Tramways and Mountain Railways of Austria

Discover the natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, historic tramways and spectacular Alpine railways of Austria on this glorious summer holiday, packed with wonderful vintage trams, lots of private charters, attractive museum visits and stunning scenery!

• Explore Austria’s spectacular mountains, historic cities and idyllic towns through an exceptional journey by vintage tram
  and railway.
• Enjoy private charters, depot visits, rare-track adventures and museum tours, from Vienna and Graz to Gmunden, Attersee and the scenic Mariazellerbahn, Ybbstalbahn and Höllentalbahn.
• Travel First Class across the historic Semmering Pass, discover Graz by private tram and ascend its Schlossberg by funicular. 
• This unique tour combines railway heritage, breathtaking scenery and stylish sightseeing – an unforgettable experience for enthusiasts and leisure travellers alike.

Thursday 1 July

Arrive to Vienna

Fly from London to Vienna, arriving around midday. After checking into your centrally located hotel, lunch will be served.
The afternoon is for exploring Vienna’s historic sights and extensive tram network with your complimentary public transport pass. (L)

Friday 2 July

Höllentalbahn scenic tramway and more trams and leisure in Vienna

After breakfast you take an OBB service train south to Payerbach, where you enjoy a private charter ride on a vintage tram car dating from 1926. Running for 5 km through a beautiful mountain valley and along a tranquil river, this delightful heritage tramway is one of the ‘best kept secrets’ in Austria. Offering early 20th century charm, plus unspoiled views of impressive hills and peaks. Along the way, run-pasts and photo stops will be possible. At the terminus in Rax you have a visit to the museum shed. After a full round-trip on this beautiful narrow gauge railway, you return to Vienna. (B)

Saturday 3 July

Private Tram Charter in Vienna; Vienna Tramway Museum; Prater Ferris Wheel; Steam at the Prater Railway and leisure in the city

After breakfast, you visit Vienna’s tramway museum, with its vast collection spanning all decades of the city’s 19th and 20th century transport heritage. You then enjoy and early 20th centuary private tram charter around Vienna’s historic city centre, along the famous Ring Road. You will see the principal landmarks, including the Imperial Palace, State Opera House and Houses of Parliament. Your charter concludes with a ride over the newest tram route in Vienna to the Prater Park. Here you ride the iconic Prater Ferris Wheel, built by British engineers in 1899, where views can be enjoyed for miles. Finally, you traverse the adjacent 15-inch steam railway, hauled by a vintage 1920s ‘Pacific’ type 4-6-2 locomotive on this 4 km long 1920s park railway through the Prater Gardens. (B)

Sunday 4 July

The panoramic Pöstlingbergbahn in Linz and historic teak train on the Linzer Lokalbahn

After breakfast, you take an ÖBB RailJet westward to Linz, Austria’s third largest city. There you board a vintage electric tramway on the panoramic Pöstlingbergbahn mountain railway. This engineering marvel from 1898 is one of the steepest adhesion-only railways in the world with gradients up to 1 in 8.6 (11.6%). Today the Pöstlingbergbahn has an intensive running schedule with old and new cars in operation, for maximum variety.During the scenic ascent your train crosses the River Danube, offering a full view of the urban landscape, before making the climb to the mountain-top at 519 m above sea level. From the top you will have sweeping views of Linz, the Danube and the hillside scenery of Upper Austria. You may also visit the beautiful Baroque Church or small chateau, before descending back down the 4.1 km Pöstlingbergbahn. You have time at leisure in Linz’s Hauptplatz, where you can photograph the city’s trams and trolleybuses or explore the historic old town. In the afternoon, enjoy a special excursion aboard the Linzer Lokalbahn’s historic teak-bodied electric railcar, ET 22.105, travelling to Eferding and back. Upon returning to Linz, there will be time to enjoy a group dinner at a traditional local Brauhaus before boarding a Railjet service back to Vienna. (B L) 

Monday 5 July

Private charter and mountain magnificence at the Mariazellerbahn and the Mariazell heritage tramway

Today you travel to St Pölten on an ÖBB high speed service, before transferring onto the Mariazellerbahn, Austria’s longest narrow gauge railway. You’ll traverse this 84 km branch line, all horseshoe curves and winding spirals on a private charter train hauled by the vintage 1912 rod-driven electric locomotive E 14 aboard the heritage train formed of observation saloons and one fresh-air open gondola. Lunch will be served on the train. Arriving Mariazell late morning, you will travel by private charter on this preserved standard gauge Mariazell heritage tramway with an early 20th century electric car, before changing to the distinct diesel tram for a trip to the serene Alpine Lake Erlauf, here you can visit the local beach. You return to the tramway depot for a guided tour of one of Central Europe’s largest collections of trams and light rail vehicles. Afterwards you take another historic tram car on the new extension of the line via the Mariazell wye to the terminus Promenadenweg. You return to Mariazell station and travel by panoramic train back to St Pölten and on to Vienna by ÖBB express. (B L)

Tuesday 6 July

The Semmering Railway; heritage tramways and historic funiculars of Graz

This morning you cross the stone-arched viaducts of the stunning Semmeringbahn, the first trans-Alpine railway built in Europe from 1848-54. You’ll travel First Class on an ÖBB service train over the UNESCO designated Semmering pass to Graz, Austria’s second city. There an early 20th century tram picks you up for a scenic ride through the city, over some of the new tram line extensions and to the tramway museum at Maria-Trost Basilica.
There will be ample photo stops and the passage over ‘rare track’ and unusual curves as well. After the tram ride you have some free time to look around the UNESCO designated Old Town of Graz, before you make an afternoon excursion on the Schlossberg funicular from 1894. At the top you can see the iconic clocktower and enjoy the views of the city and surrounding region of southern Styria, with its hilly, volcanic landscape. In the evening you return by RailJet over the Semmering Railway to Vienna. (B) 

Wednesday 7 July

Lakes, Peaks and Austria’s smallest tramway at Gmunden

Today another Alpine highlight awaits, as you travel by ÖBB trains to Gmunden, a charming historic town on the banks of Lake Traun. There you experience Austria’s shortest tramway, which makes up for its length with steep gradients, beautiful surrounding architecture and a fabulous fleet of early 20th century cars. Weather permitting, you will travel on the wonderful fresh air summer car 100 from 1898. This will take you down to the banks of the lake and over the bridge on the recent extension to Seebahnhof and then Engelhof, where there are still sheds from the original 1830s horse tramway. Naturally attractive photo stops will also be included during the private tram excursion. You return to Gmunden Rathaus for a chance to explore the lovely town centre and enjoy a group lunch, before taking a scenic lake cruise for a private charter aboard the beautiful motor yacht ‘Rudolf Ippisch’ from 1928. After enjoying another one of Austria’s ‘best-kept secrets’ you depart in the afternoon from Gmunden and return to Vienna. (B L)

Thursday 8 July

Morning in Vienna, afternoon return to London

The time has come to say ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Austria, but before you return back to London on a late afternoon flight, you still have a free morning to enjoy Vienna. Then in the afternoon you take a direct RailJet train from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Wien Flughafen, for the quick 10-minute transfer to the airport, prior to the return flight to the UK. (B)