7-Day Heidelberg & Bavaria Vacation Package by Rail (7R05)

We were delighted with the experiences and accommodations
of our excellent independent Bavarian trip by rail.The process
was seamless and the hotels were charming including the staff,
location, quality of sleep and breakfasts. To Europe had excellent
responsiveness and the clarity of information took out the stress
of travel so we could freely enjoy ourselves. Thank you so much for your professionalism.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip! All the hotels booked were conveniently located .
Thank you very much for your service. Would love to plan further trips with you'll!

The 7 day Christmas Market tour was exceptional. There was a big difference between planning this trip on my own vs. the self-guided to-Europe tour. First, the hotels were placed exceptionally well. All except one, were easy walking distance from the train station right into the center of the Christmas markets. For the one hotel that required transport from the train station, vouchers were provided and it was easy. Second, we were free to choose our schedule but if we wanted to tour local sites, all the information (and in some cases tickets) were provided. Finally, Marie, Woldemar, and Thomas, responded quickly to my questions and it felt good to know this team was available if I needed assistance. The memories from this trip will last a lifetime.

This tour was fantastic in every way. Getting around was a breeze. The hotels were very hospitable. The sightseeing selection was amazing, while also giving us enough time and freedom to explore things beyond our itinerary. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish and we got to experience a wide variety of German culture, from medieval times to the modern day.
A huge thank you to Marie, Woldemar, and Thomas for going the extra distance and making this an unforgettable experience. I could not recommend this tour and company highly enough!

I am not sure there are enough words and star ratings to show our deep appreciation to the company for making our 30th anniversary getaway amazing. We thought we wanted to do a river cruise and after seeing their costs, we decided to first drive the Romantic Road. I typed in what cities we wanted to see and googled "self drive tour" and To-Europe came up. I looked at their itineraries and realized they had already invented the wheel and knew more about Germany's rail or roads and hotels and tours, so I gave them a call. From our initial call all the way until our departure they answered every question I had. Due to the number of days we had, we elected to do the rail tour and so glad we did. I said we still wanted to do a river cruise for a day, and if that was an option--sure!  I asked if we could upgrade the room for our anniversary night-sure! I asked if we could upgrade the rail to first class-sure! and I could make these changes and additions throughout the year of planning. The best part is, it's a great feature to be able to pay a deposit and have the balance due 45 days before departure. While we had the money as we were planning to do the trip for years, parting with a large sum is not easy, not for many or most. The original cruise we thought we wanted to take would have cost us $11,000, with payment due within 2 weeks of booking. That's just not a reality for many.
They make Europe travel feasible to every budget.

Throughout the 10 months of planning they communicated any changes to hotels or tours. Right before we departed we were emailed all our voucher, city maps, and suggested tours and walking paths. It also included details on what tour were included in our package, rail times, and any transfers from the airport or rail station. This allowed us time to map cities out as well and find restaurants we may have wanted to eat, and see how close they were to our hotels. Once we arrived at our first hotel, we received our "magic envelope" which was our golden ticket to all the tours and packages we had planned as well as our daily rail pass. Every day we just simply pulled out the day's itinerary, rail times, tours, and hotel information. Most of the hotels were within walking distance from the train station, and its very normal to see many people walking the streets with suitcases. As always, everyone's suggestion is not to overpack, and going by rail, and in a different city every day, and the casual nature of each city, you truly need 3 changes of clothes, a jacket, and maybe one change for cooler weather. We easily could have done a carry on, and wish we had. Live and learn. It was also warmer temps, and unseasonably warm, and in the course of the week, temperatures ranged over 30*. Either way, you are many times having a 6 minute connection on the rail and having to go up and down steps at the stations, so the lighter the better. And the trains don't wait. When they say departs at 9:56am, you better be there. Trust me, we were on the wrong platform we had to rush to the right one running up stairs with two suitcases, and my husband stepped on the train and reached back for my bag and the doors shut! And he had all the euros and my wallet!!! Made for an adventurous and humorous anniversary day. But we figured it out and will have many years of laughs over that one. So travel light, and always have euros ON you.

With that said, when we planned our trip, we communicated that we are reasonably young and fit, and like to see a lot and prefer to start early, so our pace is not for everyone. Running between trains, or to walk 9-12 miles a day or hustling down a hill from a castle to make it back to a boat is not for the faint of heart, but we loved it. This is a trip of a lifetime, and we wanted to pack as much in, and we did. We live two hours to a beach for a relaxing getaway, Europe is once in a lifetime, and we wanted to conquer all of it.

We are so glad we included the river cruise. We would love To-Europe help us plan a day cruise itinerary so we can stay in the small villages from Koblentz to Rudesheim. The villages are amazing, and we suggested they include contacts on either a shuttle or a taxi so you can get from the port, up to the castles in the allotted time.

The hotels they chose were perfect. Always in good,safe, historic locations. Easy walks to dinners or villages. Some did not have A/C, but its Europe and the nights got cooler. One did not have an elevator, so back to the carry on or packing light tip.

To-Europe.com is a very highly respected organization, and we could tell when we were greeted at check in. We were treated like royalty, and if our rooms were available we could check in, or the bags would be kept or sent to the room waiting for us when we returned later.
Each city we were provided with walking tips, and suggestions or our pass got us into some of the attractions. It was wonderful to not sit and try to plan a day, they did it all for us.

Breakfast included at each hotel is a huge bonus. We would eat a nice hearty breakfast (even being offered sparkling wine or champagne at 7:28 am) and would get to the train station in plenty of time or walk the town we were in. And every town we went had plenty of bier or wine gartens for an afternoon meal or snack. One hotel wasn't open for breakfast before our departure, so they made to go boxed lunches for us.

It was the trip of a lifetime. I work in the travel industry, and book travel and events for a living. Europe is overwhelming to me especially not living somewhere with rail/bus/tram systems. Avoid the headache and planning yourself and just call To-Europe and Michaela, Thomas, Petra and Diana, who were the best I have ever worked with. They made our anniversary getaway one we will never forget. I normally am ready to come home after about 5 days from trips, but my husband I wished we could have stayed. Germany is amazing, the residents are some of the kindest folks ever, the cities were clean, safe and affordable. I truly cannot say enough kind words about this company and Germany. Already thinking of trip #2 with them. ( Rhine River day cruise hop on/hop off????) Thank you for everything. Amazing and wonderful vacation!

We had a fabulous vacation! TO EUROPE did a great job working with us during the planning stages of the trip and provided a very detailed and complete package for us to review and become familiar with before our tour date. I had a few clarification questions after reviewing the package and the TO EUROPE team answered every question I had to make sure we were ready for our vacation. From the time we stepped on the first train in Stuttgart (where we started our tour), to the last train ride from Heidelberg back to Stuttgart we were smiling and having fun! There are so many highlights from our trip I can't begin to describe them here, but each city we visited had it's unique charm and beauty........Wurzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremberg, Munich (and the day trip to the countryside to include a stop in Oberammergau and the Lenderhof Palace & Neuschwanstein Castle tours), and last but not least Heidelberg. Thank you so much TO EUROPE, we have beautiful memories to last a lifetime! Don & Virginia, South Carolina, USA

First they modified the tour to fit our schedule. Then all was as planned. The train tickets, the hotels and even the cab to the last hotel were all perfect. We encountered several other people using the company and all were pleased. The material they supplied was a nice supplment to my own Frommers. I had no emergencies so i did not need to contact the company once the tour started but I am sure they would have been responsive. They were also responsive to my questions before the tour and helped with things like translating a dinner reservation. . We had a grand time touring the markets and seeing the sites.

Being of German ancestry i have always wanted to go there.
This company made it so easy.
My day in rothenberg started ou with me stepping into a clock shop.i had no idea i wanted a coco clock until i saw all of them. They captivated me with old world craftsmanship. Soon i picked out a hand painted beauty the would be the envy of my tribe for years to come.

I would like to thank you for your excellent service. My guests who visited me in Germany were fully satisfied and truly enjoyed this trip!

We visited Germany on a business trip but decided to make this a holiday as well, We enjoyed every minute of everything, we however would next time spend more time at each stop to see more. Germany is a great country, the tour was great and the staff responsible for the booking went out of their way to assist. One small hick-up but the information and the way the tour guide covered the tour made up for the hick-up. We will be saving for our next tour and would repeat some of the same. Many thanks to the team, you are great.

Our trip organized by to-europe.com was really good. The organization was excellent and all the details were explained before the trip. Would definately do a trip with them again. All the hotels were also really good, my only suggestion is to ask the client how far from the center they are willing to be.

Thanks a lot!

to-europe.com
Thank you for the perfectly well organised package. We have just finished 9 days customised travel on the romantic road.
On day 1 having arrived at Frankfurt airport we nervously confronted the rail ticket machine with paper instructions in hand, it worked well and we headed off to Wurzburg with rails tickets for the whole journey as planned.
Some of our memorable highlights of our journey :
All of the chosen hotels were in perfect locations and the rooms were clean, comfortable and the staff very helpful. At each hotel the reception handed over city maps and answered any questions regarding train or tram routes within the city.
The printed information sheets provided by to-europe and attention to detail was exceptional.

Wurzburg: The Burgerspital is a great place to have a meal, just a short walk from the hotel.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: The Night Watchman 8pm walking tour was absolutely fantastic, entertaining and interesting. George our watchman for the night was hilarious and passionate and engaging.
Heidelberg: The Schnookeloch close to the Hollander Hotel is a great place to eat, food was awesome. Our Superior room at the Hollander Hotel was perfect, spacious and had a fabulous view of the river and bridge.

Every step of the way the accommodation and tour vouchers were spot on.
The taxi vouchers and rail tickets and information were well planned.

Many thanks to Petra, Michaela, Thomas and the team, you thoughtfully and thoroughly customised the package to suit us. We very much appreciated the easy email communication in the early stages of planning and will recommend to-europe to future travellers.

Chris and Sue Elks
Gelorup Western Australia
May 23, 2017