Germany, Austria & Switzerland Tour Packages

Most of our guests travel to Central Europe from the US by air, unless they are already traveling in a neighboring country. There are direct flights from the US to many of the large cities in Germany and Switzerland, such as Munich, Berlin, Geneva, and Zurich, and some to the Austrian capital of Vienna. We usually recommend getting an open-jaw ticket, which has you flying into the first city on your trip and out of the last. This will save time and usually cost less when you factor in the cost of returning to the first city on your itinerary. The exception is if you opt for a self-drive itinerary, in which case a round-trip route will make more sense due to one-way fees. Although we don’t sell airfare, our travel advisors will help you pick the best fare and routing.

With so many potential routes, we advise starting in the city that offers you the best flights for your arrival.

Spring, early summer, and early fall are the very best times of year to visit this part of Europe if you’re visiting for a primarily cultural and historical interest trip. The weather across all the countries is not dissimilar to that of New York. July and August can be very warm and in summer each of the city’s orchestras and opera companies are on vacation, too. In winter (January to March) some Swiss and Austrian destinations have their peak season due to winter sports. The cities experience another busy period with Christmas market visitors from late November until New Year’s.

All our tours are custom, based on your preferences for accommodation, optional excursions, and transport methods. All our suggested Germany, Austria, and Switzerland itineraries have a Price Guide function so you can get an instant price estimate. In general, Switzerland is much more expensive than its neighbors, so reducing the number of nights spent in Switzerland can result in big savings.

It would be difficult to see all three countries thoroughly in a single trip without spending several weeks. At a minimum, we suggest a ten-night itinerary, which can be adjusted to include your choice of destinations and activities.

Most cities in each of the countries are well connected by rail and road. Based on your preferences and budget, we can include train or bus station transfers and tickets, or door-to-door private transfers in your travel package. One advantage of a private transfer over a train ride is the ability to make stops at places of interest along the way. For certain itineraries, or sections of them, you might want to drive, and we can include a car rental in your package.

In Germany and Austria, you will use the Euro. Although Switzerland is part of the European Economic Area, it is not a member of the EU and has its own currency, the Swiss Franc.

All our vacation packages in the region are private, custom tour packages. We like to call this semi-independent travel. We make all the arrangements, from airport transfers, accommodation, excursions, and transport between cities. You can opt for private or group excursions and activities as part of your package. The latter are ideal if you want to hang out with fellow travelers and like-minded people. Of course, you can choose to leave some days free for exploring on your own, too. Unlike an escorted tour, you aren’t paying to have a guide, driver, or tour director the whole time, just when needed, so our packages are more affordable, too.

No. All our tours are completely customized and private, providing a much more personal experience. Every tour is a definite departure because it’s based on your travel dates. No worrying about whether your preferred departure meets a minimum number of guests or group size to go ahead, then scrambling to find an alternative because your flights are already booked.

Absolutely. Our Germany, Austria, and Switzerland vacation packages are customized to your wishes. You don’t have to fill every day and we encourage leaving some free time aside simply to appreciate the destinations you’re visiting. We often recommend taking a half-day tour, leaving you the rest of the day to relax or explore on your own.

Our travel experts have inspected all the best 3- to 5-star hotels across our destinations, with an emphasis on small locally owned boutique properties in the city center as well as signature larger properties. During the planning process, we will give you a choice of hotels and available room options in a carefully-selected range. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, let our trip planners know at the time of booking and they’ll make sure you stay in hotel rooms that will add to your unforgettable experience.

Not at all. Our approach is to get the basics set first. To begin, we’ll set the dates and number of nights in each destination, your hotels, and how you’ll get between each city. In each destination, we recommend taking a guided tour with a local guide that will get you oriented and familiarize you with the city.

Our tour packages are designed to make touring Germany, Austria, and Switzerland effortless. From working with our travel advisors and expert trip planners to craft your ideal itinerary to the moment you get on the plane to return home, we will take care of everything. Your custom tour package will include accommodation, airport transfers, any kind of transportation between destinations, walking tours, day trips, and most importantly, the support of our local staff in Europe. They’ll be in touch with you before your trip to finalize any details, and, if you wish, we’ll give you an e-SIM so you can be in touch by phone, email, or instant message. It’s like having a tour manager, but still traveling independently.

Absolutely. That’s the whole point of working with a custom tour operator like us. We’ll work with you to tailor an outstanding trip for you, so you can be sure you have enough time to see what you want at your own pace, without having to worry about any of the details, like how to get to the train station, or making reservations at a local restaurant. We take care of all of that.

Other than breakfast, or meals that are part of an experience, like a food tour or cooking class, we don’t include meals, although for larger groups, we often arrange a welcome dinner or final night dinners, for example. Once you book, you will receive access to your Guest Page, which is packed with our curated recommendations for local restaurants you can enjoy during your custom trip.