Autumn in Alsace

Enjoy the famous wine-making region of Alsace in full autumn splendour by steam train on this enchanting holiday in eastern France.

• Based in the vibrant city of Colmar, you’ll explore the region on privately chartered steam trains on all the preserved railways in Alsace and a forest railway in nearby Lorraine.
• Tour highlights include excursions into nearby southern Germany and a visit to the impressive steam Abreschviller Forest Railway in Lorraine, hauled by an 0-4-4-0T Mallet type steam locomotive.
• Discover historic Basel on a lunch cruise aboard a stylish vintage motor vessel.
• There’s also a visit to the Alsatian vineyard town of Eguisheim and to the city of Mulhouse to savour, with the excellent French National Railway Museum and the one-of-its kind Bugatti Museum both located there.
• Short transfer distances from Colmar to all the featured attractions make this a truly relaxed and engaging tour, the perfect opportunity to see France with a completely new perspective.
  

Thursday 2nd October
London to Colmar
You travel by Eurostar from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord, before a transfer to Paris Gare de l´Est for the onward journey by TGV express to Strasbourg, where you change onto a regional service to Colmar. You check in to your centrally located hotel in the heart of this picturesque town. The rest of the day is free to explore and discover the timber-framed houses and quaint canals of historic Colmar.

Friday 3rd October
Scenic river cruise and tramways in Strasbourg
This morning you board a locomotive-hauled French Railways (SNCF) service train for the short journey from Colmar to Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace and a place steeped in European history. You have a 75-minute relaxing sightseeing cruise in one of the city’s famed open-top panoramic riverboats, cruising past timber-framed houses, colourful alleys and stately palaces. Later you have free time to discover the Cathedral Square and ‘Petite France’ district at your own pace. You may also take advantage of your complimentary public transport ticket to ride the city’s trams and take the unique international tramway over the River Rhine to Kehl, Germany. You return to Colmar in the late afternoon and have dinner at a typical Alsatian restaurant in the heart of the Old Town. (B D)

Saturday 4th October
Steam along the Rhine in France; hilltop vineyard visit in Germany
After breakfast you travel by road coach to visit the Chemin de Fer Touristique du Rhin, located in the nearby town of Volgelsheim. This standard-gauge railway operates both French and German steam locomotives hauling Austrian carriages with balconies. You’ll traverse the 13 km (8 mile) line from Volgelsheim to the Sans Souci Quay at Marckolsheim, where the River Rhine and canal separate. En route there will be run-pasts and a guided visit to the steam shed. A buffet lunch will be provided in the railway’s convivial bar car. In the afternoon you cross the River Rhine to Germany and visit a spectacular vineyard perched at a hilltop high above Breisach. From there you have gorgeous views of Alsace, Southern Germany, the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest. You will try six different wines as part of the connoisseur experience. In the afternoon you return by coach to Colmar and have a free evening to enjoy all that this beautiful town offers. (B L)

Sunday 5th October
Steam on the Thur Doller Railway; scenic drive along the Alsatian wine route
Today you visit the enchanting Train Thur Doller Alsace, which operates a 13 km (8 mile) long standard-gauge branch line from Cernay to Sentheim, along the foothills of the Vosges Mountains and crossing the River Doller. The railway features a number of coaches dating from the late 19th century. A powerful early 20th century steam tank locomotive hauls you over this preserved line on a privately chartered train at a time when there is no regular traffic.
A buffet lunch will be served at the station building in Burnhaupt, where you’ll visit the shed and see the railway’s extensive collection of historic rolling stock. You then travel by road coach to Colmar along the Alsatian wine route. (B L)

Monday 6th October
Steam in the Black Forest of Germany; River Rhine cruise at Breisach
The German theme continues today as you visit the Kandertalbahn, located on the very tip of Southern Germany, near Basel. This 12.9 km (8 mile) long branch line runs through rural scenery in the Kander Valley. Your train comprises an early 20th century German steam tank locomotive with matching period carriages, and a buffet lunch of regional delicacies will be served when you reach the end of the line at Kandern. In the afternoon you drive by coach to Breisach for a River Rhine cruise with complimentary cake and drinks at this pretty cathedral town right on the border between Germany and France. (B L)

Tuesday 7th October
Vintage trams in Basel and museums and trams in Mulhouse
Today you travel by loco-hauled SNCF TER train to Basel, where you enjoy a private sightseeing tour of this attractive Swiss city by vintage tramway from the 1920s. You will cross all three tram bridges across the River Rhine and have superb views of Basel’s Minster and modern skyline. Then you carry on by TER service to Mulhouse, famous for its outstanding museums, with the largest railway and automobile museums in Europe. You will travel by local tramway to the ‘Cité du Train’, the national railway museum of France and one of the largest collections of steam locomotives in the world. Then you proceed to a collection of classic cars in the nearby ‘Cité de l’Automobile’, which includes vintage sports cars and iconic Bugatti vehicles. In the late afternoon you return to Colmar by train. (B)

Wednesday 8th October
Steam at the Abreschviller Forest Railway
Today you make a side-step from Alsace and visit nearby Lorraine. At Abreschviller you will find a remarkable ‘hidden gem’ in the form of the local forest railway, which operates steam locomotives on the unusual 700 mm gauge. You are comfortably accommodated on the railway’s ‘Belle Epoque’ luxury coach and hauled by a 0-4-4-0T Mallet type steam locomotive dating from 1906. Running through dense forests and crossing the Red Saar River, the train will pause for photos and run-pasts near the village of Grand Soldat. At the terminus of the line, you will also see an old saw mill. Once back in Abreschviller, you still have time to visit the local steam shed and see the other stored steam locomotives, before returning to Colmar. In the evening you have a farewell dinner at the hotel. (B L D)

Thursday 9th October
Colmar to London
You say a fond ‘au revoir’ to Alsace today and return to Paris by TGV express train. You transfer from Paris Gare de l´Est to Gare du Nord and board a Eurostar service to London St. Pancras International. (B)