Eastern European Capitals 2009
Great Trains & Luxury Hotels
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Show Itinerary Calendar
2009 Tours Brochure (2.1MB PDF)
2009 Booking Form (220KB PDF)
Detailed Tour Itinerary
Tour dates highlighted - click on a date to view details.
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SETTING OFF
Monday, September 7th:
This afternoon we join our Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore. The flight timetable permits us to overnight in an airport hotel, and avoid the tiring all-night flight to Europe. There is no need to collect your luggage; you may check it right through to Moscow and bring just an overnight cabin bag.
MOSCOW[B][D]
Tuesday, Sep. 8th:
Rejoining Singapore Airlines this morning our daylight flight delivers us, in the mid-afternoon in Moscow, Russia's capital. We transfer to our city centre Luxury 5 star hotel close to Red Square. Rest from the flight, then meet your Tour Leaders and fellow travellers for welcome drinks and dinner. Tonight's Dinner [D] is included in the tour cost.
MOSCOW[B]
Wednesday, Sep. 9th:
Every day on our Great Trains of Europe Tours starts with a full Buffet Breakfast [B] Today's sightseeing is dedicated entirely to the Kremlin. Dating from the fifteenth century the Kremlin, with its red brick walls and 20 towers, has been Moscow's fortress and it has never been invaded. Within the Kremlin walls there is, in effect, a whole city - three cathedrals, the President's palace, the former Tsar's palace, and several museums. Here also is the 200 ton Tsar bell.
MOSCOW[B]
Thursday, Sep. 10th:
Our city sightseeing tour this morning winds up in Red Square, once the site of executions and Soviet military parades, but still the focal point of Moscow life. It is bounded on one side by the Kremlin walls and Lenin's tomb, on another by the architectural masterpiece of St Basil's Cathedral, and on another by the gigantic GUM department store. We visit both Lenin's tomb and St Basil's. The afternoon is free to explore, to shop, or to ride the world famous Moscow Metro.
To ST. PETERSBURG[B]
Friday, Sep. 11th:
We have a last free morning in Moscow for more museums, shops or to explore further the mysteries of the Moscow Metro. In the mid afternoon we are transferred to Moscow's Leningradski Railway Station to begin our love affair with the Great Trains of Europe. Here we join the Aurora Express for St Petersburg, Imperial capital of the Czars. We settle in to the 5 star Grand Hotel Europe, right on Nevsky Prospect. You've heard of the excesses of St Petersburg before the revolution? We have a glimpse of them here. Dinner is on the train.
ST. PETERSBURG[B][D]
Saturday, Sep. 12th:
This morning's city sightseeing includes the Winter Palace, St Isaac's, the Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the afternoon enjoy the ambience of this magnificent city, built over three centuries ago by Peter the Great as Russia's “Window to the World”. Who is for the opera tonight? Or perhaps you might prefer the world famous Kirov Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre.
ST. PETERSBURG[B]
Sunday, Sep. 13th:
Today we visit one of the world's greatest art galleries, the Hermitage. Its collection, from Old Masters to the Impressionists and Moderns, is widely considered to be among the world's best.
ST. PETERSBURG to KRAKOW[B][D]
Monday, Sep. 14th: ^ Top ^
We enjoy a last free morning in St Petersburg and, after lunch, transfer to the airport for our short flight to Krakow, Poland's historic capital and cultural cradle, in time for dinner. Why do we make Krakow, rather than Warsaw, our Polish base? Warsaw has been Poland's capital only since the eighteenth century, and it has had to be completely rebuilt since its 1945 destruction. Krakow, on the other hand, the Polish capital from 1038 until 1791, still stands substantially intact from the 13th and 14th centuries. The historic City of Krakow was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. This is our home for 3 nights. A walking tour tonight to the floodlit Market Square sets the mood for our stay.
KRAKOW[B]
Tuesday, Sep. 15th:
Krakow Market Square Close » X
Click image to view larger version
Our city sightseeing tour includes the Market Square (the largest in Europe) and Wawel Hill with its castle, palace and tiny cathedral, where generations of Polish kings are buried and where Pope John Paul II served as archbishop. You will also want to visit the 14th century fortifications and the ancient synagogues and cemeteries. Lunch in one of the many open air restaurants on Market Square (pictured on the left) sounds attractive. An afternoon optional excursion can be arranged to nearby Auschwitz - not enjoyable, but possibly we owe it to humanity to pay a visit.
KRAKOW - Day Trip to WARSAW[B]
Wednesday, Sep. 16th:
Poland's High Speed train isn't quite up to the standard or speed of the German ICE or the French TGV, but it gets us quickly to Warsaw for our optional excursion today. Our sightseeing includes the reconstructed ancient centre, the Castle, the Market Square and the remains of the Warsaw Ghetto. Home to Krakow tonight.
To VIENNA[B][D]
Thursday, Sep. 17th:
An early start is required for the only direct train to Vienna today. Our Eurocity has us in Vienna, the Imperial capital of the Hapsburgs and the home of Beethoven, by early afternoon. On arrival in Vienna, we settle into our luxury hotel, where our luggage awaits. The historic Hotel Sacher, the birthplace of the Sacher torte is our home for four nights. Your Tour Leader will accompany those choosing to take a tram ride around the Ring after dinner. Vienna's fine buildings look magnificent by night.
VIENNA[B]
Friday, Sep. 18th:
Our morning city sightseeing programme introduces us to this stately city - the Ring, the Hofburg, St Stephen's and the Schonbrunn Palace. Watch the fountains and listen to the music. The Kunsthistorisches Museum has one of Europe's best collections of Old Masters.
VIENNA Day Trip to BUDAPEST[B]
Saturday, Sep. 19th:
There is an optional excursion available today to Budapest, the second capital of the Hapsburgs in the nineteenth century, and now the modern capital of Hungary. We take a EuroCity train. City sightseeing includes both sides of the Danube - hilly Buda with its mediaeval castle on the Right Bank, and the inviting boulevardes and historic buildings of Pest on the Left Bank. There is time for some excellent Hungarian goulash for lunch, then the shops and afternoon coffee in one of Budapest's famous coffee houses, where the coffee drinking craze first entered Europe. Back to Vienna tonight.
VIENNA Day Trip to SALZBURG[B]
Sunday, Sep. 20th: ^ Top ^
You have been on the road for almost two weeks and probably fancy a quiet day strolling around the beautiful parks and gardens of Vienna. There are often free classical performances in the parks on Sunday afternoons. Alternatively, you may wish to join an optional excursion to Mozart's birthplace, the romantic city of Salzburg. On arrival we take the rack railway up to the Hohensalzburg fortress for a panoramic view of the town and the nearby Alps. Then we stroll through the mediaeval cobblestone streets and visit the Church where the great man's father was organist. Back to Vienna this evening.
To PRAGUE[B][D]
Monday, Sep. 21st:
After a short EuroCity rail journey today we arrive in the early afternoon in magical Prague. Our luggage awaits our arrival in our 5 star hotel, located in the historic heart, which is 'pedestrians only' and traffic-free. An afternoon stroll includes the nearby Old Town Square which has a building from each century from the twelfth to the twentieth. Enjoy the view over afternoon coffee in an outdoor café.
PRAGUE[B]
Tuesday, Sep. 22nd:
This morning we begin to discover this magnificent city. Neville Chamberlain's sellout of the Czechs to Hitler in 1938 had one positive spin-off - Prague was never bombed, and much of the Old City is untouched from the 12th century. The Castle, the Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, and the Jewish Quarter feature in our sightseeing.
PRAGUE[B]
Wednesday, Sep. 23rd:
There is no planned sightseeing today, but your tour Leader is on hand to advise. Enjoy your free day in this beautiful city, shopping or enjoying the music. Prague is rich in Mozart associations and is the centre for world famous Bohemian crystal. There may be a matinee opera performance in the Estates Theatre, where Mozart personally conducted the world premiere of Don Giovanni.
To BERLIN via DRESDEN[B][D]
Thursday, Sep. 24th:
Dresden Close » X
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Our luggage is taken on ahead as we join Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) to Dresden, said to be Germany's most beautiful city until carpet-bombed by the Allies in 1945. The baroque city is now re-emerging from the ashes. This is the home of Meissen porcelain, and Dresden boasts a Porcelain Museum as well as a magnificent collection of Old Masters in the Zwinger Gallery. Dresden is also home to the Semper Opera House. After enjoying lunch and a leisurely visit we rejoin our EuroCity train for our luxury 5 star hotel just off the Kurfurstendamm, the main shopping and nightlife street of old West Berlin.
BERLIN [B]
Friday, Sep. 25th: ^ Top ^
This morning's sightseeing introduces us to the city which divided Europe for 45 years - the Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag, Unter den Linden. Many of the art treasures of Europe are in Berlin, from the 3,000 year old bust of Egypt's Nefertiti to the moderns. You haven't shopped seriously until you've been to Berlin's KaDeWe (opposite our hotel). People come from New York, Paris, London (and Toowoomba) to shop here. Tonight - the opera or the Berlin Philharmonic?
BERLIN Day Trip to LEIPZIG[B][D]
Saturday, Sep. 26th:
Another day in the museums and shops of Berlin or an optional excursion on Germany's flagship train the High Speed ICE, to Leipzig, hometown of both Goethe and Bach. After a walking tour of the old city heart and lunch in a Bierkeller, the ICE has us back in Berlin for our Farewell Dinner.
FAREWELL EUROPE[B]
Sunday, Sep. 27th:
A last free morning in Berlin. The tour ends after lunch with our transfer to the airport to join our flight home. It is possible to extend your stay in Europe (a higher fare may apply) for up to six months and fly home from any city served by Singapore Airlines. You may also have a Singapore stopover on the way home.
HOME
Tuesday, Sep. 29th:
Arrive home this morning.
Costs:
Option 1. $AUD 12,950 per person Twin Share. Land Content only (ie. Join tour in Moscow and leave tour in Krakow) NOTE: The St Petersburg to Krakow flight is included for “Land Content only” travelers.
Or:
Option 2. $AUD 14,950 per person Twin Share. Including return economy class airfares to Europe from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.
Single Room supplement $AUD 2000.
Enquire about Business or First Class airfare upgrades (Remember, if you don't fly First Class, your grandchildren will). But, note, the St Petersburg to Krakow is economy class only (20kgs luggage allowance), irrespective of the travel class used on the long haul flights.
NOTE: The rate of inflation in Russia is highly unpredictable, and costs for the Russian leg of the tour are based on our best estimate during planning 18 months before departure. Should prices increase by more than 5% above that already factored in, this will be passed on to you. Should the increase be more than $AUD1000, you will have the option of paying the extra or withdrawing from the tour with a full refund.
Combined Tours Discount: Combine this Eastern European Capitals and the Provincial Diversions Tour: off the Beaten Track and save 10% on the land content cost of the second tour.
What's included?^ Top ^
All Great Trains of Europe Tours include:
- All stops 3 nights minimum
- Quality, centrally located hotels
- First Class travel on Europe's Great Trains
- Luggage transported on ahead
- Escorted by Australian historian / tour guide
- Guided orientation / sightseeing tours in all cities
The Eastern European Capitals Tour, departing September 7th 2009 also includes:
- Return economy airfare - but NOT taxes - from your Australian international airport to Europe, with airport transfers if arriving and departing on group dates. Inquire about the cost of earlier departure or later return. Not included if you have opted for “land content only”.
- St Petersburg to Krakow airfare (economy class airfare only available, with economy class luggage restrictions). This flight is included even if you have chosen “land content only”.
- Twin share accommodation with buffet breakfast in centrally located Deluxe (European 5 star) hotels with private facilities and air-conditioning. See note in Booking Conditions on air-conditioning.
- Sightseeing / orientation tour of each overnight city.
- Six Restaurant dinners (3 courses plus wine or beer) - one in each new city. The included dinner is on the first night in Moscow, Krakow, Vienna and Prague; it is on the last night in Berlin where it is our Farewell Dinner; it is on the second night in St Petersburg, because our train arrives from Moscow too late on our first night (eat on the train).
- First Class rail travel in reserved seats on many of Europe's great trains,
- Luggage handling from each overnight stop to the next, except on the Moscow to St Petersburg leg. Local advice, on security grounds, is to travel with our luggage. Porters are available for boarding and disembarking.
The TOUR COST does NOT include:
- Hotel incidentals (eg. Mini-bars, telephone calls, laundry), airport and departure taxes, local transport in any city,
- optional excursions listed or meals other than breakfast and the one restaurant dinner in each city - the first night in each new city, except Krakow where it takes the form of a farewell dinner. On other nights, the Tour Leaders are available to accompany group members to local, authentic restaurants.
The Eastern European Capitals Tour Optional Excursions: ^ Top ^
Warsaw add $175
September 16th:
Memorial to the Warsaw Uprising Close » X
Click image to view larger version
We depart our Krakow hotel at 8.15am, and cross to the Station for our journey on Poland's High Speed train - not exactly the French TGV or the German ICE - to the “new” capital Warsaw. Central Warsaw was completely destroyed in World War II, but much has been rebuilt in exact replica of the original city.
We are met at the Station for our sightseeing which commences on the historic boulevarde called the Royal Walk. We pause outside the imposing Royal Palace with the King Zygmunt III memorial. Moving on, we pass through the Old Town Square and on to the New Town Square. It's time for coffee. Next we come to the evocative memorial to the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising and then proceed to the area where the grisly Warsaw Ghetto once stood.
Returning to the Old Town square we choose an open air restaurant for lunch after a harrowing morning of sightseeing. In the mid afternoon we are transferred back to the Station for our return rail journey to Krakow, passing rich agricultural land, some still worked by horses. We are home in Krakow by dinnertime. « Go back
Budapest add $150
September 19th:
View over Budapest Close » X
Click image to view larger version
Departing our hotel at 7.45am we cross to the Westbahnhof Station to join our EuroCity train to Budapest. On arrival, we discover that Budapest is made up of two cities: hilly Buda with its castle on the Western Bank of the Danube, overlooking the stately buildings and broad boulevards of Pest on the Eastern Bank.
We see the magnificent Gothic St Matthew's Church, enjoy views back across the Danube and the Chain Bridge to Pest - St Sebastian's and the High Gothic Parliament House - and then we amble about the narrow cobblestone streets looking for art and craft bargains and taking lunch. The rack railway takes us down to the bank of the Danube, which we cross via the Chain Bridge. There is free time for shopping and a visit to one of Budapest's world famous coffee houses. This is where coffee entered Europe with the Turkish invasions. Our EuroCity train has us home in Vienna by dinnertime. « Go back
Salzburg add $150
September 20th:
We join an InterCity train through rolling Austrian farmland to Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg. On arrival in Salzburg, firstly we firstly enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the castle fortress at the top of the rack railway, and then visit the cathedral where the great man made his first acquaintance with music. There is plenty of time to wander the narrow cobble-stone streets or visit Mozart's house, now a museum. We rejoin our InterCity train home to Vienna. « Go back
Leipzig, home of Goethe and Bach add $175
September 26th:
Departing our hotel at 7.45am, we transfer to our High Speed ICE train - the Inter City Express, Germany's finest and fastest, to Leipzig, a major centre for trade fairs since the twelfth century. Leipzig was home to Goethe, Germany's Shakespeare, and we pass his university, the University of Leipzig, still one of Europe's finest before lunch in the Bierkeller where he set the opening scene of “Faust”.
We also visit St Thomas' Church where Bach was choirmaster for 26 years, and where he is buried (shall we hear Bach decomposing?). Mendelsohn, who introduced Bach's works to the world 150 years after his death, and Wagner, were also citizens of Leipzig. The second cathedral, St Nicholas' with its unique interior decoration, was pivotal in the destruction of Communism in 1989.
We are back in Berlin before the stores close. On the way home, it is possible to visit Martin Luther's town Wittenberg, where he nailed his 95 theses to the Church door and precipitated the Protestant Reformation. Protestants, especially Lutherans, this is your spiritual home. This option (which will cost two short taxi fares) will have you back in Berlin by 7pm. « Go back
2009 Tours Brochure (2.1MB PDF)
2009 Booking Form (220KB PDF)
Note well: Booking Conditions « Tours index ^ Top ^