How much does it cost?

From £2,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,970 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

It is fully escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the nine days, and all excursions and transfers are arranged.

What is included in the daily meals?

Breakfast and dinner are included each day. During the six nights in St Johann, beer, wine, and soft drinks are included with dinner. Eurostar light meals are provided on the outward and return journeys.

When does the tour run?

Departures are scheduled in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October in 2026 and 2027.

What happens on the first day?

Day 1 involves gathering at London St Pancras in the morning, boarding Eurostar Plus to Brussels with a light meal, changing trains there, and continuing in First Class via Cologne to Munich, arriving in the evening for the first group dinner.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Classic Austrian Alps

Nine-day Austrian Alps escorted tour from London via Eurostar and First Class rail

Great Rail Journeys operates this nine-day escorted journey through the Austrian Alps, departing London St Pancras and returning via Cologne. The tour combines Eurostar Plus and First Class rail travel with a six-night base in St Johann, a charming Tyrolean town. From there, you take a steam-hauled narrow-gauge train through the Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen, cross Austria's highest surfaced mountain pass on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road to visit the Pasterze Glacier, cruise on Lake Zell, and enjoy a guided tour of Salzburg's UNESCO-listed Old Town. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, handling logistics and leading excursions. Days 3 and 7 offer leisure time to explore St Johann at your own pace or make optional trips to nearby Kitzbühel or Innsbruck. Breakfasts, dinners with wine and beer in St Johann, and all included rail journeys appeal to those seeking comfort and structure on their first major Alpine railway adventure, or to repeat rail travellers wanting to experience Austria's heritage lines and dramatic mountain scenery.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £300 since 4 Jul, to £2,199.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

50 per person for the from-price); confirm the exact single room cost before booking.
Hotel Park in St Johann is family-run and chalet-style, booked for six nights; no accommodation alternatives are listed for that portion.
Day 7 is entirely free in St Johann with optional self-arranged activities (Kitzbühel by train, Innsbruck, or local walks); no guided programme is provided.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Munich
From London to Munich
Gathering at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Brussels in Plus class, enjoying a light meal at our seats, then change trains to continue in First Class via Cologne to Munich for an overnight stop. On arrival, we check in to our hotel and enjoy our first dinner together as a group.
Day 2railovernight: St Johann in Tirol
Journey into the Austrian Alps
We return to Munich station and board a scenic local train across the Austrian border to Wörgl, then transfer by coach to St Johann, checking in to our hotel for the next six nights. We settle down to enjoy dinner with beers, local wines and soft drinks included, as they are every night of our stay.
Day 3overnight: St Johann in Tirol
Getting to know St Johann
Free time to explore St Johann at leisure, with a picnic lunch, visiting the Mariä Himmelfahrt church and town museum, or riding the Harschbichl cable car for panoramic views.
Day 4overnight: St Johann in Tirol
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road & Lake Zell cruise
We ride over the highest surfaced mountain pass in Austria, stopping at Edelweissspitze and Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe for views of the Grossglockner and Pasterze Glacier, before a relaxing cruise across Lake Zell at Zell am See.
Day 5railovernight: St Johann in Tirol
Riding the steam-hauled Zillertal Railway
Travelling by coach to Jenbach, we join the narrow-gauge Zillertal Railway for a 19-mile steam-hauled journey through the Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen, with time to explore or take the Penken or Ahorn cable cars, before returning to St Johann.
Day 6overnight: St Johann in Tirol
The musical city of Salzburg
A guided tour of Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and setting for The Sound of Music, taking in the Old Town below the Hohensalzburg Fortress, with an afternoon at leisure to visit Mozart's birthplace or Mirabell Garden.
Day 7overnight: St Johann in Tirol
A day at leisure in the Austrian Alps
A free day to explore St Johann and the surrounding area at your own pace, perhaps visiting Kitzbühel or Innsbruck, before a traditional Tyrolean dinner this evening.
Day 8railovernight: Cologne
By rail to Cologne on the Rhine
A coach to Wörgl and a local train to Munich, then First Class rail via Ulm to Cologne, arriving early evening for our final dinner together as a group.
Day 9rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast, we return to Cologne station to board the train to Brussels in First Class, then switch to the Eurostar in Plus class for a light meal at our seats as we travel to London St Pancras, where your exploration of the Austrian Alps concludes.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Board Eurostar in Plus class from London St Pancras to Brussels with a light meal at your seat, then continue in First Class via Cologne to Munich.
Day 4Cross the Hochtor Pass on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, stopping at Edelweissspitze for panoramic views, then visit Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe overlooking the Grossglockner and Pasterze Glacier before a relaxing cruise on Lake Zell.
Day 5Ride the steam-hauled Zillertal Railway on a 19-mile narrow-gauge journey through the Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen, with free time to explore the town or take the Penken or Ahorn cable car for views.
Day 6Guided tour of Salzburg's UNESCO-listed Old Town, including Hohensalzburg Fortress, churches, and Baroque squares; afternoon at leisure to visit Mozart's birthplace or Mirabell Garden.
Day 8Return journey by First Class rail to Cologne via Munich and Ulm, passing beneath Ulm Minster with its record-breaking spire.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
8 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First & Standard Class rail travel
All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar light meals
Breakfast and dinner each day
Beer, wine and soft drinks during dinner each day in St Johann
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

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Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £2,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,970 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: It is fully escorted. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager throughout the nine days, and all excursions and transfers are arranged.
What is included in the daily meals?: Breakfast and dinner are included each day. During the six nights in St Johann, beer, wine, and soft drinks are included with dinner. Eurostar light meals are provided on the outward and return journeys.
When does the tour run?: Departures are scheduled in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October in 2026 and 2027.
What happens on the first day?: Day 1 involves gathering at London St Pancras in the morning, boarding Eurostar Plus to Brussels with a light meal, changing trains there, and continuing in First Class via Cologne to Munich, arriving in the evening for the first group dinner.