Departing soon… European Spring Breaks by rail with Ffestiniog Travel

Relaxing short-haul escapes in May & June to Romania, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and more

With the clocks going forward this Sunday and long light days on their way, what better time to book a Spring escape? Rail holiday specialist Ffestiniog Travel (www.ffestiniogtravel.com) offers four relaxing short-haul itineraries created to make the very most of this delightful time of year…

Romania’s Danube Delta & the Carparthians: A Wildlife Paradise

Discover some of Europe’s last true wilderness areas, each teaming with wildlife, during this 12-day tour in the company of local and natural world experts. Search for rare wading birds in the pretty Danube Delta, track bears in the Vrancea Mountains (where you’ll also attend the region’s annual shepherding festival) and enjoy a taste of the unspoilt rural life that makes Romania so appealing. As well as stunning wilderness scenery, an abundance of bird and animal life, and warm local hospitality (several nights are spent in characterful homestay accommodation), there is also the opportunity to travel on the former narrow gauge forestry railway at Covasna and Comandau by privately chartered steam train, journey by rail across the mountains from Brasov to Bucharest (travelling through the ski resorts of Predeal and Sinaia) and take an optional excursion to visit Bran Castle, inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Departing 15 May, this holiday costs from £2,320 pp (two sharing), including flights, rail travel as per the itinerary, other travel by private mini-coach, three nights’ hotel accommodation in Bucharest, eight nights’ accommodation in good-quality guesthouses or family homestays with en-suite facilities, most meals, airport and other transfers, and the services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour, plus a local professional Romanian guide and specialist guides where required. More details here.

Elbe – Sea to Source

Rising in the Giant Mountains of the Czech Republic, the mighty Elbe winds its way through northern Germany, where it flows into the North Sea. This 15-day holiday joins it at Cuxhaven (where you can watch ships enter and leave the mouth of the river from the ‘Alte Liebe’ viewing platform), before following the route by rail and river. A full day’s rail trip takes the Ffestiniog Travel group as near to the source of the Elbe as it is possible to reach by train, whilst other memorable excursions include a four-hour cruise exploring the waterways of Magdeburg (encompassing the Elbe feeders and the canals and locks of the area), a journey to the peak of the Brocken (the highest peak of the Harz Mountains, where the Bode – an Elbe tributary – rises), a paddle steamer excursion from Dresden to Bad Schandau, and a visit to Miniatur Wunderland (home to the largest model railway in the world). The itinerary also features plenty of free time to explore Hamburg, Prague, Magdeburg and Dresden.

Departing 16 May, this holiday costs from £2,270 pp (two sharing), including travel between your home station and London pre and post-tour, standard class rail from London to Prague, return flight (Prague to London), 15-day Global InterRail Pass, 14 nights’ B&B (in Cologne, Hamburg, Magdeburg, Dresden & Prague), excursions as per the itinerary, and the services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour. More details here.

THE ALPS & MORE

This delightful 16-day tour blends a selection of wonderfully scenic rail journeys through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria with visits to steam-hauled local lines and ample time for independent sightseeing in Chur, Bolzano, Innsbruck, Graz and Vienna. Ride the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhaetian Railway, visit the renowned Zillertal Railway (where the Ffestiniog Travel group will take a trip behind the steam loco in heritage train coaches) and join the Achensee steam rack railway for a trip up to the lake of the same name. Travel between Weiz and Birkfeld on the preserved Feistritzalbahn narrow gauge steam line, enjoy a day trip by train to Puchberg for an ascent of the Scheeberg by rack railway and admire engineering excellence on the Semmering Pass (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which links Graz with Vienna.

Departing 13 June, this holiday costs from £2,030 pp (two sharing), including all travel in standard class as per the itinerary (based on a Global Rail Pass), Vienna transport ticket, 15 nights’ B&B in good-quality hotels (in Cologne, Chur, Bolzano, Innsbruck, Graz, Vienna and Mainz), one dinner, excursions as per the itinerary, and the services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour. More details here.

Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne

Brimming with glorious mountain and lake scenery, historic Lucerne is the perfect base from which to explore this part of spectacular Switzerland. Staying at the centrally located Hotel Waldstätterhof on a half-board basis, the Ffestiniog Travel group will enjoy easy access to the city’s sights, station and steamer quay, all of which feature in this eight-day itinerary. Escorted excursions include the ascent of two mountains by rail (Rigi and Pilatus) and three lake cruises (Vitznau, Alpnachstad and Flüelen), as well as an unforgettable train ride up the famous Gotthard route (with its amazing hairpins) to Göschenen and a relaxing two-hour train journey over the Brünig Pass.

Departing 15 June, this holiday costs from £1,645 pp (two sharing), including rail travel in standard class, seat reservations on international outward and return journeys (and, where available, in Switzerland), a Tell Pass for unlimited travel within the Lake Lucerne region (includes mountain railways and lake steamers), five nights’ half-board in Lucerne and one night’s half-board each in Freiburg (outbound) and Aachen (return journey), and the services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour. More details here.

For more information on Ffestiniog Travel’s tailor-made rail holidays, ticket-only service and escorted tours worldwide, call 01766 512 400, email info@ffestiniogtravel.co.uk or visit www.ffestiniogtravel.com. 

It has never been so easy to book with Ffestiniog Travel. All of its escorted tours can now be booked online via the website www.ffestiniogtravel.com at the touch of a button.

For further information, please contact Karen Carpenter at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email k.carpenter@travelpr.co.uk.