Day 1 - By train to Königswinter
We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar to Brussels in Leisure Select Class, with a complimentary meal and drinks served on board. Our journey continues by Thalys to Cologne from where we transfer to the riverside town of Königswinter, nestled in idyllic surroundings at the foot of the Siebengebirge hills. We spend four nights here at the Hotel Maritim. (E,D)
Day 2 - The Drachenfels Railway and Rhine Cruise
The station of the Drachenfels Cog Railway is just a short walk from our hotel. The railway opened in 1883 and leads from the bottom of the valley, up steep inclines and a height difference of 722 feet (220m), to the Drachenfels (Dragon Rock) hill. This morning we take a wonderful return journey to the top of the Drachenfels, with the option of stopping at Drachenburg Castle, which has its own station halfway up the rock and has been called 'the Neuschwanstein of the Rhine Valley'. In the afternoon we board a ship for a gentle Rhine cruise upstream to Linz. Here you have some free time to explore before we return by ship. (B,D)
Day 3 - A day at leisure in Königswinter
Enjoy a day in charming Königswinter or venture into the surrounding countryside. The heritage Kasbachtal Railway is accessible from Linz or the Ahr Valley Railway from Remagen on the opposite bank. Beethoven's Bonn and Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the Moselle, are also easily reached by train. (B)
Day 4 - The Vulkan Express
Today's excursion takes us to the opposite bank of the Rhine, where we join the Vulkan Express at Brohl, deep in the valley, for the scenic ride up through the Eiffel range to Engeln. Opened in 1901, the 11 mile (17.7km) journey takes one and a half hours as the diesel locomotive winds it way past castles, across viaducts, through a tunnel and up a steep incline to reach the village of Engeln, having climbed around 1,310 feet (399m). (B,D)
Day 5 - By train to London
We depart Königswinter by coach for Cologne to join the Thalys service for Brussels. Here we connect with the Eurostar to London, where 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
