Is train travel included?

Yes. The package includes three first-class rail journeys: Berlin to Prague (4.5 hours), Prague to Vienna (4 hours), and Vienna to Budapest (under 3 hours). These are EuroCity trains.

Is this an escorted tour?

No. Travel to Europe offers an independent self-guided tour with private guided touches: a private Prague walking tour on arrival and a guided Danube Valley day trip by coach and boat. There is no tour manager accompanying you throughout.

The Mandala Hotel (Berlin, 5-star), Art Nouveau Palace Hotel (Prague), Le Meridien Vienna Hotel, and Boscolo Budapest, Autograph Collection Hotel (Budapest). All are 5-star or equivalent.

What is included besides hotels and trains?

Buffet breakfast daily, private airport transfers in Berlin and Budapest, 48-hour city passes for Berlin, Vienna and Budapest (covering public transport and hop-on hop-off buses), a private Prague walking tour, and a Danube Valley day trip with coach, river cruise and Melk Abbey guided tour.

What is not included?

International airfare, all meals except breakfast, and gratuities (tips).

No longer offered

Travel to Europe has withdrawn this trip from sale. We keep the page for reference and comparison. Live alternatives are under Similar journeys below.

Travel to Europe · Independent luxury 1st-class rail tour

9-Day Imperial Europe Luxury Rail Tour (9R08)

First-class rail through four Imperial cities: Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest

Travel to Europe's 9-day Imperial Europe Luxury Rail Tour connects four Central European capitals by first-class train: Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest. You stay in five-star hotels, enjoying two nights in each city to explore at your own pace using hop-on hop-off sightseeing passes and city cards. The journey itself moves you between cities via EuroCity trains, while selected guided experiences bookend your independence: a private Prague walking tour on arrival and a full day excursion through the Wachau valley via coach and Danube River cruise to Melk Abbey. Breakfast is provided daily; other meals are on your own. Private transfers connect airports to hotels. This is a self-guided tour with no tour manager, ideal for experienced travelers who value luxury accommodation and first-class rail comfort but prefer to discover each city independently or with curated local guides rather than as part of a group.

What to know before you look closer

The from-price of USD 2979 is the rail-and-hotel package; international airfare to Berlin and from Budapest is not included and must be booked separately
The single-supplement rate (USD 5059) is substantially higher than half the double price, adding USD 2080 for one traveler
All meals other than buffet breakfast are not included; dinner and lunch costs are the traveler's responsibility

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Berlin
Berlin
Private transfer from Berlin Tegel Airport to hotel near Potsdamer Platz. Sightseeing using the 48-hour Berlin Welcome Card, including hop-on hop-off double decker buses M100 and M200.
Day 2overnight: Berlin
Berlin
Walking tour suggestions around Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror; optional half-day trip to the Sachsenhausen Memorial.
Day 3railovernight: Prague
Prague
EuroCity (EC) train from Berlin to Prague (about 4.5 hours). Private guided English-speaking Prague walking tour on arrival.
Day 4overnight: Prague
Prague
Full day to explore the Old Town at leisure, including the Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.
Day 5railovernight: Vienna
Vienna
Speed Rail EuroCity (EC) from Prague to Vienna (about 4 hours). Visit the Hofburg Imperial Palace and State Opera House using the 48-hour Vienna Card.
Day 6overnight: Vienna
Day trip to the Danube Valley, Melk and Danube River Cruise
Coach and boat day trip from Vienna through the Wachau valley: Krems, the ruins of Durnstein Castle, a Danube River cruise to Melk, and a guided tour of Melk Benedictine Abbey.
Day 7overnight: Budapest
Budapest
Under three hours to Budapest. Sightseeing with a 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off pass, including the Royal Palace, Parliament Building and St. Stephen's Basilica.
Day 8overnight: Budapest
Budapest
Continued sightseeing with the Hop-on Hop-off pass; visit the Chain Bridge, the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial and the Holocaust Memorial Center.
Day 9
Budapest Int. Airport
Private transfer from hotel to Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port, where the tour ends.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3EuroCity train departs Berlin for Prague, arriving for a private guided walking tour of the Old Town and Prague Castle
Day 5Speed Rail EuroCity arrives in Vienna; explore the Hofburg Imperial Palace and State Opera House with a 48-hour Vienna Card
Day 6Coach journey through the Wachau valley with a Danube River cruise from Krems to Melk, plus guided tour of Melk Benedictine Abbey
Day 7First-class rail journey to Budapest under three hours; sightseeing includes the Parliament Building and St. Stephen's Basilica

Included

Private transfer from Berlin Tegel Airport to hotel
48-hour Berlin Welcome Card (unlimited public transport plus 200+ discounts)
First Class rail ticket Berlin to Prague
Private guided English-speaking City tour of Prague
First Class rail ticket Prague to Vienna, plus 48-hour Vienna Card
Day trip through the Danube Valley by coach and boat (Krems, Durnstein Castle ruins, Danube River cruise to Melk, guided tour of Melk Benedictine Abbey)
First Class rail ticket Vienna to Budapest
48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus ticket in Budapest
Private transfer from hotel to Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port
Buffet breakfast daily
8 nights 5-star hotel accommodation per itinerary

Not included

Airfare from your origin to Berlin Tegel Airport / from Budapest International Airport to your origin
All meals other than breakfast
Gratuities (tips)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. The package includes three first-class rail journeys: Berlin to Prague (4.5 hours), Prague to Vienna (4 hours), and Vienna to Budapest (under 3 hours). These are EuroCity trains.
Is this an escorted tour?: No. Travel to Europe offers an independent self-guided tour with private guided touches: a private Prague walking tour on arrival and a guided Danube Valley day trip by coach and boat. There is no tour manager accompanying you throughout.
What are the hotels?: The Mandala Hotel (Berlin, 5-star), Art Nouveau Palace Hotel (Prague), Le Meridien Vienna Hotel, and Boscolo Budapest, Autograph Collection Hotel (Budapest). All are 5-star or equivalent.
What is included besides hotels and trains?: Buffet breakfast daily, private airport transfers in Berlin and Budapest, 48-hour city passes for Berlin, Vienna and Budapest (covering public transport and hop-on hop-off buses), a private Prague walking tour, and a Danube Valley day trip with coach, river cruise and Melk Abbey guided tour.
What is not included?: International airfare, all meals except breakfast, and gratuities (tips).