Danube Express Luxury Train: New Year in Vienna

It is an 8-night, 9-day round trip from Budapest. The route runs Budapest to Keszthely on Lake Balaton, then Graz and Vienna for the New Year celebrations, on to Cesky Krumlov and Prague, then Kosice in Slovakia before returning to Budapest. Two nights at the start and one at the end are in a five-star hotel in Budapest; the rest are in your cabin on the Danube Express.

It starts and finishes in Budapest, so you book return flights to the same city. You are met on arrival and transferred to a five-star art nouveau landmark hotel for a two-night stay, and after the final night back at the same hotel you are transferred to the airport on day nine. Extra nights in Budapest can be added at either end.

New Year's Eve is day four. The morning is in Graz at the foot of the Austrian Alps, with a walking tour of its renaissance courtyards and baroque palaces and a pumpkin seed oil tasting with traditional local bread. After a gourmet lunch on board the train continues to Vienna, where the afternoon brings a group Viennese waltz lesson and the evening the New Year's Eve celebrations.

VIP tickets to the Hofburg Silvester New Year's Eve Gala Ball in Vienna are included in the tour price. The gala features the Wiener Hofball Orchestra in the imperial setting of the Hofburg, and it is the centrepiece of the itinerary. Because the tickets are part of the package, there is nothing extra to arrange or pay for on the night.

No experience is necessary. On the afternoon of New Year's Eve the group takes a Viennese waltz lesson at the prestigious Elmayer Dance School, which has been teaching the dance for generations. It is a relaxed, sociable session designed to give you enough confidence for the gala that evening, and joining in is entirely optional.

The day starts with brunch and a leisurely morning on board. Then comes a horse-drawn carriage ride along Vienna's cobbled streets, followed by a city tour. As a Freedom of Choice option you can instead visit Schonbrunn Palace, where the festive market is still open. Everyone reconvenes on the train for dinner before it departs Austria for the Czech Republic.

Freedom of Choice means that on certain days you pick between two included touring options rather than following a single fixed programme. On New Year's Day in Vienna, for example, you choose between the city tour and a visit to Schonbrunn Palace and its festive market. Both options are covered by the fare; you simply tell the tour management team your preference.

On day three the train leaves Budapest and runs through the winter landscapes of the Balaton Uplands National Park to Keszthely, a picture-postcard town at the western end of Lake Balaton. It is filled with grand town houses and is best known for Festetics Palace, a lavish baroque residence fit for royalty, which you tour before the train continues into Austria overnight.

Prague gets an introductory tour on arrival, taking in the Old Town Square, and then a full day. That day begins with a vintage tram ride through the historic centre and up the hill to Prague Castle and the gothic St Vitus Cathedral, with lunch in the city. The rest of the day is free for the festive markets and sights within walking distance of the station.

Cesky Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage town in southern Bohemia, and one of the prettiest stops of the journey, especially under a dusting of snow. The morning of day six begins with a short introduction to the town followed by allocated free time to explore the old streets on your own and pick up a souvenir before a scenic lunch on board as the train continues to Prague.

Kosice in Slovakia is the final day of touring and one of the lesser-known gems of Central Europe. Voted European Capital of Culture in 2013, it combines medieval and cosmopolitan character. The highlights tour includes the vast oval-shaped central square with its 15th and 16th century relics, after which a final lunch on board precedes arrival back in Budapest.

Two classes are offered on the Danube Express: Deluxe Class and Superior Deluxe Class. Both are private and en-suite, with cabin attendant service including an evening turndown. Superior Deluxe is the more spacious option and usually sells first on a New Year departure. 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, the services of a UK-registered doctor with medical facilities on board, arrival and departure transfers, all gratuities on and off the train, luggage porterage, all listed meals, inclusive beverages from the standard bar list, the guided excursions, Freedom of Choice options and VIP gala tickets.

Eight breakfasts, seven lunches and eight dinners are included across the nine days. Meals are freshly prepared on board using the finest local ingredients, and the itinerary also includes authentic dining experiences in local restaurants, a welcome reception dinner at the Budapest hotel and a celebratory Farewell Dinner on the final evening.

Yes to both. All gratuities on and off the train are included, so there is nothing to calculate for train staff, hotel porters or local guides, and luggage porterage is covered throughout. Arrival and departure transfers in Budapest are included as well. International flights to and from Budapest are not included.

The lead-in fare is from EUR 14,700 per person (2026 departure; EUR 16,600 in 2027) sharing a cabin. It covers the hotel nights, your cabin on board, all listed meals, inclusive beverages from the standard bar list, the excursions and Freedom of Choice options, the VIP gala tickets, 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 21,900 (2026; EUR 24,700 in 2027) for the journey, depending on cabin class and departure date. Single cabins on a private train are limited in number and a New Year departure is the busiest of the year, so ask early. The exact single rate for your chosen date 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.

This is an annual festive departure timed so that New Year's Eve falls in Vienna, currently loaded for late December 2026 and late December 2027. The bookable dates and the fare for each cabin class appear in the departures section of this page. A New Year train with gala tickets attached sells out a long way ahead.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610 or message https://wa.me/17864080610, and a travel specialist or our AI assistant will help. Every departure listed on this page is bookable directly, and we will confirm your cabin class, the exact fare and what it covers in writing before any payment is taken.