Enjoy an all new winter holiday to the magical city of Prague and the pretty landscapes of Bohemia and Moravia, as rich cultural attractions, steam charters and luxury trains with ornate teak coaches provide memorable highlights to ring out the old year and start the new one in epic style.

• Experience the thrill of narrow gauge steam on a private charter with run-pasts over the scenic Osoblaha branch line near the Polish border with the giant tender locomotive U57.001 from 1948.
• Enjoy a stunning private luxury train in the snow-covered mountains of Moravia on December 31st, with a silver served lunch in the stunning 1907 former Teak dining car and 1930s First Class coaches, with complimentary drinks to celebrate the old and new year in splendid style.
• Take advantage of the new nationwide railway rover, as you will have a 7-day First Class OneTicket to enjoy splendid railway trips all around the Czech Republic, a country whose traditional railway network with staffed stations and lots of loco-hauled fast trains is beloved by enthusiasts and common travellers alike.
• Based in the stunning capital Prague and the beautiful UNESCO-listed cathedral city of Olomouc, the relaxed format of the tour is ideal for enthusiasts and companion travellers, with ample free time to enjoy all the history, culture and architecture that Prague and Olomouc to offer from a centrally located hotel near the main railway station, plus the added convenience of a public transport rover ticket.
• Make the most of the free time of the tour to enjoy Prague to the fullest, including the re-opened funicular, visit to the Transport Museum and sightseeing rides on the old trams to see the Old Town and sites in style.

Wednesday 23 December

London to Prague

You have a direct flight from London to Prague, the Czech capital. After arrival you transfer to your centrally located hotel, where you will enjoy a welcome lunch. The rest of the day is to be spent at leisure exploring the capital city and all of its historical and cultural attractions. (L)

Thursday 24 December

Prague Christmas Market and festive seasonal heritage tramways

Christmas Eve is the main day on which the Czechs celebrate the holiday, but in the morning everything is still open, including the world famous Prague Christmas Market, which is nestled in the heart of the Old Town. In addition to exploring the lovely little stalls and perhaps sipping mulled wine, you will have the opportunity to ride around the city on the beautifully illuminated and specially decorated heritage tramways on lines 23 and 41. These connect the Old Town with city centre attractions to the hilltop Prague Castle. Before dinner at the hotel, there’s also some free time to further explore at your own pace. (B D)

Friday 25 December

Reopened Prague funicular and visit to the National Technical Museum

 In the late morning of Christmas Day you ride panoramic Prague funicular from Mala Strana to the top of Petrin hill, located next to the landmark steel tower of the same name, which dates from 1891 and was built as a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. The scenic funicular only just re-opened in autumn 2026 after a comprehensive rebuild and the introduction of stylish new carriages. During the ascent and also from the top of the funicular, you get to enjoy some of the best urban views in Europe, with wonderful vistas of Prague Castle, the River Vltava and the Lesser Quarter of the Old Town. After the round-trip on the funicular you proceed to the National Technical Museum, which sits at the elevated Letna plain with more great views of the city from a different angle. The museum is housed in a 1930s landmark building and features a unique collection of rare steam locomotives, classic old cars and even a Spitfire flown by Czech pilots during the Battle of Britain! After some more free time to further explore Prague on your own, you rejoin your fellow travellers for Christmas Dinner back at your hotel. (B D)

Saturday 26 December

Scenic Train trip to Olomouc and afternoon at leisure

In the morning you take a loco-hauled service train in First Class for the pleasant two hour trip to Olomouc. This beautiful, UNESCO-listed World Heritage site has a compact tramway,, a gorgeous Old Town and a stunning cathedral. It may generally be considered a ‘best kept secret’ in Central Europe. You check in to your conveniently located quality hotel near the station and have lunch. After that you are free to explore Olomouc and its many architectural and cultural attractions at leisure and ride its delightful tramway. You will be given a public transport rover ticket for the trams and buses, valid for the duration of your stay. Naturally you are also free to still make good use in the afternoon of your OneTicket rail rover and explore local railway lines or travel on loco-hauled service trains in the region. Your Tour Manager will be glad to assist and advise and will offer a guided excursion. (B L)

Sunday 27 to Tuesday 29 December

Freedom of the Czech Republic with your OneTicket railway rover in First Class

For the next three days afterwards you have the continued validity of your 7-Day OneTicket Czech railway rover in First Class. You have the option of making extensive ‘track bashes’ and seeing much of the country’s diverse landscapes or simply using the railways to visit attractive cities such as Brno, Ostrava, Opava or do some scenic, loco-hauled routes with a combination of diesel and electric traction, like to the resort town of Luhacovice. The snowy, higher altitude ‘Silesian Semmering’ to Jesenik is also a scenic must. You have the freedom of choice and your Tour Manager will be happy to advise. (B)

Wednesday 30 December

Steam train with giant tank engine over rare track in Moravian Silesia

Be ready to embark on a very special steam-hauled narrow-gauge railway journe today. Firstly, you travel onboard a Czech Railways service from Olomouc along the scenic, non-electrified route via Krnov to Tremesna. Here you board a private steam charter, where you travel on the idyllic narrow gauge line to Osoblaha, on the doorstep of Poland. This remote yet serene railway runs through gentle fields and soft rolling hills, framed by church towers and dotted villages. The railway will put on a spectacular steam show featuring the “Blue Behemoth” 0-10-0 tender locomotive U57.001. The crew will pause for pictures and run pasts at the most scenic locations, as lunch refreshments, including complimentary drinks served on the train. After a rewarding day of steam travel, including a full return trip along the 20 km branch line, you head back to Olomouc on a service train. (B L)

Thursday 31 December

Main line steam luxury train over rare track in the Bohemian and Moravian countryside

Today a real tour highlight awaits as you travel First Class on the loco-hauled service train to Zabreh na Morave. Here you‘ll join the private chartered heritage train hauled by the 2-6-2 tank engine 331 058. This Hungarian-built former GYSEV tank engine Nr. 132 will haul your train formed of luxurious early 20th century First Class coaches on the main line past Sumperk, before branching off on the secondary route along a mountainous valley to the ski resort of Kouty nad Desnou, covering ‘rare track’. From there you return to the junction Petrov, before travelling over the mountainous branch line to Sobotin. You continue to Hanusovice and Dolni Lipka. Your luxurious charter train features former 1930s Swiss coaches and the vintage 1907 Ringhoffer-built Teak dining car, which was originally built for the famed company Wagons Lits and has a splendid and utterly luxurious Art Nouveau interior, with ornamental ceiling paintings, wooden decor befitting the Belle Epoque. A silver served, multi-course lunch in the teak dining car is one of the highlights today, including a wine reception and dessert with complimentary sparkling wine to toast the new year in fitting style. All drinks on the train are included today and it is also possible to enjoy a cab ride in the classic locomotive. You then return back to Olomouc by a service train, hauled 

by an iconic ‘Goggle’ type diesel locomotive of the Czech Railways. After an exhilarating and scenic private charter through the Moravian Mountains, enjoy refined New Year’s Eve celebrations in the elegant streets of Olomouc. (B L)

Friday 1 January

At leisure in Olomouc or another day of discovery with your railway rover

You can welcome the first day of 2027 at a relaxed pace, perhaps wandering through the charming Old Town of Olomouc and revisiting its many beautiful sights and hidden corners. Alternatively, you might choose one last adventure, making the most of your First Class OneTicket rail rover to explore further afield at your own leisure. In the evening, you’ll gather once more with your fellow travellers to enjoy a memorable farewell dinner in a traditional Czech beer hall. (B D)



Saturday 2 January

Travel to London

After breakfast, you transfer by train back to Prague Airport for your return flight back to London. (B)