We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar, with a complimentary meal and drinks served on board before our arrival in Brussels. We change for the Thalys service to Cologne, where our hotel for one night is the Hotel Euro Garden, close to the station and the city's magnificent Gothic cathedral. (E,D)

We leave Cologne by IC service, travelling along the scenic Rhine Valley before heading south through Germany towards Lake Constance, skirting eastern Switzerland before heading eastwards through the West Tyrol to Innsbruck, where we stay for six nights at the Hotel Grauer Bär. (B,D)

We begin our stay in Innsbruck with a morning guided walking tour of this most striking alpine city, introducing sights such as the Golden Roof, built for Emperor Maximilian I to serve as a royal box from where he could observe the tournaments below and including nearly 3,000 gold-plated copper tiles. The Golden Roof sits within Innsbruck's beautiful Old Town, close to Maximilian's Imperial Palace and the impressive 15th century city tower. In the afternoon, we take a scenic excursion into Innsbruck's surrounding mountains on the scenic Stubaitalbahn, an 11-mile narrow-gauge railway which connects Railway Innsbruck's metropolis with its surrounding mountain hamlets. Opened in 1904, the trains leave Innsbruck, climbing past the Olympic ski-jump at Bergisel, using 180 degree bends to gain height and reaching more than 1,000 metres at line's-peak. (B,D)

Enjoy a free day to explore Innsbruck's elegant streets lined with fine buildings and stroll around the maze of cobbled alleyways in the medieval Old Town, a perfect place to sample a coffee and some of the exquisite local cakes. (B)

Today's excursion by rail takes us from Innsbruck through the Austrian Alps into Italy and the region still known as Südtirol. Historically part of Austria until 1919, the region remains visibly germanic in style and a large proportion of the population still speaks German. We visit Bolzano, known as the 'Gateway to the Dolomites', set amidst breathtaking scenery with a medieval centre, Gothic and Romanesque churches, and very much a crossroads between Austrian and Italian culture. (B,D)

Today is at leisure to further explore the Tyrolean capital or perhaps visit one of the towns of the Inn Valley, such as Hall in Tirol, Rattenberg or Kufstein, which are all easily reachable from Innsbruck by train. Alternatively, we would particularly recommend the Achensee Railway, a four-mile narrow-gauge railway leading from Jenbach to the Tyrol's largest lake at Seespitz, negotiating high gradients on its way. At Achensee, lake cruises are available to further explore this part of the Austrian Tyrol. (B)

This full-day excursion takes us along the beautiful Ziller Valley on the narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn railway, which was opened in 1902, in wonderfully restored four-wheel carriages hauled by a steam engine. We travel past pretty villages of traditional chalets to Mayrhofen at the head of the valley. Returning back to Innsbruck this evening we enjoy a final dinner at the hotel. (B,D)

We leave Innsbruck and head for Munich, from where we travel by ICE train to Cologne, to spend another night at the Hotel Euro Garden. Our late afternoon arrival gives you a little time before dinner to explore the city with its historic streets, elegant squares and medieval churches, and perhaps take a gentle stroll along the Rhine. (B,D)

Our morning departure to Brussels connects with Eurostar to London. A complimentary meal and drinks are served on board before our arrival into St Pancras International. (B,E)

E = Eurostar meal, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday