Winter Wonderland (Self-Launched): Frankfurt to Heidelberg Christmas Markets by Rail

Land at Frankfurt Airport and take the S-Bahn (S8/S9, ~25 mins, €5.90) straight into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, then a regional train to Mainz (~40 mins, €10 with a Rheinland-Pfalz ticket or included on a Deutschland-Ticket). Drop your bag at a hostel near the old town (Mainz has several good central options) and walk the Cathedral Quarter on foot — the Romanesque Mainz Dom, the Gutenberg Museum square and the half-timbered lanes around Kirschgarten. In late Nov/December the Mainz Christmas market spreads across the Domplatz and Markt — get a plate of potato pancakes and a Glühwein and eat dinner at a local Weinstube (Weinhaus Michel or similar) rather than a hotel restaurant.

🚌S-Bahn from Frankfurt Airport to Frankfurt Hbf (~25 min, ~£6), then regional train Frankfurt–Mainz (~40 min, ~£9). All bookable on the day at machines or via the DB Navigator app.

🛏Central hostel or budget guesthouse in Mainz old town (dorm £20-28 / private double £45-60)

• →Self-guided walk of Mainz Cathedral Quarter and Mainz Dom
• →Mainz Christmas market (Domplatz/Markt, late Nov–Dec)
• →Weinstube dinner with local Riesling

Break the journey south with a stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the intact medieval walled town the coach tour visits. The simplest independent route: Mainz → Würzburg or Ansbach by regional train, then a Bayerisches Eisenbahn / DB regional connection to Steinach, then the little Tauber valley train (Tauberbahn) into Rothenburg — total 3.5–4 hrs, roughly £25-32 with a Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket (valid all day for up to 5 people after 9am, so buy it with other travellers if you meet any). Walk the town walls, see St. Jakob's Church and Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altarpiece (small entry fee), and pop into the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop. Then continue by train to Munich (Rothenburg/Steinach–Ansbach–Munich, ~3 hrs). Check into a hostel near Hauptbahnhof or in Glockenbachviertel.

🚌Regional trains throughout on a Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket (~£30 for up to 5 people) or a Bayern-Ticket for the Bavarian legs. Total travel ~6 hrs; book nothing in advance required.

🛏Hostel in central Munich — Hauptbahnhof or Glockenbachviertel (dorm £28-38)

• →Walk Rothenburg's medieval town walls
• →St. Jakob's Church and Holy Blood altarpiece
• →Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop
• →Evening arrival in Munich

Do the orientation walk the tour includes but at your own pace: from Karlsplatz/Stachus up the Kaufingerstrasse past the Victory Arch area to Marienplatz, the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus with its glockenspiel (11am and noon), St. Peter's Church tower for the rooftop view (£4), and the Feldherrnhalle and Residenz on Odeonsplatz. In winter, the Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz plus the medieval-style market at Wittelsbachplatz are the real draw — try Lebkuchen, roasted chestnuts and Feuerzangenbowle. For the 'Advent traditions' element, book a short GetYourGuide or Munich Tourism Advent/food walking tour (roughly £20-30) or simply visit the Munich Christmas Market stalls with a local guide app. Finish with a beer and Obatzda at Hofbräuhaus (touristy but the original) or the cheaper Augustiner Bräustuben.

🚌On foot plus U-Bahn/S-Bahn day ticket (~£7). Munich's centre is compact and walkable.

🛏Hostel in central Munich (dorm £28-38)

• →Marienplatz and Neues Rathaus glockenspiel
• →St. Peter's Church tower viewpoint
• →Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt + Wittelsbachplatz medieval market
• →Optional Advent traditions walking tour (~£25)
• →Hofbräuhaus or Augustiner beer hall dinner

Take a regional train from Munich to Prien am Chiemsee (~1 hr, £12 with Bayern-Ticket), then the Chiemsee-Bahn or a short walk to the boat pier. In winter boats run a reduced schedule to Herrenchiemsee — check times at the pier and skip the palace if the crossing isn't running; the lakeshore walk and Prien village are lovely regardless. Continue Prien → Salzburg (~1.5 hrs, ~£15). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Salzburg's Schallmoos or Old Town edge. Late afternoon: walk the Mirabell Palace gardens (free) — the Sound of Music do-re-mi steps — cross the Salzach, and wander Getreidegasse with its wrought-iron signs to Mozart's Birthplace (exterior free, museum ~£13). Evening at a Christkindlmarkt for Glühwein and Lebkuchen, or book the Salzburg Advent singing if your dates align.

🚌Regional trains Munich–Prien (~1 hr, ~£12) and Prien–Salzburg (~1.5 hrs, ~£15); boat to Herrenchiemsee ~£10. Bayern-Ticket covers the German leg.

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse in Salzburg (dorm £22-30 / guesthouse double £55-70)

• →Lake Chiemsee shoreline walk or Herrenchiemsee boat trip
• →Mirabell Palace gardens
• →Getreidegasse and Mozart's Birthplace
• →Salzburg Christkindlmarkt (Domplatz & Residenzplatz)

Morning: ride the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress (£13 return including fortress entry) for the best view over the old town's domes and the Alps. Come down and explore Salzburg Cathedral, the Residenz Fountain and the Benedictine monastery lane. For the tour's 'musical interlude on Mozart's original pianoforte', the closest self-bookable equivalent is a Mozart Geburtshaus ticket plus a short concert — Salzburg has chamber concerts most evenings in the Mirabell Palace Marble Hall or St. Peter's (tickets £25-40 via Salzburg Ticket or GetYourGuide). For the Austrian chalet countryside dinner, take bus 25 or a taxi (~£18) out to a Gasthof in the Salzburg countryside — Gasthof Fürstenbrunn or a Mülln beer garden — for Wiener Schnitzel and cider.

🚌On foot, funicular to the fortress (~£13 return), local bus to the countryside Gasthof (~£5 each way)

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse in Salzburg (dorm £22-30 / guesthouse double £55-70)

• →Hohensalzburg Fortress funicular and ramparts
• →Salzburg Cathedral and Residenz Fountain
• →Mozart's Birthplace museum (~£13)
• →Optional evening Mozart chamber concert (~£30)
• →Countryside Gasthof dinner

A scenic 2-hour rail run via Wörgl or Rosenheim brings you to Innsbruck (~£20, or covered by a Eurail/Interrail pass day). Drop bags at a hostel near the station or in the old town, then walk the Maria-Theresien-Strasse to the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl) — exterior free, museum ~£7. Innsbruck's Christmas markets line the medieval lanes; the one in the old town under the Golden Roof is the most atmospheric. The tour's Swarovski Crystal World visit is at Wattens, 20 mins by shuttle bus from Innsbruck Hbf: book the Swarovski shuttle + entry online in advance (~£24-30, cheaper booked direct on the Swarovski site). Do it in the afternoon when the light fades, then dinner back in Innsbruck at a Tiroler Gasthaus — try Gröstl and Speckknödel at Stiftskeller or Gasthaus Anich.

🚌Train Salzburg–Innsbruck (~2 hrs, ~£20, or a Eurail/Interrail travel day). Local tram/bus to Bergisel or the Swarovski shuttle from Hbf (~£9 return).

🛏Hostel in Innsbruck (dorm £25-33)

• →Innsbruck old town and the Golden Roof
• →Innsbruck Christmas markets
• →Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Wattens (shuttle + entry ~£25)
• →Tiroler Gasthaus dinner

Take the train Innsbruck → Feldkirch, then a bus (Landbus 11/14) across the Rhine into Vaduz (~2.5 hrs total, ~£22). Liechtenstein's capital is tiny: get a passport stamp at the tourist office (£3, a classic souvenir), climb up to Vaduz Castle on the hillside path (free, ~40 mins up), and stroll the Städtle. Continue Feldkirch → Buchs → Sargans → Zurich → Lucerne by train (~3 hrs from Vaduz, ~£35 with a Swiss Half-Fare card or Saver Day Pass). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Lucerne — the Backpackers Lucerne and the old-town guesthouses are the best value. Evening walk over the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and past the Lion Monument, both free and beautifully lit in winter.

🚌Train Innsbruck–Feldkirch (~1.5 hrs), Landbus 11/14 to Vaduz (~£5), train Vaduz/Buchs–Lucerne (~3 hrs, ~£35 with a Swiss Half-Fare Card). A Swiss Travel Pass or Saver Day Pass for this day is often cheaper — compare before booking.

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Lucerne (dorm £30-40)

• →Vaduz passport stamp and Städtle stroll
• →Walk up to Vaduz Castle viewpoint
• →Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument in Lucerne

The tour's cable car up Mount Pilatus is easily self-booked — in winter the Fräkmüntegg/Pilatus gondola runs from Kriens (bus 1 from Lucerne station, 15 mins), and a return ticket is about £62-72 depending on season; book direct on the Pilatus website or via GetYourGuide to compare. Check the webcam and snow conditions first — if the upper cableway is closed, the alternative is the Rigi railway or a Lake Lucerne boat (a 1-hour cruise ~£20 with a Swiss Travel Pass discount). Back in town, visit the Baroque Jesuit Church (free) and the Rosengart Collection if you want a museum afternoon. Swiss budget tip: eat at the Manor or Coop supermarket food counters and the Lucerne Markthalle rather than restaurants — a hot lunch there is £8-12.

🚌Bus 1 to Kriens (~£4), Pilatus gondola return (~£65). Swiss Half-Fare Card often cuts this by 50% — worth buying if you're staying 3+ days in Switzerland.

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Lucerne (dorm £30-40)

• →Mount Pilatus gondola and summit viewpoint
• →Jesuit Church Lucerne
• →Optional Lake Lucerne cruise (~£20)
• →Chapel Bridge evening walk

Take an early train Lucerne → Zurich → Schaffhausen (~1.5 hrs, ~£25) for the Rhine Falls, Europe's biggest waterfall: a 15-minute walk from Schloss Laufen or a bus from Schaffhausen station, with the Belvedere viewing platforms (~£6). Continue by train Schaffhausen → Singen → Stuttgart → Heidelberg (~3.5 hrs, £35-45), or route via Basel/Karlsruhe depending on schedules. In Heidelberg, walk the old town, the Heiliggeistkirche square and the Student Prison (small entry fee), then either climb or take the funicular up to Heidelberg Castle (£9 return) for the Neckar valley view. Finish with a glass of local wine at a Weinlokal before the final 1-hour train Heidelberg → Frankfurt Flughafen (~£20) for your flight home — or add a night in Heidelberg if your flight is early.

🚌Train Lucerne–Schaffhausen (~1.5 hrs, ~£25), Schaffhausen–Heidelberg (~3.5 hrs, ~£40), Heidelberg–Frankfurt Airport (~1 hr, ~£20). Book Saver fares on bahn.de 2-4 weeks ahead for the cheapest tickets.

🛏None required — or a hostel in Heidelberg (~£25-35) if you extend the night

• →Rhine Falls and Schloss Laufen viewing platforms
• →Heidelberg old town and Student Prison
• →Heidelberg Castle funicular and terrace
• →Wine tasting in the old town