Festive Steam in Saxony 2026

Duration

8 Days

Departure Dates

1st December 2026

Prices from

£2,299 Per person

Enjoy the festive season on this fantastic steam tour to Germany. Experience fabulous mainline steam excursions, nostalgic narrow-gauge steam lines, and charming branch lines plus travel on a unique suspended monorail and superb funicular railway. Cruise along the River Elbe, visit the fascinating Dresden Transport Museum, and enjoy time to stroll through the traditional Christmas Markets of both Dresden and Leipzig.

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Gotha ©Shutterstock

8 days from £2,299

DEPARTS

Tuesday 1 December 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Steam on the traditional narrow-gauge Lössnitzgrundbahn
Steam nostalgia on the oldest narrow-gauge railway to Kipsdorf
Journey back in time at the Dresden Transport Museum
Explore Dresden and ride the unique suspended railway
Cruise along the beautiful River Elbe
Visit the traditional Christmas markets in Dresden & Leipzig
Enjoy a mainline steam journey to the historic town of Zeitz
Enjoy two charming narrow-gauge routes at Zittau
Marvel at the unique spectacle of a parallel departure at Bertsdorf

Also included in your Tour Fare:

7 nights’ bed & breakfast plus 3 evening meals
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then onwards to Gotha for our overnight stay at the Hotel am Tierpark where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

This morning, we depart Gotha by train to Dresden where we travel the short distance to Radebeul for a steam run on the 750mm narrow-gauge Lössnitzgrundbahn, a delightful 17km line which still operates a public service between Radebeul and Radeburg including some street running! Afterwards, we make our way to our hotel, the InterCity Hotel in Dresden, for our six-night stay where we enjoy our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, a short local train ride takes us to Freital-Hainsberg where we join the steam hauled service over the Weisseritztalbahn for a nostalgic ride on the oldest narrow-gauge railway in public operation along a narrow gorge, through woodland, and past lakes to Kipsdorf. This afternoon, we enjoy a visit to the Dresden Transport Museum for an exciting journey back in time with walk-in carriages and locomotives to explore allowing us to soak in the atmosphere of past times. Afterwards, we have time to explore the traditional Christmas Markets around the Church of our Lady before returning to the hotel this evening.

DAY 4

Today, we will use our we will use our included transport day ticket to explore the beautiful city of Dresden including a ride on the unusual, suspended monorail, one of the oldest suspension railways and a marvellous example of engineering and construction, plus the superb single-track funicular railway. This afternoon, we join a relaxing cruise along the River Elbe passing by some of the valleys most beautiful landmarks whilst enjoying a delicious slice of Christmas cake and a tea/coffee. Afterwards, we enjoy time at leisure before returning to the hotel.

B, LR

DAY 5

After breakfast, we embark on a magical winter rail excursion to the Czech capital, Prague. Our journey from Dresden follows the Elbe River through the enchanting winter scenery of Saxon Switzerland, where dramatic sandstone cliffs and forests often sparkle with frost, creating a wonderfully atmospheric landscape. We can choose between two travel options:
* The heritage steam train - a nostalgic experience as we cross into the Czech Republic behind historic steam traction. Though this option allows a shorter stay in Prague, the memory of steaming through wintry landscapes into a European capital is truly unforgettable.
* The modern express train - arriving in Prague earlier, allowing more time to discover the city's festive delights, wander through the atmospheric Old Town, or browse the world-famous Christmas Markets, where the scent of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts fills the air.
Later in the afternoon, we rejoin our train for the return journey to Dresden for an evening at leisure.

DAY 6

Today, we transfer by train to Leipzig and enjoy some free time to explore this charming Saxon city and its beautiful Christmas Market, one of Germany's oldest with origins dating back to 1458. Afterwards, we enjoy a return mainline steam train excursion to the historic town of Zeitz before returning to Dresden.

DAY 7

After breakfast this morning, we travel by rail to Zittau where we ride behind steam on the Zittau Railway to Bertsdorf, a narrow-gauge railway offering many scenic and historic attractions such as the unique spectacle of a simultaneous departure of two steam trains. From here we ride both branch lines along charming landscapes to Jonsdorf and Oybin before returning to Dresden for our final evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 8

We bid farewell to Dresden and to Germany, returning by rail to Brussels, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTELS

Hotel Am Tierpark, Gotha

Located in the heart of the historic city of Gotha, the charming Hotel am Tierpark combines traditional hospitality with modern comforts and offers a restaurant with a bar, a winter garden and terrace, sauna, and a small fitness area. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi.

InterCity Hotel, Dresden

Situated right by the main railway station, the InterCity Hotel offers a relaxed ambience including a cosy bar and a quality restaurant serving regional, national, and seasonal specialties. The stylish bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi.

FARES

From London St Pancras International:
Standard Class rail travel to/from Germany, including Eurostar Standard	£2,299
Supplement for Eurostar Plus upgrade	£150
First Class rail travel to/from Germany, including Eurostar Plus	£2,499
Join at Gotha & Leave at Dresden	£2,129
Single Traveller Supplement	£220
Deposit	£230

7 nights’ bed & breakfast plus 3 evening meals

Eurostar and rail travel to and from Germany in the class of your choice

All transfers, excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

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Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
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Hotel am Tierpark, Gotha

InterCity Hotel, Dresden

Lu00f6ssnitzgrundbahn

Weisseritztalbahn

Dresden Transport Museum

Zittau Railway

Dresden ©iStock

Lossnitzgrundbahn1 ©AdobeStock

Lossnitzgrundbahn2 ©Kati Schmidt

Weisseritztalbahn ©Spechtritzgrund

Dresden Museum of Transport ©Shutterstock

Christmas Market, Dresden ©Shutterstock

Dresden Schwebebahn ©AdobeStock

Christmas Market, Leipzig ©Joachim Kohler

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