Explore fairytale Neuschwanstein castle, the timbered medieval towns of the Romantic Road and stunning Lake Constance on this GRJ All Inclusive tour

Meeting the Tour Manager and fellow travellers at London St Pancras this morning, your holiday begins as we board the Eurostar to Brussels. A change of trains in the Belgian capital takes us via Cologne to Ulm. The route passes through picturesque German countryside, with rolling hills blanketed by dense forests.

From Ulm, we transfer by coach to Langenau, our base for the next seven nights. Originally a Roman settlement, Langenau is one of the largest towns in the Alb-Donau region of Baden-Württemberg and sits in the shadow of the Swabian Alps. At our hotel this evening, and each night of our stay, we enjoy a three-course dinner with selected beer, wine and soft drinks available between 6.30pm and 10.30pm.

There's a chance to get acquainted with Langenau after breakfast. A picnic lunch is provided by our hotel today, and each day of our stay. The town's main landmark is Martinkirche, a medieval church that was built between the 14th and 18th centuries. You could also visit the town's Cultural Centre or Museum of Local History.

The town has good rail access, including to nearby Ulm. This ancient city is dominated by its Gothic minster, boasting the world's tallest church steeple. You could walk along the Danube riverbank where you'll find the 14th-century 'rathaus' (town hall) with its stunning frescoed façade and astronomical clock. As well as its minster's steeple, Ulm has another claim to fame - a Guinness World Record for the most crooked house, found in the historic Fisherman's Quarter. Another popular place to visit from Langenau is the world-renowned Steiff teddy bear museum in neighbouring Giengen, less than half an hour away by train.

However you decide to spend the day, you can enjoy an evening meal at our hotel.

After breakfast, we travel to the island town of Lindau. Set on the edge of Lake Constance, this pretty medieval town has a stunning backdrop of the Swiss and Austrian Alps. You're free for most of the afternoon to explore the town's historical centre around the market square. The main attraction here is the 16th-century palace, Haus zum Cavazzen, a beautiful building that's now a city museum. It's also possible to take a cruise on the lake from Lindau.

You could walk along the harbour, not far from the station, to visit the Mangturm - a 12th-century building that was once a lighthouse for the lake and now has a colourful tiled roof after a lightning strike hit it in the 1970s. There are parks on both sides of the island, and a shady promenade along the lakeside with viewing spots and seating areas where you might like to enjoy your picnic lunch.

Travelling back to Langenau later this afternoon, we have dinner with drinks at our hotel this evening.

A fairytale castle perched on a hilltop, world-famous Neuschwanstein is the epitome of a romantic castle and our first destination today. Travelling by coach to the alpine village of Hohenschwangau, we walk up the hill for a guided tour of the iconic castle. Built by the 'Fairytale King' Ludwig II in the 19th century, Neuschwanstein was an elaborate countryside retreat for the reclusive monarch. With piercing turrets, towering walls and romantic balconies, the medieval-style castle inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Strolling around the grounds around the grand interiors the windows reveal magical vistas across the Bavarian countryside.

There's time to enjoy our picnic lunches before continuing to nearby Füssen, a traditional Bavarian town and the southern end of the Romantic Road. You are free to look around the quaint streets and pastel-hued medieval buildings, visiting the Benedictine monastery or admiring the illusory 'trompe-l'œil' architecture of the late-Gothic castle. Alternatively, stroll along the river or stop for a local beer in a tavern.

At the end of the afternoon, we return to our hotel for dinner.

Today is free for you to explore more of Langenau and other nearby towns, such as Günzberg on the banks of the Danube. A historic marketplace draws visitors to its centre while, on the outskirts, Lego City has recreated some of Germany's most iconic landmarks out of the popular building bricks.

Heading north from Langenau by direct train, you could reach Heidenheim in 35 minutes. Here, you can find Hellenstein Castle which has interesting museums within its charming ruins. Alternatively, discover remnants of the Roman Empire in nearby Aalen at the Limesmuseum, displaying fascinating artefacts and an open-air excavation of a cavalry fort. With a change of trains in Aalen, you could visit historic Ellwangen and its Romanesque basilica and Baroque castle. Further afield is the city of Stuttgart, famed as a centre of the automotive industry. There is plenty to see here, including museums celebrating Porsche and Mercedes-Benz cars.

With a picnic lunch to take on your travels, you return to our hotel this evening for dinner and drinks.

One of Germany's best preserved medieval towns, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, is our destination today. This picturesque town of half-timbered buildings is the jewel in the Romantic Road's crown.

A guided tour of the spectacular Old Town showcases the best sights of Rothenburg, which was one of Germany's largest and most important cities in the 1400s. The gently sloping market square gathered round the grand town hall is lined by broad, colourful buildings, many now housing restaurants. A popular spot for photos is Plönlein, where two cobbled streets split, one rising slightly to a gate tower and the second descending to another. In the middle, a crooked yellow house tilts time-worn towards a small fountain. After the tour, you're free to enjoy your picnic lunch and continue exploring. There are many interesting museums and shops selling traditional Bavarian wares, while the Turmweg is a walkable route along the 12th-century fortifications taking in some of the town's 46 towers.

In late afternoon, we transfer back to our hotel for dinner this evening.

There are further opportunities to discover southern Germany today with rail travel included to Munich.

Once there, soak up the delights of Bavaria's capital at leisure. At its centre is the charming Marienplatz, home to the neo-Gothic Town Hall. Topped by two onion-domed towers, Frauenkirche cathedral also contains the mysterious 'devil's footprint', while a charming glockenspiel can be found on the town hall's clocktower. Of course, the city is also renowned for its historic and atmospheric beer halls. To learn more about the history of brewing, visit the Oktoberfest Museum of the city's oldest beer house, the Höfbrauhaus. The 17th-century Renaissance gardens of the Hofgarten stand behind Munich Residence, the former home of Bavarian dukes and kings, while the expansive English Garden is larger than New York's Central Park and attracts visitors to its lakes, rivers and peaceful Japanese tea house.

Returning to Langenau, we enjoy our final evening of dinner and drinks at our hotel.

Bavaria revealed its amazing sights during this exploration of the region. From the pretty island town of Lindau on the shore of Lake Constance to King Ludwig's iconic Neuschwanstein Caste, southern Germany was showcased through fairytale architecture, dense forests, rolling hills and beautiful towns. Connecting them all was the Romantic Road, from the cobbled lanes of Füssen to the picturesque streets of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The half-timbered buildings of these historic towns encapsulated the authentic charm of Bavaria and the Romantic Road.

Leaving Langenau after breakfast this morning, we are taken by coach to Ulm. From here, we travel by rail to Paris and switch trains to the Eurostar service to London St Pancras where your holiday comes to an end.

Enjoy More with a GRJ All Inclusive Holiday

• On this GRJ All Inclusive tour, all meals at Hotel Jägerhaus are included. On excursion days, a picnic lunch will be provided by the hotel.
• The included drinks package is unlimited during dinner between 6.30pm and 10.30pm each day.
• Drinks available include local wine, draft beer, soft drinks and tea & coffee.

Our Discoveries range offers everything you need at a great price so you can travel with confidence. It provides comfortable, locally run accommodation*, standard rail or economy flights and expert-led group tours. You'll be in groups with an average of 30-35 travellers and a maximum of 40. *where available

Step aboard the high-speed international rail service, linking London St Pancras to Paris and Lille in France, Brussels in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Eurostar's Standard Class coaches feature two seats on either side of the central aisle, most of which are arranged in an 'airline' seating configuration with drop-down tray tables. There are two tables for four per carriage. Passengers travelling in Eurostar Standard Class coaches can take advantage of the Bar-Buffet which sells a range of snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks - including Champagne!

The highest class of Eurostar travel available for leisure customers is Plus class. In your dedicated Plus carriage you'll find a less dense seat configuration, meaning the seats are larger and you have ample space to relax and stretch out. As part of the service, you'll enjoy complimentary drinks and refreshments, served at your seat by friendly, helpful waiting staff.

For the class of travel used on your chosen tour, please refer to the 'What's Included' section of the tour page.

The welcoming 3-Star Hotel Jägerhaus in Langenau has been run by the same family for more than 100 years. The hotel enjoys a superb location close to the railway station, and in the town's centre. It benefits from a restaurant, lounge and bar. All rooms are en suite, and feature a cable television and telephone.

Your holiday begins the moment you meet your Tour Manager at St Pancras International and board the Eurostar train for mainland Europe. If you wish to get your holiday off to an extra special start, why not consider upgrading your on-board accommodation from Standard Class to Plus Class?

As well as all the amenities enjoyed in Standard Class, Plus Class travellers benefit from extra spacious, comfortable seats, complimentary newspapers and magazines and a light snack with drinks served at your seat during the journey. Before 11am, the light snack comprises breakfast pastries, yoghurt, fruit juice and tea or coffee. After 11am there is a choice of 2 main dishes and a dessert, accompanied by soft drinks, wine or beer and tea or coffee.

Prices for an upgrade from £125 each way. Please call us for more details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.

Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.

We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras or a UK holiday. The prices are competitive and tickets are not restricted to a particular train or time of day, and in most cases offer you a free choice of routes.

For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.

Enjoy hassle-free travel with our return door-to-door luggage transfer service from only £199 per bag.

The service includes one 20kg bag per person which will be collected from your home before you depart and will be ready and waiting for you at your first destination hotel. Your bag will also be delivered back to your home address on your return.

If your tour involves an overnight stay enroute, you'll need to travel with an overnight bag as your luggage will be delivered direct to your first destination hotel. The luggage service is not available where you are flying to or from your destination and you will need to take your own luggage with you on the flight.