Bavarian Christmas Wonderland
Rail holiday based in a 5-star hotel in Garmisch
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Expect plenty of seasonal Bavarian traditions on our festive Alpine rail break to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with spellbinding castles to visit, great meals to enjoy, an exciting journey on the Zugspitze Railway and a sleigh ride at Christmas.
Our holiday begins at our Departure Office in St Pancras International. From here, we board the Eurostar to Brussels, transferring to Bonn, where we overnight. On Day 2, we travel by rail through the Rhine Gorge (First Class) to Munich, then continue to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Standard Class), our base for the next five nights.
We travel south by train on a scenic journey through Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol to Innsbruck (Standard Class). Nestling amongst the towering mountains, the imperial city of Innsbruck is the capital of the Tyrol and is a historic city of elegant streets lined with fine buildings. Your time here is free to explore. Be sure to take in the highlights of this striking Alpine city, such as the Golden Roof, built for Emperor Maximilian I to serve as a royal box from where he could observe the tournaments below. The roof consists of nearly 3,000 gold-plated copper tiles and sits within Innsbruck's beautiful Old Town, close to Maximilian's Imperial Palace and the impressive 15th century City Tower. However, at this time of year, one of the city's main attractions is its lively Christmas Market. Here there is a life-sized nativity scene, and a number of festively decorated stalls are brimming with a tempting array of gifts and culinary treats.
Our journey on the Zugspitze Railway today takes us towards the summit of the highest mountain in Germany. Departing from Garmisch-Partenkirchen's railway station, we travel as far as Zugspitzplatt at 8,528 ft (2,600m). From here our journey continues by cable car (subject to weather conditions) high above the forests to the summit of Zugspitze. At 9,718 ft (2,962m), it is the highest point in Germany, and from here we can admire the stunning panoramic views over Bavaria, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. You are free to descend in your own time, either returning the way ascended, or alternatively taking the cable car down to Eibsee, a beautiful lake at the base of the mountain.
On Christmas Day we take a horse-drawn carriage ride through wintry Garmisch, followed by a cup of warming mulled wine and tasty Bavarian pastries. The rest of the day is free for you to relax, and enjoy the festivities at your own pace. Our day concludes with a traditional Bavarian roast duck Christmas dinner.
Today's excursion takes us close to the Austrian border, as we travel by coach to King Ludwig's Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles, two of Bavaria's most spectacular attractions. We learn about their fascinating history on a guided tour. The smaller castle (Hohenschwangau) was built on the original Schwanstein castle site, which dated back to the 12th century. Ludwig's father Maximilian loved the residence, and as such, it was Ludwig's primary childhood home. It was from here that he then planned his own more impressive castle, a stone's throw away. We continue to this spectacular fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein, bristling with turrets and pinnacles, yet only occupied for 170 days before the King was deposed. The iconic castle is one of the most photographed attractions in Germany. During the tour, we have a chance to marvel at the opulence of the era, including the intricately detailed paintings and wood carvings that adorn the walls.
We depart Garmisch by rail (Standard Class) to Munich, and connect with the onward service (Standard Class) to Cologne. Here, we overnight. On Day 8, we leave Cologne by First Class rail to Brussels, where we join the Eurostar back to London.
Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and all travel arrangements
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Not Included
This tour may be suitable for reduced mobility passengers, please
call for further information.
We wanted snowy mountains, a good hotel, and a relaxing
Christmas without the UK consumerism. We wanted to avoid queues and
hassle at airports. Our trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (such a
pretty town) was exactly what we had hoped for. A really good and
caring Tour Manager, Beverley, was the icing on the cake. And
talking of cakes - those at the patisserie near the hotel were
wonderful!
Reindl's Partenkirchnerhof Hotel lived up to its 5-star rating and
made us very welcome. A warm and friendly family hotel with high
standards and good food. We visited the stunning Partnach Gorge,
with frozen waterfalls and icicles hanging over rushing water. My
photos don't do justice to the scenery: mountains all around, a
beautiful day visiting Bavarian castles, a horse-drawn sleigh-ride
on Christmas morning, Innsbruck for the Christmas market (much
gluhwein and sausages!) and the high point was the train ride to
the top of the Zugspitze on a clear, sunny day. You could see
forever.
If you go in winter, take boots with grips for the ice and layers
of light, warm clothing. As you might expect in Germany, dress in
the evening is smart but understated. We loved it all! Thank
you Great Rail Journeys for another good trip!
What a wonderful time we had in Bavaria.
The hotel was lovely and the food was fantastic. Shame there was no snow apart from up in the mountains but that didn't detract from the holiday.
When the German railways decided in their wisdom to remove some of the railway carriages at the height of the busiest season of the year, our Tour Manager did her utmost to help us. She also dealt with a serious medical condition of one of the party with absolute compassion and did everything in her power to assist.
We are already booked on two more of your journeys and hope these are equally as good.
Rail holiday based in a 5-star hotel in Garmisch
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