Railtrail A4 STEAM Brochure 2018

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Railtrail Tours Limited, 43 St. Edward Street, Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands ST13 5DN
Telephone: 01538 382323 email: web:
N EW
T OUR
© Viskondesigns.de
Drachenfels Cog Railway
Rhine Valley Railways
Uncorked
DEPARTS
Saturday 15 September 2018
Rob first worked with the Pinger Hotel in the early 2000’s, when he
organised a rail-themed holiday to Remagen for Wallace Arnold Tours.
This tour harks back to that trip, but includes so much more: scenic
branch lines through vineyards, a rack railway, a heritage diesel ride,
two cable cars, a steamboat along the Loreley Valley and the Vulkan
Express under steam, plus vineyard visits with winetasting and we’ve
even timed this trip to coincide with Remagen’s village wine festival!
Brohltalbahn Steam
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
★ ★ Standard Class travel from London to
Germany and return
★ ★ 7 nights at the family-run Hotel Pinger
in Remagen
★ ★ Relax in the evening at Remagen’s
Wine Festival
★ ★ Excursion to Königswinter and the
Drachenfelsbahn rack railway
★ ★ Return journey on the
Kasbachtalbahn Railway
★ ★ Return journey on the Vulkan Express
by steam and diesel
★ ★ Exploring the Ahr Valley branch line,
with vineyard visit and winetasting
★ ★ Soar above the river on Koblenz’s
cable car
★ ★ Visit Ehrenbreitstein Fortress,
overlooking the river
★ ★ Ride Germany’s steepest standard
gauge railway – the Hunsrückbahn
★ ★ Relax in beautiful Boppard
★ ★ Marvel at the UNESCO World Heritage
Loreley Valley aboard the Steamship
Goethe
★ ★ Free time in Rüdesheim with included
cable car rides
Fares
From
£799
7
DAYS
DAY 1
We depart London St Pancras by Eurostar,
speeding across Kent and towards France. Our
Eurostar terminates at Brussels, where we
change onto a high-speed train into Germany.
Our hotel for six nights is the Hotel Pinger in
the Rhine riverside village of Remagen. This
evening the Remagen Wine Festival is in full
swing. (D)
DAY 2
This morning we take the train along the Rhine
to Brohl, where we join the Brohltalbahn.
Otherwise known as the Vulkan Express, the
line meanders up through the Brohl Valley into
the Eifel Hills, whose dramatic rock formations
were created during a period of volcanic
activity. The railway has recently reintroduced
steam to the line and today’s steam-hauled
journey leads us to the village of Oberzissen,
from where diesel locos take over for the final
leg to Engeln. Back in Remagen, enjoy another
evening at the wine festival. (B,D)
DAY 3
Today we head for the opposite bank of
the Rhine by ferry and railway, travelling
first to Königswinter. Here we take a return
trip on Germany’s oldest rack railway, the
Drachenfelsbahn, from the valley station
up a height difference of 220 metres to the
top station, where you will find the ruined
Drachenfels (‘dragon’s cliff’) Castle and great
views across the river and the Siebengebirge
hills. At Linz-am-Rhein we join the heritage
diesel Kasbachtalbahn Railway, whose 1950s
‘Roter Brummer’ Uerdinger Railbus transports
us from the bottom station to Kalenborn over
9 kms of track that rates amongst Germany’s
steepest. This evening the wine festival
reaches its climax with fireworks. (B,D)
DAY 4
Our train takes us southwards to Boppard, a
beautiful riverside resort and wine town, but
also the terminus of the Hunsrückbahn branch
line. We climb from Boppard up Germany’s
steepest standard gauge line, running 15
km to Emmelshausen, before returning to
Boppard. Later, we halt in Koblenz to soar
above the Rhine on the cable car, with a visit to
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress included in your ticket.
(B,D)
DAY 5
Today we explore the local region by
scheduled service through the scenic Ahr
Valley, an enclave of red-wine production in a
predominantly white-wine area. Guided by our
hotelier, we stop first at the lovely town of
Altenahr before heading back down the valley
to the pretty walled-town of Ahrweiler. During
the day we also visit Germany’s oldest wine
co-operative in Mayschoss, with a buggy ride
through the vineyards, followed by a tasting of
the local wines. (B,D)
DAY 6
Our final excursion heads southwards, the
whole way hugging the right bank of the Rhine
Gorge, with protective castles guarding steep-
sloped vineyards at every turn. Our destination
is the famous wine village of Rüdesheim, where
we allow free time to explore the Drosselgasse,
HOTEL
FARE
Hotel Pinger, Remagen
Conveniently situated for Remagen’s centre and
its railway station, yet just a short stroll from the
Rhine Promenade, the family-run Hotel Pinger is
very much the hub of this small Rhineland town.
The hotel boasts a traditional restaurant, bar and
coffee shop. The Pinger brothers are the third
generation to manage the hotel, which was bought
as a restaurant by their grandfather and converted
into a hotel after WWII.
From London St Pancras International:
Standard Class rail travel
to/from Germany, £799
including Standard Eurostar
Single Traveller Supplement £135
6 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal
Eurostar Standard Class rail travel
Standard Class rail travel to Remagen and return
All transfers, excursions & admissions as detailed
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
GUARANTEED FARE
plus an included ride on the town’s cable car,
which leads up through the vineyards to the
Germania Monument. We leave Rüdesheim
on board the Steamship Goethe, gently sailing
in nostalgic fashion along the UNESCO Rhine
Gorge to the Loreley Rock, before continuing
by train to Remagen. (B,D)
DAY 7
Leaving Remagen, we change trains onto the
high-speed line in Cologne. In Brussels we join
the Eurostar service to London St Pancras. (B)