Visit Imperial Europe and enjoy the cities of Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin and the spectacular landscapes of the Danube Valley!
The 9 Day Imperial Europe Rail tour, which can also be booked from Budapest to Berlin, is a very nice but inexpensive way to visit four of Central Europe’s Capital cities in nine days. You have two nights in each town: Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest!
German Chancellery ©Thomas H. Giesick
For details of what exactly is included in this vacation package please see the tableau this is already included in the price of your tour). There is an option to upgraded to 1st-class Rail for the long distance train rides . This is just an extra of US $ 59.00 per Person and includes seat reservations! 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 $ 1,329 | US $ 2,429 | US $ 1,329 |
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:
View 9 Day Imperial Europe Rail Tour (9R12) in a larger map
Day 1 Berlin
By train/coach you will get from Berlin Tegel Airport to your hotel located near Potsdamer Platz. Germany´s capital city is the first stop at your Imperial Europe Rail Tour and a great and dynamic metropolis. The unification of East and West Berlin 25 years ago changed the city in many ways. Berlin fascinates visitors it’s culture and history are unique.
German Chancellery and Brandenburg Gate Berlin ©Thomas H. Giesick
Your vacation package includes the 48 hour Berlin & Potsdam Welcome Card. With this card you will have discounts to 200 museums, city tours and attractions and it includes a pass for unlimited free use of the Berlin public transportation system. With your tour package you will receive Berlin Walking tour suggestions as well as information about the public buses “M100” and “M200”: the buses are public double decker buses which cover many sights of Berlin and are a perfect way to explore the city by hopping on and off those buses. They run very frequently all day from 5am until midnight and if you take both routes you will have a circle taking you from the former Center of East Berlin (“Berlin Alexanderplatz”) to the Center of West Berlin (“Bahnhof Zoo”, “Ku´damm” shopping area). Bus M200 takes you south of the “Tiergarten” to West Berlin´s Bahnhof Zoo where you may want to visit the “Gedachtniskirche” (Memorial Church) as well as the KaDeWe, continental Europe´s largest compartment store, which is located close to the Ku´damm. Bus M100 takes you back through the Tiergarten and partly north of it, passing the “Siegessaule” (Victory Column), Bellevue Palace (built in 1786 for the younger brother of Friedrich II, Ferdinand of Prussia, today: seat of the Germany´s President), the Reichstag (German Parliament), the Brandenburg Gate and the Museum Island back to Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Day 2 Berlin
On your second day in Berlin along your Imperial Europe Rail tour your 48h Berlin & Potsdam Welcome Card will still be valid. However, your tour package also includes walking suggestions which cover many of the sights around Brandenburg Gate which can best be visited by foot. From the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (German Parliament) the walking tour passes by the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, to Berlin´s new city center, the “Potsdamer Platz”, to “Checkpoint Charlie”, to East Berlin´s Culture- and Shopping Street “Friedrichstrasse” (site of the “golden twenties”), to the “Gendarmenmarkt”, where the German and French cathedrals are located, via the promenade street “Unter den Linden” to the Museum Island.
The remains of the wall can be visited at Berlin´s East Side Gallery where parts of the wall have been turned into a piece of art. If you are interested in Third Reich history a “must visit” is the documentation center “Topography of Terror“. It is located at the site from where the Nazis planned and managed most of their crimes. For those of you interested to visit a Concentration Camp Memorial site: a half day trip to the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg can be arranged (see Day 7 of our History Rail Tour “Fascination and Terror –Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”).
Prague Castle and Church of Ludmilla Czech © TO EUROPE s.r.o.
Day 3 Prague
In about 4.5 hours the “EuroCity” (EC) takes you from Berlin to Prague. Your hotel is located in walking distance from Prague Central Station. When you have checked in at your hotel you may be want to join a free 3.5 hour English-speaking walking tour of the “Golden City” (information on how to reserve this tour will be provided). In afternoon to take a closer look into those sights which are most interesting to you. Maybe you would like to cross the Charles Bridge again and take a closer look into Prague Castle? You will pass the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana, “little quarter”) which is one of the most historic parts of town. Of course you have to try some culinary delights of Prague as well as a Pilsner Beer!
Day 4 Prague
The Old Town can easily be explored by foot from your centrally located hotel and today you have all day to take a closer look at some of the highlights you have seen the day before. Maybe you want to take a short walk into the Old Town (“Staré město”) since in Prague’s historic Center numerous historic buildings and monuments can be seen. At “Staroměstské náměstí, the Old Town Square, you will find the famed Astronomical Clock (Orloj), built into one side of the Old Town Hall Tower, the gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn as well as the mural-covered Storch building. If you walk a little further towards Prague´s Vltava River you will find another highlight – the Karlův most (Charles Bridge). Construction of Prague’s most famous medieval bridge started in 1357 under King Charles IV. The bridge connects the Lesser Town with the Old Town. From the Charles Bridge you have a great view of the Hradčany (Castle District) with Prague Castle towering above the city of Prague. Back in 870 constructions of the first buildings began, many buildings were added during the centuries. Maybe you would like to cross the Charles Bridge again and take a closer look into Prague Castle? You will pass the Lesser Quarter (Malá Strana, “little quarter”) which is one of the most historic parts of town.
Day 5 Vienna
In about 4 hours the Speed Rail “EuroCity” (EC) will take you from Prague to Vienna located in the east of Austria, close to the borders to Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The price of your Imperial Europe vacation package already includes the 48 hour Vienna Card. With this card you enjoy more than 200 discounts in Vienna, at museums and sights, theaters and concerts, in shops, cafes, restaurants and also the “Heurige” wine taverns. But most importantly with this card you also enjoy unlimited free public transportation within Vienna. Even though your hotel is located in the City Center it is great to have the option to take the subway, a street-car or a public bus. On your first day in Vienna you may want to visit the Imperial Palace, for example, the “Hofburg Vienna”, the center of the former Habsburg Empire. The Palace was Sisi´s Imperial home and household, and the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection can be visited here. At the Vienna Hofburg you also find the Spanish Riding School where you may want to watch a performance or join a practice session and also the Old Town Hall which is close by. In immediate walking distance of the Hofburg you will find the State Opera House, definitely one of the world’s most famous Opera Houses where the Vienna Opera Ball takes place every year. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna and it is a “must see” as well as smaller churches like the “Universitatskirche” (Jesuits Church) and the “Peterskirche” (St. Peter’s Church).
Another option is to visit the “Ringstrasse”, a circular road around the inner city districts of Vienna. In the 19th century the road was replacing the Old City Wall which had been built in the 13th century. Many of the buildings you find along this road, the Austrian Parliament Building or the University of Vienna for example, were built around the 1850´s. You may also want to visit Schonbrunn Palace and its beautiful Garden. Your Vienna Card covers the fare to get there; the subway station “Schonbrunn” (subway line U4) is very close to the entrance of Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Habsburg family and home of Maria Theresa. The Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria and nowadays is one of the most visited sights in Vienna. It all started with the building of a mansion on hunting grounds in 1548 just outside of Vienna. The impressive Palace in its present form (it has 1,441 rooms!) was built and remodeled around the 1750s by Maria Theresa. Make sure to plan in some time for a visit of Schonbrunn Garden before you take the subway back to the city center.
Schoenbrunn Palace ©Österreich Werbung, Horvath and Church of Mariahilf Vienna © Österreich Werbung
Day 6 Vienna
Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Vienna with your 48 hour Vienna Card. Maybe you want to visit the “Ringstrasse”, a circular road around the inner city districts of Vienna. In the 19th century the road was replacing the Old City Wall which had been built in the 13th century. Many of the buildings you find along this road, the Austrian Parliament Building or the University of Vienna the for example, were built around the 1850´s. You may want to visit Schonbrunn Palace and its beautiful Garden. Your Vienna Card covers the fare to get there; the subway station “Schonbrunn” (subway line U4) is very close to the entrance of Schonbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the Habsburg family and home of Maria Theresa. The Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria and nowadays is one of the most visited sights in Vienna. It all started with the building of a mansion on hunting grounds in 1548 just outside of Vienna. The impressive Palace in its present form (it has 1,441 rooms!) was built and remodeled around the 1750s by Maria Theresa. Make sure to plan in some time for a visit of Schonbrunn Garden. There you also find the Neptune Fountain and Gloriette, which was designed to symbolize the glory of the Habsburg power.
Budapest Castle Area and Budapest Zitadelle ©Ungarn Tourismus
Day 7 Budapest
In a little less than three hours you will be in Budapest the last stop at your Imperial Europe Rail Tour. Budapest is one of Europe’s most charming and romantic cities. It consists of two very different cities, Buda on the West bank of the Danube River and Pest on the East bank. Most of Budapest’s famous sights are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways. You are holding a 48 hour Hop-on Hop-off City tour ticket which is a great way to explore the City. The most popular attraction of Budapest is the Royal Palace which is towering on the Castle Hill above the city as well as the Parliament Building – a neo-gothic jewel, beautifully situated overlooking the Danube. St. Stephen’s Basilica is the main church of Budapest. It is an important example of neoclassical architecture. The mummified right hand of Hungary´s first king, St. Stephen, is kept in the chapel. The 96-meter high dome can be seen from anywhere in the city and the inside is beautifully decorated with mosaics. Also worth visiting is the State Opera House. Later on you may want to walk down to the Danube to visit the Chain Bridge (Szechenyi lanchid) as well as stroll along the Danube River bank. The “Shoes on the Danube Bank” can be found there; it is a memorial which honors the Jews who were killed by fascist in Budapest during World War II. The Jews in Budapest were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank.More detailed information about the horrors can be found at the Holocaust Memorial Center with its Exhibition Hall, the Synagogue and the “Wall of Victims”.
Day 8 Budapest
Today you have another full day of sightseeing with your 48 hour Hop-on Hop-off City tour ticket. Worth visiting is the State Opera House. Later on you may want to walk down to the Danube to visit the Chain Bridge (Szechenyi lanchid) as well as stroll along the Danube River bank. The “Shoes on the Danube Bank” can be found there; it is a memorial which honors the Jews who were killed by fascist in Budapest during World War II. The Jews in Budapest were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank.More detailed information about the horrors can be found at the Holocaust Memorial Center with its Exhibition Hall, the Synagogue and the “Wall of Victims”.
Day 9 Budapest Int. Airport
By private transfer you will get from your hotel to Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port where your tour ends. Please provide your departure details so we can arrange your transfer accordingly.
Would you like to download an overview of the 9 Day Imperial Europe Rail Tour (9R12) 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 - Berlin Airport to Berlin/ Berlin | Ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Berlin | Amano Grand Central (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Berlin Central Station | 48 hrs Berlin & Potsdam Welcome Card, Berlin Walking suggestions |
| Day 2 - Berlin | Ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Berlin | Amano Grand Central (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Berlin Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Berlin, 48 hrs Berlin & Potsdam Welcome Card, Berlin Walking suggestions |
| Day 3 - Berlin to Prague/ Prague | Speed train ticket from Berlin directly to Prague (travel time about 4:40 hrs) | 987 Design Hotel Prague (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Prague Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Berlin |
| Day 4 - Prague | no train tickets needed | 987 Design Hotel Prague (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Prague Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Prague |
| Day 5 - Prague to Vienna/ Vienna | Train ticket from Prague directly to Vienna (travel time about 4:10 hrs), Ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Vienna | Hotel Schani Wien (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Vienna Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Prague, 48 hrs Vienna Card |
| Day 6 - Vienna | Ticket for unlimited free use of the public transportation system (buses, trams, subways) within Vienna | Hotel Schani Wien (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Vienna Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Vienna, 48 hrs Vienna Card |
| Day 7 - Vienna to Budapest/ Budapest | Speed train ticket from Vienna directly to Budapest (travel time about 2:35 hrs) | Royal Park Boutique Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Budapest Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Vienna, 48 h Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus ticket in Budapest |
| Day 8 - Budapest | no train tickets needed | Royal Park Boutique Hotel (or similar if not available), located within 10 walking minutes from Budapest Central Station | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Budapest, 48 h Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus ticket in Budapest |
| Day 9 - Budapest to Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port/ Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port | no train tickets needed | no hotel needed | Buffet breakfast at your hotel in Budapest, private transfer to Budapest Airport or Budapest Cruise Ship Port |
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 your origin to Berlin Tegel Airport/from Budapest International Airport to your origin
- 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:
10-DAY CENTRAL EUROPEAN RAIL TOUR Hi Thomas, I meant to send you an email yesterday right after I came back from the vacation but I was tied up with other things – few pending business related work from my company. Both my wife and I really enjoyed European vacation trip you arranged for us. All extra activities you arranged for us such as dinner cruse on evening, city bus tour, etc. were very good and all choice of the hotel in different cities were excellent. Train ride between cities was also very smooth and good. In overall, we had a really good time and very satisfied with your services. Thank you! – In Don B., Vancouver, BC, Canada
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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This trip was fantastic! I started with an extra night in Berlin so three nights total, with two nights in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. The instructions were clear and the itinerary was excellent for solo travel. All of the hotels were nice, clean, and safe. The only hotel I would rate lower was the Hotel Bristol in Budapest. The lobby was old and run down but the room was updated and acceptable. The Central Rail Station in Budapest is not in a nice section of town so my first impression of Budapest wasn't great. However, the location - close to a double-decker bus stop and a grocery store was ideal. Budapest ended up being one of my favorite stops. The transportation passes provided for Berlin and Vienna were useful and the hotel in Prague is within walking distance of everything I wanted to see. The only shortcoming was in Budapest. A hop-on-hop-off bus ticket was provided which was great but no info about public transportation so I was tied to the tourist bus schedules - ending at 6pm or expensive taxis. Overall, this was one of the best trips I have taken! Highly recommended!
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