Golden Eagle Luxury Trains has partnered with Zeppelin Travel and Helloworld Travel to launch an exclusive 10-day tour combining a chartered Danube Express train journey with a Zeppelin airship flight, departing Vienna on 16 June 2027.
The itinerary takes in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary, and marks the first time luxury rail travel has been combined with a Zeppelin flight. The airship, which became a popular mode of travel in the early 1900s, will take guests to around 300 metres above the valleys, forests and lakes of southern Germany.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains founder Tim Littler said the idea for the tour developed after he met Zeppelin Travel managing director Andi von Zeppelin.
“We are thrilled to be able to take part in and offer guests a very special day during this unique trip exploring Europe,” Littler said. “The exclusive elements of the entire Zeppelin experience will allow guests to fully immerse themselves into this historical mode of transport.”
von Zeppelin said the tour was designed to recreate a bygone era of travel.
“With the Zeppelin Express, we sought to create an opportunity for travellers to step back in time to the golden era of travel when airships, trains and ocean liners represented the pinnacle of exploration and adventure,” von Zeppelin said. “The exclusive Zeppelin experience will share my family’s history and provide guests with a unique insight into the history of the pioneering aircraft that laid the foundations for modern aviation.”
After exploring Vienna, guests board the all-ensuite Danube Express and travel through the Alps to Friedrichshafen in southern Germany for a private scenic Zeppelin flight over Lake Constance. The experience includes a private champagne reception hosted by Graf (Count) Albrecht von Zeppelin, great-grandson of Zeppelin inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin, along with an after-hours tour of the Zeppelin museum.
The train then continues through Liechtenstein to Lake Como, Verona, Postojna and Lake Bled, with lake cruises and private excursions along the way, before concluding in Budapest. Travellers can extend the trip with a 12-day river cruise from Prague to Paris with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.
The package includes all excursions, ensuite train cabin accommodation, gourmet dining and drinks onboard, transfers, porterage, gratuities and hotel stays in Vienna and Budapest. Twin-share rates start from AU$39,899 per person, with the Uniworld extension available from an additional AU$10,399 per person. Places are limited.
