
Tailor Made Rail
Tailor Made Rail · Rail holiday

Combine two fabulous destinations with the stunning Semmering Pass rail route across the Alps on this 6 night holiday to Venice and Vienna. The suggested itinerary includes a night en route in Turin and an exciting overnight sleeper journey from Vienna back to Cologne.
Embark at London St Pancras on the Eurostar to Paris. After an easy crossing between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon, board a TGV train to north-west Italy, starting on the fast line through French farmland at up to 200mph before a twistier, scenic route across the Alps through the Fréjus Tunnel into Italy. Arrive in Turin in the evening and transfer to the Starhotels Majestic (or similar).
Make your way to Porta Nuova station in Turin for the train through to Venice, taking around 4 hours. Cross the lagoon into Venice Santa Lucia station and check in for 2 nights at the Hotel Bisanzio (or similar). Alternative route: travel to Venice via the Swiss Alps, with a stop in a Swiss lakeside city such as Zurich, Lausanne or Lucerne.
A full day exploring the narrow alleys, pretty squares and Grand Canal vistas of Venice, including St Mark's Square and the Rialto Bridge, or getting away from the crowds at Murano, Burano or the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.
Board the twice-daily Austrian Railjet train direct to Vienna, with restaurant-car lunch as the scenery becomes mountainous crossing into Austria, through Klagenfurt and over the famous Semmering Pass to the capital. Check in at the Hotel Stefanie (or similar) for a 2-night stay.
A full day at leisure in Vienna, with its elegant boulevards, baroque architecture and imperial palaces. Highlights include the Belvedere and Schönbrunn Palaces, the Spanish Riding School and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Another day in Vienna, perhaps visiting St Stephen's Cathedral, cruising the Danube or discovering the Hundertwasserhaus. In the evening, collect your bags and make your way to Vienna's central station for the sleeper service to Cologne.
Arrive at Cologne main station around 8am, having usually received a continental breakfast in your cabin, before the onward journey to Brussels and back to London.