News

New Tour Added – "Best of Germany and Austria"   (June 20, 2010)

This new tour is for those of you who want to see it all but have limited time.  The essence of three tours combined – River Castles, Bavarian Castles, and Imperial Castles.

Frequent hotel changes, but little travel time in between.

Book by August 31st and save US $ 100 off the listed price.

Full details are provided on the Best of Germany and Austria tour description page.

Three Nights Venice Extension for Bavarian Castles Tour Now Available   (June 8, 2010)

Now you can turn your Bavarian Castles Tour into an even more magical vacation with an extension to Venice, described as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man."

Travel across the scenic Alps, visit Verona, the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and check into your 4-star hotel on Venice's Lido Island.  Ride the bus boats on the Grand Canal and see the Rialto Bridge, tour inside the palace and basilica on St. Mark's Square, go for a gondola ride, and visit the scenic islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.  Shop if you wish, explore on your own, or relax on Lido Island's beach.

Full details are provided in this Three Nights Venice Extension itinerary.

New "Royal Delights" Private Tour Added   (May 7, 2010)

Discover the highlights of southern Bavaria and Austria.  Spend three nights in Munich, one in Salzburg, and two in Vienna on our new Royal Delights Private Tour.

Visit famous landmarks and castles – King Ludwig II's Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles, the famous village of Oberammergau, Wieskirche (the Church in the Meadow), Konigsee (one of the most beautiful Alpine Lakes), Hitler's Eagle’s Nest, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Queen Maria Theresa's Schonbrunn Palace, the Wachau Valley, and Melk Abbey.

This private tour is now available weekly on a year-round basis, except for prior commitments.

Full Royal Delights Private Tour details:
     Royal Delights Tour Page

2011 Tour Dates Announced   (April 17, 2010)

Even though the 2010 tour season is just about to begin, some of our repeat guests have asked for 2011 dates so that they can plan well in advance.  Dates for the 2011 editions of all current tours have now been posted.

The 2011 season features an additional Bavarian Castles Tour in April for Easter, and two River Castles Tours, one in early July and one in September.

Dates for our 2011 tours are now online:
     -  in the Tour Dates page,
     -  in the "Costs & Dates" sections of each of the tour description pages,
     -  in the printable PDF itineraries, and
     -  in the online Reservation Request form.

Booking.com added as new hotels travel partner  (February 11, 2010)

We have added online hotel searches and bookings via Booking.com to our travel partner arrangements.

Booking.com is a leader in online hotel reservations in Europe and offers hotels worldwide.

Our Booking.com page contains pre-defined links to locations in Europe most likely to interest our guests.

Our page also offers a custom search form to look for accommodations anywhere.  The Booking.com search engine recognizes thousands of destinations worldwide.

         Booking.com Hotels - Book Hotels in Europe and Worldwide

Private Tours Now Available with Flexible Dates for Bavarian, Rivers, and Kids Itineraries  (January 21, 2010)

Do the dates of our scheduled tours not work for you?  We can now arrange three of our tours for you or your party as a private tour.  Same itinerary as the scheduled tour, but in a private limousine or van, with bilingual, professional private guide / chauffeur.

More information in the "Costs and Dates" sections of these tours:
     Bavarian Castles Tour
     River Castles Tour
     Kids and Castles Tour.

2010 Brochure Now Available  (October 15, 2009)

The 2010 edition of the European Castles Tours Brochure is now available.

The brochure is a 24-page colour catalogue of our current tours, with the main tours described on two European letter-size pages each.  All of the content is derived from the tour and support pages of this website. 

If you would like this brochure for yourself or to pass along to someone who does not have internet access or who is not comfortable surfing web pages, you can request a copy on our Newsletters and Brochure page.

Comments and Recommendations from Guests on YouTube  (September 5, 2009)

The second European Castles Tours video has now been posted on YouTube, featuring comments, experiences and recommendations from guests on the May and June 2009 Bavarian Castles Tours and the July 2009 Kids and Castles Tour.            >  References Video

Depending on the type of anti-virus software you use, there may be a delay of a few seconds in the loading of videos. If you think the video is helpful, and you have a YouTube account or would like to set up a free one, give the video a rating to help spread the word. This new video supplements the written recommendations of guests on other tours which are also reported on the updated References page of this website.

Tour Director Astrid Baur on YouTube  (May 29, 2009)

Astrid has posted a short video clip on YouTube introducing herself, giving some background about herself and her interests, and talking about how she approaches designing and operating her tours.            >  Castles Intro Video

Online Travel Bookings via Expedia Added   (April 24, 2009)

Through a partnership with Expedia.com we are pleased to offer self-service travel search and booking services.

Full Details >  Expedia Travel - Flights, Hotels, Packages, Cars, Cruises, Activities

Online Searches and Bookings for Castle Hotels Added  (April 3, 2009)

Through a partnership with Hotel.de we are pleased to offer self-service hotel search and booking services designed to specifically target castle hotels and hotels in locations frequently visited by travelers interested in castles and palaces.

It's also possible to use this service to arrange for hotel accommodation almost anywhere in the world.

Two search methods are provided: pre-defined searches for castle hotels and hotels in locations near castles, palaces, and similar landmarks, and a form that can be used for custom searches to find any type of accommodation at any location.

Full details > Hotel.de Hotels - Book Castle Hotels and Hotels Near Castles and Palaces

Email Newsletters Now Available  (March 30, 2009)

European Castles Tours is now introducing short email Newsletters to keep past, current and potential clients up-to-date on new tour offerings and other changes. 

Newsletter subscribers will receive some exclusive offers and information.  Newsletters will be emailed no more frequently than once a month.

You can sign up on our Newsletters and Brochure page.

Custom Day Tours from Fussen  (February 14, 2009)

European Castles Tours now offers customized day tours from Fussen for groups or individuals who want an expert to guide them on one-day explorations of Bavarian and regional highlights.  No need to worry about reservations, taking a wrong turn, parking, finding the right local transportation, or waiting in line.

Three model itineraries are provided as starting points for designing your custom tour, but they are flexible and it's possible to mix-and-match items between models.  Full details on the Day Tours from Fussen pages.

New Tours Added - Kids and Castles, French Castles, and Italian Highlights    (September 8, 2008)

Three new tours have been added, largely in response to requests from participants in previous tours.  Experience with children enjoying the River Castles Tour led to the creation of the Kids and Castles tour, which combines elements of the Rivers and Bavarian tours.  Both the French and Italian tours respond to specific requests from interested travelers.

Kids and Castles Tour     French Castles Tour     Italian Highlights Tour