Danube Express Luxury Train: Grand Alpine Express

It is a 10-night, 11-day journey from Budapest to Venice. The route runs Budapest, Vienna, the Semmering Pass, Lake Achen and Innsbruck, Zurich, the St Gotthard Pass, Lake Como and Milan, Verona and Trieste, Lake Bled and Ljubljana, then Postojna before crossing the lagoon causeway into Venice.

It starts in Budapest, where you are met at the airport, railway station or river ship landing stage and transferred to a five-star art nouveau landmark hotel for a two-night stay, and finishes in Venice with a two-night stay at a centrally located hotel. Book an arrival flight into Budapest and a departure from Venice; flights are not included.

The Semmering is the world's first mountain railway built to standard gauge and one of the great feats of 19th-century engineering, carrying the line over the Alps on 16 viaducts and through 15 tunnels. The train crosses it on the morning of day four, leaving Vienna, and it is one of the most photographed stretches of the whole journey.

On the evening of day three the group attends a private concert at Vienna's Mozarthaus featuring the Vienna Supreme Orchestra. It is included in the tour price. Earlier that day the Vienna programme offers the Naschmarkt with its 100-plus food and antique stalls, Schonbrunn Palace, or free time to explore the city on your own.

After the Semmering and a run past the skiing village of Kitzbuhel, the train reaches Jenbach. Following lunch there is a scenic drive to Lake Achen, or Achensee, for a cruise on the water, then a short bus ride to Innsbruck, the Tyrolean capital in the Alps, known for its imperial and modern architecture. The day is one of the scenic highlights of the tour.

Leaving Zurich on day six the train runs along the shores of Lakes Zug and Lucerne before the scenic climb to the St Gotthard Pass. Once through the old St Gotthard tunnel it descends past Lugano towards Lake Como in Italy. Along with the Semmering, this is the day the itinerary is built around, so keep your camera to hand from breakfast onwards.

The train stops at Lake Como for lunch beside the water and a tour of the medieval village of Bellagio. Como is ringed by high mountains and dramatic cliffs, which sets it apart from the other Italian lakes, and it is known for its beautifully kept public gardens and historic villas. The day continues on to Milan.

Day seven begins along the south shore of Lake Garda and arrives in Verona, the setting of Romeo and Juliet, for a walking tour of the famous sites including the first-century Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Bra. After lunch on board the train reaches Trieste for a short tour taking in the vast Piazza Unita d'Italia and the hilltop Church of San Giusto, with its Byzantine-style mosaics.

On day eight the train climbs from Trieste over the border into Slovenia and through the Julian Alps to Lake Bled, with its island, church and castle, one of the most photographed alpine lakes in Europe. A special boat experience on the lake is included. The day continues to Ljubljana, where the afternoon tour visits Preseren Square, Three Bridges and Dragon Bridge.

The train stays overnight at Postojna, and a private visit to the Postojna Caves is included on the morning of day nine. The cave system is a vast network of limestone caverns and formations, part of it explored by a small underground railway. Afterwards the train heads for Mestre and the three-mile causeway across the Venice Lagoon.

Yes. A 30-minute gondola ride along Venice's canals is included in the day ten programme, along with a walking tour through the lanes beside the Grand Canal to St Mark's Square, St Mark's Basilica and the Rialto Market. Alternatively you can take the day at your own pace, for example through the artists' district of Dorsoduro.

Two classes are offered on the Danube Express: Deluxe Class and Superior Deluxe Class, both private and en-suite, with cabin attendant service including an evening turndown. Superior Deluxe is the more spacious option and tends to sell first on a journey with only a handful of departures. The exact fare for each class and date is shown on this page.

Included are five-star pre- and post-tour hotel accommodation, your private en-suite cabin, cabin attendant service with evening turndown, an experienced tour management team, a UK-registered doctor with medical facilities on board, arrival and departure transfers, all gratuities on and off the train, luggage porterage, the listed meals with inclusive beverages from the standard bar list, and the guided excursions with Freedom of Choice options.

Ten breakfasts, nine lunches and ten dinners are included across the eleven days. Meals on board are freshly prepared using the finest local ingredients, and the itinerary also includes authentic dining experiences in local restaurants, such as lunch beside Lake Como, along with a welcome reception dinner in Budapest.

Yes. All gratuities on and off the train are included, so there is nothing to work out for train staff, hotel porters or local guides, and luggage porterage is covered throughout. Arrival transfer in Budapest and departure transfer in Venice are included. International flights into Budapest and home from Venice are not.

Freedom of Choice means that on certain days you pick between two included touring options rather than following one fixed programme. In Vienna, for instance, the choice is between the Naschmarkt, Schonbrunn Palace and free time; in Venice, between the guided walking tour and exploring at your own pace. Both options are covered by the fare.

The lead-in fare is from EUR 21,600 per person sharing a cabin. It covers the four hotel nights, your cabin on board, all listed meals, inclusive beverages from the standard bar list, the excursions and Freedom of Choice options, transfers and all gratuities. The fare varies by cabin class and departure, and the exact fare for each date is shown on this page.

Yes. A single-occupancy fare is available from EUR 32,300 for the journey, depending on cabin class and departure date. Single cabins on a private train are limited in number and this itinerary has only a handful of departures, so early enquiry matters. The exact single rate is confirmed in writing before you book.

A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610 or message https://wa.me/17864080610, and a travel specialist or our AI assistant will help. Departures run between late April and late August 2027 and every date listed on this page is bookable directly. We confirm your cabin class and the exact fare in writing before any payment is taken.