All-Inclusive Austria: Alps, Salzburg & Lake Zell

 Arriving at London St. Pancras this morning, your vacation begins by meeting the Tour Manager and your fellow travelers ahead of this all-inclusive tour of the beautiful Austrian Alps.   

Boarding the Eurostar Plus service, we travel to Brussels, enjoying a light meal at our seats en route. In the Belgian capital, we change trains, continuing in First Class to the German city of Frankfurt for an overnight stop.  

  This bustling city on the Main River is one of the most important in Germany. And surprisingly for a global financial and business hub, its medieval Old Town retains a quaint atmosphere. The centerpiece is the historic Römer, a triple-fronted building with distinctive crow-stepped gables. On arrival, we check into our hotel for the night and enjoy our first dinner together this evening. Overnight Frankfurt.

•  Eurostar Light Meal, Dinner

 Setting off after breakfast this morning, we return to Frankfurt station to carry on our journey, starting by traveling to Munich in First Class. Passing through the historic Swabian towns of Ulm and Augsburg, we arrive in the Bavarian capital in the afternoon. A local train then takes us across the Austrian border to Wörgl and into the majestic Alps.    

After a coach transfer to St. Johann, we check into our hotel, where we stay for six nights. Set in a broad amphitheater-like valley, this charming town is nestled at the heart of the Tyrolean Alps. It is a beautiful and peaceful base for our alpine adventure, brimming with traditional buildings adorned by colorful flower boxes.  

  Our family-run hotel has a chalet-style façade, and we settle down to enjoy dinner with beers, local wines and soft drinks included, as they are every night of our stay. Overnight St. Johann.

• Breakfast, Dinner
• Drinks package included with Dinner

 After our first breakfast in Austria, there is free time to explore St. Johann at leisure, with a picnic lunch provided by the hotel for you to enjoy as you wish.  

The quaint Mariä Himmelfahrt church, with a yellow façade and twin Baroque towers, has an ornately decorated interior and sits in the main square. You might also like to visit the town's museum, which details the region's social and natural history and is housed in an 18th-century penitentiary for dissolute priests.

Leaving from near our hotel, the Harschbichl cable car delivers incredible views of peaks and valleys on its way to the mountain more than 5,000 feet above sea level. At the top, the taller Kitzbühel Horn dominates the skyline, and breathtaking vistas stretch as far as the eye can see. 

  Returning to the hotel at leisure, you can enjoy coffee and cake this afternoon before joining the group for dinner and drinks this evening. Overnight St. Johann.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Drinks package with Dinner

 A vacation highlight awaits today as we visit the Hohe Tauern National Park after breakfast, riding over the highest surfaced mountain pass in Austria.    

Our first stop is the evocatively named Edelweissspitze, an 8,400-foot peak accessible by road that offers panoramic views of snow-capped mountains. Afterward, we travel through the wilderness to the summit of the Hochtor Pass. As the route winds gently down the mountains, we take a short diversion to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Named after the Habsburg emperor who stopped here in 1856, this viewpoint commands mind-blowing views of the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain, and the snaking Pasterze Glacier, the largest in the eastern Alps. There is free time here to enjoy your picnic lunch while soaking up the extraordinary scenery and looking for native ibex and marmots.    

Our next destination is the alpine village of Heiligenblut, where there is time at leisure to learn about Heiligenblut's history as the site of the only gold-digging settlement in the Alps. We return to St. Johann in the evening, ready for dinner and drinks. Overnight St. Johann.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Drinks package with Dinner

 Traveling by coach to Jenbach after breakfast, we join the narrow-gauge Zillertal Railway* for a 19-mile journey through the picturesque Ziller Valley. First opened in 1902, the route is operated by a steam engine hauling beautifully restored carriages. Travel through lush green pastures stretching between rolling hills and admire views of remote villages of half-timbered houses and traditional chalets on our way to Mayrhofen.   

This popular alpine town at the head of a valley has a backdrop of increasingly tall peaks, and you're free to explore its pretty streets lined with cafés and shops. Alternatively, take a cable car higher into the mountains to enjoy panoramic views with your picnic lunch. The Penken cable car carries passengers to a mountainside meadow offering breathtaking views of Mayrhofen and its surrounding peaks. At the top of the Ahorn cable car are a rustic amphitheater, crystal-clear lakes and spectacular views.      

Returning to Jenbach by rail in the early afternoon, we travel by coach back to our St. Johann hotel with free time to relax or explore before dinner and drinks tonight. Overnight St. Johann.  

  *Please note: On early/late season departures, today will feature a journey on the Achensee Railway from Jenbach to Seespitz instead of the Zillertal Railway. 

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Drinks package with Dinner

In mid-morning, we take a local train through valleys alongside the shore of Lake Zell. On arrival in the shoreline town of Zell am See, we enjoy a relaxing cruise* across the sapphire-blue lake, a great way to admire the lush forests, undulating hills and towering mountains beyond.

Returning to the town, you have the afternoon to explore at leisure. Stroll along the lakefront promenade, stopping to admire the views while enjoying your picnic lunch, or discover Zell am See's historical centre. The quaint triangular Stadtplatz is overlooked by the Romanesque tower of the 13th-century Church of St Hippolytus. Inside, there are Gothic carved figurines and frescoes decorating the walls. On a different corner of the Stadtplatz is another historic tower containing the Vogtturm museum, relaying the town's history. For astounding views of Zell am See and the surrounding scenery, a series of cable cars also connects the town with alpine pastures and peaks.

Boarding a local train back to St Johann in the late afternoon, there's time to relax before dinner and drinks this evening.

*Please note: on the May 8th departure, the cruise is replaced with a tour and tasting at the in-house brewery of the Grand Hotel Zell am See (with soft drink options) which has picturesque gardens overlooking Lake Zell.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Drinks package with Dinner

 The birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music, Salzburg is our destination after breakfast today. After traveling to the city by coach, we explore this musical destination's impressive sights on a guided tour.   

Overlooked by the huge 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress, set high on a hill, the well-preserved and UNESCO-listed Old Town is where we begin. As we stroll, we admire churches, squares, alleyways and Baroque spires. Following the tour, your afternoon is at leisure to continue exploring.

You can visit the former residence of the Mozart family, who lived at Getreidegasse 9 from 1747 to 1773. It is where Wolfgang was born in 1756 and is now a house museum detailing his young life. His old Makartplatz home is also a museum displaying artifacts from the composer's life. You could walk along the river, visit Mirabell Garden or take a cable-car ride up Untersberg Mountain for spectacular views across the Berchtesgaden Alps.    

Returning to St. Johann by coach late this afternoon, we have time to relax before dinner and drinks at our hotel. Overnight St. Johann.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Drinks package with Dinner

 Our time in St. Johann allowed us to experience the stunning Austrian Alps, from the region's awe-inspiring landscapes to its charming towns. After exploring the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, riding the Zillertal railway to Mayrhofen, cruising Lake Zell and discovering the beauty of Salzburg, we returned to our Tyrolean hotel each evening for dinner with drinks on this spectacular All-Inclusive vacation.  

After a final breakfast this morning, we leave St. Johann by coach and transfer to nearby Wörgl. Boarding a local train, we say goodbye to the Austrian Alps as we journey to Munich. Our train arrives in the city center, and from here, you can switch trains and continue by rail to Munich's airport, where your journey concludes.

• Breakfast