). Perhaps he should have said “when a gardener is tired of Kew Gardens s/he is tired of life.” Test the theory today, with more than 40,000 plants to appreciate. Back to our hotel for our Farewell Dinner. [B,D]
June 8th: LONDON a man tired of London, he is tired life.” Thus spake Samuel Johnson in 1777 (or did he?). Perhaps should have said “when a gardener is tired of Gardens s/he is tired of life.” the today, more than 40,000 plants to appreciate. Back to our hotel for our Farewell Dinner. [B,D]
June 9th: HOMEWARD BOUND Our tour ends after breakfast this morning. Thank you for your company on the Great Trains of Europe Tours.[B]
June 9th: HOMEWARD BOUND Our ends after breakfast this morning. Thank you for your company on the Great Trains of Europe Tours.[B]
FACT BOX: DURATION: 20 DAYS
DEPARTURES: May 21st, 2026
COST: Land Cost Only
(Join and leave in London)
$AU 14,950 per personTwin Share
SingleRoom supplement $1,500 Enquire about competitive airfares
First Class rail travel in reserved seats [some services are Standard Class only].
• 4-star city centre hotel in London
• 3-star historic village inns with private facilities in rural England
• Buffet breakfasts throughout
• 5 dinners
• Full luggage handling between hotels
• All garden entrances with local expert guide [where permitted]
• Comfortable coach transfers between hotels and most gardens
• Full time Tour Leader who is the Tour Company Principal
We invite you to join us on this Literary Britain Tour following in the footsteps of some of the greatest literary figures in our language.
August 26th: LONDON Our tour commences with Welcome Drinks and Dinner in our London hotel.[D]
August 27th: LONDON The “belly button of the world”. We commence our love affair with her history and beauty on a city orientation tour this morning. The afternoon is free for a cream tea, the shops [Harrods is nearby] or the nearby museums. [B]
August 28th: LONDON We start the day visiting the British Museum and its Manuscript Room. From the exercise book in which Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre, to the Beatles’ doodle pads: they are all here. Nearby for afternoon visits are Bloomsbury (Virginia Wolfe), Russell Square (T.S. Eliot) and the British Library (Karl Marx.)
Every night London offers dozens of plays, musicals, ballets and opera. Up to date listings will be provided several months before the tour. [B]
August 29th: LONDON A day trip into Kent today to the cathedral city of Canterbury, and the shrine of St Thomas a’Beckett (Murder in the Cathedral, T.S. Eliot), and the destination for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales pilgrims. [B]
August 30th: LONDON Morning worship at Wesley’s Chapel? Evensong at Westminster Abbey? There is an afternoon visit to the Abbey and its Poets’ Corner. Here we do homage to the literary giants - Chaucer, Tennyson, the Brownings, Dickens, Dryden, Hardy, Blake, Kipling, A E Housman, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and an Australian poet, Adam Lindsay Gordon. [B]
August 31st: LONDON Today we explore a darker side of London’s literary past, following in the footsteps of William Blake and Charles Dickens. [B]
September 1st: The SOUTH-WEST Our luggage is taken on ahead, as we take our First-Class seats on British Rail, heading to the South-West of England. Our heritage listed coaching inn hotel in the Cornish market town of St Austell is our base. [B,D]
September 2nd: The SOUTH-WEST A pilgrimage through Cornwall today to search for Daphne du Maurier – Frenchman’s Creek, Jamaica Inn. Was Manderley, of Rebecca fame, really here? [B]
September 3rd: The COTSWOLDS Back on the train today, heading north to the heart of England and the beautiful Cotswolds. We settle into our hotel in one of the prettiest villages of England, Bourton-on-the-Water, our home for 4 nights. Our luggage awaits our arrival. [B,D]
If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.
– Jane Austen
September 4th: The COTSWOLDS A local slow train today as we wind through the Heart of England to the Regency spa city of Bath, rich in its Jane Austen associations. Back to our Cotswold village this evening. [B]
September 5th: The COTSWOLDS Today, the dreaming spires of Oxford, the ancient university city, which gave us Alice in Wonderland, Brideshead Revisited, C S Lewis, J R R Tolkien, and Inspector Morse, to name a few. Back to the Cotswolds tonight. [B]
September 6th: The COTSWOLDS The Holy of Holies today: William Shakespeare’s
Stratford upon Avon. We walk the streets he walked and visit his house, his school and his grave. We hope to be able to incorporate a Shakespearean play performance into our visit, but schedules are not yet available. [B]
September 7th: The LAKE DISTRICT Our luggage is taken on ahead as we make our way north to the Lake District. We settle into our lakefront hotel at Bowness on Windermere. [B,D]
September 8th: The LAKE DISTRICT Today we drive through the beautiful Lake District for a visit to Beatrix Potter’s cottage. Her genius found its fullest expression in this scenic Lakeland countryside, to which she was so committed that she bought up farms to gift to the people of Britain as a National Park. Watch out for the Fierce Bad Rabbit. Will there be time this afternoon for a paddle boat ride on the lake? [B]
September 9th: The LAKE DISTRICT The Lakes are forever linked with the Romantic Poets, who saw the countryside as an antidote for the barrenness of the Enlightenment and the revolutions it spawned. Today we “escape to Nature” following in the footsteps of the greatest of them all, William Wordsworth. Dove Cottage in Grasmere has become a sacred site for lovers of the English tongue. [B]
September 10th: The LAKE DISTRICT This morning we ride the historic Settle to Carlisle Railway, across the Ribblehead Viaduct, to Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters. Our pilgrimage begins at the Parsonage, as we ponder how such protected single ladies, daughters of the parsonage, could gaze into the human condition like few before them or since. Back to the Lakes this evening. [B]
September 11th: EDINBURGH Across the Border, past Gretna Green, into the land of kilts and bagpipes. Our luggage awaits us in our Edinburgh hotel. [B]
September 12th: EDINBURGH Our orientation tour of Edinburgh takes in the sights –the Castle, the Royal Mile, St Giles’ and the New Town. [B]
The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and to start saying ‘I will’. - Charles Dickens
September 13th: EDINBURGH Edinburgh has a long and rich literary tradition and we explore it today: home to Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, J.M. Barrie, Alexander McCall Smith, and J.K. Rowling. Our farewell dinner is tonight. [B,D]
September 14th: HOMEWARD BOUND OR IRELAND? Your tour ends this morning after breakfast. Thank you for your company on this Great Trains of Europe Tour. [B]
If you are joining us for our Literary Ireland Tour, be checked out and ready to depart for the airport by 9.30am.
The rich heritage of English literature is inextricably linked with the landscapes in which it is set. Could Wordsworth have written such sublime lines anywhere but in the Lake District? Could Emily Bronte have created Heathcliffe anywhere other than on the wild and desolate moors where Yorkshire meets Lancashire?
• Wordsworth’s Lake District
• The Brontes’ Haworth
• Jane Austen’s Bath
• Charles Dickens’ London
• Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon
INCLUDED FEATURES:
• First Class rail travel in reserved seats
• 4 star city centre hotels and historic village inns
• 5 dinners
• Full luggage handling
POST-TOUR ADD-ON TO THE LITERARY BRITAIN TOUR:
Given the compactness of Ireland, and the relatively limited rail services, on this Add-on Literary Ireland Tour we undertake some travel by coach rather than rail, and some of our stops are shorter than the 3 nights customary on the Great Trains of Europe Tours.
SEPTEMBER 14th DUBLIN Depart London in the early afternoon for the short flight (included in tour cost) to Dublin, and transfer to our city centre hotel. [D]
• Full time Australian Historian Tour Director who is the Company Principal
SEPTEMBER 15th DUBLIN This morning’s city sightseeing tour will wind up at Trinity College, and the Book of Kells, Ireland’s greatest literary treasure, and one of the world’s most beautiful illuminated manuscripts. Dating from around 800AD, it contains the Four Gospels in Latin. In the afternoon we embark upon a James Joyce Bloomsday Walk. [B]
SEPTEMBER 16th DUBLIN Yes, Ireland produced George Bernard Shaw, J M Synge and Oscar Wilde, but the two literary names that particularly stand out in Dublin are James Joyce and William Butler Yeates. Today we visit the Yeates Collection in the National Library, then the James Joyce Centre and the Dublin Writers’ Museum. A literary pub crawl tonight for the brave, visiting a number of watering holes frequented in centuries past by Ireland’s literary greats. [B]
SEPTEMBER 17th SLIGO An Irish Rail journey today to Sligo where we visit the William Butler Yeats Memorial Building which has a photographic exhibition detailing the famous writer’s life, the churchyard at Drumcliffe where Yeats is buried – under Ben Bulben - and the Sligo County Museum & Art Gallery which also has Yeats’ work on display. [B]
SEPTEMBER 18th LIMERICK By coach today through Western Ireland, paying a visit to Galway en route to Limerick for a 2 night stop. [B]
SEPTEMBER 19th LIMERICK Limerick is a centre of Irish cultural life, and home to modern Irish novelist Frank McCourt, of Angela’s Ashes fame. We visit his school room, now a museum, and take a walking tour of the locations mentioned in his novel. [B]
SEPTEMBER 20th LIMERICK Let’s be tourists today as we drive around the famed Ring of Kerry, and visit Killarney, before returning to our Limerick hotel and our Farewell Dinner. [B,D]
SEPTEMBER 21st FAREWELL Our tour ends after breakfast this morning. You can either take the train back to Dublin to join your flight home. [B]
FACT BOX: DURATION: 8 DAYS DEPARTURE: September 14th 2026
COST: $AU 4,950 per person twin share. Land content only. Join tour in Edinburgh,and leave tour in London. SINGLE SUPPLEMENT $AU 750
We invite you to join us as we discover the Royal Capitals of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo before exploring the fjords and Arctic landscapes of Norway in search of the Aurora Borealis.
March 2nd - ARRIVE IN COPENHAGEN Commence your Scandinavian adventure in Denmark’s elegant capital. Settle into our centrally located hotel and take a moment to absorb the atmosphere of this relaxed, design-forward city. This evening, connect with your fellow travellers over Welcome Drinks and Dinner as the journey begins.[D]
March 3rd - COPENHAGEN Wander through this effortlessly stylish city on a guided walking tour. Marvel at the Royal Palace, stroll along the colourful waterfront of Nyhavn, and visit the iconic Little Mermaid. The afternoon is yours to explore—perhaps a cosy café, a world-class museum, or a little Scandinavian shopping. [B]
March 4th - COPENHAGEN Fall in love with the great trains of Europe as we journey across the impressive 8km Øresund Bridge into Sweden for the day. Step into history in Lund, a charming university town dating back to the 10th century, where medieval streets and academic life blend beautifully. Return to Copenhagen this afternoon. [B]
March 5th - TO STOCKHOLM Relax into First-Class comfort aboard Sweden’s flagship X-2000 as our luggage is transferred ahead. Watch the Nordic landscape unfold as we cross “The Bridge” once more and travel north to Stockholm. Arriving mid-afternoon, we gather for dinner at our hotel. [B,D]
March 6th – STOCKHOLM Discover Stockholm, gracefully spread across 14 islands. Explore the grand City Hall, where Nobel Prize celebrations are held, then lose yourself in the cobbled lanes of Gamla Stan, the city’s historic heart and home to the Royal Palace. [B]
March 7th - STOCKHOLM Enjoy a quieter day to recharge. Perhaps join us to wander through Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum, and stand before the remarkably preserved Vasa Ship, a true maritime time capsule. [B]
March 8th - OSLO Settle back into your First-Class seat aboard the SJ 3000 and watch as Sweden’s winter scenery gives way to Norway’s landscapes. Crossing the border, we arrive in Oslo in the late afternoon and share dinner together at our hotel. [B,D]
March 9th - OSLO Immerse yourself in Norway’s capital on a guided walk. Admire the striking City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, and the Royal Palace anchoring the city’s main avenue. The afternoon invites discovery—perhaps Munch’s The Scream at the National Gallery. [B]
March 10th - OSLO Today is a day to explore at your own pace. Ride the tram to the Olympic Ski Jump for sweeping views across the city, or stroll through the powerful and thought-provoking Vigeland Sculpture Park. Alternatively, enjoy Oslo’s shops and cafés. [B]
March 11th - FLÅM Today is a true highlight as we travel across Europe’s highest mountain plateau before descending on the worldfamous Flåm Railway, well regarded as one of the most scenic rail journeys on earth. Wind past waterfalls and dramatic cliffs to the fjord below, pausing to capture unforgettable photographs. Overnight at our historic fjordside hotel. [B,D]
March 12th - FLÅM Take in breathtaking views from the Stegastein Lookout, suspended 2,000 feet above the fjord. Return to Flåm for a relaxed afternoon—perhaps a gentle walk along the water’s edge or simply time to soak in the stillness of this remarkable setting. [B]
March 13th - TO BERGEN Today’s journey is an adventure in itself—combining train, boat and bus as we weave through Norway’s spectacular landscapes to Bergen. This evening, enjoy dinner in a historic waterfront restaurant rich in character and atmosphere. [B,D]
March 14th - BERGEN Discover Bergen’s maritime charm on a walking tour of its historic harbour. Then ascend Mount Fløyen by funicular for sweeping views across the city and surrounding fjords. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace. [B]
March 15th – BERGEN Step into the world of Norway’s most beloved composer as we visit the Grieg Museum for a guided tour and a concert in this intimate and inspiring setting. [B]
March 16th - NORWAY COASTAL VOYAGE Board the Havila Castor coastal cruiser for a scenic voyage, where you may catch your first glimpse of the Northern Lights. [B,D]
March 17th - NORWAY COASTAL VOYAGE Let the rhythm of the sea take over. Spend the day enjoying ever-changing fjord scenery from the deck or your cabin. There is also an opportunity to go ashore in Ålesund, known for its distinctive architecture. [B,L,D]
March 18th - ARRIVE TRONDHEIM Arrive in Trondheim, Norway’s historic former capital. After disembarking, enjoy a guided stroll through this charming waterfront city, rich in history dating back nearly a thousand years. Dinner is included this evening. [B,D]
March 19th - BODØ Board the Nordland train for our longest and one of our most memorable rail journeys. Travel north through remote and beautiful landscapes, crossing the Arctic Circle en route to Bodø. This is really Northern Lights country. [B]
March 20th - BODØ Experience the magic of Arctic Norway on a winter fjord cruise through the stunning Nordfjord. Stay warm with hot drinks and local treats as you relax and absorb the pristine, untouched scenery. We hold our farewell dinner tonight. [B,D]
March 21st - BODØ Gain a meaningful insight into Sámi culture as you meet reindeer and learn about life in harmony with nature. This evening we set out on a Northern Lights cruise where expert guides help you seek out the elusive and unforgettable Aurora Borealis. [B]
March 22nd - THANK YOU AND FAREWELL Your Scandinavian rail adventure concludes this morning. A flight to either Oslo or Copenhagen is included for your onward journey. [B]
Sixteen days of First-Class Mountain rail journeys, iconic Swiss peaks, and alpine village charm — personally escorted by two generations of Great Trains of Europe Tour Directors
May 21st – ARRIVE IN CHUR Our tour commences with Welcome Drinks and Dinner in our boutique hotel in the heart of the old town [D]
May 22nd – CHUR Ride the Swiss mountain rails across the iconic Landwasser Viaduct to Davos, Switzerland’s highest town, with a stop in the charming resort of Klosters on the way home. [B]
May 23rd – BERNINA EXPRESS Board the celebrated Bernina Express for a breathtaking journey across the Alps into Italy, a UNESCO-listed route renowned as one of the world’s greatest rail experiences. [B]
May 24th – GLACIER EXPRESS TO ZERMATT Take your reserved First-Class seat aboard the world-famous Glacier Express, traversing the Swiss Alps via dramatic valleys, spiraling tunnels, and the famed Oberalp Pass, before arriving in the enchanting, car-free village of Zermatt. [B,D]
May 25th – ZERMATT Ascend to 2,600 metres on the Gornergrat Railway — Europe’s highest open-air rail journey — for breathtaking views of the Matterhorn, followed by a free afternoon in the village. [B]
May 26th – ZERMATT An optional ascent to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 metres — the highest mountain station in Europe — surrounded by 38 peaks and 14 glaciers across three countries. [B]
May 27th – TO GRINDELWALD Travel via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, an engineering marvel and the world’s longest railway tunnel, before continuing to Interlaken and onward to the legendary alpine village of Grindelwald, spectacular in every season. [B,D]
May 28th – GRINDELWALD An optional journey by train and cable car to the Top of Europe — the Jungfrau— one of the most iconic alpine experiences in the world. [B]
May 29th – GRINDELWALD A leisurely day to soak up the beauty of Grindelwald, with dozens of alpine excursions available by train, rail, or chairlift to the surrounding peaks and villages. [B]
May 30th – GOLDENPASS PANORAMA EXPRESS TO MONTREUX Board the stunning GoldenPass Panorama Express from the Bernese Oberland to the shores of Lake Geneva, arriving in elegant Montreux. [B,D]
May 31st – MONTREUX A charming mountain rail journey to the quintessential Swiss town of Gruyères— home of the famous cheese and chocolate. [B]
June 1st – MONTREUX Trade the rails for the water today with a scenic cruise on Lake Geneva before returning to our Montreux hotel. [B]
June 2nd – TO LUCERNE Journey into the historic heart of the Swiss Confederation, arriving in Lucerne where cobblestoned streets and the famous covered bridge await just outside our hotel. [B]
June 3rd – LUCERNE A spectacular excursion to the summit of Mount Pilatus at 7,000 feet, reached by boat, cable car, and bus. [B]
June 4th – LUCERNE Ascend Rigi Kulm on Europe’s very first cogwheel railway for a fitting finale, before our Farewell Dinner tonight. [B,D]
June 5th – AUF WIEDERSEHEN Our tour concludes after breakfast. Thank you for your company on the Great Trains of Europe Tours. [B]
$AU 17,950 per person twin share. Start in Chur and leave tour in Lucerne. SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:$AU 3,500
Switzerland’s legendary mountain railways are widely regarded as the finest in the world, and this tour rides them all. From the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express to the Golden Pass Panorama and Europe’s first cog-wheel railway, every day brings a new summit, a new vista, and a new reason to fall in love with the Alps. With two experienced Australian Tour Directors — father and son, Stan and David Klan — on hand throughout, this is Switzerland done properly.
Switzerland’s legendary mountain railways are widely regarded as the finest in the world, and this tour rides them all. From the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express to the Golden Pass Panorama and Europe’s first cog-wheel railway, every day brings a new summit, a new vista, and a new reason to fall in love with the Alps. With two experienced Australian Tour Directors — father and son, Stan and David Klan — on hand throughout, this is Switzerland done properly.
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
The Great Swiss Name Trains
The Great Swiss Name Trains
• Glacier Express — “the slowest express train in the world”
• Glacier Express — “the slowest express train in the world”
• Bernina Express across the Alps to Italy
• Bernina Express across the Alps to Italy
• Golden Pass Panorama Express to Lake Geneva
• Golden Pass Panorama Express to Lake Geneva
• Gornergrat Railway — Europe’s highest open-air rail journey
• Gornergrat Railway — Europe’s highest open-air rail journey
• Rigi Kulm — Europe’s first cog-wheel railway
• Rigi Kulm — Europe’s first cog-wheel railway
ICONIC SUMMITS
ICONIC SUMMITS
• Gornergrat at 2,600m with Matterhorn views
• Gornergrat at 2,600m with Matterhorn views
• Klein Matterhorn at 3,883m (optional extra)
• Klein Matterhorn at 3,883m (optional extra)
• Jungfrau — Top of Europe (optional extra)
• Jungfrau — Top of Europe (optional extra)
• Mount Pilatus at 2,100m
• Mount Pilatus at 2,100m
INCLUDED FEATURES
INCLUDED FEATURES
• First Class rail travel in reserved seats on all major rail journeys
• First Class rail travel in reserved seats on all major rail journeys
• 5 Dinners
• 5 Dinners
• Full luggage handling
• Full luggage handling
• Full time Australian Tour Directors who are the company owners
• Full time Australian Tour Directors who are the company owners
TOUR OPERATOR: Great Trains of Europe Tours (ABN 75 325 01 0 987) are members of IATA #96836610
ATAS Accreditation No 12982 ATIA Member No 13018
COSTS: Costs are expressed in Australian dollars and are based on transport and accommodation costs, and Australian dollar exchange rates effective as at the date of this brochure’s preparation, April 20th 2026.
Exchange rate fluctuations in the price of any service provided, beyond the control of Great Trains of Europe Tours, may be passed on to travellers, right up to the date of departure.
A deposit of 25% per person will guarantee a place (unless already filled, in which case you will be advised of your place on the waiting list. With a maximum tour size of 25 travellers, tours often fill early).
Full final payment is due 100 days before commencement of the tour. Please make payment by cheque to "Great Trains of Europe Tours" or by bank transfer as follows:
Heritage Bank, Toowoomba
BSB 638-060 Account Number 111 097 34 Payment by credit card attracts a 1.5% surcharge. Please ask us for a credit card payment link.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancellation at any time after the deposit is paid will result in the forfeiture of the deposit. Any booking cancelled between 100 days and 60 days before departure will incur a 50% cancellation charge on land content. Bookings cancelled within 60 days of departure will incur a 100% cancellation charge.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: A condition of joining a Great Trains of Europe tour is either the purchase of travel insurance through Great Trains of Europe Tours, or documentary evidence of a sufficient level of travel insurance purchased elsewhere.
BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: One large suitcase (under 30kg) is transported from hotel to hotel as part of the tour cost. Any small “roll-on” luggage is taken on the trains by the tour member.
HOTELS: Hotel star ratings, where provided, are those of the country in which the hotel is situated, and vary from country to country.
OTHER IMPORTANT ADVICE: The tour will proceed if a minimum of 15 travellers have paid deposits by 100 days before scheduled departure.
In the highly unlikely event that there are insufficient travellers for a tour, you will be offered either (i) a full refund of all monies paid, (ii) a modified cost structure for a smaller group, or (iii) a place on an alternative Great Trains of Europe Tour.
Our preference and priority is to run advertised tours without cancellations as often as possible.
Each tour is sold as a package and there can be no refund for any element of the tour (e.g. a meal or an excursion) not utilised by the traveller by her/his own circumstance. Tour costs have built into them the costs associated with researching tours, communicating with overseas suppliers, brochure preparation and marketing.
Great Trains of Europe Tours does not claim nor imply that some of the inclusions in our tours may or may not be available at a lower price direct from the overseas supplier. Travellers are reminded, however, that purchases made direct with overseas suppliers may not covered by Australian Travel Agents licensing protections.
Most photographs used in this brochure were taken by the Tour Leader on past tours, but some have been provided by hotels, rail companies or Tourism Boards. Photographs are indicative only.
Great Trains of Europe Tours reserves the right to decline any reservation or booking request, and may at the Tour Leader’s discretion terminate any person’s involvement in the tour due to unruly, antisocial, or disruptive behaviour.
Great Trains of Europe Tours does not accept responsibility for any injury, damage, loss, delay, change of schedule or other events which are beyond our direct control such as, but not limited to war, terrorism, epidemic, pandemic, civil disturbance, industrial action, acts of government or of God, or mechanical failure such as aircraft, trains or coaches.
Great Trains of Europe Tours cannot be held responsible for changes to provision of services by local suppliers, but we will do all in our power to provide an alternative service of equal standard to that advertised, or make a cash refund of the difference.
CONTRACT: The contract between the traveller and Great Trains of Europe Tours, entered into by your signing the booking form, shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Queensland.
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