Rail & Ale in Stuttgart

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then onwards to Stuttgart and our hotel for six nights, the Maritim Hotel, where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we enjoy a guided walking tour of Stuttgart and its rich brewing legacy that dates back centuries offering a perfect mix of history, culture, and local beer with culinary highlights and beer tastings along the way. This afternoon, we visit Killesberg Park for a ride on the narrow-gauge Killesbergbahn following the curvy, varied route around the park with its beautiful green spaces. As evening falls, we ascend the iconic Stuttgart TV Tower for a fantastic beer tasting with finger-food served alongside and we enjoy sweeping panoramic views from Stuttgart's highest vantage point.

DAY 3

Today, we are free to immerse ourselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the Cannstatter Volksfest, one of Germany's great festivals for almost 200 years. Explore the lively fairground, browse the traditional trade stands, sample classic German dishes, and soak up the music, flavours, and camaraderie inside the famous beer tents. This is a true celebration of local culture and, of course, great beer!

DAY 4

After breakfast, we travel by rail into the Black Forest to Alpirsbach, home to centuries-old brewing traditions. Here, we visit the Alpirsbach Brewery for a guided tour of this historic brewhouse gaining deep insights into the craft and brewing process with impressive exhibits, historical machines, and practical tools finishing, of course, with a refreshing, freshly tapped draft beer! Afterwards, we enjoy our lunch together at a local restaurant before returning to Stuttgart by rail for an evening at leisure.

DAY 5

This morning, we travel by train to Schorndorf to board the spectacular Schwaebische Waldbahn for a scenic, steam-hauled journey through the Swabian Forest to Welzheim and return. This demanding mountain route showcases brilliant engineering as it crosses fantastic viaducts, iron bridges, and steep inclines whilst passing beautifully renovated station buildings, historic mills, stunning green valleys, and dense forests - this is a highlight for railway enthusiasts and scenery lovers alike.

DAY 6

Today, we travel by coach to experience one of Germany's most famous heritage railways - the Sauschwaenzlebahn - affectionately known as the 'Pig-Tail Railway'. This dramatic, steam-hauled journey combines engineering ingenuity with superb scenery thanks to its impressive loops, viaducts, and tunnels including the iconic Stockhalde spiral tunnel, the only tunnel of this type in Germany, and reminiscent of a curled pig's tail - hence the railway's name! Afterwards, we retrace our steps to Stuttgart in time for our final evening meal together.

Day 7

We bid farewell to Stuttgart 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, LR=Light Refreshments, D=Dinner