Treasures of the Empire

Arrive to Budapest on your included flight from London. At the airport you are met by your private driver who will take you directly to your four-star hotel. Once you are checked-in, a local insider will meet you in the lobby and invite you on a privately guided walking tour of Budapest.

Occupied by the Romans, ruled by the Ottomans, co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and invaded by the Soviet Union. Budapest is steeped in history, and two millennia of drama and culture lurk just under her elegant surface.

This is a capital with two sides, Buda and Pest, each on their side of the Danube. Pest proudly shows the jewels in her crown from the 19^th century, the golden age for the capital.  Buda also boasts several stunning buildings, not least the Fisherman’s Bastion, a fairy-tale castle with panoramic views over the Danube.

Do not miss the city’s historically grand cafés. New York Café is probably the most opulent of them all: An ultra-luxurious room with beautiful frescoes and just about everything gold-plated.

Equally unmissable are the thermal baths. An authentic Budapest experience since Roman times, choose between Ottoman, art nouveau or modern establishments. Or just go for the most famous of them all, Széchenyi with stunning neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance buildings surrounding the open-air pools.

This Austrian RailJet is not very fast, but it is supremely comfortable. Especially so in Business Class – a class above and beyond first – where you can luxuriate in peace and quiet. The train carries a nice and informal Bistro, but as a VIP-passenger you may also choose to be served at your seat (for a fee).

Upon arrival you will be met by your private guide who will escort you to your waiting chauffeured car and join you for the ride to your four-star hotel.

Then, she will invite you on a privately guided two-hour city walk. As a local insider, they have an excellent idea of what to show you. But remember: This your private guide, so feel free to mention anything you would like to experience on the walk.

 

The all-powerful Habsburg emperors and archdukes ruled much of continental Europe from Vienna. It all came to an end when one of them got shot and in the process started WWI, but imperial life goes on, just without either empire or emperors, in the grandest palaces in Europe.

The Vienna Boys’ Choir still sings Sunday Mass in the Hofburg Palace, Lipizzaner stallions still trot in the famed Spanish Riding School, chandeliers still sparkle in the Imperial Apartments, and summer life is still relaxed in the mere 1441 rooms of the Schloss Schönbrunn summer residence.

Vienna is much more than imperial pixie dust, however. The city is consistently voted the most liveable in the world, with locals enjoying cakes in the opulent coffee-houses, sniffing fine Austrian wines in vaulted wine cellars, or buying local delicacies in the famed food market. Follow the locals to the Brunnenmarkt – Vienna’s largest street market, and recently a colourful and fashionable district has come to life around it. Numerous artists have set up shop here, as have some of Vienna’s most exciting restaurants.

 

 

From Vienna you journey through the Alps. Enjoy the stunning views from the historic and UNESCO-listed Semmerling railway that weaves its way through the mountains between Vienna and Graz. Then have lunch in the EuroCity train’s comfortable Slovenian dining car.

Right upon arrival at Ljubljana you will be met by your private guide who will escort you to your waiting chauffeured car and join you for the ride to your four-star hotel.

Then, she will invite you on a privately guided two-hour city walk. As a local insider, they have an excellent idea of what to show you. But remember: This your private guide, so feel free to mention anything you would like to experience on the walk.

Prague without the crowds is like chocolate ice-cream without the fat: Wistful flights of fantasy, both. Unless, of course, you make your way to a small capital that some visitors have compared to Prague, but where hordes of tourists are not yet lining up in from of the city gates.

For decades, Ljubljana lived in obscurity on the dark side of the Iron Curtain. Only in recent years have Europeans discovered that this very small capital of Slovenia is a charmer. Ljubljana is a compact, easily navigable capital that shines like a greatest hit of other cities. An urban gem that is always a pleasure to stroll around, with chocolate-box pretty medieval streets up there with Prague, grand townhouses that would charm the Viennese, remarkable Italianate churches, and some of the finest art nouveau you will set eyes on anywhere.

The historic centre is car-free and pedestrian-only with plenty of sidewalk cafes. The Ljubljanica river winds through the city, and the riverfront bustles with life. Locals flock to the lively riverfront to eat, drink and hang out with friends. At night the riverfront is beautiful, with bridges and buildings lit up.

It is only a short distance from Ljubljana to Trieste but getting there can be a hassle. Silver Tray does not believe in hassles, so we simply provide you with a chauffeured car that will whisk you directly to your four-star hotel in the centre of Trieste.

Upon arrival you will be met by your private guide who will invite you on a privately guided two-hour city walk. As a local insider, they have an excellent idea of what to show you. But remember: This your private guide, so feel free to mention anything you would like to experience on the walk.

We are old enough to pine for the days when we could sit on the Spanish Steps in splendid solitude and share a Roman piazza with nobody but locals. Oh, lots of pining. Which is why a city like Trieste is a balm to our soul: This is Italy as we remember her, beautiful, charming, and blessedly free of selfie-stick waving hordes of day-tourists.

We know people who consider Trieste one of the hidden little gems of Europe. Quite right they are. This is a very wealthy, yet rather small city right on the Adriatic Sea. Trieste has a rich and varied history that includes both the Roman Empire and Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The Romans left behind arches and an impressive amphitheatre, while the Austrians established belle époque Viennese cafes that still dominate city life.

The grandeur of imperial Austrian rule still makes its mark on the city. You’ll be amazed at the size and elegance of Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia, the city’s main square and the largest sea-facing piazza in all of Italy. Locals love having their caffé latte at one of the historic cafes here, surrounded by the city’s most splendid palazzi.

This is a very comfortable journey – with a magical arrival at Venice awaiting you. You step onboard the Frecciarossa, one of the fastest and most modern high-speed trains in the world. You travel in Business Class, in a spacious leather seat with a generous recline. The staff will bid you welcome with a snack, and as a VIP-passenger you may order a meal to be served at your seat (for a fee).

You change trains at the edge of the Venetian Lagoon, and then travel across the lagoon, with the domes and towers of Venice visible across the water. The moment you step off the train, your private guide welcomes you and escorts you down the steps to the Grand Canal, where your private water taxi awaits. The trip down the Grand Canal and several small and busy canals is unforgettable, with floating buses, merchants, even ambulances, all jostling for space.

All too soon you arrive at the doorstep of your perfectly located four-star hotel, and immediately after check-in, your private guide will invite you on a two-hour introductory walk through your new neighbourhood.

Only in Venice is a transfer to the airport magical. Your private water taxi awaits you right in front of the hotel. First, it will allow you a final close-up view of Venice as your driver navigates his way through several narrow canals, but soon your sleek vessel emerges into the lagoon and speeds up as it travels on a watery highway (marked by wooden poles) to the Marco Polo Airport’s dedicated piers.