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A Grand Rail Adventure: Vienna, The Alps & Milan - Westbound 2023

Operator
Tauck
Days
8
From
USD $13,590

Dates & Prices

Start Date End Date OffersBrochure
Land Price
Our PriceQuote
From
Wednesday,
Sep 20, 2023
To
Wednesday,
Sep 27, 2023
Call Us$13,590Get Our PriceGet Quote
From
Thursday,
Sep 28, 2023
To
Thursday,
Oct 05, 2023
Call Us$13,590Get Our PriceGet Quote

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Itinerary

Tour Itinerary

For Tauck guests only – limited departures with only 55 Tauck guests aboard, accompanied by two Tauck Directors for the utmost in personalized service. Following two nights in Milan, a Tauck Exclusive private train, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains'  Danube Express , transports you from Vienna to Milan aboard a private train, winding through Innsbruck, Zurich, Vaduz, and breathtaking Alpine landscapes... with an after-hours visit to the Habsburgs' opulent Schönbrunn Palace... a private opening of Milan's Ambrosiana Library, featuring Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks... and art masterpieces in Vienna on a two-night stay at a classic grand hotel... For Tauck guests only – only 58 Tauck guests aboard, accompanied by two Tauck Directors for the utmost in personalized service; limited to 6 departures. A most remarkable rail journey through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Lichtenstein in search of art, castles, wine, and cuisines, along some of the most scenic mountain railways in Europe. Begin with two nights in Vienna at the premier Hotel Bristol, discover the palaces of Vienna, take a private after-hours tour of Schönbrunn Palace, and immerse yourself in art at the storied Belvedere Museum, whose treasures include the world's largest collection of works by Gustav Klimt. Board the Golden Eagle  Danube Express  for a rail odyssey through Central Europe to Lake Como... viewing plunging granite valleys, soaring alpine peaks, and the twisting turns and tunnels of the St. Gotthard Pass... shimmering Lake Lucerne, Zurich's Kunsthaus art museum, and the clifftop castle of Liechtenstein's royal family in Vaduz... exploring Innsbruck's enchanting old town... enjoying a cruise on a lofty mountain lake... arriving in Como with its pastel villages and promenades on Lake Como... and ending with two nights in Milan at the prestigious Hotel Excelsior including a visit to glorious Milan Cathedral, a 19th-century shopping arcade, and a private early morning guided visit to Milan's Ambrosiana Library, home of Leonardo da Vinci's handwritten notebooks.

Countries Visited

Austria , Italy

Cities Visited

Innsbruck , Milan , Vienna

  1. Day 1
    Arrive Vienna

    Tour begins 6:00 PM. A transfer is included from Vienna International Airport to the Hotel Bristol, an elegant Art Deco landmark in the heart of the city, opposite the Vienna State Opera House. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.


    Meals:   Dinner
  2. Day 2
    Vienna Sights & After-hours at Schönbrunn Palace

    City sightseeing includes a tour of Belvedere Palace, a museum housing works by Impressionists including Monet and Van Gogh, Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present, and the world's largest collection of Gustav Klimt paintings. Later, get a guided look at the immense Hofburg, formerly the Imperial Palace, now the residence and offices of the Austrian President; and St. Stephen's Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece and iconic landmark. Spend free time exploring the city on your own, then join us this evening for a private after-hours tour of Schönbrunn Palace, the opulent Habsburg summer residence inspired by Versailles. Start with a typical Viennese dinner at the Café Residenz; inside the palace, your guided tour includes the dazzling hall of mirrors and the magnificent apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth. Dinner tonight is at the Cafe Residenz, a classic Viennese cafe in the eastern wing of the palace.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Dinner
  3. Day 3
    Viennese Music & The Danube Express

    Depart your historic Vienna hotel and attend an exclusive private concert with sparkling wine (or soft drinks) in an intimate historic setting in Vienna. Following the concert, travel to the Vienna tain station , where you'll board Golden Eagle Luxury Trains'  Danube Express, your elegant hotel on wheels for the next three nights, and enjoy lunch aboard the train. After settling in, you'll begin your scenic ride through the Semmering Pass, the border between Lower Austria and Styria, a journey along viaducts and tunnels. Dine onboard the train tonight.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  4. Day 4
    Innsbruck

    Travel the scenic alpine landscapes of central Austria to Jenbach, where you'll travel up to Lake Achen, a mountain lake also known as the Fjord of the Alps. Enjoy a boat cruise on the turquoise water, over a sunken valley that wanders fjord-like for miles amid limestone peaks and forested islands. Resume your train journey to Innsbruck, the resort capital of Tyrol, nestled beside the striking Nordkette mountain range; the city was a favorite retreat of the Habsburgs, who kept a lavish residence here. Take a walking tour of the medieval old town with a local guide before dinner aboard the Danube Express.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  5. Day 5
    Zurich & Vaduz

    Watch the enchanting landscapes of Austria's Vorarlberg province – mountain lakes, craggy peaks, waterfalls, villages, castles and deep valleys – unfold as the Danube Express crosses into Liechtenstein. Vaduz, the nation's capital, is a fascinating city of art, eclectic architecture, and vantage points for panoramic views. View the clifftop medieval castle that is still the residence of Liechtenstein's royal family; trails and overlooks on the grounds offer stunning birds-eye views of the city, the Rhine River, and the imposing mountain range. Ride the Danube Express to Zurich, where you have a choice of strolling through Zurich's captivating Old Town with a local guide or a tour that includes the Kunsthaus Museum of Art; the museum's collections of 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and installations include paintings by Monet, Munch, Picasso, and Van Gogh, as well as works dating back to the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on Swiss masters.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  6. Day 6
    St. Gotthard Pass to Lake Como

    Dramatic landscapes of granite peaks, plunging valleys, tunnels, and dramatic turns fill your view as the Danube Express winds through the rugged Gotthard Pass to Italy. Arrive in Chiasso, Switzerland and depart the train, traveling the short distance to Como, Italy. A walking tour reveals charming narrow streets and pastel houses beside enchanting Lake Como, lined with stately villas, terraces and promenades against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Visit the 14th-century marble cathedral and spend free time in town, then ride the train to Milan, your final destination. Check into your prestigious hotel opposite the Central Station, and dine a la carte this evening.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  7. Day 7
    A Taste of Milan

    Discover the historic center of this modern metropolis known for sophistication, cutting-edge fashion, and art. Begin the day with a private early morning guided visit to the Ambrosiana Library, home to Leonardo Da Vinci's handwritten notebooks ( or Codex). Then a walking tour takes you on a tour of Milan's architectural gems. See the awe-inspiring Milan Cathedral (the Duomo). Built with Candoglia marble shipped from quarries around Lake Maggiore, the immense Duomo took 600 years to build and is still a work in progress, adorned with thousands of gargoyles and sculpted figures, soaring columns, vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and flying buttresses, and a rooftop terrace with breathtaking views. From the Duomo it's a short walk to a no-less impressive commercial cathedral, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a 19th-century shopping arcade under a monumental glass and ironwork ceiling, housing a busy warren of boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafes. Lunch is included in a local restaurant. Return to the hotel to relax or you may wish to take a walking tour of the Brera District, a romantic bohemian neighborhood of narrow cobbled streets, galleries, and artisans' shops known as the Milanese Montmartre. Join us for a farewell dinner with entertainment at a local enoteca (wine bar) and restaurant, with insights on wine-pairing and wines from a sommelier.


    Meals:   Breakfast   Lunch   Dinner
  8. Day 8
    Journey Home

    Tour ends: Milan. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan to Milan Malpensa Airport. Allow at least three hours for flight check-in. 


    Meals:   Breakfast

OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620

Inclusions

For Tauck guests only – limited departures with only 55 Tauck guests aboard, accompanied by two Tauck Directors for the utmost in personalized service. Following two nights in Milan, a Tauck Exclusive private train, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains' Danube Express, transports you from Vienna to Milan aboard a private train, winding through Innsbruck, Zurich, Vaduz, and breathtaking Alpine landscapes... with an after-hours visit to the Habsburgs' opulent Schönbrunn Palace... a private opening of Milan's Ambrosiana Library, featuring Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks... and art masterpieces in Vienna on a two-night stay at a classic grand hotel...

For Tauck guests only – only 58 Tauck guests aboard, accompanied by two Tauck Directors for the utmost in personalized service; limited to 6 departures. A most remarkable rail journey through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Lichtenstein in search of art, castles, wine, and cuisines, along some of the most scenic mountain railways in Europe. Begin with two nights in Vienna at the premier Hotel Bristol, discover the palaces of Vienna, take a private after-hours tour of Schönbrunn Palace, and immerse yourself in art at the storied Belvedere Museum, whose treasures include the world's largest collection of works by Gustav Klimt. Board the Golden Eagle Danube Express for a rail odyssey through Central Europe to Lake Como... viewing plunging granite valleys, soaring alpine peaks, and the twisting turns and tunnels of the St. Gotthard Pass... shimmering Lake Lucerne, Zurich's Kunsthaus art museum, and the clifftop castle of Liechtenstein's royal family in Vaduz... exploring Innsbruck's enchanting old town... enjoying a cruise on a lofty mountain lake... arriving in Como with its pastel villages and promenades on Lake Como... and ending with two nights in Milan at the prestigious Hotel Excelsior including a visit to glorious Milan Cathedral, a 19th-century shopping arcade, and a private early morning guided visit to Milan's Ambrosiana Library, home of Leonardo da Vinci's handwritten notebooks.

  • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private train, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains' Danube Express, for Tauck guests only; only 56 Tauck guests aboard, accompanied by two Tauck Directors for the utmost in personalized service; limited to 6 departures
  • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private after-hours tour at Schönbrunn Palace with dinner at Café Residenz
  • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private early morning guided visit to Milan's Ambrosiana Library, home of Leonardo daVinci's handwritten notebooks
  • TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Private classical music recital in Vienna, featuring the music of Mozart and Strauss
  • Three nights aboard Golden Eagle Luxury Trains' Danube Express
  • Two nights at the stylish Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan and two nights at elegant, historic Hotel Bristol in Vienna

Health and Safety Protocols for Tauck Tours

Traveling with Peace of Mind
Our commitment never wavers – to earn your trust by always doing the right thing. As we explore the world together again, this will be more important than ever as we adapt to living and traveling in the presence of COVID-19.

Tauck is 97-years young this year, and our ability to weather many storms over the decades is a result of our values and beliefs – as a family and as a family-owned and led company. In addition to the guiding light of these values, our extensive experience, local knowledge and global support network help to ensure your safety on every Tauck journey. Building upon our bedrock of award-winning guest care, we have worked tirelessly to prepare for your return following the COVID-19 hiatus in travel. With guidance from leading experts, including the CDC and WHO, together with our internal Global Response Team and, most importantly, with feedback from thousands of our guests, we have redefined how we will conduct our experiences as we resume travel.

Tauck is Prepared for the Unexpected
For decades, Tauck has operated in over 70 countries in all 7 continents. Over this time, our staff and network of supplier partners have always been there to support our guests and team on the road. Our guests travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.

At the core of our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the unexpected is our Global Response Team - a group of over 50 employees across all departments who stand ready to spring into action around the world. This team has plenty of experience, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, earthquakes, volcanic ash, civil unrest and work stoppages. They have also dealt with past virus outbreaks including the SARS and Zika viruses.

The Tauck Travel Well Pledge
Before we operate tours and cruises, all Tauck employees, our supplier partners and our guests will take Tauck’s Travel Well Pledge.

As a company, we will follow our enhanced protocols with diligence and rigor; review them frequently as the landscape changes and always make common-sense decisions grounded in purpose and pride. We embrace these new and necessary measures to combat COVID-19 and will do our very best to provide the Tauck care we have been honored to deliver for 97 years.

OUR NEW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consistent with our commitment to the well-being of our guests, we are implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. These protocols may vary by geographic regions and will certainly evolve over time, as science and society respond to new realities:

Tauck Staff
Prior to interacting with guests, each member of Tauck’s field staff is trained in enhanced protocols and participates in a personal health screening.

Once on tour, our Tauck Directors and supporting staff are responsible for maintaining these protocols with a special focus on cleanliness and physical distancing. They will relay critical information regarding requirements, advise when protocols are mandatory – such as wearing a face covering in group settings – and help facilitate guest care through communication with appropriate parties should a guest become ill on tour. All Tauck staff will adhere to the same requirements.

Guest Responsibility
When joining a Tauck journey, every guest is responsible for their own health and, in turn, the protection of their fellow travelers, the Tauck staff, our suppliers and the places we visit. Guests will pledge to follow the direction of the Tauck staff and adhere to health and safety protocols.

Guests are expected to wear face coverings in all group settings, to wash their hands frequently and to adhere to supplier and government regulations. While supplies of face coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be available, guests are asked to bring such personal items for their own comfort.

Small is BIG
For many years, Tauck has emphasized and invested in more choices of activities, resulting in smaller groups for activities like sightseeing and events. This is consistent with our mantra that “Small is Big” – small groups and smaller ships with fewer guests.

We initially focused on these elements to improve the guest experience. Yet today they take on an additional dimension; small group experiences and more personal space are critical in providing the peace of mind our guests expect. Accordingly, we are offering even more small group experiences and limiting guest numbers across all of our journeys.

We have been working diligently with our partners to be prepared to welcome you back when the time is right.
Tauck has worked meticulously with our global supplier partners to plan for every itinerary following the hiatus in travel. All partners, whether they be a hotel, museum, small ship/riverboat, restaurant or other partner, have been thoughtful about how to provide a Tauck experience in this environment.

And while it's impossible to list all of the enhanced health and safety protocols for the hundreds of Tauck partners across the globe, we would like to share a representative sample of what you can expect:

Hotels
Our hotel partners all have world-class health and safety protocols. However, these guidelines may vary depending on local situations and regulations. Here are some typical examples:

  • Upon-arrival, health questionnaires and temperature checks may be required. Some hotels may even require daily temperature scans.
  • Social distancing may be required in public areas, bars and restaurants.
  • High-touch areas such as railings, door handles and elevators will undergo enhanced cleaning.
  • In-room measures may include removal of tent cards and magazines. Common use items, such as coffee makers and minibar amenities may be on demand.
  • High-touch areas, such as light switches, thermostats, remote controls and door handles will be subject to enhanced and frequent cleaning.
  • Guests will have the option to determine housekeeping frequency.
  • All hotel staff will undergo daily health screenings.

Ships and Riverboats
We have worked closely with our cruise partners to ensure the best possible health and safety protocols and to ensure the care and service you expect from Tauck:

  • Guests on cruises and river journeys will be required to complete a health questionnaire and will undergo a temperature check prior to boarding. In some instances, our ship partners will conduct daily temperature checks.
  • Face coverings and physical distancing will be required in most public spaces for guests and crew alike.
  • Meals may be offered at staggered times and self-serve buffets will be eliminated.
  • In-cabin measures include removing common use items. Coffee makers, minibar amenities and housekeeping will be on demand at guest discretion.
  • Ship staff will undergo daily health screenings.
  • All vessels will have medical staff onboard.

Sightseeing and Local Activities
Many of our experiences are exclusive and/or private and that’s important in taking care of you. Whether it be a guided tour, a visit to an iconic museum or private home, a musical performance, or any other special Tauck activities, we are applying the same rigor to health and safety protocols:

  • Tauck listening devices will be sanitized thoroughly and frequently.
  • Sightseeing is being adjusted to ensure proper physical distancing.
  • Admission times at venues may be altered to ensure no crowding.
  • Paper tickets, handouts and the like may be eliminated.

Dining
Tauck has always been known for a la carte dining; having more freedom to decide when and with whom to dine now has more value than ever. Additionally, our partners whether they be hotels, ships, special venues or restaurants, are raising their already rigorous hygienic standards. Here are some examples:

  • Waitstaff will likely be wearing face coverings and gloves.
  • Seating will be adjusted to accommodate physical distancing.
  • Self-serve buffets will be eliminated. Common use menus will no longer be used unless sanitized.

On-Tour Transportation
Keeping on-tour transportation safe is a major focus of our team who has worked with hundreds of partners to ensure continuity in health and safety protocols:

  • On motorcoaches and other on-tour ground transportation, such as airport transfers, guest should expect physical distancing and will be required to wear face coverings.
  • Prior to each trip, our motorcoaches, vans, airport transfer vehicles and on-tour aircraft will undergo a deep sanitizing process.
  • Luggage may also be sanitized at each movement.
  • Drivers will wear gloves and face coverings during all guest-facing interactions.
  • Drivers will frequently clean handrails, door handles, arm rests, tables, seats, air conditioning/HVAC units, restrooms and overhead storage areas.

Our Supplier Partners are ready for you
Tauck is proud to have worked closely with our partners around the world, many of them for decades, to deliver the quality, comfort and safety you expect. Whether it be hotels and resorts, riverboats and small ships, restaurants, event venues or transportation companies, their meticulous health and safety protocols reflect their leadership and well-earned respect in the travel industry. The following are some select health and safety protocols. We will update these on a regular basis.

In addition to our supplier partners, we have also been actively engaged with global travel organizations to standardize health and safety protocols throughout the travel industry. TourCare is one example:

TourCare are health and sanitation guidelines developed by the tour industry's major global associations: the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and the European Tourism Association (ETOA). Tauck, and our supplier partners, meet and exceed these guidelines that require members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry.

OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620

Accommodations


Golden Eagle Danube Express
Hotel Bristol
Excelsior Hotel Gallia

OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620

Questions & Answers

Question: How many suitcases can I take with me on my trip?

Each person is allowed one "check-in," and one "carry-on." Remember to take all valuables with you as "carry-on", because electronic equipment, cameras, laptops, jewelry, business documents and money are not covered by the airlines' liability, so always carry them aboard with you.

Question: Is Airfare Included in the Price?

Airfare from your point of origin to and from the trip is not included in the land price.

Tauck Tours Customer Reviews

Overall Rating
4.5
Accommodations
4.4
Itinerary
4.6
Professional Staff
4.7
Repeat with Operator
4.4
Value for Money
4.2

Ratings based off 875 reviews about Tauck Tours - currently showing 15 reviews with comments only

Can't go wrong with Tauck...outstanding!

We were very impressed with Tauck Tours and would book with them through you again!

We spent more money on this Tauck tour than a Luxury Gold trip to Spain and Portugal (top of the line) which required international travel and was for a longer duration. Also, I've said this before about Tauck. Although a good company, there is too much food offered and too much time spent sitting down to a meal when we could be sightseeing.

Our goals were met and exceeded by Affordable Tours.

Wonderful Tauck Tours..we will travel with them again..thank you for the suggestion..

This is our 7th Tauck tour/river cruise and they have never disappointed.

Our trip was amazing and we had to he most amazing guide Leah she went above and beyond

Ms Lawren Farias was our agent. She went out of her way to make sure that everything went smoothly and it did I would defiitely use her again. She was outstanding.

Maya was absolutely wonderful! I only want to book with her for any future travel.

The Tauck tour exceeded our expectations.Our tour director was exceedingly well informed and organized.She was the best.

The tour was one of our best. Tauck's attention to detail and covering nearly 100% of our costs or fees and booking 5* hotels is why we liked the trip.

Fantastic vacation! Exceeded all our expectations! Trip of a Lifetime!!!

Tauck delivered as promised and more. The tour director was very helpful and knowledgeable. We wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.

Tauck provides great tours. This is our 4th with Tauck. They provided transport for us even when our itinerary was different than usual. The Tauck tour director was wonderful.

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