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Specialists in Group Tours to Austria & Switzerland
Who doesn’t picture snow-covered Alps when thinking of Switzerland and Austria? But these countries offer so much more than just amazing scenery. There are first-class musical experiences, a distinctive imperial history, and time-honored yet trendy cities to discover. Austria and Switzerland are truly sparkling jewels in the crown of Europe and present a diverse must-see for history, outdoors, and music buffs. Their wonderful cool climates make it a preferred summer destination for many of our groups. You’ll learn why you should choose Casterbridge for your tour of Austria or Switzerland if you read on.
The Best Flights to Austria & Switzerland on Guaranteed Dates
We have exceptionally close relationships with many European national carriers, including Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, and of course, Austrian Airlines and SwissAir. These relationships allow us to find your group the very best flights and fares, with minimal connections in order to make your trip less time-consuming and stressful. We strive to make your transfers as efficient as possible, without the unnecessary stress and increased cost of tiring, time-consuming journeys.
Casterbridge always guarantee your tour dates and you will know your proposed flight schedule and routing as much as 11 months in advance of your tour!
Making the Most of Your Arrival Day in Austria & Switzerland
Casterbridge strives whenever possible to make arrival days a useful part of your tour. By doing things like taking a walking tour of Vienna’s Old Quarter, a leisurely Limmat river cruise in Zurich, or stopping to visit the Residenz on arrival in Salzburg, we ensure that the afternoons of your arrival days is not simply lost time. This standard practice serves to increase the value of your time spent in your chosen country and simultaneously reduces “jet lag.”
Arrival Days count in your overall tour time; you should not allow that time to be wasted!
Thematic and Chronological Travel in Austria & Switzerland
In a genuine attempt not to confuse participants with mixed, haphazard, and unrelated materials, we aim whenever possible to provide a thematic and chronological context to each day of your tour. In Austria, for example, thematic days are dedicated to such topics as ‘The Musical Sons of Vienna,’ ‘The Sound of Music,’ and ‘Legacy of the Hapsburgs.’ We carefully track the course of momentous events or the lives of historical figures to create learning that is both engaging and easier to follow.
All Casterbridge tours are highly customizable to fit your educational themes and priorities, ensuring you get the very best out of your travel experience.
Our Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guides in Austria & Switzerland
As we all know, there can be a few bumps in even the smoothest of roads. While we strive to ensure none pop up on your tour, you can relax knowing that your exclusive Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is there if they do.
Usually, your Tour Manager/Guide will live locally and be fluent in both German and English. He or she will be with you 24 hours a day, from airport arrival to departure, in order to confirm reservations, help you get from place to place, and suggest free-time and evening activities that meet your group’s needs and budget.
The role of a Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is so important that each one must go through a specially designed Casterbridge training program and only the top few percent of each class are selected to act as our representatives in Austria. They are continuously evaluated and only those with the highest recommendations from our groups are permitted to stay with us.
We hand-pick each Casterbridge Guide to make certain they meet our exacting standards.
The Expertise and Perspective of Local Guides in Austria & Switzerland
Never underestimate the value of expertise, especially when it is shared willingly with eager learners of any age. For this reason, Casterbridge strives to provide you with specialist local guides at the most important sites on your itinerary, such as Melk Abbey, the LandesMuseum, and Hohensalzburg.
These local specialists are in addition to the 24-hour presence of your exclusive Tour Manager/Guide. Each if them is trained to impart even the tiniest detail of their particular area of expertise. In Austria and Switzerland, we generally plan for you to have a local guide with you at some point every other day, excluding arrival and departure days.
You can designate those sites where you would like to have a specialist guide and tell us whether you would prefer them to present an academic or a cultural emphasis that focuses on the specific theme of your tour.
A Balance of Educational Visits, Cultural Experiences, and Recreational Activities
Balance is essential, not only in life, but also on a great tour. Casterbridge makes every effort to achieve that balance by offering a variety of recreational and cultural activities to complement the educational opportunities along your tour. It may be participating in a cuckoo clock workshop, learning to make schnitzel, participating in a chocolate tasting in at Confiserie Poyet, or attending an evening performance at Schönbrunn Palace. Whatever your preference, we have many different options for fun, exciting experiences while in Austria and Switzerland.
Click here for our Cross-Cultural Connections, where you will find a comprehensive list of the recreational and cultural opportunities available in Austria or Switzerland
Our Accommodations and Meals in Austria & Switzerland
Casterbridge Tours chooses 3-star (and occasionally 4-star or superior 2-star) hotels as a standard, but you are always free to request alternate accommodation for your group. Each hotel is evaluated following each stay and we continue to use only those who are consistently rated highly by our groups. When possible, we prefer to use smaller, family owned hotels, as opposed to giant concrete monoliths. Please feel free to ask for a list of sample hotels in the areas to which your group will be traveling.
As part of our educational travel philosophy, we always strive to give our groups extensive exposure to the local people and culture. Part of that experience is, of course, sampling the local cuisine. Therefore, unless you request it, your Casterbridge tour will not include a lot of American chain restaurants. For dinner, you will sample regional cuisine, either in your hotel or in neighborhood restaurants.
In Salzburg, Vienna, Zurich, and Geneva, this means that whenever possible, we will have dinner in local restaurants away from the hotels for an authentic dining experience.
All Admissions Are Included on Our Tours to Austria & Switzerland
A standard Casterbridge Tour averages double (and sometimes even triple) the average number of admissions that most of our competitor’s tours do. In addition, Casterbridge is one of very few operators who will pre-book your group into as many major attractions as we can. Pre-booking ensures that we always receive group admission rates, we can pay them in advance, and your group can bypass the lines.
This unparalleled level of service and value has come to be expected by group leaders choosing Casterbridge as their tour operator.
Undiscovered Jewels and Hidden Treasures in Austria & Switzerland
Because Casterbridge Tours is a custom tour operator, we can offer you tremendous flexibility in your itinerary. We can mold your schedule to your specific, detailed needs. So we would be delighted to take you to any of the “hidden treasures” around Austria and Switzerland that are not always found on a standard itinerary.
A recent jewel found by a group leader in Austria was the Graz Citadel. Some groups have also requested to spend an overnight off the beaten path in places such as Linz in the north of Austria and Margarethen in Austria’s Burgenland wine region.
Your tour is truly your tour with Casterbridge!
Register to plan an educational tour to Austria & Switzerland, either online or by calling 1-800-522-2398. Start planning your group travel program today!
