Final-year school trip to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest: Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Schönbrunn, Fishermen’s Bastion and the Széchenyi Baths (10 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and overnight stop in Franconia

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and daytime drive via Cologne, Frankfurt and Würzburg (about 650 km from Brussels, 7 hours’ driving excluding breaks).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night; two drivers take turns at the wheel.
• Free lunch during a motorway break.
• Overnight stop in the Nuremberg area, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 2: Bohemia and first steps in Prague

• Departure after breakfast and drive to the Czech Republic via Pilsen (about 300 km, 3½ hours excluding breaks).
• Arrival in Prague in the late morning, luggage drop-off and free lunch.
• Afternoon in the Old Town: Old Town Square, the Church of Our Lady before Týn and the astronomical clock.
• Walk across Charles Bridge and its statues to the Malá Strana district.
• Check-in at the accommodation in Prague for two nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Prague Castle and the Jewish Quarter

• Climb up to Prague Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in the world, and the noon changing of the guard.
• Visit to St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace and Golden Lane (on request).
• Free lunch, then visit to the Josefov Jewish Quarter and its synagogues (on request).
• Late afternoon on Petřín Hill or along the Vltava.
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: From Prague to Vienna

• Check-out after breakfast and drive to Austria via Brno (about 330 km, 4 hours excluding breaks).
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Arrival in Vienna in the early afternoon and walk along the Ring, from the Opera to the Parliament and the City Hall.
• St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Graben.
• Check-in at the accommodation in Vienna for two nights, dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: Imperial Vienna

• Visit to Schönbrunn Palace, the Habsburgs’ summer residence (on request).
• Walk through the Schönbrunn gardens up to the Gloriette, with its view over Vienna (free admission).
• Free lunch, then visit to the Hofburg and Empress Sisi’s apartments (on request).
• Late afternoon at the Prater and a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 6: Bratislava and arrival in Budapest

• Check-out after breakfast and drive to Slovakia (about 80 km, 1 hour).
• Climb up to Bratislava Castle, with its view over the Danube, then walk through the Old Town: St Michael’s Gate, St Martin’s Cathedral and the Main Square.
• Free lunch in Bratislava, then drive to Hungary (about 200 km, 2½ hours excluding breaks).
• Arrival in Budapest in the late afternoon and check-in at the accommodation for three nights.
• Dinner, then supervised walk along the illuminated Danube embankments.

Day 7: Buda and the Parliament

• Climb up Buda Castle Hill: the Royal Palace, Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion, with its view of the Parliament.
• Visit to Matthias Church (on request).
• Free lunch, then walk across the Chain Bridge to Pest.
• The Shoes on the Danube Bank, a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, then guided tour of the Hungarian Parliament (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 8: Pest, the baths and the Danube

• Heroes’ Square and Városliget City Park.
• Swim at the Széchenyi Baths, one of the largest thermal bath complexes in Europe (on request).
• Free lunch, then the Great Market Hall, St Stephen’s Basilica and Andrássy Avenue.
• Danube cruise at the end of the day (on request).
• Dinner and last supervised evening in Budapest.

Day 9: Drive to the overnight stop in Franconia

• Check-out after breakfast and departure around 7 am.
• Daytime drive via Vienna, Linz and Passau (about 750 km, 8½ hours excluding breaks), with two drivers taking turns.
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Overnight stop in the Nuremberg area, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 10: Return to your school

• Departure after breakfast and daytime drive via Würzburg, Frankfurt and Cologne (about 650 km to Brussels, 7 hours’ driving excluding breaks), with regular breaks.
• Free lunch during a break on the way.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.