Danube Express 2008 -- The Polish Explorer

Explore Poland from the comfort of the private
Danube Express
8 Days, 7 Nights
Get 2 complimentary hotel nights in Budapest* when you book these trips back-to-back in 2008:
Polish Explorer, Sept. 4 - 11
Central Europe by Private Train, Sept. 13 - 20
*Budapest nights are Sept. 11 & 12 and include entrance to the
annual Steam Locomotive Grand Prix festival and dining car competition!

Day 1: Budapest
Arrival in Budapest for a two-night stay in this cosmopolitan city straddling the Danube. You will stay in the recently refurbished Hotel Astoria (4 star), or similar, situated in the very centre, only a few minutes walk from the Danube and with easy access to all parts of the city. Dinner will be in the hotel and you will have time for a stroll along the river to see the illuminated city.

Day 2: Budapest
Your morning sightseeing tour includes the Cathedral, Heroes Square and City Park on the Pest side. On the Buda side you will visit Gellert Hill for possibly the best views of Budapest and finally Castle Hill with the St Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. In the afternoon you have the option of a visit to the Children’s Railway in the Buda Hills. In the evening you will have dinner in a restaurant close to the hotel.

Day 3: Kosice
After breakfast in the hotel, coach transfer to Nyugati Station for a champagne reception in the former Royal Waiting Room. The Danube Express will be waiting in the adjoining platform. Your sleeping car attendant will show you to your accommodation. In every compartment will be details of the on-train programme. The Danube Express heads north from Budapest alongside the Danube towards the Slovak border. Settle in on board the train, with lunch in the restaurant car, before we take you on a tour of historic Kosice. On departure you will be impressed by the stunning views of the Tatra Mountains as you take dinner on board.

Day 4: Auschwitz/Krakow
After breakfast on the train you arrive in Auschwitz. Your tour offers a sombre insight into the events which cast such a shadow on the 20th century, and which are still remembered throughout the world today. Re-board the train for lunch en route to Krakow. You will be taken on a tour of the highlights of this fabulous city. Relax in the lounge car before dinner as the train heads north to the Baltic.

Day 5: Malbork/Gdansk
Morning sees the train arrive in Malbork, once a stronghold of the Teutonic Knights. You will have a comprehensive tour of the castle before rejoining the train for lunch en route to the charming city of Gdansk. Historically a free city, it became synonymous with freedom as the place where the Solidarity movement was born. This evening you take dinner in a restaurant in the city, before a final night on board your Hotel-on-Wheels bound for Warsaw, Poland’s capital.

Day 6: Warsaw
Arrival in Warsaw is journey’s end for the Danube Express. You are taken on a brief orientation tour followed by a visit to the palace of Wilanow constructed by King Jan Sobieski in the 17th century. After a break for lunch you return to the city for a two night stay in the Bristol Hotel (5 star), or similar. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 7: Warsaw
Morning walking tour of the Old Town. You will be shown Castle Square, King Sigmund’s Column, St John’s Cathedral and the Market Square. The afternoon is free to explore the city further or browse round the shops. Farewell dinner in the hotel.

Day 8: Warsaw
After breakfast, departure for onward connections home.
Please note this tour also operates in the reverse direction, starting in Warsaw and finishing in Budapest.

2008 Pricing:

	Classic Double	Classic Single	Deluxe Double	Deluxe Single
The Polish Explorer	$3,850	$4,940	$5,140	$9,750

Northbound:	Sept. 1-8
Southbound:	Sept. 4-11

Deposit
A deposit of $1,000 per person is required within seven days of booking in order to confirm reservations. Credit cards are accepted for deposits. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Click here to download our tour booking form. Please read over our terms and conditions before booking. Deposits made for this tour are nonrefundable.

The Danube Express Train
The new Danube Express private train, headquartered in Budapest, is our newest entry in IRT’s lineup of the top 25 trains in the world. We were the first agency in North America to test it out, and we think Society of IRT travelers will love it.

Its four itineraries focus on Central Europe, although the train ventures as far as Berlin, Istanbul and Vienna.

A typical air-conditioned eight-car Danube Express train will be an intimate experience with just 54 maximum passengers. The consist includes staff car, two older “classic” sleepers (rooms are 33.2 square feet, with upper and lower berths; toilet and shower are down the hall), diner, lounge car with piano and three “deluxe” sleepers (two lower berths, en-suite shower and toilet). Deluxe sleeper rooms are 83.4 square feet, including the ensuite facilities. They are due for completion in January 2008. A staff member gives your “wake-up” call with a soft knock and morning coffee or tea; beer, wine and soft drinks are available throughout the journey and are included in the cost. Meals are delicious but not fancy and served at a single seating; service is experienced and friendly but not formal. The staff has been working on the train with European clients for many years, operating as the Royal Hungarian Express. The bar car seems always open, and the piano player, Apollo Berényi, sings hundreds of American and English-language songs and welcomes sing-alongs.