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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail tour

Steam & Heritage Railways of Austria and Bavaria

Nine-day steam railway tour through Austria and Bavaria from Salzburg

Illustration of Steam & Heritage Railways of Austria and Bavaria

The Railway Touring Company's Steam and Heritage Railways of Austria and Bavaria is a 9-day escorted autumn tour that stays based in Salzburg while exploring eight heritage railways across Austrian and Bavarian territory. Departing from London with flights included, the tour combines service trains on Austrian Federal Railways with private steam-hauled charters on narrow-gauge lines and main line vintage locomotives. Days begin with coach or rail journeys to remote railway depots and mountain stations; highlights include the world's oldest continuously operating steam tramway (1887 locomotive on the Chiemsee), a full-length narrow-gauge charter on the Steyrtalbahn with a 1908 steam engine newly returned to service, a vintage 1927 tank engine running a rare Carinthian branch line with views of Lake Worthersee, and a rack railway ascent of Mount Wendelstein in 1912 coaches. Day 2 is free to explore Salzburg's Hellbrunn Palace and mountain cableways at your own pace. The tour suits repeat rail travellers, history enthusiasts, and photographers seeking documented railway heritage and scenic backdrops, with a dedicated Tour Manager providing guidance throughout.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one confirmed departure is listed: October 2026 at GBP 2,895 per person.
  • The ground-only price (GBP 2,750) does not include UK flights or transfers to and from your hotel on arrival and departure days; travellers must arrange these.
  • Eight nights are spent in the same Salzburg hotel; while several days include guided excursions, day 2 is entirely unguided exploration of Salzburg and its mountain railways at your own pace.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Salzburg

    Arrive in Salzburg

    Direct flight from London to Salzburg, transfer to hotel with lunch nearby. Receive an all-inclusive Salzburg Card in the afternoon. Rest of day free to explore.

  2. Day 2overnight: Salzburg

    The palaces and mountain railways of Salzburg

    Free day to explore Hellbrunn Palace and the Untersbergbahn cableway to the 1,972m Untersberg summit, at your own pace with Tour Manager advice available.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Salzburg

    Steam in Bavaria: Chiemsee and the Chiemgau Heritage Railway

    Short train ride to the Chiemsee steam tramway from Prien to Stock (1.9km, 1887 locomotive), time by Lake Chiemsee, then a private charter on the preserved branch to Obing aboard a restored 1950s railcar. Return to Salzburg by early evening.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Salzburg

    Steam at the Steyrtalbahn in Upper Austria

    OBB service train and bus to Steyr, time in the medieval town centre, then a private charter over the full length of the narrow-gauge Steyrtalbahn to Grunburg with photo stops and refreshments. Visit the steam shed, then coach to Linz and RailJet back to Salzburg.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Salzburg

    Steam at the mountainous Ybbstalbahn

    Service train to Amstetten, coach to the Kienberg-Gamming depot, then a private charter on the Ybbstal narrow-gauge railway hauled by the 1908 steam locomotive 298.51 to Lunz am See, with lunch refreshments in the bistro car.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Salzburg

    Main line steam in Carinthia to Hermagor and Kotschach-Mauthen

    OBB Intercity over the Tauern Railway from Salzburg to Villach, then a steam-hauled main line charter with the vintage 1927 tank engine 93.1332 via Arnoldstein to Hermagor and on to Kotschach-Mauthen. Return run continues along Lake Worthersee to Klagenfurt, then OBB service back to Salzburg over the Tauernbahn.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Salzburg

    The Wendelsteinbahn rack railway in the Bavarian Alps

    Private charter ascent of Mount Wendelstein on the rack and pinion Wendelsteinbahn (7.6km, gradients to 23.7%) in 1912 coaches with the electric Nr 5 locomotive. Return via the main line service from Rosenheim to Salzburg.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Salzburg

    The Linzer Lokalbahn and Poestlingbergbahn in Linz

    OBB RailJet Express to Linz, then a 1922 teak train charter on the rural Linzer Lokalbahn to Eferding, switching to a heritage steeple-cab electric locomotive to Peuerbach with lunch at a countryside inn. Return via Eferding and Linz, riding the Poestlingbergbahn to the hilltop above the city. Farewell dinner with the group.

  9. Day 9

    Return to London

    Transfer to Salzburg airport for the return flight to London.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 3Ride the Chiemsee steam tramway from Prien to Stock, a 1.9-kilometre journey on the world's oldest continuously operating steam tramway, hauled by an 1887 locomotive.
  • Day 4Private charter over the full length of the narrow-gauge Steyrtalbahn to Grunburg with photo stops and refreshments, followed by a visit to the steam shed.
  • Day 5Steam locomotive 298.51, an 1908 engine newly returned to service, hauls the Ybbstalbahn charter from Kienberg-Gamming to Lunz am See through mountainous terrain, with lunch in the bistro car.
  • Day 6The vintage 1927 tank engine 93.1332 leads a main line steam charter via Arnoldstein to the rare branch to Hermagor and Kotschach-Mauthen in Carinthia, followed by a run along Lake Worthersee to Klagenfurt.
  • Day 7The Wendelsteinbahn rack and pinion railway ascends Mount Wendelstein (7.6 kilometres with gradients to 23.7%) in 1912 coaches, one of only four such railways in Germany.

Included

  • Flights Direct from London to Prague and Return
  • 8 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast at a centrally located, quality hotel
  • 6 lunches
  • 1 dinner
  • All specially chartered steam trains as detailed in the itinerary
  • All specially chartered trips as detailed in the itinerary
  • All train and road coach travel as detailed in the itinerary
  • All transfers and visits as detailed in the itinerary
  • A complimentary 48-hour Salzburg Card tourist pass
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included in the price?
Yes. The from-price of GBP 2,895 includes flights from London, all service trains (Austrian Federal Railways OBB), all private steam and heritage railway charters, coach transfers, and visits. A separate ground-only option (GBP 2,750) excludes UK flights and first/last-day hotel transfers.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout the 9 days. Day 2 in Salzburg is free to explore at your own pace; all other days include guided railway excursions or group activities.
What heritage railways are included?
The itinerary features eight railways: the Chiemsee steam tramway (1887 locomotive), Chiemgau Heritage Railway (1950s railcar), narrow-gauge Steyrtalbahn (steam charter), Ybbstalbahn (1908 steam locomotive 298.51), a main line steam charter with 1927 locomotive 93.1332, Wendelsteinbahn (rack and pinion railway), Linzer Lokalbahn (1922 teak train), and Poestlingbergbahn (hilltop tramway in Linz).
Where do I stay?
All eight nights are at one centrally located, quality hotel in Salzburg. Breakfast is included daily; the price includes six lunches and one dinner.
When does the tour run?
The confirmed departure is October 2026 at GBP 2,895 per person (USD 3,866).
How much walking is involved?
Most days involve moderate walking in town centres and around heritage railway sites. Day 7 includes an ascent of Mount Wendelstein via the Wendelsteinbahn rack railway at gradients up to 23.7%; the railway provides transport, but the destination is at 1,972 metres elevation.

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