Tour Diary

Day 1: Wednesday March 19th
Depart from Ringaskiddy on the Cork - Swansea ferry at 21:30.

Day 2: Thursday March 20th
Travel by coach from Swansea to London where we transfer for our flight to Berlin. Staying at the City Hotel. Evening walk around the city. Enjoyed the nightlife at the Irish Pub in the Europa centre.

Day 3: Friday March 21st
Morning tour of Berlin. Visited the Potsdam project, an enormous construction project involving a significant number of Irish construction workers, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Kaiser Wilhelm Gadactniskirche which is a powerful symbol of the destruction of Berlin during the second world war. Afternoon free for shopping.

Day 4: Saturday March 22nd
Travel to Dresden for a guided tour of the city. The Palace of Saxony's Electors and Kings destroyed during the second world war is being restored. From the catholic cathedral the terraces offer a beautiful view of the river Elbe. The weather is extriemly cold today and by the time we visit the opera house the snow has started to fall. Continue on our journey through the beautiful snow covered Bavarian countryside to the Czech border and on to Prague. Staying at Hotel Krystal. 

Day 5: Sunday March 23rd
Travel by coach to the town of Karlstein and walk up the hill to it's famous castle which was built by Charles IV. Guided tour of the castle and time to stroll around the town. Afternoon visit to Terezen concentration camp, a stark reminder of the horrors of war. Evening walk around Prague.

Day 6: Monday March 24th
Guided tour of Prague. Stopped at the Stare Mesto to see the famous clock with it's twelve apostles mark the passing hours. Crossed Charles bridge with it's colourful artists and buskers, and visited the Church of Our Lady Victorious with it's statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Tram to Prague castle which houses the National Gallery, the katedrala sv. vita which took 600 years to build and has some fine stained glass windows and the famous Golden Lane where the court alchemists are said to have worked and which was the home of Kafka in 1917. Evening at the National Marionette Theatre.

Day 7: Tuesday March 25th
Morning free for shopping in Prague. Afternoon flight to London where we meet a connecting flight to Shannon. Coach from Shannon to Cork. 

Berlin, the capital of Germany has a population of 3.4 million people. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic with a population of 1.2 million. 

Climate: Berlin and Prague can both experience temperatures below freezing in March with a risk of snowfalls.

Language: Berlin:  German. Prague: Czech.

Time: GMT +1 hour.

Telephone: The direct access code for Berlin from Ireland is 00 49 30, Prague is 00 420 2, followed by the local number.. 

Currency: Berlin: Deutschmark. Prague: Crown. 

Main sights: Berlin: Berlin wall, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie Museum, Kaiser Wilhelm Gadactnis Kirche. Prague:  Stare Mesto, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, Hradcany,  Karlstein Castle