Castles, Farms & Forests: Walking in Austria, France & Germany

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on September 22, 2026

Meet the group at Hotel Gasthof Adler in Lingenau

Start of Trip:  3:00 p.m. hotel check-in; 5:30 p.m. Orientation followed by Welcome Dinner.

Getting to the site: From the airport in Zurich to the hotel in Lingenau, take the train to Bregenz (depending on the time, there is either a direct train or a connection with 2/3 changes in St. Gallen and St. Margrethen), then catch the bus outside the train station to Lingenau Dorfplatz, about a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The train fare will be about 40 CHF, and the bus fare will be about 6 Euro. Train tickets can be purchased from kiosks in the airport or on the train, and bus tickets can be purchased from the driver. Total transfer time is about 2.5 - 3 hours, depending on time between connections. A taxi from the airport to the first hotel, for 1-3 people, will cost approximately CHF 600. You can book a taxi by contacting https://www.zurich-airport.com/passengers-and-visitors/access-and-parking/taxis-limousines.

Getting to the site by train or bus: Yes, but not an easy transfer on your own.

Your trip ends on: Friday, October 2, 2026 in Zurich at Dorint Airport-Hotel Zurich

End of Trip: 10:00 a.m. after breakfast; 12:00 Noon hotel check-out. Breakfast available depending on transfer time.

Getting to the airport: The Dorint Airport-Hotel Zurich offers a free shuttle service to the Zurich Airport between the hours of 4 AM and 11 PM. If you need to depart earlier, a taxi will take about 5 minutes and cost approximately 25 CHF. You can book a taxi through www.7x7.ch/en/home.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Transfers for Independent Travelers Road Scholar no longer offers complimentary transfers to participants with “Program Only” Status. However, THE ARRIVAL TRANSFER on this program is an exception to that policy due to the distance and complicated nature of traveling to the first hotel. If you arranged your air with Road Scholar and are arriving early or made your own air arrangements, there is a possibility to reserve a seat on the group arrival transfer. Reservations for the transfers can be made by contacting the Road Scholar Europe team no earlier than receipt of the first information packet and no later than 30 days prior to the start of the program. PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHMENT AT THE BACK OF THIS PACKET FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PLACE YOUR TRANSFER REQUEST. Transfer schedules are based on the times of arrival for Road Scholar booked flights and will vary from departure to departure. For those arranging their own air, your arrival flight must arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. in order to be approved to join a transfer. There is no guarantee that the final transfer schedule will coincide with independently booked flights. In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404.