Absolutely loved our hotel in Zermatt and the town itself. Fill out the short trip survey to receive a personalized itinerary from a destination expert. All in all, the trip was very memorable and is highly Pilatus ride were also wonderful. In Munich, you have two choices. Tour bus driver, a cute Italian guykept the back window of the bus clean so we could take clear pictures! Our Tour Director, Ann Marie, was sweet and caring. Really all I could have hoped for. Dawn, our tour guide was exceptional and very helpful. Then its off to Switzerland, home to some of the finest chocolate in the world. Hotels excellent. would like to thank you all for meticulous planning. But what do you really get? Tour Map 15-day tour featuring Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Munich, Tyrol, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Vaduz in Liechtenstein, Lucerne, Rhine Falls, Black Forest, Heidelberg and Rdesheim. Watch Our Germany, Switzerland & Austria Video! Read about it. It was an extra cost but I felt it was definitely worth it. I would like to go on other tours that he leads. Can't say enough good Hohensalzburg Fortress: Dominating the citys skyline atop Festungsberg mountain, this fortress is the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. Snow-capped alpine peaks, lush meadows and cosmopolitan cities await you in Switzerland. Fla. ST39939 All Rights Reserved 2023 In spite of a lot of rain, Germany and the I wish I couldve stayed longer. We had a wonderful tour manager, Otmar (who we also had on a Gate1 Christmas Markets tour 3 years ago), fantastic bus driver, Daown, very friendly group of fellow travelers, and the most beautiful scenery in the world. In Salzburg, discover the city on a leisurely paced walking tour of the Old Town -OR- feel like youve joined the Von Trapp family on a city tour featuring iconic film locations from The Sound of Music. Germany Tours / Best of Germany, Austria & Switzerland in 14 Days Tour 2024 About Rick Explore Europe Our Tours Great Guides Great Hotels Great Groups Rick's 10 Commitments The Most Value for Your Money Tour News Tours on Sale Tour Forum Travel Tips Watch, Read, Listen Travel Forum Shop Online Burg Eltz in the Mosel Valley, Germany Previous Next Tour Manager, Ellen Hansen, was very knowledgeable and made this tour pleasant and worthwhile. loved Switzerland. Either have 2 nights or no nights at all. First and foremost he was a safe and Visit Schnbrunn Palace in Vienna. She really made sure everyone was comfortable and cared for. so nice letting someone else make the plans. October. 2 Mainz or Mannheim, 1 Strasbourg, 2 Lucerne, 1 Innsbruck, 2 Vienna. But this isnt goodbye because you can always get the gang back together for another trip soon. Hotels were great and especially our tour Meet Firebird Tours and learn more about what we do, Read all about the specific advantages & benefits of our tours, Find out more about our timeline &recognitions. Created by our destination specialist, tours to Switzerland and Germany offer rich sightseeing with an English-speaking guide, centrally located hotels, a range of various activities, and a support line during your European journey. Had a great time, many thanks for all your help in getting this of the ground. The opera dinner ws fantastic and the performers were well matched with a small orchestra. Everything was amazing, but the time spent in Zermatt was the best. Youll be met by a local guide wholl show you the famous sights of the city. Great experience with memories that will last a lifetime. Our trip was fantastic!! Very knowledgeable tour guide. Go ahead or stay behind The tour was everything we hoped it would be, and the didn't miss out on anything. Austria - Germany - Switzerland. Built in 1077 and never once captured by foreign troops, it nonetheless provides an amazing vantage point for its visitors. What is the Grand Tour of Switzerland? Thank you Gate1 for this Tour - I havelots of wonderful memories! Tak' a cup o' kindness and ring in the New Year in style. Hotel was in a great location and the visit to a Slovakian home was wonderful. I wanted to see Matterhorn. Air & land tour prices apply from the gateway airport or city specified in the Package Highlights. Marija was an excellent tour manager with her local knowledge, her caring attitude, and her quick-to-resolve skill that brought happy results to a few of our adventurous "mission impossible" occasions. Still, we were again seriously concerned about getting there dodging a phalanx of regulatory travel obstacles, and once there, how we would manage the bureaucracy of national medical rules. Once a typical German town, Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp during World War II. We offer 8 tours, trips and vacation packages to Germany & Switzerland supported by 252 customer reviews. Get instant access to lower prices. We would love to travel with Julie anytime! Visit Schnbrunn Palace in Vienna. Loved the tour! Ride the Matterhorn Railway to Zermatt, travel the route of the Glacier Express and take an explorative city tour of Bern with a Local Expert. Gate 1 was so well organized and yet we had lots of free time to explore Your company is truly upstanding! Swiss mountains and the Bavarian forest, German beer and Austrian winethis tantalizing trio of countries has something for everyone. For trips during Christmas or big holidays as Oktoberfest, we suggest starting planning as early as six months in advance. I wanted to see the cow with the big bell. Loved small group of 18. It wont take long to see why so many people flock to Switzerlandand seemingly never want to leave. I'm so glad Hotels were in really great locations making time on your own easy to get around. The option tours to Hitler's Eagle's Nest and the Mt. Ottoman, our guide, was excellent. better. Kermit was breathtaking. We definitely will consider doing another trip through Gate 1. Switzerland Stadion Letzigrund Zurich. Representing the prime example of how two neighboring countries can be so distinctive, alluring. Sitting on the northern boundary of the Alps, Salzburg is known for its well-preserved baroque architecture and stunning alpine setting. Stroll the quaint streets of Salzburg, the "City of Music." Spend two nights in the heart of the Black Forest. We also loved the dinner with the opera performance. We did see some beautiful country. Our very experienced guide was Fred (from neighboring Austria), an exceedingly personable retired-CEO who was a fountain of understandable history and geography enroute. - The fourth week of July. but the best thing we did was the railway trip up to Gorner Grat which was not offered by Collette and without that why even go to Zermatt? We got off in Andermatt and I had read that the rest of the ride was more Check here the best travel itineraries. 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Loved all the different activities we did. Pilatus tour, train to the Matterhorn, lake tours, all the quaint old villages and castlesall marvelous experiences! Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina, 206 Tours, Leader in Catholic Pilgrimages, with Catholic Priests and Mass daily, Invitations from God to visit spiritual locations and signposts left behind by God, Visit religious location around the world. But, after the initial indoctrination of procedures by our trusted travel guide, Fred and seeing how easily we guests adapted, t'was smooth sailing on placid Swiss lakes and down-skiing on incredible snow-capped Alps. And Switzerland was beautiful. The trip was very good from the time we were picked up at our home to go to the airport until the time we were dropped back off at home from the airport at the end of our trip. 10 Day Affordable Germany, France, Switzerland & Austria. All the tours were very good but my favorite was the "Eagle's Nest". Pilatus was the most dramatic. and Bern as you breath in the fresh air, modern and medieval architecture, history and much more. *Rate is per person, land only, double occupancy. Will take another trip with Gate 1 again. Highlights were Lake Geneva and Lake Lucerne, enjoyed the different modes of transportation, (train, river cruise). Stop by one of Munichs famous beer halls and have a stein on your own dime. Elevate your cruise experience with fewer passengers, more choices, and endless possibilities. Immerse yourself in the majesty of opulent palaces and old churches . Upon arrival at the top, soak in the magnificent Alpine view from 7,000 feet above sea level. This 15-day custom tailored tour takes you through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where you can walk along half-timbered homes and dramatic storybook castles. Meet a Swiss ranger on your spectacular journey to the summit of Mount Stanserhorn and explore the stunning lakeside town of Bellinzona with your Local Expert. Summers can be quite chilly or rainy and it's better to check the weather forecast before the trip. The tour guide (Toni)and driver (Pero) make it a 5! Tempt yourself with the delicious array of food and drink in the massive farmers market and beer garden of Viktualienmarkt. The only thing I really didn't like was the hotel in Lucerne. During Learn aboutall the unmissable "tops", "bests", "mosts" in Europe. We loved the sounds of cattle bells, the beautiful music of the long horns, the church bells in all all the little villages & townsbut we did miss hearing the yodeling! It was always freezing cold and you could not see around the seats. We loved all the sights July 13, 2024: Milan, Italy San Siro Stadium . Arrive in true Venetian style at St. Marks square via the Giudecca Canal. Milan from Lugano on the last day. Our tourguide always made sure we had fun and were advised of the best shops and restaurants and she made sure we "reported back" to her so she kept up to date with how we fared every meal, every experience. The whole trip was amazing and I'm unable to pick any one Experience. Day 7: Free Day in Munich + Optional Trip to Dachau, Day 8: Travel to the Lucerne Region via Neuschwanstein Castle, Day 9: Tour Lucerne + Optional Trip Up the Swiss Alps. One of those experiences was a German beer hall. though it rained 70% of the time. We enjoyed Salzburg and had fun seeing songs from the sound of music. The guide was a wealth of information and smoothed out any rough spots during our tour. entertaining and educational, despite the rain and cold weather. picturesque. 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Return back down the mountain by panoramic gondola for yet another birds eye view. Ascend Pilatus via a unique excursion on the steepest railway of the world with a gradient of 48%. Take a cruise along the legendary Danube. Oct '23 - Mar '24. Do not hesitate to discover two tourist-loved countries! Encircling the Alps, each of these cities, towns, and villages inspires the imagination in its own unique way. Talk about COMMITMENT!!! 2 Budapest, 2 Vienna, 2 Prague, 2 Berlin. Group meals not so good - long wait time. Listen to the Sound of Music and relive the memories of the "von Trapps" in Salzburg. We hated to leave Switzerland & hated saying goodbye to Remo! To find a preferred travel agent in your area, please enter your 4-digit postal code, then click Search. The tour would have been 5 stars except for the Lucerne hotel. Never had a chance to explore the town we stayed at. Traveling with my best friends is one of my favorite ways to see the world. Thank you Firebird for your care! I would definitely consider going on another tour with Gate 1. Explore Tours. Get away and discover the beauty of Central Europe./ . Zermatt was excellent being up in the mountains. What beautiful countryside in Bavaria!! flights that are available for each trip. will definitely book another trip. We 650 road signs to point the way (or simply let your GPS guide you) 46 top attractions, 22 lakes, 5 Alpine passes, 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites on 8 stages. We've got 120 tours going to Austria, Germany and Switzerland, starting from just 6 days in length, and the longest tour is 32 days. Raise your sights and set your sails for the rivers of Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa on an Avalon Waterways cruise. We told Christine the tour manager about what we most wanted to see and do. It was a trip of a lifetime!!! Beautiful weatherbeautiful blue-green lakes, green pastures dotted w/grazing cattle, goats & sheeptowering white-capped Alpseven the white puffy clouds added to the overall beauty of Switzerland! The dinners were meat and potatoes - very A lot of our trips line up back to back! Looking to add your itinerary for friends and family? Germany & Switzerland Rail Circle Tour. friendly when tip time was getting near. Pack your appetite for adventure (and pasta) and board your overnight flight to Italy. We had a great time, even No matter which choice you make, youll end your tour with a viewing of the intricate Rathaus-Glockenspiel chiming at noon. I'm still waiting for our refund for those 2 activities that we prepaid. Australians. Perfect tours are those you perfect yourself. What do you get when you combine picturesque Venetian canals, hilltop Bavarian castles, snow-capped Swiss mountain ranges, and bustling medieval cities? Visit Swiss Alps, Lake Lucerne, Chapel Bridge, Glacier Express train ride, cable car to Europe's highest peak and more. He was highly organized, clear in his instructions, did ask at one hotel for extra pillow as I had fallen and needed it for comfort & they provided it. If you are wondering what souvenirs to bring home, you cant go wrong with cheese, chocolate, and hand-made items. My girlfriend,Tina, and I are considering Pilatus, in Lucerne. Your 10 Day Germany Austria and Switzerland Itinerary 2 Days in Munich and One Day Trip from Munich Day Trip: Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich Salzburg 2 Days with a Day Trip Salzburg Day 1 Salzburg Day 2 I thought the food was great and the portions appropriate Z(not a groaning board meal of a country farm house) the tour guide made too much comment in advance that the portion sizes were small. The trip was Wonderful. and put in a cab that went right to our hotel in Mainz. driving conditions such as a snow covered Alpine road or a tight turn on a 250+ Germany and Switzerland tour packages with 177 reviews View Map In-depth Cultural Magnificent Four 5 reviews "The trip lived up to expectations. I'm totally blown away by our Germany gatewayas it had everything a perfect vacation can have. hearty. Good tour with interesting places but the last hotel left a bad taste. Farewell Dinner options (dining, site-seeing, souvenirs, etc. Join a local guide for a tour of the city including Kapitelplatz, Residenzplatz, and Old Town. Oh, and the trip to the top of Mount Pilates was magical! Translation: Goodbye, friends. all had a chance to sit in the front seat and talk to other people. Otmar took the time to call the restaurant to be sure the bag was there and plans to pick it up on his next tour there and will mail it home to us. What made it so was the thoughtfulness, thoroughness, Unforgettable sites! skilled driver. We enjoyed our trip so much. another trip. Shopping for chocolates and watches was excellent. We will be using your services again. schedule. He The day we went to Munich was too much time in the motor coach.