Konigswinter's Fairytale Castle, Cologne and the Ahr Valley
Departing | July - August 2018 |
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From | £319.00* per person |

This wonderful, five-day holiday reveals exquisite Rhineland scenery and a pair of historic German cities. Explore the ancient spa city of Aachen, travel over the vineyard-covered slopes of the Ahr Valley, take a scenic train ride to breathtaking Drachenburg Castle and tour the ancient, cobbled streets of Cologne's charming old town.
- Visit with entrance to Schloss Drachenburg Castle, Konigswinter
- A return journey on the Drachenfels cog railway
- Visits to Aachen and Cologne
- A ride on Cologne's 'Bimmelbahn' Road Train
- Scenic tour of the Ahr Valley
- Four nights' bed and buffet breakfast in the four-star Amber Hotel, Hilden
- Coach travel throughout
- Return Channel crossings
- The services of a friendly Tour Manager
Single rooms are available for a supplement
Day One:
Travel to Germany
Join our coach at your chosen pick-up point this morning for our Channel crossing to France and the onward journey to Germany. We should arrive at our hotel during the early evening.
Day Two:
Visit historic Aachen
Today's journey takes us to Aachen, an ancient spa city sometimes referred to as the Spa of the Kings due to the 'healing' powers of the Elisa Fountain's steaming spa-waters. See the city's impressive, UNESCO-listed cathedral and head to a cafe to taste the local culinary delicacy known as Printen: a hard, spicy biscuit.
Day Three:
Explore the Ahr Valley and Konigswinter
Enjoy a morning of exquisite scenery as we take a journey through the picturesque Ahr Valley, where pretty spa towns nestle amid the rolling vineyards. After the tour we'll continue to Konigswinter for a ride on the Drachenfels cog railway to majestic, multi-turreted Drachenburg Castle. Disembark to explore the castle's grandiose living and reception rooms, and enjoy a stroll in the grounds to marvel at the beautiful views over the Rhine.
Day Four:
See the sights of Cologne
Today we take a day trip to Cologne. We'll start the day with a guided tour on the 'Bimmelbahn' Road Train, which offers the perfect introduction to the city's key sights; see the twin-spired Gothic cathedral and the cobbled streets of the altstadt, which is packed with cafes, bars and cake shops selling mouth-watering treats. After the tour, explore at leisure and enjoy an early evening meal (payable locally) before returning to the hotel for a final evening.
Day Five:
Travel back to the UK
After breakfast, board the coach for the return journey to the UK. We'll cross the channel during the mid afternoon and should arrive back in your local area during the mid-to-late evening.
Further Information
Itinerary changes
Each day's itinerary is subject to small changes at the Tour Manager's discretion. Due to the extensive itinerary on this tour, we regret that we are not able to accommodate individual requests for visits en route.
Appropriate footwear
We strongly recommend that comfortable walking shoes be worn during the excursions on this holiday.
Coach seating arrangements
Your seats on the main coach will be allocated for you in advance, taking into consideration any special requests wherever possible. Your Tour Manager or driver will advise you where to sit as you board the coach. This will be your seat for the duration of the tour. (Seats are not allocated on any connecting services to and from the main coach.)
Joining your holiday
Your final travel documents, including the exact time and place of departure, will be sent to you approximately 7 days prior to departure, providing all payments have been made. We are unable to give exact departure times before this.
Meal arrangements
Where meals are not included, your Tour Manager will ensure there are suitable stops made for you to purchase and enjoy lunch and/or dinner each day.
Triple rooms
The majority of these consist of a double bed and an extra bed that is often only suitable for children. If this is a concern, you may wish to consider booking more than one room for your group.
Special requirements
If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.
Disabled access
The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made. The nature of the terrain on this tour means that those with walking difficulties may find parts of the tour difficult.
Channel crossings
Where possible, we will cross the Channel by ferry at the beginning and end of your holiday. However, we reserve the right to substitute crossings by Eurotunnel when necessary.
Foreign Office travel advice
Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.
Hotel information
Amber Hotel ★★★★

Departure county | Pick-up points |
Bedfordshire | Bedford, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Toddington Services M1 |
Berkshire | Bracknell, Chieveley Services M4, Maidenhead, Newbury, Reading, Slough, Windsor, Wokingham |
Bristol | Bristol |
Buckinghamshire | Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Chalfont St Peter, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes |
Cambridgeshire | Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Peterborough, St Neots, Wisbech |
Cornwall | Bodmin, Launceston, Liskeard, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth, Saltash, St Austell, Truro |
Derbyshire | Ashbourne, Derby, Ilkeston |
Devon | Barnstaple, Bideford, Dawlish, Exeter, Exeter Services M5, Exmouth, Honiton, Ilfracombe, Ivybridge, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Paignton, Plymouth, Sidmouth, Tavistock, Tiverton, Torquay, Totnes |
Dorset | Blandford Forum, Bournemouth, Bridport, Christchurch, Dorchester, Ferndown, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Weymouth, Wimborne Minster |
Dyfed | Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Llanelli |
East Sussex | Bexhill On Sea, Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Newhaven |
East Riding Of Yorkshire | Hull |
Essex | Barking, Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Benfleet (replacement for Canvey Island), Chelmsford, Clacton On Sea, Colchester, Grays, Harlow, Romford, Saffron Walden, Southend On Sea, Thurrock Services M25, Witham |
Gloucestershire | Cheltenham, Cirencester, Dursley, Gloucester, Michaelwood Services M5, Stroud, Tewkesbury |
Gwent | Abergavenny, Chepstow, Cwmbran, Magor Services M4, Newport, Pontypool |
Hampshire | Aldershot, Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Cosham, Eastleigh, Fareham, Farnborough, Fleet Services M3, Fordingbridge, Havant, Petersfield, Portsmouth, Ringwood, Rownhams Services M27, Southampton, Totton And Eling, Waterlooville, Winchester, Winchester Services M3 |
Herefordshire | Hereford, Ross On Wye |
Hertfordshire | Barnet, Birchanger Green Services M11, Bishops Stortford, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Hitchin, Letchworth, South Mimms Services A1 M, St Albans, Stevenage, Waltham Cross, Watford, Welwyn Garden City |
Kent | Ashford, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Canterbury, Chatham, Dartford, Deal, Dover, Folkestone, Gillingham, Gravesend, Herne Bay, Maidstone, Maidstone Services M20, Margate, Orpington, Ramsgate, Rochester, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Saltwood Services M20, Sevenoaks, Sheerness, Sittingbourne, Swanley, Tonbridge |
Leicestershire | Coalville, Donington Park Services M1, Hinckley, Leicester, Leicester Forest Services M1, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray |
Lincolnshire | Boston, Grantham, Grantham Services A1, Lincoln, Louth, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding, Stamford |
London | Camberwell, Ealing, Eltham, Lewisham, Streatham, Wimbledon, Woolwich |
Mid Glamorgan | Aberdare, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Sarn Services M4, Swansea |
Middlesex | Enfield, Feltham, Harrow, Hendon, Hounslow, Ruislip, Uxbridge, Wembley |
Norfolk | Dereham, Downham Market, Fakenham, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn, Norwich, Thetford, Wymondham |
Northamptonshire | Corby, Kettering, Northampton, Rushden, Wellingborough |
Nottinghamshire | Hucknall, Mansfield, Newark, Nottingham, Sutton In Ashfield |
Oxfordshire | Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Oxford, Oxford Services M40, Witney |
South Glamorgan | Cardiff, Cardiff West Services M4 |
Shropshire | Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury, Telford |
Somerset | Bath, Bridgwater, Bridgwater Services M5, Clevedon, Frome, Glastonbury, Gordano Services M5, Shepton Mallet, Taunton, Weston Super Mare, Yeovil |
Staffordshire | Burton Upon Trent, Cannock, Hanley, Leek, Lichfield, Newcastle Under Lyme, Stafford, Stoke On Trent, Tamworth, Uttoxeter |
Suffolk | Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Newmarket, Stowmarket, Sudbury |
Surrey | Camberley, Croydon, Dorking, Epsom, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Kingston Upon Thames, Leatherhead, Redhill, Reigate, Staines, Sutton, Walton On Thames, Weybridge, Woking, Worcester Park |
West Midlands | Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Halesowen, Solihull, Stourbridge, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton |
West Sussex | Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Midhurst, Pease Pottage Services A23 M23, Worthing |
Warwickshire | Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick, Warwick Services M40 |
West Glamorgan | Neath, Port Talbot |
Wiltshire | Amesbury, Chippenham, Leigh Delamere Services M4, Salisbury, Swindon, Trowbridge |
Worcestershire | Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Evesham, Hopwood Services M42, Kidderminster, Malvern Link, Redditch, Worcester |
26 July 2018
02 August 2018
09 August 2018
16 August 2018
23 August 2018
30 August 2018
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Special Rates for Groups. Extra dates may be added,
We can organise Private Group visits for parties of 45 or more.
Dates for 2019 Coming Soon !!!
Book by Phone Now!
How to book
- Online
Complete the form on the contact us page.
- By telephone
Please call our Customer Service Department on 01293 366 366 OR 0843 289 3589*
*Calls charged at 4p per min.
Booking HotlineMon- Sat 0830 to 2200
Customer Service
Sun 0900 to 2100
Bank Holidays - 1000 to 1600Mon-Sat 9am-6:30pm
Sun and Bank Holidays - Closed
