Welcome and Thank You!

What we do and what you get:
We show you the great layouts of Europe, professionally organized and guided from breakfast to dinner. Our tours are 3 tours in 1, culture and history, model trains and layouts and real trains.
Plus: Live steam in trains and ships, highest automotive technology, European cuisine, and lifestyle and lots of pure fun!
For Live Steamers: please click on our special page on left side bar.

"Visit the great layouts of Europe" consists out of 3 segments of which each one can be booked individually, or all together as one fantastic Super Tour:

Part 1 is two historical days in the UK, York and London, "Eurostar" through the legendary "Chunnel", 1 1/2 romantic days in Paris and with the Thalys, TGV or ICE to Cologne
Part 2 is a 13 day tour visiting the largest, and best layouts in Germany and much more
Part 3 is the UNESCO "4 day add on" through Switzerland on the famous GLACIER  Express up and across the Alps and via Lucerne back to Frankfurt.

Our 13 day standard tour in Germany will let you experience:
6 ICE high speed bullet train transfers                  Mercedes & PORSCHE Museum
10 big cities                                                    2 leading model train stores
5 sightseeing tours                                           Oktoberfest/Live steam festival
3 romantic towns                                             World's last real steam ship
13 master layouts (incl. Hamburg)                       transparent VW plant
and Europe's largest G gauge                             Wine tasting
6 leading museums                                           Beer tasting
4 outstanding cathedrals                                   Specialty food tasting
4 breathtaking palaces

Thank You to all our customers of 2010 and '11. It was an honor and a privilege to be your Tour Guide.
All the hugs and comments were the greatest compliments I could have hoped for.

Now: How to navigate this website?  IT IS EASY!
If I can do it - You can do it, trust me!
For quick information on our tours, go to Trip at a glance on the left side bar. Once you see the respective days, click on the bottom link under each day, and you will get detailed information on every day and locations visited:
Many pictures and descriptions, stats and figures on layouts and trains, history on some cities and much more. All other pages are self-explanatory.
Any questions not answered?  Fill in contact us or
simply C A L L (650) 670-2404.
Thank you, take a little time, have fun and hope to see you soon.

Our most important statement first:
Most of our customers are retirees, some are even over 80 years old.  That's why we take our time, we do not run, rush or hassle you around.  If you think you might not be able to keep up, handle your luggage or feel unsure in any way - DON'T!

We help you to handle your luggage as much as we can and watch out for you.  We are even known to sing Elvis as wake up calls at 6:30 a.m. (and if you heard me sing, you would be wide awake).  Call us and we'll explain everything.  We would love to have you!

For the Ladies:
We all know about the countless hours you have watched your sweethearts drool over layouts and rolling stock. On our tours you will be compensated for that!  Our lady tour guide assistant will especially take care of YOU!  This could be special shopping time, a side trip to the "Meissner Porzellan Manufaktur", a visit to a special history or art museum or an evening with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Only SMALL GROUPS !!!  The "No Group" group tour.
Our tours will not exceed 15 (16 if couples) travelers in order to maximize the special character of our trips. And it gives me the chance to BE THERE FOR YOU! I have time to answer all your questions (oh boy), we are still flexible to a certain degree, no lengthy check ins and mountains of luggage in the lobby, no long lines at any buffets, etc.

On our tours we will see some of the largest model train layouts in their category in the world, for example (varies on itinerary):

  • "Miniature Wonder Land" in Hamburg (largest overall train layout)
  • "LOXX" in Berlin (largest digitally controlled train layout)
  • Europe's largest G scale layout in Rathen (near Dresden)
  • Layouts at the German Natl. Rail Museum, French N.R.M. Swiss N.R.M.
  • Southern German layout in Merklingen (largest Maerklin only layout known for intricate detail work)
  • 3 fantastic LGB layouts (incl. Europe's largest near Dresden)
  • The "Black Forest Model Trains", largest European layout with reality built to scale
  • We visit FLEISCHMANN and see their company museum, Fleischmann family collection, original factory layouts and factory stores.
  • Nuremberg Toy Museum layout
  • 2 train stores, leading in their categories
During our stay in Dresden we also visit the only "transparent car factory" in the world. Volkswagen built an auto assembly plant out of glass - fully transparent.
While in Stuttgart we will see the PORSCHE and MERCEDES museums plus visit the Oktoberfest in Stuttgart in the fall 2012. PROST and Umpahpah!
And of course there is no European tour without castles,  palaces and cathedrals.
See the Kings Palace in Ludwigsburg, one of the top 3 in the country.
Cultural time includes sightseeing in London, Paris, Berlin, Dresden and Strasbourg, the world's largest gothic cathedral in Cologne, explore the medieval French city of Strasbourg, meeting with local model railroad clubs, introduction to local culinary specialties, wine/beer and food tastings and much, much more.

IMPORTANT - Your own tour!

Your own customized/personal group tour can be arranged with a minimum of only 6 travelers already!  You determine when, where and how long you want to travel and what you would like to have included. Please contact us about details.