GERMANY 2025

Depart Elite Coach, 1685 W. Main St., Ephrata at 1:00 PM … charter bus takes us to JFK non-stop  Singapore Airlines (5 star airline on Boeing 777, 2 aisle) flight # 25 departs JFK at 8:55 PM… multi meals

Flight arrives in Frankfurt at 10:40 AM… approximately 1.5 hour charter bus ride to Neustadt an der Weinstrasse (www.neustadt.eu) … Neustadt has ancient buildings, half-timbered houses, romantic alleys and courtyards. We are in the heart of beautiful wine country. We will stay in Neustadt for 2 nights in the 4 star Hotel Palatina (www.hotel-palatina.com ….

We will explore the vineyards and wineries of this region… possible Funzelfahrt, a ride in a winery on a cart pulled by a tractor…We will have a charter bus to see wine villages…we will stay in Neustadt.

1.5 hour drive or 1.25 hour train ride to Esslingen am Neckar, (www.esslingen-info.com)  a historic old town, a 15 minute train ride from Stuttgart... Esslingen has sights and historic buildings in abundance. From the oldest continuous row of half-timbered houses to Esslingen Castle and spectacular churches. But the icing on the cake is the River Neckar, whose canals meander through the heart of the Old Town. Sheer Venice feeling.  We will stay 3 nights in Esslingen am Neckar in the 3 star Hotel am Schelztor (www.hotel-am-schelztor.de)

Our days may include a short commuter train ride to Stuttgart, a city in an attractive setting between hills and vineyards…walk in Stuttgart and/or visits to Mercedes Benz and/or Porsche museums…Day  trip to Ludwigsburg to see the world’s largest pumpkin festival…Stay for 2 more nights in Esslingen

1 hour train ride to Tubingen (www.germany.travel\tuebingen) , a pretty university city where cobbled alleys line with gabled town houses twist up to a turreted castle…it has a pedestrianized old city and a 16th century castle…leisurely cafes, punting on the willow-lined Neckar River and time in chestnut shaded beer gardens are on the agenda today…we will stay 2 nights in Tubingen in the 3 star Hotel am Schloss (www.hotelamschloss.de)

3 hour drive… we will visit the beautiful city of Ulm, famous for its cathedral and then continue onto the charming town of Neuburg an der Donau (www.germansights.com\neuburg) … we will stay in Neuberg an der Donau for 2 nights in the 4 star Hotel Die Aussicht (www.die-aussicht.de)

… Neuburg an der Donau, a hidden treasure on the banks of the Danube River. Home to Neuburg Castle and Schloss Grunau. A town with plenty of nearby outdoor activities such as hiking and biking along the Danube River.

Day in the great outdoors. Scenic walking or biking. Wandering the impressive rock formations of Burgsteinfels or Trockenhange. Alternatively, 20 minute train ride to Ingolstadt, home of the Audi Museum for you gear heads… People who do not want another car museum can take a train ride to nearby Donauworth or enjoy time in Ingolstadt…Stay in Neuburg.          

2.5 hour ride to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (www.rothenburg.de) … Rothenburg is a well-polished gem from the Middle Ages… it has a web of cobbled lanes and towered walls, although it is very touristy, it is a wonderful, walled town to walk in after the day tour buses depart … we will stay in Rothenburg for 3 nights at the 4 star Gotisches Haus (www.gotisches-haus.de)… we will have a full day to explore this idyllic, fairy-tale town, located in the Franconian region of Bavaria… day trips will be a train ride to Wurzburg, a beautiful UNESCO city set in a hilly location on a river with a wealth of history.  Wurzburg is famous for its palace, churches, marketplace, and is set in vineyards.

 4 hour drive to Frankfurt Airport Hotel …visits to Eberbach, sister city of Ephrata, a nice small town along the Neckar River

Shuttle to Frankfurt Airport for non-stop Singapore Airlines flight #26 departing at 8:35 AM and arriving at JFK at 11:10 AM… return to Ephrata.