railtour suisse
Rail tour around the North Sea and Baltic Sea by train
Seven-day independent rail trip along Germany's North Sea and Baltic coasts
7 daysfrom $842
57% rail
The Railway Touring Company · Escorted rail holiday
Winter Steam in Germany
An eight-day escorted rail holiday combining main line steam, industrial railways and narrow-gauge heritage lines across Frankfurt, Erfurt and the Harz Mountains.
Day by day
- Day 1railovernight: Frankfurt
London to Frankfurt
Travel from London to Germany by Eurostar Plus and high-speed First Class rail via Brussels to Frankfurt. Check into a centrally located hotel, then join fellow travellers for a welcome dinner and introduction to the steam adventures ahead.
- Day 2railovernight: Frankfurt
Main line steam and the Frankfurt Harbour Railway
Steam experience at the historic Hanau roundhouse with 2-8-2T steam locomotive TKt48-160 in steam, exclusive cab rides and photographic opportunities. The locomotive then hauls a special train over Frankfurt's Harbour Railway alongside the River Main and through the city's waterfront districts, with photo stops and filming opportunities, before returning to Hanau.
- Day 3overnight: Frankfurt
Steam at the Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum
A day at the Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum, home to one of Europe's largest collections of 600 mm gauge steam locomotives. A private steam charter hauled by the museum's 1914 0-8-0 'Brigadelok' No.8 provides run-pasts, photo opportunities and narrow-gauge steam action; light refreshments including mulled wine, grilled sausages and sweet pastries served on site.
- Day 4railovernight: Erfurt
High-speed rail to Erfurt
Travel by DB high-speed ICE train from Frankfurt to the medieval city of Erfurt. Free afternoon to explore at leisure, with a tram rover ticket included for Erfurt's tram network. Dinner served at the hotel.
- Day 5railovernight: Erfurt
Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works
Travel by regional train through the scenic hills and forests of Thuringia to Meiningen, home to Deutsche Bahn's last active steam locomotive works, for a guided tour of the workshops including the boiler hall and locomotives under overhaul. Lunch at a local restaurant, with time to explore Meiningen's historic centre before returning to Erfurt.
- Day 6railovernight: Erfurt
Steam through the Harz Mountains to Mount Brocken
Train from Erfurt to Nordhausen to join the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways, steam hauled along the historic trunk route to Drei Annen Hohne, where another locomotive takes over for the climb to Mount Brocken, the highest summit in northern Germany. Time at the summit for photographs and refreshments before descending by steam and returning to Erfurt, a day of more than 130 kilometres of steam-hauled travel.
- Day 7railovernight: Erfurt
The Mansfeld Railway and Stassfurt Roundhouse
Travel to Klostermansfeld for a private steam charter on the Mansfeld Railway, Germany's oldest preserved narrow-gauge railway, behind a powerful 0-8-0 steam locomotive, with run-pasts and photography along the route to Hettstedt past former mining landscapes and slag heaps. Visit the depot, photograph the locomotive beneath the town's clock tower, lunch at the preserved 1876 station building, then continue to Stassfurt to explore one of Germany's most impressive preserved railway roundhouses and enjoy a private heritage train ride.
- Day 8rail
Return to London
Travel back to London by First Class ICE and Eurostar Plus services via Frankfurt and Brussels.
Included
- Eurostar Plus and First Class rail travel on international rail services
- First Class rail travel within Germany (where possible)
- 7 Nights hotel accommodation
- 8 Breakfasts
- 3 Lunches
- 2 Dinners
- All featured steam charters
- Railway excursions and museum visits as detailed in the itinerary
- Guided tour of the Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works
- Erfurt tram rover ticket
- The services of a Tour Manager
