Reformation Rail Tour

Reformation Tours, LLC presents
Reformation Rail Tour
Germany and Austria
August 27 - September 7, 2015
Reformation Rail Tour
As president of Reformation Tours, I
would like to personally invite you to
join me on our fabulous new tour of
Reformation sites, traveling by 1st
class rail. You will be able to relax
and enjoy seeing Germany and Austria in comfort, as your bags will be
transported by bus. The tour features the top Martin Luther heritage
sites, transport on the modern ICE
train and classic steam trains, plus
great local experiences with superb
local guides to connect us with Martin Luther’s local legacy in Wittenberg, Erfurt and Eisenach. We’ll get to know bustling Berlin, legendary Leipzig
and marvelous Munich. We’ll ride the steam powered narrow gauge, Harzquerbahn to Brocken Mountain for a picnic. Nuremberg and Salzburg, Austria add to the mix to
make a wonderful twelve days. Join me as we’ll make
memories and enjoy some of the very best of Germany
and Austria by rail!
Day 3: Saturday, August 29, 2015: Berlin
Following breakfast we will board our bus for a
guided sightseeing tour in Berlin, including the Brandenburg gate, Reichstag Parliament, remnants of
the Berlin Wall, as well as former Checkpoint Charlie. We will have a leisurely afternoon with time for
individual visits in museums, shopping, or an ice
cream in one of the many cafés. We will meet up
again for dinner at a local restaurant. (B/D)
Day 4: Sunday, August 30, 2015: Wittenberg
We will take the regional Express this morning for
our day-trip to Wittenberg, the cradle of the Reformation. We have the option of joining a local church
service this morning (only available in German). Our
local guide will take us on an orientation tour, includ-
Reformation Tours’ President, Frank Drinkhouse.
IF = In flight meals, B = Breakfast, D = Dinner
Day 1: Thursday, August 27, 2015: Flight to Berlin
Our journey from
Berlin to Munich by
Rail begins with an
overnight flight to
Berlin. Please contact us if you would
like assistance in
booking
flights. Early arrivals
are welcome to join
Frank for an optional
dinner at a local restaurant. (IF)
Day 2: Friday, August 28, 2015: Arrival Berlin
Upon our arrival at Berlin airport, we will take a transfer
(included) to our hotel, where we will meet our host, Frank
Drinkhouse. The afternoon is at leisure, or we can join
Frank for some sightseeing in Berlin. We will get to know
our fellow travelers at the welcome meal this evening. (B/
D)
ing Castle Church, where Martin Luther posted the
95 thesis, and the Town church, with its marvelous
Cranach Altar. We will also visit the Lutherhaus Museum, then have free time to visit the Melanchthon
Museum or simply enjoy strolling the streets and
getting some “Reformation atmosphere” in the town
where Martin Luther and his fellows lived, taught,
and preached. Dinner will be in Wittenberg before
we take our train back to Berlin. Please note that
there are significant renovations taking place in Wittenberg, so we may have limited access to some
sites. (B/D)
Day 5: Monday, August 31, 2015: Leipzig, Erfurt
This morning we will board the InterCityExpress
(ICE) high-speed train from Berlin to Leipzig. Our
local expert guide will meet us at the station and
take us on a walking tour of the city. Luther was
here more than once, but Leipzig is really the town
of Johann Sebastian Bach. He served as cantor in
St. Thomas Church for 27 years. We will also ad-
Reformation Tours, LLC
Led by Frank Drinkhouse, Reformation Tours
mire the beautiful old city hall,
which houses Katharina von
Bora’s original wedding ring.
We will continue our journey on
a second IVC train to Erfurt in
the afternoon. Here, Luther
took the decisive step to turn to
theology and the monastic life
when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm nearby and
made a vow to become a
monk. We’ll join a local guide
for a walking city tour, including
St. Mary’s Cathedral where Luther was ordained as a
priest, the Augustinian Monastery where Luther lived
as a monk, and the Medieval Kramer Bridge, on
which 33 dwellings are built. (B/D)
Day 6: Tuesday, September 1, 2015: Wartburg
Castle and Eisenach
Today’s day trip is to nearby Eisenach. In 1521,
while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took
refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping
staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the
Wise. We will tour the Wartburg and see where Luther finished translating the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks. Luther spent time in the
nearby town of Eisenach at as school boy and sang
in the choir of St. George’s Church, where the Bach
family also worshiped. The afternoon is free to explore the town or tour the Bach Museum and Luther
House Museum. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure, before we return to Erfurt for dinner and a second overnight stay. (B/D)
Day 7: Wednesday, September 2, 2015: Nordhausen and Harzquerbahn
We will catch the Regional Express to the picturesque town of Nordhausen, where we will board the
narrow-gauge Trans-Harz Railway (“Harzquerbhan”
in German). This steam train will take us from Nordhausen (184 m / 440 ft) up to the Brocken Mountain
(1,125 m / 3,690 ft), crossing through small streets,
magnificent bridges, and dark forests. After a lunch
break on the peak, we will make our way back downhill into Nordhausen, and take the Regional Express
to our hotel in Göttingen, where we will dine at our
hotel. (B/D)
Day 8: Thursday, September 3, 2015: ICE high speed
to Nuremberg
The contrast could not be greater: After the historic
steam travel experience of the previous day, we will
travel on the InterCityExpress (ICE) high speed tracks via
Kassel and Fulda, shooting through tunnels and over
bridges straight to Nuremberg, reaching speeds up to
280 kmh/175 mph. After check-in at our hotel, we will
join a local guide for a tour of the city and its impressive
Castle. (B/D)
Day 9: Friday, September 4, 2015: Nuremberg, Munich
We will enjoy the morning in Nuremberg for individual
visits to museums or shopping (or to sleep in…). Nuremberg is well known for its long tradition of toy manufacturing, which is honored in a nice toy museum. Rail enthusiasts can visit the largest collection of heritage railway
vehicles in the German Railroad museum. Nuremberg
was also the city where the Nazis held their party rallies
in the 1930s, and the Documentation Center presents
this history on the rally grounds where it occurred. Later
in the afternoon we will board another ICE train and
speed into Munich for dinner and overnight. (B/D)
Day 10: Saturday, September 5, 2015: Salzburg
Today we will have the opportunity to visit nearby Austria, on a day-trip to Salzburg, home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We will meet our local guide at Salzburg
station, who will lead us on a walking tour of this City of
Music. The afternoon is free to enjoy the city independently and we will meet back at the station to return to Munich. (B)
Day 11: Sunday, September 6, 2015: Munich
In the morning we have the option of attending a service
at an English-speaking
church, or a free morning. In the afternoon, our
local guide will take us
on a walking tour of the
Bavarian capital. Our
Farewell dinner will be in
a typical Bavarian beer
garden restaurant.
Day 12: Monday, September 7, 2015: Return
A bus will take us to Munich airport for our home-bound
flights.
P. O. Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222
(800) 303-5534 ● [email protected]
RRR15 Tour Price: 2,799*per person, land only
* Price based on double occupancy with a minimum of 15 participants
Your Tour Includes:
 Land transportation via train (first class, where available) and deluxe airconditioned coaches
 Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star
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hotels
Meals as indicated in itinerary
Frank Drinkhouse as tour escort throughout the tour
Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
Entrance fees included as per itinerary
All transfers as a group
Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
All taxes and tips except as indicated below
Your Tour Does Not Include:
 Air Transportation and related taxes and fees (assistance available)
 Single supplement ($290)
 Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
 Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passport must be
valid for six months beyond return date.
 Passenger trip cancellation insurance (details sent with reservation form)
 Gratuities for tour manager and driver
Payment Schedule:
 Deposit of $350 will secure your place on the tour. All payments should be
sent to Reformation Tours, P.O. Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222.
 Final invoices will be sent in May 2015
 Final payments is due by June 13, 2015
 Reservations will be accepted after June 13, 2015, subject to availability
Cancellation Policy:
All cancellations must be in writing and the date of postmark will determine the
amount of refund due. Refunds are based on the number of days prior to departure date. From the time of deposit until 100 days prior to departure (5/19/15), a
$100 per person penalty will be charged for cancellation. From 99-14 days prior
to departure (8/13/15), a $350 per person penalty plus any nonrefundable deposit will be charged for cancellation. Anyone canceling 14 days or less prior to
departure will receive no refund. In the unlikely event the tour does not reach
minimum enrollment required, all deposit money will be returned.
Reformation Tours reserves the rights to alter itineraries without notice should it become
necessary. While on tour, if conditions necessitate changes, or if certain features are unavailable or limited, we reserve the right to vary or substitute alternatives. All prices are
calculated at the exchange rate in effect at the time of this quotation. Should currency
fluctuations necessitate an adjustment in tour price; the adjusted price will be reflected in
the final invoice. The tour was priced at 1 Euro = 1.15 US dollars.
Terms and Conditions
We reserve the right to cancel this trip due to
lack of subscription. In the event of cancellation
of the trip in its entirety, a full refund of all deposits will be made to passengers enrolled at
the time of cancellation. Tour price is based on
the value of the dollar, the number of participants and the cost of airfare and is subject to
change without notice. Any changes in airfare
booking may result in a processing fee.
Responsibility: Reformation Tours, LLC., their
officers and employees, tour hosts, or any
other persons or vendors connected with the
tour shall not under any circumstances be liable to the client under or by reason of this
agreement directly or indirectly for any accidents, injury, delay, damage, or inconvenience
caused to the client by negligence of others, by
malfunctions of transportation systems or
equipment, by acts of war, terrorism, or rebellion, strikes, theft, itinerary changes, extreme
weather conditions, or cancellations, and the
client hereby releases the above mentioned
corporation and persons from any and all such
liability. The airline/s concerned are not held
responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time passengers are not on their planes
or conveyances. The passenger's contract in
use by the airlines concerned, when issued,
shall constitute the sole contract between the
airlines and the purchaser of this tour and/or
passenger. Any and/or all transportation companies herein mentioned shall not have nor
incur any responsibility to any traveler aside
from their liability as common carriers. Air and
land costs are subject to change without notice.
Air transportation is via special, non refundable airfare. Any additional airfare assessments made by the airlines for any changes
whatsoever shall be the responsibility of
the client. Other rules may also apply. Services of any A.R.C. or I.A.T.A. carrier may be
used in conjunction with this tour. If there is a
change in air prices and/or currency exchange
rates, we reserve the right to adjust the price.