Dresden & Saxon Switzerland by Rail
- 9
- £1,199
- Germany
- Travel by train via Cologne to Dresden on the River Elbe
- Enjoy time at leisure in the majestic capital of Saxony
- Continue to the stunning region of Saxon Switzerland for a 3-night stay
- Return to the UK via pretty Erfurt
- Decide when you would like to travel
- Adapt the route to suit your plans
- Upgrade hotels and rail journeys
- Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours
- Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
- 8 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
- Timed tickets to the Historic Green Vaults in Dresden
- Comprehensive directions to your hotels
- Easy-to-follow travel documentation
- Despatch of tickets by email, post or collection from our London office
Suggested Itinerary
Make your way to St Pancras today to start your journey to Eastern Germany. This holiday will include connecting rail travel from your local station (as long as you can make the journey to Cologne all in one day) so just let us know where you’re starting out from.
Catch a Eurostar to Brussels and then connect by high-speed InterCity Express to Cologne. On arrival, check in for an overnight stay at the Mondial am Dom MGallery (or similar).
After a leisurely start today, pick up a picnic lunch to have on the train and leave Cologne, continuing eastwards on a direct service via Hannover and Leipzig to Dresden. Arrive in the early evening and check in for a 3-night stay at the NH Hotel Altmarkt (or similar).
Settle in at your hotel and then perhaps head out into town for some dinner in the lovingly rebuilt Old Town area.
Enjoy Dresden on foot. The city is home to a wealth of culture such as the collections in the Zwinger Palace and the Old and New Green Vaults. Don’t miss a walk over the Augustus Bridge to see the ‘Canaletto View’ back towards the city. You might also like to include a stroll around the Baroque-style Grosser Garten or an evening performance at the grand Semperoper. Included in the package is a timed ticket to the Historic Green Vaults, which is a must for anyone interested in art.
On one of your free days, you can use your rail passes to travel to the historic town of Meissen by easy suburban railway. You can visit the Meissen Porcelain visitor centre daily. Alternatively, take the local train to Freital-Hainsberg and enjoy a day trip on the historic Weisseritz Railway, one of Saxony’s oldest narrow gauge railways. Tickets for the historic railway are payable locally.
In spring, summer and autumn, historic steam ships make the four hour journey along the Elbe towards the Czech border (tickets for this are included). Hop off at Kurort Rathorn for two nights at the base of the Bastei Rocks, in Hotel Steiger (or similar). In winter, the S Bahn trains runs along the same route and you can take a 15-minute ferry across the river to Kurort Rathorn. This runs year around.
Enjoy two days at leisure in the stunning region of Saxon Switzerland.
Popular attractions include the Bastei, a dramatic rock formation overlooking the Elbe River valley with a wooden bridge which has offered spectacular views over the area to visiting tourists for two centuries. You can also hop across the river on the historic ferry and take a boat or S Bahn along the river to Bad Schandau or Konigstein for more sightseeing or walks.
Take the historic yaw rope ferry across the river to Kurort Rathen Oberrathen station and take the S Bahn to Dresden. A direct train then takes you to Erfurt, a pretty medieval town in Thuringia. Here, you have an overnight stay at the Best Western Hotel Excelsior (or similar).
Erfurt is the capital of the German region of Thuringia and boasts one of the best-preserved medieval centres in the country. You might like to stop an extra night here so that you have more time to look around.
Leave Erfurt after breakfast this morning and make your way back to the station and catch a train to Frankfurt. There’s time to have lunch in the station here before you continue your journey to Brussels. In the Belgian capital, check in for your return journey to the UK by Eurostar.
Typical hotels on this itinerary
Cologne
Hotel Mondial am Dom Cologne MGallery by Sofitel is located right in the centre of Cologne, close to the famous cathedral and the main station. All of the modern bedrooms feature air-conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, minibar and satellite TV. The hotel also boasts a restaurant overlooking the cathedral, a sauna, a steam room and a fitness room.
Dresden
This 4-star hotel lies on the Altmarkt Square in Dresden’s Old Town, offering modern air-conditioned rooms with free high-speed Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and a gym with a roof terrace. The bright and spacious rooms feature classic décor with dark wood interiors and floors. All rooms also feature hypoallergenic bedding and wooden flooring.
Kurort Rathen
Located on the banks of the River Elbe in the village of Rathen, the Steiger Hotel provides a great base to explore the Saxon Switzerland National Park. Free Wi-Fi internet access is provided throughout the property and bedrooms are also equipped with TV, fridge and en suite bathrooms. There is also a restaurant with a terrace.
Erfurt
Housed in an elegant Art Nouveau building, the Best Western Excelsior offers comfortable accommodation across the street from the main station and within easy reach of the historic Old Town. The 77 bedrooms are classically furnished with modern comforts for your stay. There is also a restaurant serving local specialities and a sauna/ solarium.
