News

Winter Day Tours from Munich Now Available   (November 17, 2011)

For the winter season we've supplemented our regular day tour offerings with six Winter Day Tours from Munich.

These Winter Day Tours visit King Ludwig's castles in the Bavarian Alps, Salzburg, Rothenburg and Dinkelsbühl, Innsbruck and Swarovski Crystal World, Passau, and Mount Zugspitze, Garmisch and Ettal.

 Details are on the Winter Day Tours from Munich page.

Our Bavarian Castles Highlights Tour and our regular day tours from Munich and Füssen are also available. 

 Day and Short Tours index page.

-  2012 Schedule for Returning Tours Now Online,
-  New "Black Forest, Alsace and Switzerland Tour" Added for 2012, and
-  New "Berlin and the East of Germany Tour" Added for 2012   (July 18, 2011)

The 2012 schedule for our multi-day group tours has been posted, and you'll see that there are lots more opportunities to match your schedule with tour availabilities.  All our 2011 tours are returning for next season.  Our most popular tour, Bavarian Castles, will be offered five times.

Our new Black Forest, Alsace and Switzerland Tour features the castles, magnificent scenery and wine of the "Three Corners" where Germany, France and Switzerland meet by the Rhine.  This tour vists Freiberg, Strasbourg, Colmar, Lucerne, and Mount Pilatus.  The Black Forest, Alsace and Switzerland Tour is being offered in two versions, a regular tour beginning June 22 and a Christmas version starting November 30.

 Details are on the Black Forest, Alsace and Switzerland Tour description page.

Our new Berlin and the East of Germany Tour features the elaborate Royal residences in and around Berlin and the stunningly beautiful cities of Leipzig and Dresden in Saxony.  It follows Martin Luther’s footsteps in Wittenberg, Wartburg and Erfurt, and visits Weimar, the town of poets and thinkers.  This tour will be offered in regular versions beginning May 16 and October17, and in a Christmas version starting December 8.

 Details are on the Berlin and the East of Germany Tour description page.

All multi-day group tours are now being offered on a Departure Guaranteed basis.  Tours will not be cancelled due to low levels of participation.

The full list of our multi-day group tours is on a handy Multi-Day Tours page.

The complete schedule of tour departures and duractions is on our Dates page.

Second "Best of Germany and Austria Tour" Added for September   (February 12, 2011)

We have added a second "Best of Germany and Austria Tour" for September 22 through October 1 due the strong interest in this new tour.

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

The itinerary and costs for September are the same as for the April tour.

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

Four Special "Neuschwanstein Concert Tours" Added   (February 10, 2011)

Four space-limited tours have been added for September 18, 19, 20, and 21 combining a day tour of the most impressive castles and sights in Bavaria with an unforgettable musical experience – an evening classical concert in the Singers' Hall of famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

The tour includes inside tours of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Castles and visits to The Church in the Meadow and the village of Oberammergau.

Different concert programs will be presented each evening, featuring the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra, the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and guest soloists presenting works by composers including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner.

Full details are provided on the  Neuschwanstein Concert Tour  description page.

New "Bavarian Castles Highlights Tour" and 9 New Day Tours from Munich Added   (October 20, 2010)

Bavarian Castles Highlights Tour – Sundays to Tuesdays, Year Round

Includes the "must see" highlights of our longer Bavarian tours.
     -  Visit and tour inside all three of King Ludwig II's magnificent castles – Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee.
     -  Marvel at the splendour of the UNESCO-designated Wieskirche, the Church in the Meadow.
     -  Explore beautiful Oberammergau, the Passion Play village.
     -  Enjoy a walk through the medieval centre of Innsbruck, visiting the Golden Roof, the Cathedral, and the Hofburg Palace.

Departs every Sunday afternoon from Munich, year round.  Returns to Munich late Tuesday afternoon.

Full details are provided on the  Bavarian Castles Highlights Tour  description page.

Day Tours from Munich –  9 Different Private Tours

Treat yourself to a special day with your family and friends!  Pick up and drop off at your hotel or your preferred location in Munich. 
All entrance fees, tickets, and transportation included.

9 different itineraries:  Neuschwanstein, Oberammergau and Linderhof /  Herrenchiemsee and Fraueninsel / Salzburg / Eagle's Nest and Berchtesgaden / Rothenburg, Dinkelsbuhl and Harburg Castle / Zugspitze Summit, Garmish and Ettal / Salt Mine, Berchtesgaden and Konigsee / Innsbruck and Swarovski Crystal World / Legoland.

Full details are provided on the  Day Tours from Munich  tour description page.

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.

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

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)

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)

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.

We've moved !  
New Website and New Castles Tours Name   (March 28, 2009)

Astrid Baur's Castles Tours, previously at www.castlesoftheworld.de, have now completely moved to this new website,
and this step also marks the completion of the process of changing the operating company name for Astrid Baur's tours
from Castles Of The World Tours to European Castles Tours.

The tours have not changed.  (And Astrid has not changed.)

The old site is now closed, and re-directs have been put in place so that persons using old bookmarks are connected these new pages.

This new site delivers pages faster and provides opportunities for adding more supplemental content.  Now that the conversion
process is substantially complete, new features will be coming in the next few weeks.

The full story of the evolution of Castles Tours since 2000 is told on our Tours Origins page.

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