St Johann, Salzburg and the Austrian Alps

After meeting at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Brussels. Here we change trains, travelling to Cologne for the night.

We board the train to Wörgl, travelling via Munich before transferring by coach to St Johann in Tirol, nestled in the heart of the Tyrolean Alps. Home to traditional Alpine buildings, adorned with colourful flower boxes and the quaint Maria Himmellfahrt church, as well as a local museum detailing the history of the region, this is a peaceful base for our Alpine adventure.

Today is filled with gastronomic treats, starting with an al fresco breakfast amid the fresh air of the mountains. Later, we make our way to a nearby café to meet with a local chef adept at creating one of Austria's most beloved dishes, apfelstrudel. We'll get hints and tips on how to create this delicious sweet pastry during an interactive demonstration. Afterwards, we savour the delights of our labours with a hearty slice accompanied by tea or coffee.

We drive to Hohe Tauern National Park for one of the highlights of our holiday, a journey along the superb Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Travelling to nearby Salzkammergut, we're greeted with fantastic views of plunging ravines, glacial lakes, vibrant meadows and rugged peaks including Austria's highest mountain and glacier of the same name, the Grossglockner. Reaching the enchanting village of Heiligenblut, there's free time to look around. You might like to wander over to the Gothic St Vinzenz pilgrimage church or learn more about Heiligenblut's history as the site of the only gold-digging settlement in the Alps.

Our day begins with a coach transfer to Jenbach, where we join the narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn Railway. First opened in 1902, we travel in beautifully restored carriages as we enjoy a 19-mile steam-hauled journey through the dramatic Ziller Valley. Our route takes us past lush green pastures and remote villages of half-timbered houses and traditional chalets on our way to picturesque Mayrhofen, at the head of the valley. Here you're free to explore the charming streets lined with pretty pavement cafés and unique shops. Alternatively, take a cable car higher into the mountains and enjoy the panoramic vistas from the summit before we return to St Johann.

*Steam-hauled where possible.

Catching the train to Zell am See, a beautiful town set between Lake Zell and Hohe Tauern National Park, we take to the water on arrival for a relaxing boat trip across the sapphire-blue lake, a great way to admire the lush forests, undulating hills and towering mountains beyond. Back on dry land, the rest of your day is free to explore. You could visit Zell am See's historic centre, relax in one of the many bistros or take a cable car up the Schmittenhöhe Mountain and admire the wonderful views from the summit.

We transfer by coach to Salzburg, one of Austria's most popular cities. On arrival, we enjoy a guided tour, seeing the iconic Getreidegasse, the Residenz and the magnificent Mirabell Gardens. With the rest of the day free, you could explore the Old Town, home to the impressive Hohensalzburg Fortress. This part of the city is also where you'll find the ancestral home of Salzburg's most famous son, Mozart, as well as the refreshing beer-brewing museum where you can see learn about Austria's proud brewing history before settling down with a refreshing stein.

Departing the Tyrolean Alps, we catch the train to Wörgl, continuing to Cologne via Munich for an overnight stay.

We head to the train station this morning for the service to Brussels. From here, we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

We offer a Standard Class and First Class rail options for departures on this tour. You can find out which class each departure is by clicking on the information button in the pricing grid.

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

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which is arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Standard Premier Class. In your dedicated Standard Premier carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

Probably one of Europe's finest high speed trains, 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.

Named after the famous British express service, InterCity trains are long-distance services operating in a variety of different countries, such as Germany, Switzerland and Austria. InterCity trains are distinct from Inter City Express (ICE) and EuroCity services in that they operate on domestic routes within country borders.

Thalys is a brand run by two companies, Thalys International, whose shareholders are French, Belgian and German rail companies, with Dutch Railways (NS) as a privileged partner, and also The Railway Company THI Factory, 60% of whose capital is held by SNCF, and 40% by SNCB.

It runs rail 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 outstanding journey on the Zillertalbahn (or the Ziller Valley Railway) takes us on a 19-mile route from Jenbach through the grandiose mountain scenery to Mayrhofen at the other end of the valley. 

The welcoming 4-Star Park Hotel is situated a short stroll from the heart of St Johann. Amenities include a bar, Tyrolean restaurant, small fitness room, sauna, free bicycle hire and access to the local swimming pools. Our stay here is on an all-inclusive basis with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and selected soft drinks, wine and beer included at dinner. All en suite rooms have a telephone, cable television, radio and a safe. Some of the rooms in the hotel have a balcony.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End, or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

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

Above prices are approximate, subject to availability, and per room per night based on two people sharing. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels please contact us on 01904 734 805. 

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. 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.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.