Hidden Europe: unique experiences in Europe's cities
08/09/2020 · By Katie Shaw
Europe’s cities are treasure troves of culture, teeming with iconic, must-see sights to enthral even the most seasoned of tourists.
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2024 Tour code: SRL24
About the tour
The beautiful fortress town of Sirmione is our base, in an elegant Spa hotel, set on a picturesque peninsula overlooking Lake Garda. On this captivating tour, we glide through Venice's turquoise canals on an unforgettable gondola ride - passing Venetian palazzos, intriguing architecture and by zantine churches - we taste renowned wines and enjoy a delicious homemade dinner at a rural winery in Valpolicella, and explore history and culture in Roman Verona and medieval Malcesine.
Unforgettable experiences
What’s included
Itinerary
Our holiday begins when we meet our fellow travellers and Tour Manager at London St Pancras. We board the Eurostar service to Paris in Standard Premier Class, enjoying a light meal in our seats. From the French capital, we continue by First Class rail to Karlsruhe in Germany, passing through the Champagne and Alsace regions enroute.
In Karlsruhe, we change to the First Class train to Freiburg im Breisgau. Nestled at the edge of the magical Black Forest, Freiburg has a charming Old Town with cobblestone squares lined by gabled buildings and a magnificent Gothic cathedral. Our overnight hotel is near the train station and, after checking in, we head out to a local restaurant to enjoy our first dinner together as a group.
Additional information
Hotel
Trains
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Upgrades
Reviews
4.4 / 5 · 272 reviews
Margaret (Yorkshire)
Submitted 25/Jul
The whole holiday was wonderful. The trains were very comfortable and scenery magnificent. Very good hotels and food. Sermione is very pretty and well located to get boats to other towns on Lake Garda. The hotel was situated on the side of the lake with lovely views and it’s own jetty. Our guide Georgina was excellent and went out of her way to ensure everything ran smoothly. The whole ambience of the trip and the group was very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend travelling with Great Rail Journeys.
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Shore
Submitted 25/Jul
Want to repeat this holiday as everything was 5 Star. Georgina our Tour Manager went above and beyond (probably where no other Tour Manager has been before.......!!) in ensuring everyone of our party of 20 would have an enjoyable holiday. I think its safe to say that everyone chatted with everyone at some point. Check out the Hotel Continental with Thermal Spa (Italian 4 Star but we would award it 5 Star for the attentive staff from front of house to the restaurant to the household) where you stay for 7 nights, plus the O/night hotels, Courtyard by Marriott in Freiburg and Hotel de la Paix in Lausanne both excellent and if not 5 Star they should be. Tours were stunning as one might expect from Verona and Venice whereas the trip to Malcesine was brilliant especially the rotating cable car which had fantastic views on the way up and on top of the 1760m Monte Baldo - one might think you were in the opening sequence of the Sound of Music with the 360º views !
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Mandy Gale
Submitted 23/Jul
Absolutely beautiful place, hotel in Sirmione was in a perfect location overlooking the lake. Extremely well organised tour with a good balance of exciting excursions and free days to explore at leisure. Our Tour Manager was excellent and every hotel was top quality. Thoroughly recommend this holiday, truly was 5 star in every way.
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V Ingram
Submitted 23/Jul
Excellent hotel and a wellthought out programme giving free days after an away trip.
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June Samways
Submitted 21/Jul
Excellent
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Derek
Submitted 16/Jul
Everything was as expected, a really good holiday free of worries or hassle.
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Europe Holidays 2024
Rich history, diverse cultures, and stunning scenery await in Europe. Whether you want to reach new heights in the Swiss Alps, indulge in the culinary delights of Italy, or wander castles and vineyards in France, discover Europe’s best destinations.