The Best Of Austria And Switzerland

2012 Season
Departs From: Vienna

From 1,956EUR

Length:  11 days from Vienna to Zurich, or 12 days incl. travel

Overview

For those with a bit more time, this journey covers all the highlights of two of Europe’s most scenic countries: Austria and Switzerland. Enjoy 2-night stays in Salzburg, Zermatt, Lucerne, and romantic Vienna. This pace allows for many special included visits and enough free time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this part of Europe. Overnight stops are also made in posh St. Moritz and in Berne, the capital of Switzerland. The Danube cruise, the Sound of Music’s lake country, Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Zermatt’s mountain train, Chillon Castle at Lake Geneva, Interlaken, and an unforgettable ride on the famous Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt make this one of TravelToe’ most scenic vacations. A special welcome dinner at your hotel in Vienna and a farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Lucerne have been included.

Duration:  11 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
28 May, 2012	07 June, 2012
04 June, 2012	14 June, 2012
11 June, 2012	21 June, 2012
18 June, 2012	28 June, 2012
25 June, 2012	05 July, 2012
02 July, 2012	12 July, 2012
09 July, 2012	19 July, 2012
16 July, 2012	26 July, 2012
30 July, 2012	09 August, 2012
06 August, 2012	16 August, 2012
13 August, 2012	23 August, 2012
20 August, 2012	30 August, 2012
27 August, 2012	06 September, 2012
03 September, 2012	13 September, 2012
10 September, 2012	20 September, 2012
17 September, 2012	27 September, 2012
24 September, 2012	04 October, 2012
01 October, 2012	11 October, 2012
08 October, 2012	18 October, 2012

City Highlights

Vienna
Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing, visit Schönbrunn Palace

Danube Cruise

Mondsee
Visit the Sound of Music church

Salzburg
Guided walking tour, visit Mirabell Gardens and St. Peter’s Churchyard

Innsbruck
Walk through the Old Town to the Golden Roof

Chur–Zermatt
By Glacier Express train (first-class)

Zermatt-Täsch
By mountain train

Chillon
Guided visit of the castle

Berne
Guided walking tour, stop at the Rose Garden and the Bear Park

Interlaken
Take pictures of the Jungfrau massif

Lucerne
Walking tour including the Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge; farewell dinner at a local restaurant

Headsets throughout the tour

Note:

In the rare event that the Glacier Express is not available, alternative services will be provided

Day 1   Arrive in Vienna, Austria. Time to rest or start exploring the Viennese capital. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 2   Vienna. Start your guided sightseeing with a visit to magnificent SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE. Next, enjoy vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then, drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards, famous Heldenplatz, and awesome St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Optional excursions are available. (B)

Day 3   Vienna–Melk–Salzburg. This morning, enjoy a leisurely DANUBE CRUISE. Afterwards, follow the Danube Valley and catch glimpses of historic Melk Abbey. No landscape is more typically Austrian than the Salzkammergut lakeland. Visit the PARISH CHURCH in Mondsee, which was used for the wedding scenes in the Sound of Music, then, continue to Salzburg. (B,D)

Day 4   Salzburg. Stroll with a Local Guide through the historic center. Admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, the monumental Domplatz, and take pictures of Mozart’s birthplace in the charming Getreidegasse. Afternoon at leisure or join an optional excursion to Berchtesgaden and Hitler’s Eagles Nest. (B)

Day 5   Salzburg–Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland. Morning break in Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Enjoy a pleasant walk through its quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Next, enter the Swiss Engadine, considered by many as the most beautiful mountain area in the world, with its deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. The rest of the day is at leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. (B,D)

Day 6   St. Moritz–Chur–Zermatt. Drive through exhilarating Alpine scenery. At Chur, board the first-class panoramic coach of the world-renowned GLACIER EXPRESS TRAIN. Admire thundering waterfalls, impressive peaks, glacial ice fields, and tiny villages as you pass through the Valais, a region known for its great mountain resorts and excellent wines. This afternoon you are in Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the majestic Matterhorn. (B,L)

Day 7   At Leisure in Zermatt. An entire day at leisure. Perhaps ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. (B,D)

Day 8   Zermatt–Berne. Board the MOUNTAIN TRAIN to Täsch and motor through the lower Rhône Valley to the shores of Lake Geneva. Here, enjoy a highlight visit to CHILLON CASTLE, the 12th-century water fortress immortalized by poet Lord Byron. This evening in Berne, you may wish to join a special optional dinner outing. (B)

Day 9   Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne. Your guided tour starts with a stop at the Rose Garden for a panoramic view of the city. Next, enjoy a walking tour through the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take your pictures of ornate, flower-adorned fountains. You will also stop at the BEAR PARK. Continue to Interlaken, beautifully situated beneath the towering Jungfrau. Across Brünig Pass to picture-book Lucerne. You may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (B)

Day 10   Lucerne. On your walking tour this morning, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then, cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate the success of your Swiss vacation. (B,D)

Day 11   Lucerne–Zurich Airport. Morning transfer to Zurich Airport in time for homebound flights leaving no earlier than 10 am. Extra nights are available in Zurich, not Lucerne. (B)

Meals:  Full buffet breakfast daily (B); 1 lunch (L) on the Glacier Express train; 5 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Vienna and a special farewell dinner with wine in Lucerne

Hotel Information:  VIENNA Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier (F), SALZBURG Best Western Stieglbräu (F), ST. MORITZ Laudinella (F), ZERMATT Walliserhof (F), BERNE Allegro (SF), LUCERNE Ameron Flora (F)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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