Jungfrau Express and Rhine Cruise

Meet your Tour Manager at our departure office in London St
Pancras to board the Eurostar service to Paris. From here, we
continue to Strasbourg or Colmar (departure dependent) where we
overnight. 

On Day 2 we continue to Interlaken by
rail, we check into our hotel, the 4-Star Hotel Metropole, arriving
in time for dinner. You may wish to head out on an evening stroll
into the town. Interlaken is set between lakes Thun and Brienz, and
the beauty of the surrounding mountains is on full display as they
stand guard over the calm waters below.

We begin today's journey travelling along the Bernese Oberland
Railway. Trundling through the foothills of the Alps from
Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, we pass flower-filled pastures and
pretty villages. We then join the Wengernalp Railway, continuing
our ascent through ever-changing scenery to Kleine Scheidegg. Here
we join the Jungfrau Railway.

Climbing further from Kleine Scheidegg, the train arrives at
Jungfraujoch, the 'Top of Europe', situated 11,332 feet above sea
level. You have plenty of free time at the summit to explore the
Ice Palace and its many sculptures.

We depart Interlaken today, travelling to Basel by rail, where
you'll be met by a Great Rail Journeys representative who will
escort you to the ship, the Amadeus Silver III. This evening,
we enjoy a welcome cocktail before a delicious Swiss themed
meal.

Our vessel sails into the charming French city of Strasbourg
today. Strasbourg's position on the German-French border has seen
it change hands between the two nations frequently throughout
history. Because of this, Strasbourg represents the best of both
cultures, with colourful half-timbered houses and cobbled
streets.

You have two choices here. Your first option is a city tour of
Strasbourg, uncovering its charm and history. Your second choice
sees you travel into the famous Black Forest, passing through
stunning fairytale panoramas.

We arrive in Speyer this morning, where there's free time to
explore. This town is home to one of the largest privately-owned
collections of vehicles in the world, the Technik Museum Speyer.
Featuring an entire jumbo jet, army vehicles, emergency vehicles, a
submarine and much more, this museum is a treasure trove of
vehicular delights and is well worth a visit.

Later in the afternoon, we have an excursion to the delightful
university town of Heidelberg where we are treated to a guided
tour. Heidelberg is famous for a magnificent ruined castle that
stands guard over the riverbanks, proudly looking over the town
below.

We sail into the classic German town of Rüdesheim am Rhein,
known for its formidable wine production, especially of the dry
Riesling variety. Perhaps walk along the river during your free
time here this morning, before our ship departs for Koblenz.

This afternoon includes one of the highlights of the tour as we
pass through the glorious Rhine Gorge, one of the most beautiful
sections of the river and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sheer banks
rise up, towering over the river below, covered in deep forests and
miles of green vineyards, lending an almost ethereal feel to the
waterway.

Our lunch today sees us tuck into a wonderful themed buffet with
a suckling pig as the striking centrepiece, and several smaller
dishes from this part of the world. We sail this evening into the
enchanting city of Koblenz; you may wish to visit one of the famous
wine taverns here.

After an evening in Koblenz, we depart and discover the
marvellous Lower Rhine, a stretch of river characterised by lush
green meadows and postcard villages.

Our Cruise Director provides us with the history of this area,
and highlights points of interest. In the afternoon, we dock in
Koenigswinter, where we embark on a journey on the Drachensfelbahn
railway. This rack railway rises into the mountains and high into
the forests for wonderful views across the Rhine- Westphalia region
of Germany.

Arriving into Cologne this morning, we venture forth into this
vibrant German city on a walking tour. We visit the resplendent
cathedral, a centuries-year-old building which survived 14 aerial
hits during bombing across the Second World War. We also wander
through the many bustling squares, labyrinthine streets and see
Romanesque town-houses.

Tonight is an opportunity to dress up in our finest as we enjoy
a Gala dinner with the captain and crew.

We arrive in Amsterdam this morning where we have a choice of
two excursions, the first is a city tour of Amsterdam. One of the
most popular of all the European cities, Amsterdam is as modern as
it is historic, as young as it is old. From idyllic canals and
large parks to contemporary art galleries and futuristic
architecture, this is a city that boasts something for everyone.
The second option is an excursion to Hoorn where we board the
splendid Medemblik Steam Train and enjoy a nostalgic trip through
enchanting Dutch scenery.

After a buffet breakfast, we disembark the ship and here your
cruise concludes. Make your way back to the railway station with
your Tour Manager to board your train back to London St
Pancras.

Today, meet your Tour Manager and the rest of your group at
London St Pancras before travelling on the Eurostar service to
Amsterdam, where you'll be escorted to the ship. This evening, we
enjoy a welcome cocktail before dinner this evening.

After Breakfast this morning, we have a choice of two
excursions, the first of which is a city tour of Amsterdam. One of
the most popular of all the European cities, Amsterdam is as modern
as it is historic, as young as it is old. From idyllic canals and
large parks, to contemporary art galleries and futuristic
architecture, this is a city that boasts something for everyone.
The second option is an excursion to Hoorn where we board the
splendid Medemblik Steam Train and enjoy a nostalgic trip through
splendid Dutch scenery.

Arriving into Cologne this morning, we venture forth into this
vibrant German city on a walking tour. We visit the resplendent
cathedral, a centuries-year-old building which survived 14 aerial
hits during bombing across the Second World War. We also wander
through the many bustling squares, labyrinthine streets and see
Romanesque town-houses.

We depart from Cologne this morning and discover the marvellous
Upper Rhine, a stretch of river characterised by lush green meadows
and postcard villages. Our Cruise Director provides us with the
history of this area, and highlights points of interest. In the
afternoon, we dock in Koenigswinter, where we embark on a journey
on the Drachensfelbahn railway. This rack railway rises into the
mountains and high into the forests for wonderful views across the
Rhine- Westphalia region of Germany. In the evening, we indulge
with a traditional gourmet dinner which features Spargelzeit, a
kind of white asparagus which is famous in this area. (Please note,
Spargelzeit depends on seasonal availability).

You have free time here this morning to explore Koblenz.

This afternoon includes one of the highlights of the tour as we
pass through the glorious Rhine Gorge, one of the most beautiful
sections of the river and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sheer river
banks rise up, towering over the river below, covered in deep
forests and miles of green vineyards, lending an almost ethereal
feel to the waterway. We enjoy a commentary from our knowledgeable
Cruise Director during this passage.

Our lunch today sees us tuck into a wonderful themed buffet with
a suckling pig as the striking centrepiece, and several smaller
dishes from this part of the world making up the rest of the
offerings. Weather permitting we'll enjoy our lunch on the sun deck
as we take in the majesty of the glorious Rhine Gorge. 

This evening we sail to the classic German town of
Rüdesheim am Rhein, known for its formidable wine production
especially of the dry Riesling variety.

We arrive into Speyer this morning, where you have free time to
explore. This town is home to one of the largest privately owned
collections of vehicles in the world, the Technik Museum Speyer.
Featuring an entire jumbo jet, army vehicles, emergency vehicles, a
submarine and much more, this museum is a treasure trove of
vehicular delights and is well worth a visit. Later in the
afternoon, we have an excursion to the delightful academic town of
Heidelberg where we are treated to a guided tour. Heidelberg is
famous for a magnificent ruined castle, proudly stood high above
the town below, gazing down onto the river and the attractive town
houses.

Our vessel sails into the charming German town of Kehl today.
Sat across the Rhine from Kehl is the beautiful city of Strasbourg,
whose position on the German-French border has seen it change hands
between the two nations frequently throughout history. Because of
this, Strasbourg represents the best of both cultures, with
colourful half-timbered houses and cobbled streets.

You have two choices here. Your first option is a city tour of
Strasbourg, uncovering its charm and history. Your second choice
sees you travel into the famous Black Forest, passing through
stunning fairytale panoramas.

Tonight is an opportunity to dress up in our finest as we enjoy
a Gala dinner with the captain and crew.

After a buffet breakfast, we disembark the ship in Basel and
transfer by rail to Interlaken. On arrival in Interlaken check into
our hotel, the 4-Star Hotel Metropole, where we enjoy dinner
tonight.

We travel on the Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch - Europe's
highest railway station. We begin on the Bernese Oberland Railway,
trundling through the foothills of the Alps from Interlaken to
Lauterbrunnen and passing flower-filled pastures and past pretty
villages. We then join the Wengernalp Railway, continuing our
ascent through ever-changing scenery to Kleine Scheidegg, where we
join the Jungfrau Railway. Climbing further from Kleine Scheidegg,
the train arrives at Jungfraujoch, the 'Top of Europe', located
11,332 feet above sea level. With free time at the summit station,
you have plenty of time at the summit to explore the Ice Palace and
its many ice sculptures.

After breakfast, we make our way by rail to Paris where we catch
the Eurostar service back to London St Pancras.