How much does it cost?

From £4,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,807 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. The package includes Eurostar Plus class, first-class rail from Paris to Turin, and all rail travel through Italy and Austria, including the Zillertalbahn and Stubaitalbahn heritage railways.

Is the tour escorted?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from London St Pancras to Brussels throughout the 13 days.

What meals are included?

Breakfast and dinner each day, plus Eurostar light meals on outbound and return journeys and one three-course Christmas Day lunch at Bardolino.

The tour departs in December 2026. Confirm exact dates and current availability with Great Rail Journeys.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance; optional extras such as the Nordkette Cable Car, gondola rides, and castle visits; lunches on unspecified days; gratuities.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Italian Christmas & Austrian New Year

Festive rail journey from London through Italian lakes to Austrian Alps

Great Rail Journeys operates this 13-day escorted festive journey from London to Brussels, pairing Christmas on Italy's Lake Garda with New Year celebrations in Innsbruck's Tyrolean Alps. The route departs London St Pancras on Eurostar Plus, crosses into Italy aboard first-class TGV, then splits the holiday: five nights in the four-star Parc Hotel Germano at Bardolino on Lake Garda, followed by five nights in the four-star Hotel Innsbruck. The itinerary includes day trips to Venice (with a guided walking tour and private boat transfers) and Verona (UNESCO-listed old town with the Roman arena), a Boxing Day vineyard tour and tasting in Franciacorta, and two heritage railway experiences: the Zillertalbahn through the Ziller Valley and the narrow-gauge Stubaitalbahn on New Year's Eve through the Stubai Valley. Each day includes breakfast and dinner; a UK Tour Manager leads the group of up to 30 throughout. The tour suits couples seeking festive celebrations, repeat rail travellers keen to ride regional European trains, and food-and-wine enthusiasts interested in both lakeside charm and mountain tradition.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has held at £4,299 every time.

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

The tour departs December 2026 only; confirm availability well in advance.
Group size capped at 30; the final composition and social dynamic may be large for some travellers.
Several hotels marked with no specific name in Cologne; the operator reserves the right to substitute a comparable property.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Turin
London to Turin: Crossing the Alps to Italy
Meeting the Tour Manager and group at London St Pancras, we join the Eurostar to Paris in Plus class with a light meal at our seats, then change for the First Class service direct to Turin. We check in to our hotel for an overnight stay and enjoy the first dinner of our tour.
Day 2railovernight: Bardolino, Lake Garda
Through northern Italy to Lake Garda
A full morning to explore Turin at leisure. In the afternoon, we continue by rail through northern Italy, passing Milan to Peschiera del Garda, then by coach to Bardolino on Lake Garda, checking in to our four-star hotel for five nights with a welcome glass of prosecco and a three-course dinner.
Day 3overnight: Bardolino, Lake Garda
Christmas Eve in Sirmione, the 'Pearl of Lake Garda'
We travel to the lakeside town of Sirmione, entered via a drawbridge over a moat surrounding the 13th-century Rocca Scaligera castle, with free time to visit the castle or the Grotte di Catullo. We return to Bardolino to celebrate Christmas Eve with a gala dinner.
Day 4overnight: Bardolino, Lake Garda
Celebrate Christmas Day on Lake Garda
A free morning by Lake Garda, perhaps a stroll to Cisano or Bardolino. In the early afternoon, a festive lunch at a historic venue in Bardolino, followed by a three-course dinner and live music this evening.
Day 5overnight: Bardolino, Lake Garda
Raise a glass on a Boxing Day wine tasting
A Boxing Day excursion by coach to the Franciacorta wine region, visiting a local winery for a tour and expert-led tasting of sparkling wines with local specialities, followed by tea and pastries and a gala dinner this evening.
Day 6railovernight: Bardolino, Lake Garda
Experience the timeless charm of Venice on a guided tour
A train to Venice, then a private boat transfer to St Mark's Square for a guided walking tour taking in the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge, with free time for a gondola ride or a trip to Murano before returning to Lake Garda.
Day 7railovernight: Innsbruck
Touring Verona then crossing the Alps to Austria
A coach to Verona for a guided tour taking in Juliet's balcony and the Roman arena, with free time for lunch, before boarding the train through the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck, checking in to our Old Town hotel for five nights.
Day 8overnight: Innsbruck
The historic Zillertalbahn to charming Mayrhofen
A journey on the Zillertalbahn through the snow-clad Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen, with time to ride the Penken gondola cable car or visit the Ahorn Eagle's Stage before returning to Innsbruck for dinner.
Day 9overnight: Innsbruck
A guided tour of idyllic Innsbruck
A guided walking tour of Innsbruck's Old Town, including the Golden Roof, with the afternoon free to ride the Nordkette Cable Car for views across the Tyrolean Alps.
Day 10overnight: Innsbruck
Riding the Stubaitalbahn on New Year's Eve
A journey through the Stubai Valley aboard the narrow-gauge Stubaitalbahn to Fulpmes and back, followed by a New Year's Eve gala dinner with wine this evening.
Day 11overnight: Innsbruck
New Year's Day in picturesque Innsbruck
A free day to explore Innsbruck, perhaps walking beside the Inn River, visiting the Innsbrucker Hofgarten or the city's churches, or relaxing at the hotel spa before dinner.
Day 12railovernight: Cologne
To historic Cologne on the River Rhine
We transfer to Innsbruck's station to travel by rail via Munich through Germany to Cologne, passing Augsburg and Ulm, checking in to our overnight hotel by the Rhine, where dinner is served.
Day 13rail
Homeward bound
After our final breakfast, we take the train from Cologne to Brussels, then join the Eurostar to London St Pancras in Plus Class with a light meal onboard, where your festive holiday comes to an end.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3Christmas Eve in Sirmione: explore the medieval Rocca Scaligera castle and Roman villa remains of Grotte di Catullo on Lake Garda's peninsula.
Day 5Boxing Day vineyard tour and tasting in the Franciacorta wine region near Lake Garda, followed by a gala dinner with live music.
Day 6Day trip to Venice: private boat transfer to St Mark's Square, guided tour of the Doge's Palace and Rialto Bridge, optional gondola ride.
Day 8Zillertalbahn heritage railway through the Ziller Valley past Tyrolean towns and snow-covered meadows to Mayrhofen.
Day 10New Year's Eve aboard the narrow-gauge Stubaitalbahn through the Stubai Valley's icy forests and alpine meadows to Fulpmes, followed by gala dinner in Innsbruck.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
12 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First & Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar light meals
Breakfast and dinner each day, 1 lunch
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

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Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £4,299 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,807 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. The package includes Eurostar Plus class, first-class rail from Paris to Turin, and all rail travel through Italy and Austria, including the Zillertalbahn and Stubaitalbahn heritage railways.
Is the tour escorted?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from London St Pancras to Brussels throughout the 13 days.
What meals are included?: Breakfast and dinner each day, plus Eurostar light meals on outbound and return journeys and one three-course Christmas Day lunch at Bardolino.
When does it depart?: The tour departs in December 2026. Confirm exact dates and current availability with Great Rail Journeys.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance; optional extras such as the Nordkette Cable Car, gondola rides, and castle visits; lunches on unspecified days; gratuities.