The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail tour

Steam in the Austrian Alps

Steam in the Austrian Alps, a rail journey with The Railway Touring Company

An 8-day escorted rail holiday based in Vienna, combining private steam charters on Austria's main line and narrow-gauge mountain railways, including the Mariazellerbahn, Semmering Railway and Schneeberg rack railway.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Vienna

    Arrive in Vienna

    Flight from London to Vienna, check into a centrally located hotel with lunch provided. Rest of the day at leisure using the complimentary public transport rover ticket.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Vienna

    Sightseeing in Vienna; Prater Ferris Wheel; steam at the Prater Railway

    Private charter tram trip around Vienna's historic centre and the Ring Road, past the Imperial Palace, State Opera House and Parliament, then a ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel (1899) and the adjacent 15-inch steam railway through the Prater Gardens (4km, 1920s 'Pacific' 4-6-2 locomotive). Rest of the day at leisure.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Vienna

    Steam at the Schneeberg rack railway

    Private charter via the Schneeberg mountain rack railway south of Vienna, an 1800m ascent behind an original 19th-century steam locomotive with run-pasts staged for the off-season, group lunch at a mountain lodge, and return to Vienna by OBB service train.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Vienna

    Mountain magnificence at the Mariazellerbahn; steam on the Mariazell heritage tramway

    OBB high-speed service to St. Poelten, then the 84km Mariazellerbahn (Austria's longest narrow-gauge railway) in a private observation saloon with lunch on the train. At Mariazell, the 1902 tramway locomotive 'Hellbrunn' hauls the train to Lake Erlauf, followed by a depot tour and a ride on the new tramway extension to Promenadenweg, then back to Vienna by service train.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Vienna

    The Semmering Railway and steam at the Gurkthalbahn

    First Class OBB service train over the UNESCO-designated Semmering Pass to Treibach, then a classic Austro-Hungarian tank engine hauls the train south on the preserved Gurkthalbahn narrow-gauge line to Poeckstein, with photo stops and run-pasts, before returning over the Semmering railway to Vienna.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Vienna

    By steam over the Waldviertel Semmering to Gross Gerungs

    OBB service train from Wien FJB to Gmuend, then a private steam charter over the 52km narrow-gauge southern branch line to Gross Gerungs, past Weitra Castle and several viaducts, hauled by the 1906 steam locomotive Mh.4, with run-pasts and photo stops. Return to Vienna by OBB train.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Vienna

    Hollentalbahn scenic tramway and more leisure in Vienna

    OBB service train to Payerbach for a private charter ride on the vintage 1926 Hollentalbahn tramway (5km) through a mountain valley, with run-pasts and photo stops, then return to Vienna for an afternoon at leisure and a farewell group dinner.

  8. Day 8

    Return to London

    Free morning in Vienna before an afternoon RailJet service from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Wien Flughafen for the return flight to the UK.

Included

  • Return flights from London to Vienna
  • First Class travel on all rail services throughout (where possible)
  • 7 nights accommodation with breakfast
  • 4 lunches
  • 1 dinner
  • Week-long complimentary public transport rover in Vienna
  • All rail trips, steam trains, private charters and excursions as detailed in the itinerary
  • The services of a Tour Manager

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