South West Germany

Day 1 – London to Karlsruhe

Morning departure on Eurostar to Paris, to connect to a high speed train to Karlsruhe. Our hotel for the next 2 nights is a short walk from the station.

Day 2 – Cuckoo Railway

Board a regional service to the Palatine forest railway, known as the Kuckucksbähnle or Cuckoo Railway. The line was built in the early 20th Century to transport timber from the heavily wooded section of the Elmstein valley to the Vorderpfalz region. A brief visit to the museum before boarding the standard gauge steam service to Elmstein. The hour long journey includes a photo stop and, after a break for lunch, we return on the steam service as far as Lambrecht before returning by mainline to Karlsruhe.

Day 3 – Rhine Valley to Koblenz

Travel north along the Rhine valley to Koblenz for a 4-night stay. Originally established as a Roman military outpost in the 1st Century BC, Koblenz stands on the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. The afternoon is free to explore the city.

Day 4 – Vulkan Express

To Brohl to ride a 17km long metre gauge railway. Built in the early 20th Century primarily for transporting goods, the railway continued to carry stone from the Brohl quarries to the Rhine port until 1995. Tourist operations on the line commenced in the early 90’s, freight and passenger services can be seen to this day.

Day 5 – On the River

We take a trip on the former paddle wheel steamer, now diesel powered, “Goethe” up-stream to Rüdesheim, passing numerous castles, vineyards and the Loreley Rock. Arriving mid-afternoon, there is time to look around Rüdesheim before returning to Koblenz by train along the east bank of the river.

Day 6 – Trier & the Moselle Valley

Journey by rail along the Moselle valley today, following the river as it twists and turns along Germany’s most beautiful river valley. Terraced vineyards and ruined castles adorn the valley slopes. In Trier we take a guided tour of Germany’s oldest wine cellar and indulge in a wine tasting featuring some of the local wines from the region before returning to Koblenz by rail.

Day 7 – South to Freiburg

Travelling via Mannheim we transfer to Freiburg located in the foothills of the Black Forest. Our hotel is located a short walk from the station. We stay here for 3 nights.

Day 8 – Wutachtalbahn

Today we visit the Wutachtalbahn, possibly the most spectacular preserved standard gauge line in Europe, or even the world. Built as a strategic railway on the Swiss border, the journey is from Zollhaus-Blumberg to Weizen. The line crosses huge steel viaducts and bridges and loops back on itself several times with even a complete loop in a tunnel giving the route it’s nickname the “pigtail railway”.

Day 9 – Kandertalbahn

We head south to Haltingen to ride the preserved standard gauge Kandertalbahn which runs 13km to the pottery town of Kandern. This steam railway has been kept as a historical working museum celebrating the heyday of steam.

Day 10 – Homeward Bound

After a leisurely breakfast we take a morning train via Karlsruhe to Paris to connect with the Eurostar service to London St Pancras, arriving early evening.