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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail tour

Steam in the Austrian Alps

Eight-day Vienna-based steam railway tour through Austrian Alps and narrow-gauge lines.

Illustration of Steam in the Austrian Alps

The Railway Touring Company's Steam in the Austrian Alps is an eight-day escorted tour based in Vienna, built around private charters on six of Austria's heritage and narrow-gauge railways. The itinerary is a railway enthusiast's circuit: the Schneeberg rack railway climbs 1,800 metres behind a 19th-century locomotive; the Mariazellerbahn, Austria's longest narrow-gauge line, runs 84 kilometres through mountain valleys; the UNESCO-listed Semmering Railway crosses the Alps on the continent's first trans-Alpine route; and the Waldviertel narrow-gauge line to Gross Gerungs is hauled by a 1906 steam engine. In Vienna, a private tram and the 15-inch Prater steam railway visit the 1899 Ferris Wheel. Each day departs from and returns to the same centrally located hotel, with a Tour Manager handling logistics. The tour suits repeat rail travellers, photographers drawn to staged run-pasts, and history-lovers interested in 19th and early 20th-century transport heritage.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure is published: July 2026. Confirm availability with The Railway Touring Company before planning.
  • The Ground Only option (Vienna to Vienna, GBP 2,150) excludes return flights and airport transfers; travellers arrange these independently.
  • All seven nights are spent in one centrally located Vienna hotel; the tour is based there, with day excursions to the railways and mountain lines.

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.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2A private charter on the 15-inch-gauge Prater railway through Vienna's Prater Gardens, hauled by a 1920s Pacific 4-6-2 steam locomotive, follows a ride on the Prater Ferris Wheel built in 1899.
  • Day 3The Schneeberg rack railway climbs 1,800 metres south of Vienna behind an original 19th-century steam locomotive, with staged run-pasts and a group lunch at a mountain lodge.
  • Day 4The Mariazellerbahn, Austria's longest narrow-gauge railway at 84 kilometres, is ridden in a private observation saloon from St. Poelten to Mariazell, where the 1902 heritage tramway locomotive Hellbrunn hauls passengers to Lake Erlauf.
  • Day 5First Class travel crosses the UNESCO-designated Semmering Pass on the Semmering Railway, then a tank engine hauls the train south on the Gurkthalbahn narrow-gauge line to Poeckstein, with photo stops and run-pasts.
  • Day 6A private steam charter on the 52-kilometre Waldviertel narrow-gauge line from Gmuend to Gross Gerungs is hauled by the 1906 steam locomotive Mh.4, passing Weitra Castle and viaducts.

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

Questions travellers ask

Is rail travel included in the price?
Yes. The tour price includes return flights from London, First Class rail travel throughout (where possible), all private steam charters, narrow-gauge trains, heritage tramways, and scheduled OBB services detailed in the itinerary. A Ground Only option (Vienna to Vienna) excludes the flights and airport transfers.
Is this tour escorted?
Yes. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout the eight days.
Which trains and railways are included?
The tour rides the Prater steam railway (15-inch gauge), Schneeberg rack railway, Mariazellerbahn narrow-gauge line, Mariazell heritage tramway, Semmering Railway (First Class), Gurkthalbahn narrow-gauge line, Waldviertel narrow-gauge railway, and Hollentalbahn vintage tramway. OBB scheduled services connect between locations.
What is included in the accommodation and meals?
Seven nights in a centrally located Vienna hotel with breakfast daily, four lunches (including one on the Mariazellerbahn train and one at a mountain lodge), and one farewell group dinner. A complimentary week-long public transport rover ticket for Vienna is included.
How much walking is involved?
The tour includes city walking tours in Vienna and boarding vintage trains and tramways. The Semmering Pass crossing involves stairs and station handling; no strenuous hikes are required.
When does the tour run?
One departure is scheduled for July 2026 at GBP 2,295 (or GBP 2,150 ground only).

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