Day 1 – Eurostar to Brussels & Cologne

Morning Eurostar train from London St. Pancras to Brussels with connection for Cologne. We arrive in time for a relaxing evening in the old city.

Day 2 – The Scenic Rhine Valley

Our train follows the Rhine with its many castles and river traffic upstream to Mainz, then via Stuttgart and Ulm to Lindau for a 6-night stay in the centre of the town which is within easy walking distance of both the Insel station and the quayside.

Day 3 – Switzerland’s Appenzell Region

All excursions over the next three days are optional in the sense that they can be taken free of charge using your InterRail Pass with your tour leader or you can simply enjoy Lindau and its surroundings at your own leisurely pace. We visit St. Gallen and have a circular tour of the scenic Appenzell Region by narrow gauge electric train.

Day 4 – Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol

Today we head over the Arlberg Pass for a few hours exploring Innsbruck.

Day 5 – Oberstdorf

Staying within Germany, we visit the resort of Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region. This area, dotted with lakes, has a mountain backdrop.

Day 6 – Around the Lake

We take the train to Schaffhausen in Switzerland, then river boat up the Rhine to Stein am Rhein, train along the southern Swiss shore to Rorschach Hafen and finally boat across the lake back to Lindau.

Day 7 – At Leisure

By now you will have discovered other things you would like to do in the area – perhaps the Zeppelin Airship Museum at Friedrichshafen or the Insel Mainau (Flower Island) on Lake Constance. Today is your opportunity to explore at your leisure.

Day 8 – Bonn

Our homeward stopover is in the lovely city and former federal capital of Bonn where our hotel is adjacent to the station and close to the old city.

Day 9 – Return to London

A short rail journey brings us back to Cologne from where we catch a mid-morning train to Brussels. This connects with a Eurostar service to London, arriving late afternoon.