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Cox & Kings · Tailor-Made Journey

Gdansk to Vienna by Rail

11-day tailor-made rail journey across Poland from Gdansk to Vienna

Illustration of Gdansk to Vienna by Rail

Cox & Kings runs this 11-day, 10-night tailor-made rail journey between Gdansk and Vienna, connecting five cities across Poland and Austria by standard-class train. After flying in from the UK, the trip settles into a steady rhythm: two nights in each city, with a full day at leisure to explore before moving on. In Gdansk, that means wandering the restored Old Town and its High, Green, and Golden gates; in Krakow, the UNESCO-listed market square and Wawel Royal Castle. Czestochowa is the exception, with a guided morning visit to the Jasna Gora Monastery and its Black Madonna icon before an afternoon free. Private chauffeur-driven transfers connect stations and hotels throughout. This suits independent-minded travelers who want the logistics arranged for them, the trains and rooms booked, but the day-to-day exploring left to themselves, and who are drawn to Central European history and architecture rather than a fixed group schedule.

What to know before you look closer

  • International flights to and from London bookend this trip; only the legs between Gdansk, Warsaw, Czestochowa, Krakow, and Vienna are by train.
  • The return sleeper train from Vienna to London St Pancras, via Brussels, is an optional extra available on request rather than the standard way home.
  • Pricing varies by season, from £2,295 per person for an October departure to £2,495 for a July departure.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Gdansk

    Fly from the UK.

    Fly to Gdansk, and transfer to the Raddison Gdansk hotel for 2 nights.

  2. Day 2overnight: Gdansk

    Gdansk

    Your day is at leisure to explore Gdansk. Restored from rubble after the second world war, Poland's sixth-largest city is one of its most visited, and its historic centre is the perfect place to start. Points of interest include the High, Green, and Golden city gates, the gothic-Renaissance Old Town Hall, Neptune's Fountain, and flower-filled Mariacka Street. For engaging insights into Polish resistance to Communist rule, the European Solidarity Centre is a must.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Warsaw

    Warsaw

    Depart Gdansk for Warsaw by train. Check in at Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw for 2 nights.

  4. Day 4overnight: Warsaw

    Warsaw

    Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Warsaw, Poland's capital and the birthplace of Marie Curie. Close to 90 per cent of Warsaw's now-UNESCO-listed Old Town was destroyed during the second world war, but thanks to meticulous restoration, you wouldn't know it. Highlights of the historic centre include the bustling Market Square, the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column, and the Warsaw Museum.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Czestochowa

    Czestochowa

    Depart Warsaw and travel south by train to Czestochowa. Check in at Hotel Arche for 2 nights.

  6. Day 6overnight: Czestochowa

    Czestochowa

    Enjoy a guided morning tour of Czestochowa, including the impressive Jasna Góra Monastery – a place of Catholic pilgrimage and host of the bejewelled Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Krakow

    Kraków

    Travel by train from Czestochowa to Kraków. Check in at Hotel Stary for 2 nights.

  8. Day 8overnight: Krakow

    Kraków

    Spend the day at leisure exploring Kraków, one of Poland's oldest cities. Kraków's Old Town was among the first places in the world to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and at its heart you'll find the market square of Rynek Glówny. More highlights lie beyond the square, including Wawel Royal Castle, the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, and the gothic Wawel Cathedral.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Vienna

    Vienna, Austria

    Travel by train across the border, from Kraków to Vienna. Check in at Hotel Kaiserhof for 2 nights.

  10. Day 10overnight: Vienna

    Vienna

    Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Vienna, capital of Austria. You may wish to delight in delicacies from the local konditoreien (patisseries), visit the imposing Habsburg palaces of Schönbrunn and Hofburg, and tour St Stephen's Cathedral.

  11. Day 11rail

    Return to the UK

    Transfer to Vienna Airport and fly back to the UK. A rail sleeper service to London St Pancras via Brussels is available.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2A day exploring Gdansk's historic center, including the High, Green, and Golden city gates, the gothic-Renaissance Old Town Hall, Neptune's Fountain, and Mariacka Street.
  • Day 4Exploring Warsaw's UNESCO-listed Old Town, including Market Square, the Royal Castle, Sigismund's Column, and the Warsaw Museum.
  • Day 6A guided morning tour of Czestochowa's Jasna Gora Monastery, a Catholic pilgrimage site that holds the Black Madonna of Czestochowa.
  • Day 8A day exploring Krakow's Old Town, one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Rynek Glowny market square, Wawel Royal Castle, the former Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, and Wawel Cathedral.
  • Day 10A day in Vienna taking in the Habsburg palaces of Schonbrunn and Hofburg and touring St Stephen's Cathedral.

Included

  • Accommodation, itinerary & meal basis as described
  • Standard class train tickets
  • Local Transfers in a private chauffeur-driven vehicle
  • Local guides & entrance fees where applicable
  • International flights to/from London

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes, standard class train tickets are included for the legs between Gdansk, Warsaw, Czestochowa, Krakow, and Vienna.
Is it escorted or independent?
It is a tailor-made journey. Most days in each city are at leisure to explore independently, with a guided morning tour included only in Czestochowa.
Which trains are used?
Standard class trains for each leg: Gdansk to Warsaw, Warsaw to Czestochowa, Czestochowa to Krakow, and Krakow to Vienna.
What hotels are included?
Radisson Hotel Gdansk, Mamaison Hotel Le Regina Warsaw, Hotel Arche in Czestochowa, Hotel Stary in Krakow, and Hotel Kaiserhof in Vienna, 2 nights in each.
When does it run?
The trip is priced for July (from £2,495) and October (from £2,295) departures.
Can I take the train all the way home?
An optional sleeper train from Vienna to London St Pancras via Brussels is available on request, in place of the return flight.

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