When we call this 1st-class Rail tour and Rhine River Cruise the German Highlights it is a name that is well deserved!
Rhine River © Thomas H. Giesick
This charming tour starts and ends with transfers from/to Frankfurt International Airport right to/from your first hotel in Germany. You will begin your tour in the Rheingau Wine Region staying in beautiful Rudesheim am Rhein – located right at the Rhine River. On Day 2 you enjoy a beautiful Rhine River Cruise, and this is only the start. All your rail journeys will be in First Class and the tickets will includes seat reservations for you on all High-Speed “ICE” and speed rail journeys. You will visit the Romantic Road, with stays in Wurzburg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where you will enjoy the English-speaking tour with the Night-Watchman. Among the many sights you visit is the Imperial Castle in Nuremberg, Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Linderhof Palace, close to the mountain resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Neuschwanstein Castle – a true highlight! A day trip from Munich will bring you to Salzburg where you join the 4-hours Sound of Music tour. When you leave Bavaria to travel towards Frankfurt International Airport you will have a night in Heidelberg where you have time to visit the Old Town and Heidelberg Castle!
For detailled information what exactly is included in the price of this 1st-class Rail tour please see the tableau this is already included in the price of your tour. Here you also find everything else that is included: transfers, rail tickets, tours and admissions.
Price per Person
| two sharing a double room | one in a single room | three sharing a triple room |
| US $ 1,699 | US $ 2,409 | US $ 1,509 |
Would you like to submit your personal information so we can check availability for your specific travel dates for this beautiful tour? On our BOOKING INQUIRY page you find a form which you may use to forward your personal information:
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Day 1 Frankfurt Int. Airport / Rudesheim
Your German Highlights 1st-class Rail & Cruise vacation package will start with a private transfer right from Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) to your hotel in beautiful Rudesheim am Rhein. Rudesheim is not only famous for its “Drosselgasse” (a lively alley with restaurants and taverns stretching from the river into Rudesheim Old Town). Rudesheim am Rhein is also famous for its scenic location in midst steep vineyards along the Rhine River and for the Riesling which is grown here. The Riesling is a dry white wine which is very popular in Germany.
Depending on your arrival time at Frankfurt Airport you have time to explore the Old Town of Rudesheim and also maybe take a walk into the vineyards from where you have great views of the Rhine River and the scenic area surrounding it. If your arrival in Frankfurt is before noon you may consider taking a funicular ride up to the “Niederwalddenkmal”, a monument which was constructed to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire. From next to the “Germania” figure you have a great view over Bingen (across from the Rhine river). In the evening make sure to try a glass of Riesling and enjoy dinner in one of the many wine taverns, e.g. at the Wine Restaurant Rudesheimer Schloss where you will find local specialties as well as German “Gemutlichkeit”.
Niederwald monument, Vine tasting, KD Rhine River Cruise © Thomas H. Giesick
Day 2 Rhine River Cruise through the Upper Rhine Valley
A Rhine River Cruise is scheduled for Day 2 of your 1st class Rail & Cruise Vacation Package. A cruise ship of the “Weisse Flotte” (White Fleet) operated by the largest Day-Cruise company – the “KD”, Koln-Dusseldorfer – will take you from Rudesheim am Rhein thru the very scenic and romantic Upper Rhine-Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cruise follows the Rhine downstream for 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) to St. Goar which is located across from the famous Loreley Rock. Along this cruise you will get off the Cruise ship three times to visit scenic wine villages along the way. For your visit of Oberwesel, St. Goar and Bacharrach you have about two hours in each of the villages. Total cruising time will be a little more than 4.5 hours (both ways), 1:40 hours downstream and almost 3 hours upstream. So actually on your way back from St. Goar you will have more time to see the historic villages, castles, ruins and landscape. We will provide you with detailed tour information for this Rhine Cruise so you will be able to identify the Castles and historic sights you see along this beautiful Rhine River cruise! You will be back in Rudesheim am Rhein in the evening – right in time to get ready for another night in this scenic wine village.
Please note: the Rhine River Cruise is not operating during winter time. If you plan to book this tour during winter time we will arrange a day trip by rail to Koblenz. The rail tracks run right along the Rhine River so you will have great views along the way.
Wurzburg Residence and Rothenburg ob der Tauber © Romantische Straße Touristik Arbeitsgemeinschaft GbR
Day 3 Wurzburg
Take a train from Rudesheim to Wurzburg. Travel time is about 2,5 hours. The city is idyllically located in the midst of vineyards, with the medieval Fortress Marienberg towering above. Wurzburg is an old bishop’s seat and a lively town, proudly presenting monuments of different eras. Culture, art, history and hospitality are ever-present in this remarkable city! Fortress Marienberg (admission included), Wurzburg´s landmark, has of course changed its appearance a great deal since it was first mentioned, today the oldest part of the fortress is the “Rundkirche” (round church) which was built in the year one thousand. The Cathedral, the Marienkapelle, the “Alte Mainbrucke” (old bridge across the river Main ), the Juliusspital and the “Kappele” are musts, but make sure that you do not miss out on the “Furstbischofliche Residenz“, Prince Bishops Residence (admission included). This “Palace above all Palaces” is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy this beautiful town which offers not only cultural but also culinary highlights such as the hearty cuisine and, of course, the world famous Frankenwein (Franconia wine!).
Day 4 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
By regional rail you will get from Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The Bavarian medieval town is definitely a highlight along your tour. Your charming Hotel is located in the Old Town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (within the City Wall). Taking a walk thru this charming little town is truly a journey back in time. Rothenburg ob der Tauber was once a powerful free imperial town and its monuments, landmarks and buildings still bear witness to these days. Marvel at the half-timbered buildings and on top of the historic town walls which are withstanding time since hundreds of years. Visit the town’s most famous spot, the Ploenlein square, probably the most photographed place in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Also very interesting to see is the Spitalbastei Gate, created by Leonhard Weidmann, the latin inscription on the gate reading: ” Peace to those who enter, health to those who leave”. The Gothic St. James Church is the town’s most prominent church, here you can take a minute and relax in quietness while you enjoy the beauty of the famous Altar of the Holy Blood and the Twelve Apostles Altar. Rothenburg ob der Tauber also offers museums which are cultural highlights, such as the Doll and Toy Museum where the history of playthings is shown, as well as the Crime Museum, where the visitor gets an insight into the law and especially its execution during the last 700 years. In the evening take an English-speaking tour with the Night-Watchman (included).
Day 5 Nuremberg
By Rail it takes less than 1,5 hours from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg. Your hotel is located in walking distance from Nuremberg Central Station (which is located just outside the Old City Wall surrounding Nuremberg Old Town and the Imperial Castle). Nuremberg’s history reaches back to the year 1050, its name “nourenberc” translates into “rocky hill”. Nuremberg’s famous landmark, the “Kaiserburg” (Imperial Castle), towers above the Old town, which is protected by the five kilometers long city wall, many towers and gates can still be visited. The medieval Castle is one of the most important imperial palaces dating from the middle ages from the 11th century (admission included). In the Third Reich Adolf Hitlers´Nazi Party had chosen Nuremberg for their Nazi Rallies and if you are interested in that part of history you may want to visit the Documenation Center Nazi Rally Grounds which are located just south of the Old Town.
Sebaldus Church, Imperial Castle and Heilig-Geist Spital Nuremberg ©Thomas H. Giesick
When exploring the beauty of Nuremberg’s medieval Old Town you may want to start right at the Koenigstor (“Kingsgate”) which is the gate right across from Nuremberg Central Station. From where the timber framed buildings, the Gothic Church of St.Lawrence and the Church of St.Sebaldus can be easily reached by foot. Right next to the Koenigstor is the Handwerkerhof (craft center), here you will feel like you are back in the medieval times, there are craft workshops like they used to have a long time ago as well as a gingerbread bakery. Make sure to enjoy a Nuremberg Bratwurst along with a beer or a glass of “Frankenwein” (franconian wine).
Neuschwanstein Castle © Romantische Strasse Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gbr, Linderhof Palace © Softeis via Wikimedia Commons and Munich Town Hall © Thomas H. Giesick
Day 6 Munich
On board of the High-speed train “ICE” it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Nuremberg to Munich. The price of your tour already includes a ticket for unlimited free use of public transportation within Munich (also to Munich Int. Airport) as well as admission to many sights in Munich (Munich Residence and Residence Museum, Treasury, Cuvilliés-Theatre, Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria,Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Marstallmuseum, Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain) and with your tour package you will also receive walking suggestions for a self-guided walking tour through Munich City Center. Along this walking tour you will visit the Marienplatz with the New Town Hall (with the “Glockenspiel”), the Konigsplatz (King´s Square), cultural center in the 19th century and later, during the “Third Reich”, site of Nazi Party mass rallies and location of the Nazi Party headquarters in Germany, the English Garden as well as the the State Opera House. You will be able to visit famous churches like Munich Frauenkirche, “Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau (Cathedral of Our Dear Lady), with a height of 325 ft. a Munich landmark, St. Peters Church, built in the 14th century and the Asam Church, which was built as a private chapel and integrated into an apartment building. The tour will pass by the most famous Munich shopping streets (Kaufinger street and Neuhauser street) as well as by the “Viktualienmarkt”, a traditional farmers market (open every day except on Sundays). The tour will take you by the famous “Alois Dallmayr” luxury delicatessen and coffee store as well as to the Hofbrauhaus of course, probably the world’s most popular beer hall. This may be a great place to enjoy a hearty dinner and a fresh Mass of beer (one mug holds 33.8 US fl oz)!
Day 7 Escorted coach tour to the Royal Castles
Another highlight of your tour will be a visit of the world famous Neuschwanstein Castle. You will be on an all-day escorted coach tourwhich will first take you to Oberammergau for a photo stop (you may want take a look at the Festival Hall where the Passion Play takes place every ten years.) The coach will then take you to Linderhof Palace, the Royal Villa of King Ludwig II. The Palace and Park were inspired by Versailles and the rooms are beautifully decorated and furnished. After a short drive through Austria and back into Germany you will get to Neuschwanstein Castle. The picture of Neuschwanstein is probably present in everybody’s mind and Neuschwanstein really seems to be taken out of a fairy tale. You will join an English-speaking guided tour through the Castle. The tour of the interior, the Throne Hall, the Hall of the Singers, the Grotto and all of the private rooms which were built for King Ludwig II, will make the picture perfect! After the tour of the inside make sure to take some time to explore the castle grounds. The view of Neuschwanstein from the bridge behind the castle is like no other! Your luxury coach will take you back to Munich where you will arrive in time for dinner.
Day 8 Heidelberg
In about 3 hours the Speed-train InterCity (IC) will take you directly from Munich to the romantic city of Heidelberg. Since in Heidelberg the Central station is a little bit outside of the Old Town the tour already includes a taxi transfer to your hotel which is located in the historic heart of Heidelberg.
Your tour package includes a suggestion for a walking tour through the Old Town, a “must do” – of course – is a visit of the ruins of Heidelberg Castle which is idyllically towering above the Old Town located at the Neckar River. If you do not want to take the walk up there is also a mountain train which you could take. From the Castle you have a beautiful view over the city and the Neckar River. The historic Old Town is a lively city with many students living there. In your tour information sheets you will find a recommendation where to go for a typical dinner.
Heidelberg Castle and Old Bridge Heidelberg © Wowox via Wikimedia Commons; Frankfurt Int. Airport © Thomas H. Giesick
Day 9 Frankfurt Int. Airport
Today your German Highlights 1st class Rail & Cruise tour ends. Depending on the departure time of your flight from Frankfurt International Airport we will arrange a taxi transfer from your hotel to Heidelberg Central Station and 1st-class rail to the airport. Total travel time from your hotel in Heidelberg to Frankfurt Int. Airport is about 90 minutes.
Would you like to download an overview of the 9 Day German Highlights 1st class Rail & Cruise (9R03) Tour as a pdf to print it out or to forward it to a friend? Please download it right here:This is already included in the price of your tour
| Day 1 - Frankfurt Int. Airport to Rudesheim/ Rudesheim | no train ticket needed | Hotel Rudesheimer Schloss (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Rudesheim Central Station | Private transfer from Frankfurt Int. Airport directly to your hotel in Rudesheim am Rhein |
| Day 2 - Rhine River Cruise/ Rudesheim | no train ticket needed | Hotel Rudesheimer Schloss (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Rudesheim Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Rudesheim am Rhein, All Day Rhine River Cruise |
| Day 3 - Rudesheim to Wurzburg/ Wurzburg | Unrestricted first class train ticket (not restricted to a specific time or train type - also valid for High Speed-Rail "ICE" trains) from Rudesheim am Rhein to Wurzburg (travel time about 2:30 hrs) | Hotel Wurzburger Hof (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Wurzburg Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Rudesheim am Rhein, Admission to the Wurzburg Residence and Marienberg Fortress (open March 16th to October, closed on Mondays) |
| Day 4 - Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber/ Rothenburg ob der Tauber | Unrestricted first class train ticket (not restricted to a specific time or train type) from Wurzburg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (travel time about an hour) | Hotel Markusturm (or similar if not available), located within the Old Town, right across from Rothenburg Central Station - 8 walking minutes) | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Wurzburg, english speaking tour with the Night Watchman |
| Day 5 - Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg/ Nuremberg | Day Pass (first class) regional train ticket from Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Nuremberg (travel time about an hour) with also covers public transportation within Nuremberg that day | Hotel Victoria (or similar if not available), located within the Old Town, right across from Nuremberg Central Station - 3 walking minutes) | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Admission to the Imperial Castle in Nuremberg, admission to the Deep Well and to the Sinwell Tower |
| Day 6 - Nuremberg to Munich/ Munich | Unrestricted first class train ticket (not restricted to a specific time or train type - also valid for High Speed-Rail "ICE" trains) from Nuremberg to Munich (travel time about an hour), ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Munich | King´s First Class Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Munich Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Nuremberg, Admission Residence Museum, Treasury, Admission Cuvilliés-Theatre, Admission Hall of Fame and Statue of Bavaria, Admission Nymphenburg Palace and Park, Admission Marstallmuseum and Museum of Nymphenburg Porcelain, Munich Walking suggestions |
| Day 7 - Royal Castles/ Munich | no train ticket needed | King´s First Class Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Munich Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Munich, All day escorted coach tour to Oberammergau and to the Royal Castles - Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace, Admission Neuschwanstein Castle (Hohenschwangau), Admission Linderhof Palace & Park (Ettal) |
| Day 8 - Munich to Heidelberg/ Heidelberg | Unrestricted first class train ticket (not restricted to a specific time or train type - also valid for Speed-Rail "IC" trains) from Munich directly to Heidelberg (travel time about 2:20 hrs) | Hotel Hollander Hof (or similar if not available), located in the Old Town (taxi transfer provided) | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Munich, taxi transfer from Heidelberg Central Station to your hotel in Heidelberg Old Town, Heidelberg Walking suggestions |
| Day 9 - Heidelberg to Frankfurt Int. Airport/ Frankfurt Int. Airport | no train ticket needed | no hotel needed | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Heidelberg, airport shuttle transfer from your hotel in Heidelberg directly to Frankfurt Int. Airport |
The tour package we provide includes a day by day itinerary as well as all tickets, vouchers and information necessary to enjoy a great independent tour. It also contains general information about the cities you visit which you can downloaded from our website once your tour is confirmed.
This is not included in the price of your tour
- Airfare from/to your origin to/from Frankfurt International Airport
- all meals other than breakfast (which is included)
- gratuities (tips)
You have booked the tour already and would like to download the to-europe tour package for this tour now? Please download them right here:
We are fortunate to have travelers from all over the world on our pre-packaged tours and we would love to have your feedback! If you have been traveling along this tour with us please leave us a review below – we greatly appreciate your time! (your Email address will not be displayed)
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My wife and I do not like tour groups and prefer to do out own thing. What appealed to us was having all the hotels vetted by you and within walking distance of the stations. You did not disappoint with regard to this as the hotels were all good and easy walking distance. We did need to use Apple maps to help us with some as it was not always easy to find the first street on the provided small maps with the long names of streets. A highlight was the Nightwatchman tour in Rothenburg ab de Tauber. A small mishap we forgot to change trains to get there. The trains we very smooth and comfortable. Having all the information emailed to us with instructions worked well. overall the trip exceeded our expectations. I have recommended the company to friends.
Hats off to Thomas and your entire staff for the wonderful trip. I was working on planning a trip to Germany when I ran across this To-Europe.com website. After seeing the reviews I decided it was very time consuming lining up an entire self-guided trip and I was willing to try out this company.
I cannot say enough on the efficient and professional staff. We started with the 9 day German Highlights 1st class Rail & Cruise. I wanted to plan for a total of 16 days and it was amazing how knowledgeable Thomas was on giving suggestions once I told him we would be flying in to Amsterdam and out of Paris.
I followed the step by step directions sent ahead of time and had printed out all the confirmations, vouchers, directions and touring information. It was extremely easy to navigate the tour with all the details we were given. Traveling by 1st class rail made the trip very enjoyable. (For anyone that has never traveled by rail, I would suggest downloading the Deutsche Bahn App to easily navigate the German rail system). The motels were very nice and the hot breakfast's were exceptional The motels were conveniently located near the rail stations welly within walking distance. Thomas and his staff not only had great communication setting up the tour but it was like having a 24/7 travel agent available should you have any questions.
I was really surprised how easy it was to use the 1st class rail tickets and checking into every motel was a breeze. The mega-ticket saved us a ton getting into all the attractions.
The highlights for us were many with the motel in Wurzberg and touring the residence museum there. The Night Watchman in Rothenburg will never be forgotten. We took a cable car ride over the vineyards in Rusheim that was amazing which ended up coming down a chair lift and you caught a ferry back on the Rhine River. We will definitely use To Europe LLC to further explore The Old World on another excursion.. Thank You again for such a memorable trip. Jeff & Diane
It was our first time doing a self-guided tour but everything worked out really well. We were surprised by how much instructions were given to us and how easy it was to follow everything. Thanks for all the preparation and planning that went into our trip. It was nice to have the flexibility to take our time and see and do things at our own pace. The only suggestion we would have is that it would have been nice to have air-conditioning in the hotels that we stayed in but other than that, the accommodations were very lovely and breakfasts were very satisfying. If we ever do another trip to Europe, hopefully we can use your company again. Thanks for a great time!
Dear Michaela, Diana and Thomas,
Thank you so much for arranging such a wonderful 2-week solo tour of Southern Germany. I am 65 but felt like a college student. I had a fantastic time and got to see all the sights and attractions that I really wanted to see. Except for one missing voucher at the start, everything ran smoothly. I never missed one connection or had any problems with reservations or using the vouchers/passes that you provided. The pre-trip information was very detailed and complete. The accommodations you selected were very comfortable, with one exception (lots of street noise in Wurzburg). The DB's (German Rail system) service is excellent and having first-class tickets made the train travel very enjoyable. Germany is a beautiful country and the people are friendly and polite, for the most part.
I look forward to my next vacation in Europe and hope that I can use To-Europe LLC to design my tour. If you are looking for a tour that combines independent and some group travel , you can't go wrong with To-Europe LLC. Their entire staff is very helpful, efficient and easy to do business with.
Best regards,
Thomas G., Frisco, TX
We have just ended our 2 weeks Germany holiday last Saturday. It was indeed a very enjoyable one and a big thanks to Thomas from To-europe.
This is the first time we are using To-europe and we definitely will not be hesitated to use them again if we visiting Europe the next time.
I am sure we are one of the most troublesome customers Thomas ever have as we have made at least 4 revisions to the itinerary. However, Thomas is very responsive and accommodated our needs. As a result, we are able to seamlessly continue our holiday in Netherlands at the end of Germany tour.
Apart from responsiveness through email, Thomas often goes out his way to respond via fb messenger. There were a few times where I confused with the tickets and coupon I have got, he sorted out via messenger in the middle of his weekend. It is like you have a tour planner with you 24 by 7 while you have all the privacy space, time freedom to enjoy your holiday.
The logistics such as hotel, train reservation arrangement, local travel passes, detail map guiding you from station to hotel, down to details how to collect your train tickets, are all prepared and given in advance.
All hotels chosen are really good, the first class train experience is very nice, the bundle itinerary such as the night walking tour in Rothenberg is the icing to the cake. All in all, I would recommend those who enjoy the time and space freedom, enjoying the best the place can offered without spending a lot of time reading and researching, I would recommend To-europe.
Thomas, thank you very much the giving us such a memorable holiday.
Best regards,
Michael and Charmaine
Just returned from a 12 day Germany excursion along the Romantic Road. We have not used To-Europe before, but will certainly do so again. Thomas was very responsive to our requests, since we customized our itinerary a bit. Everything was very well organized and communication was prompt. The hotels were great - close to both rail and key attractions in the cities we visited. We found the detailed rail itineraries especially helpful. All in all, an excellent trip. Thank you for a memorable experience! Highly recommended.
I might suggest to include links in your email instructions to one of the good YouTube videos out there for inexperienced travelers explaining how to navigate the German rail system. I found them on my own, and they were very helpful, but Including this would be very helpful.
We had a great time exploring Germany on our 11day trip. The accommodations were excellent and conveniently located to the train stations. The sight-seeing recommendations you gave us were interesting and entertaining. We wished we could have stayed longer to see more of the country. Thanks for your expertise in planning our trip.
Michaela - thank you for your help in putting together our 18-day Germany and Austria tour. Our itinerary was well organized, and your desire to make this a trip of a lifetime for us was exceptional. We couldn't have done it without you. Thank you! For anyone who is thinking about a rail tour - we were very pleased, and highly recommend exploring options to extend the tour. We spent 18 days, and it just wasn't enough. We will definitely contact Michaela again for our next vacation!
We enjoyed our 10 day Romantic road tour customized for us by your company. The information and daily tour guide you sent us before the tour was very impressive and turned out to be very helpful and interesting. The hotels were easy to get to from the train stations. However, we would suggest that in Munich it would be nice to be offered the choice of two hotels with one being in a more central Munich location. We would have been willing to pay more for that rather than be located near the train station in Munich. We enjoyed all of the towns and the first class rail was excellent. We would not hesitate to recommend your tour company or this particular tour.
My husband and I really enjoyed our trip through Germany. We didn't have enough time to plan it ourselves, and thus used this company. They did a great job planning our journey with 6 stops. This enabled us to see the most we possibly could in 10 days without the stress of planning. All the hotels were great and in good locations. The timetables and walking tours were great. Everything was very organized and we still had enough free time to eat and drink at many different places. It so happened to work out for us to do the VIP tour to the royal castles and I say this is a must! It is so worth it! Also you need a guide for the dachau concentration camp for sure. All went great and smooth!
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