Rail Journeys

Embark on a 7-night journey that takes you by comfortable high-speed train from Madrid to the amazing cities of southern Spain. After a night in Madrid, spend two nights in Seville, a night in Cordoba, and two nights in Granada before returning to Madrid for a night. Tours feature the Cathedral and Royal Alcazar in Seville, the Synagogue and Mezquita in Cordoba, La Alhambra and Generalife Gardens in Granada, and much more. Starting from $1515 per person based on double occupancy, land only, with guaranteed weekly departures.

Enjoy four Scandinavian capitals on a 12-night tour, traveling by train and overnight cruise ships. Discover Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, with visits that include Tivoli, the Danish Parliament at Christiansborg, and Amalienborg Palace. Take an overnight cruise to Oslo, the vibrant capital of Norway, where you walk through Vigeland Sculpture Park and see attractions such as Royal Palace Park. Next, travel by train to Gothenburg, Sweden, for some sightseeing, before continuing to the capital, Stockholm. Sights include Gamla Stan (Old Town) and Stockholm City Hall. Finally, cruise to Helsinki, Finland’s capital, where the tour includes Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress and the Helsinki Zoo. Spend a day exploring at your leisure before returning to the US. Starting from $2560 per person based on double occupancy.

Look past the silk-smooth chocolate and yodeling – contemporary Switzerland is all about epic journeys and sublime experiences. Switzerland's largest and wealthiest metropolis, Zurich, has emerged as one of central Europe's hippest destinations, with an artsy, post-industrial edge. Culturally vibrant, efficiently run and attractively set at the meeting of river and lake, Zürich is regularly recognized as one of the world's most livable cities. Much of the ancient center, with its winding lanes and tall church steeples, has been kept lovingly intact. Lucerne follows the recipe for a gorgeous Swiss city: a cobalt lake ringed by mythical mountains, add a well-preserved medieval town and a reputation for making beautiful music, then sprinkle with covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-colored houses and waterfront promenades. Rearing above Lucerne from the southwest, Mt. Pilatus offers an above-the-treetops adventure, with 11 head-spinning trails from high-wire bridges to tree climbs. Mt Pilatus is fantastic for walking. Hikes include a steep, partially roped 2.8km scramble to the summit, affording views that stretch as far as the Black Forest on a clear day. Wandering through the picture-postcard Old Town, with its laid-back air, it's hard to believe that Bern (Berne in French) is the capital of Switzerland – but it is, and a Unesco World Heritage Site at that. In a nutshell, Bern seduces and surprises at every turn. Its museums are excellent, its bear park utterly unique, and its locals happy to switch from their famously inflected dialect to English – which all goes to show that there’s more to Bern than bureaucracy. Starting at $1,699 per person based on double occupancy.