Celebrate the festive season in style on a scenic Danube cruise, indulging in festive cuisine, exploring seasonal markets and enjoying guided tours of the river’s historic cities

Your festive holiday begins as we meet at London St Pancras, where you meet the Tour Manager and travelling group, ready to board the Eurostar to Brussels. From the Belgian capital, we switch to a regional service and travel in First Class to Frankfurt, a lively and modern city in central Germany.

Arriving in the evening, we check in to our central hotel for an overnight stay. Tonight, we eat our first dinner together in the hotel restaurant, and as you enjoy your meal, you can look forward to the seasonal cruise ahead.

After breakfast this morning, we board a high-speed train to Passau, travelling in First Class. At the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers, Passau is known today for its location near the Austrian border and its historic architecture. The setting of the Old Town, constructed by Italian Baroque masters in the 17th century, is filled with soaring towers, picturesque landscapes, enchanting promenades and winding alleyways.

From the station, we transfer by coach to our cruise ship, decked out in its Christmas finery. We're greeted by our friendly crew and enjoy a welcome drink while taking in the waterside views from the lounge.

After settling into your cabin and familiarising yourself with our ship's facilities, we indulge in our first five-course dinner on board.

Waking on Christmas Eve, you can choose between two excursions. You might like to stay in Passau, joining a guided tour of this charming German city whose Old Town is filled with Baroque architecture, including St Stephen's Cathedral. If you choose this option, you'll have some time to unwind on the ship after the tour as we sail through picturesque scenery.

Your second option is to join a tour of Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music, which is particularly magical at Christmas. On a morning tour, we stroll through the UNESCO-listed Old Town, admiring churches, squares, alleyways and Baroque spires. In the afternoon, you might like to take a walk along the river, visit Mirabell Gardens or take a cable-car ride up Untersberg Mountain for spectacular views across the Berchtesgaden Alps.

Returning to our ship in the evening, we enjoy spiced mulled wine before dinner, looking forward to tomorrow's Christmas celebrations.

Christmas Day brings a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the magnificent Melk Abbey. Standing atop of a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube, this golden 11th-century complex is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. We disembark at Emmersdorf and tour the abbey's beautiful church, historic library and ornate halls.

Back on the ship, we enjoy lunch while sailing through the picturesque UNESCO-listed Wachau Valley to the riverside village of Dürnstein, where you're welcome to sample the local produce or wander the charming streets and admire the powder-blue church tower.

Returning to the ship in the evening, we enjoy a gingerbread-making demonstration, learning how to make this authentic regional treat before indulging in the last of today's highlights: a Christmas-themed gala dinner.

After breakfast this morning, we board a coach for a guided tour of the elegant city of Vienna. With our expert guide, we pass the illustrious Ringstrasse boulevard, the world-renowned Opera House and the monumental parliament building.

After lunch on the ship, you can choose between two excursions. The first is a trip to Schönbrunn Palace, once the summer residence of the ruling Habsburg family. During the festive season, the forecourt is transformed into a magical Christmas market. Listening as the live band plays festive melodies in front of the beautifully decorated tree, you can wander the stalls selling handmade goods, art and gourmet treats.

Your second option is to return to Vienna, where you can stroll along the scenic boulevards, marvel at the striking St Stephen's Cathedral or enter one of the countless museums and galleries that bring the city's history to life. Don't forget to indulge in a slice of famous Sachertorte, a delicious Viennese cake, at one of the city's grand coffeehouses.

After a relaxed overnight sailing, we make our way to Slovakia's capital, where we are welcomed by views of Bratislava Castle's gleaming white walls. Arriving this morning, we set out on a guided tour of the Baroque Old Town and castle district.

Despite being a national capital, beautiful Bratislava is nicknamed the 'Little Big City' due to its compact size. Wandering the charming streets, where each corner reveals delightful new views, we admire attractive squares, idyllic streets, grand palaces and historic churches. On the tour, we enjoy a ride on the Bratislava City Train up to Bratislava Castle.

We return to the ship for lunch and begin sailing to the Austrian city of Linz. In the afternoon, we indulge in a delightful Christmas-themed afternoon tea of mince pies, stollen, gingerbread, pigs in blankets, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, with mulled wine.

Enjoy a free morning as we continue to cruise along the Danube toward Linz. You might like to step out onto the ship's terrace to enjoy panoramic views of the riverbanks, stop by the fitness room or enjoy a massage in the wellness centre.

After lunch, we moor in Linz and board a coach for a sightseeing tour of the city. Linz has a deep connection to the Danube; in the Middle Ages, the city's location at a bend in the river made it an important trade and transport hub. As our guide narrates the journey, soak up views of Linz's beautiful Baroque architecture. We see the Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), a 17th-century masterpiece; the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus); and Hauptplaz, the Old Town's main square.

Returning to the ship in the evening, we enjoy our final dinner as we continue sailing back to Passau.

After breakfast today, we transfer to the station, where we board a high-speed train to Cologne, travelling in First Class. Arriving in the afternoon, we check in to our hotel before a few hours at leisure in the city.

You might like to stroll through Cologne's charming Old Town, where you can admire the tall and narrow pastel-coloured houses, set out along the winding streets, or wander to the Rhine Promenade for a stroll along the river. There are many traditional brewery taverns close to the Old Town, all of which serve Kölsch beer, brewed only in Cologne. You may wish to visit at least one of these to sample the beer for yourself.

You're welcome to explore the city at leisure, enjoying the sights, sounds and scents as the dusk begins to fall. In the evening, we gather at the hotel for our final dinner of the holiday.

Spending Christmas on the Danube was a uniquely enchanting experience. From Passau to Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava and Linz, the towns and cities along the river revealed their seasonal charm as we soaked up the festive atmosphere. Celebrating Christmas during a tour of the magnificent Melk Abbey was a highlight, and enjoying a gingerbread-making workshop and a Christmas-themed afternoon tea set the scene for this magical cruise.

After breakfast this morning, your holiday comes to an end as we board a regional train to Brussels, travelling in First Class. In the Belgian capital, we board the Eurostar to London St Pancras, where your holiday concludes and you are free to make your own way home.

Deutsche Bahn, headquartered in Berlin, operates trains to all parts of Germany and neighbouring countries. The rail company offers a range of services in different train fleets. For long-distance journey, Deutsche Bahn operates the Intercity Express (ICE) trains that boast comfortable seats with adequate legroom. There's WiFi accessibility and charging socket at every seat. The onboard catering service makes meals, drinks, and snacks available during the journey. There are various generations of ICE trains - ICE 1, 2, 3, and 4. ICE 3 can reach a top speed of almost 190 mph. ICE 4 trains come with family area, children's area, and quiet zone along with newly modelled ergonomic seats.

There are a host of services that operate regionally, connecting different German cities and nearby regions. Interregio Express links 2 regions without stopping at all stations along the route, whereas the Regional Express is used for local connections as well as long distance services. Regionalbahn connects cities to their hinterlands, and the S-Bahn is ideal for travelling between cities.

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which are arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop-down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Plus class. In your dedicated Plus carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service, you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

Joining the fleet in 2019, the MS Amadeus Star is a 'masterpiece of design' and offers impeccable cabin spaces with 70 deluxe cabins and 12 Amadeus suites. Made up of 4 decks, the ship features several facilities including the panorama bar, restaurant, river terrace, as well as a wellness centre where you can book a relaxing massage, or arrange one of many beauty treatments. The sun deck on board also provides a fitness suite, which is open all day. Each bedroom comes with a spacious ensuite bathroom, a mini bar, a flatscreen television, walk-in wardrobe, and either a double or twin bed. Some rooms also offer panoramic windows or a balcony.

Flight upgrades are available. For information regarding the types of upgrades offered by the airlines we use, call our expert team for details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.