We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Paris in Leisure Select Class, and enjoy a complimentary meal and drinks on board. On arrival in Paris, we travel across the city to join the train to Montreux. We spend one night in this beautiful lakeside city at the Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic. (E,D)

We leave Montreux by train for the journey to Italy arriving into Desenzano on the southern shores of Lake Garda. Our hotel is the 4 star Hotel Desenzano, a family run hotel located close to Desenzano's railway station, ideal for exploring the area.  A home-cooked Italian dinner awaits us. (B,D)

We take a coach to stylish Milan this morning and have a full day to explore. We enjoy a guided tour of the sights including the magnificent Duomo, the world renowned opera house "Teatro alla Scala" and the incredible 19th century glass-roofed shopping arcade, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel. The highlight of our tour is a visit to the famous church and cloister of Santa Maria della Grazie, where we see Leonardo da Vinci's painting 'The Last Supper'. (B,D)

Today you have a free day to relax or explore the pretty town of Desenzano. Another option is to take a ferry to nearby Sirmione or one of the many other enchanting lakeside towns. Sirmione is bursting with history and is dominated by the imposing 13th century castle, the Rocca Scaligera. The views over the lake from the castle are excellent, so it is well worth the climb. (B,D)

Our excursion today is by train to Venice. A private boat awaits us on arrival, ready to whisk us off to St Mark's Square. During a guided walking tour, we see many of this unique city's famous sights, including the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica. You also have some free time to explore at your own pace. (B,D)

Today we travel north by train along the scenic Brenner Pass into Austria and onwards to the Bavarian Alps. We arrive in Garmisch Partenkirchen, and check into the 4-star Hotel Rheinischer Hof in time for dinner. (B,D)

Your morning is free to relax at the hotel or explore the town further. We lunch together at the hotel before travelling to Oberammergau, the location of the Passion Play for the last 376 years. We are seated in category 1 seats. We sit back and enjoy the fantastic spectacle of the Passion Play itself, with over 2,000 of the townsfolk bringing us the story of Jesus of Nazareth over 5 hours. The Play is split by a 3-hour interval, during which we take dinner in a local restaurant, before enjoying the final and dramatic part of the Passion Play. (B,L,D)

We leave Garmisch in the morning and travel to Munich where we change trains and board the ICE to Cologne and our base for tonight the Four Points, located close to the station and the city's impressive cathedral. (B,D)

We depart Cologne by Thalys for Brussels connecting with the Eurostar to London. (B,E)

E = Eurostar, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday

26 May 2010	From £2,250
16 June 2010	From £1,995
16 June 2010	From £2,250
30 June 2010	Please call
30 June 2010	From £2,250
9 July 2010	From £2,250
21 July 2010	From £2,195
2 August 2010	From £2,195
20 August 2010	From £2,195
1 September 2010	From £2,250
15 September 2010	Please call

All prices are per person and assume full occupancy of the room.
Please always refer to the website for up-to-date prices and availability.

Can there be a more civilised way to travel than by rail?

Viewing an ever-changing landscape from the comfort of your seat is surely the finest way to travel. When travelling by train, your journey is an integral and delightful part of your holiday experience. What you see from your seat is as much part of the holiday as arriving at the destination.

The high speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International in London with Paris and Lille in France as well as Brussels in Belgium.

The First Class coaches are divided between Business Premier class and Leisure Select (soon to be re-named 'Standard Premier Class'), which is essentially Eurostar's equivalent First Class service for leisure, rather than business travellers. In your dedicated Leisure Select (Standard Premier Class) carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. Pick up a complimentary newspaper or magazine and look forward to your holiday in your spacious, comfortable seat. As part of the service you'll enjoy drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

Passengers travelling in Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet, which sells a range of snacks, meals, hot and cold drinks - including champagne!

More than fifteen years ago, Eurostar changed the way that people travel to Paris and Brussels forever. The rail service, which directly links the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel, started operating in 1994.

Eurostar launched services from its new London station, St. Pancras International, and from Ebbsfleet International in Kent in November 2007 with the completion of the second section of the UK's first high-speed line. Following the move, Eurostar's fastest journey times have fallen with London-Paris taking 2 hours 15 minutes, London-Brussels 1 hour 51 minutes and London-Lille just 1 hour 20 minutes.

Travelling at up to 186mph (299km/h), Eurostar speeds through the Kent countryside before diving into the 31.4 mile (50.5km) long Channel Tunnel in Kent and emerging in Coquelles in northern France. From here the train travels to Lille before heading on to Paris or Brussels. From the heart of London to the heart of these great European cities, Eurostar services allow travellers to avoid long queues, lengthy transfers and the hassles of air travel while arriving at our destination more quickly than ever.

Probably Europe's finest train, the jewel in German Rail's crown is the InterCityExpress, or ICE.

Linking all Germany's major cities and selected destinations outside Germany, the ICE trains offer some of the most comfortable and well-designed accommodation around, so you can really get the most out of your journey. All trains either have a BordBistro car serving light refreshments or a BordRestaurant serving full meals, and on some services a selection of dishes can also be served at your seat.

Several sections of new purpose-built track have been built in recent years, allowing the latest generation of ICE trains to hit their maximum speed of up to 186mph (300km/h) and cutting journey times dramatically.

Thalys is a brand co-owned by German, Dutch, French and Belgian state railways, and runs services linking Paris and Brussels with Amsterdam or Cologne. The trains are similar in design to French TGVs and can reach up to 190mph (305km/h) when travelling on dedicated high speed lines. Comfort 1 (First Class) passengers benefit from spacious seating and are usually served complimentary light refreshments once underway. Both Comfort 1 and Comfort 2 (Standard Class) passengers have access to the Thalys Bar, which serves a selection of snacks, meals and hot and cold drinks during most journeys.

Our hotels have been chosen based on their location, the facilities and value for money. Where possible we select hotels with individual style and character, preferably run by local families as we find this gives our hotels a friendlier, more personal feel. We have worked with many of our hotels for over a decade.

Serving as a waypoint for many of our tours, the Four Points Hotel serves thousands of Great Rail Journeys customers each year. This modern hotel is located immediately opposite Cologne's railway station and a short walk from the impressive Gothic Cathedral. The hotel houses a bar and restaurant. Rooms feature minibar, television, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer and air conditioning.

Typical meal arrangements when dining at the hotel:

• Breakfast: buffet-style breakfast with some hot items
• Dinner: buffet-style dinner

The 4-star Grand City Hotel Cologne Centre (formerly the Hotel Euro Garden) is situated just a short walk from Cologne's main railway station and the Cathedral. The hotel benefits from a bar, lounge, and sauna. Room facilities include a telephone, television, hairdryer and a safe.

Typical meal arrangements when dining at the hotel:

• Breakfast: buffet-style breakfast with some hot items
• Dinner: buffet-style dinner

The family-run 4-star Hotel Desenzano is close to the centre of the town and is located within walking distance of the harbour and just 50 metres from the railway station. Boasting immaculate furnishings and impeccable service the hotel has its own outdoor swimming pool, solarium, roof terrace and cocktail bar. Rooms are air-conditioned with a telephone, television, minibar, safe and hairdryer.

The 4-star Hotel Rheinischer Hof is situated within walking distance of the centre of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The hotel has a restaurant, bar and a health spa with an outdoor pool (seasonal), sauna and a steamroom. A range of massage and beauty therapies are available (pay locally). The modern rooms are individually decorated with wooden furnishings and feature a telephone, television, DVD and CD player, minibar, safe and a hairdryer. Most rooms have either a balcony or a patio.

The Grand Hotel Suisse-Majestic in Montreux is a 4-star hotel offering modern comfort with a distinctly classic atmosphere of a bygone age. The hotel is situated close to the railway station and overlooks the lakeside promenade. It has a brasserie and a terrace bar offering panoramic views of the lake. All of the elegant rooms are equipped with a television, telephone, radio, hairdryer and minibar.

Typical meal arrangements when dining at the hotel:

• Breakfast: buffet-style continental breakfast, cold items only
• Dinner: three-course dinner with a choice of main course

• First Class rail travel throughout (Leisure Select service on Eurostar with meals included)
• 8 nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner each day
• 1 lunch
• Oberammergau Passion Play including seats in Class 1
• Excursions as described in the itinerary
• All transfers
• Services of your Tour Manager throughout

• Cancellation, medical & travel insurance from £43 per person
• Supplement for single occupancy throughout £195

Make even more of your holiday with some of these upgrades designed to make your holiday even easier. 

Extending your European holiday in Cologne

Many of our holidays include a final stopover in Cologne en route to London. Why not extend your holiday by enjoying an extra night or two in this attractive city, returning to London in your own time?

The Four Points Hotel or Grand City Hotel Cologne Centre, Cologne

Both hotels are well appointed 4-star hotels with a bar, lounge and restaurant. Room facilities include en suite bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities (available on request), minibar with free soft drinks, cable TV, hairdryer and telephone. A laundry service is available at both hotels.

Hotel im Wasserturm, Cologne

The Hotel im Wasserturm was once Europe's highest water tower, and is now a stylish and unique 5-star superior hotel. The 130 year old walls surround the elegant internal décor and architecture. Rooms are equipped to the highest standard and the hotel boasts a Michelin-star restaurant on its 11th floor, a further restaurant, lobby bar, sauna, solarium and fitness facilities.

We can book UK rail tickets from your local station to London to join your holiday. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes. Detailed below are our specially negotiated Standard Class off-peak return prices to London, based on your county of departure. Prices to non-London joining point (ie Edinburgh, Torquay and Holyhead) and prices for First Class travel are also available - please ask us for a quotation.

Departure Stations in:	Return fares from:
Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Warwickshire & Coventry	£24
Essex, Kent	£26
Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Sussex	£29
Leicestershire, Rutland, Wiltshire, West Midlands & Worcestershire	£35
Shropshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk	£37
Derbyshire, Dorset, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Powys, Somerset (incl. Bristol)	£43
Cheshire, Clwyd, Lincolnshire, S. Yorkshire	£46
Gloucestershire, Gtr Manchester, Gwynedd (excl. Anglesey), Lancashire, Merseyside	£51
Cornwall, Devon, Dyfed, East Riding of Yorkshire, Gwent, Herefordshire, Anglesey	£55
Glamorgan	£58
Cumbria, W. Yorkshire	£62
N. Yorkshire	£65
Northumberland, Dumfries & Galloway	£70
Durham, Tyne & Wear	£76
Fife, Lothian	£79
Central, Highland, Strathclyde, Tayside	£84
Grampian	£94

Prices are per person and are subject to change without notice.

We are able to book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow or Gatwick Airport for the night before your holiday. The hotels listed below are some of the more popular hotels our customers book, others available on request.

Hotel	Board	Star	Weekday room rate	Weekend room rate
Megaro Hotel	B&B	4-star	from £170	from £150
Thistle Euston	B&B	4-star	from £155	from £117
Novotel St Pancras	B&B	4-star	from £209.50	from £131.50
Hotel Russell	B&B	4-star	from £195	from £135
The President Hotel	B&B	3-star	from £95	from £95
The Imperial Hotel	B&B	3-star	from £105	from £105

Prices are based on 2 sharing a twin room in May 2009, subject to availability. Prices may change without prior notice. Booking conditions apply.

If you wish to avoid taking your cases to and from London, we recommend Carry My Luggage. Carry My Luggage collects your suitcase from a few days before departure and delivers it to your main hotel. The system also works in reverse with luggage delivered to your home a few days after your return to the UK. Please note that Carry My Luggage do not deliver to all the countries we operate in. Prices and further details are available on request.

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