WHAT YOU WILL SEE:

London, England
London is a blend of old and new, pace and buzz alongside peace and tranquility, and an amazingly diverse cultural scene. The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; upstart chefs are reinventing the bland dishes that British mums have made for generations; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, the visual arts, and just about everything else, London, as it moves deeper into the 21st century, stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s. But rest assured, traditional London survives, basically intact under the layer of hip. From high tea at Brown's to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the city still abounds with the culture and charm of days gone by. London has grown less English and more international. The gent with the bowler hat has long gone out of fashion; today's Londoner might have a turban, a Mohawk, or even a baseball cap. It's becoming easier to find a café au lait and a croissant than a scone and a cup of tea. The city is home to thousands of immigrants and refugees, both rich and poor, from all reaches of the world. Yet it?s a decidedly royal city, studded with palaces, court gardens, coats of arms, and other regal paraphernalia; yet it's also the home of the world's second-oldest parliamentary democracy. (Iceland was the first.) There's so much to discover - more than 30,000 shops, world class galleries and museums, dramatic new landmark buildings, and an endless choice of restaurants, bars, clubs and live music venues, and, of course, theatre.

Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh has an almost fairy-tale setting, with its imposing castle high on one hill. Compact and tidy, it is more of a big town than a small city. Edinburgh has been called one of Europe's fairest cities and the Athens of the North. Built on extinct volcanoes atop an inlet from the North Sea (the Firth of Forth) and enveloped by rolling hills, lakes, and forests, Edinburgh is a city that lends itself to walking. Its Old Town and New Town sport moody cobbled alleys, elegant streetscapes, handsome squares, and placid parks. From several hilltops, panoramic views can be enjoyed. The city's sunsets are romantic -- Scots call the fading evening light the "gloaming." The city is home to some of the best galleries and museums in the UK, so whether you're into modern art, want to learn more about Scotland's history or fancy a trip down memory lane with the toys of your childhood, the city has something for you. Add great shopping and world-class theatre to the mix and you really are spoilt for choice. Its mid-summer international Festival is one of the biggest in the world. Edinburgh is the second most popular tourist destination in Great Britain following London, and it's not hard to see why.

ICE (InterCity Express)
The ICE (InterCity Express), a tilting train. The German high speed train ICE guarantees quality with new, high-standardized equipment to provide travelers with a comfortable and pleasant experience. With a maximum speed of nearly 300 km/h, this service is highly efficient.

Types of Train Services
First Class:
- All seats are reclining and have an audio minijack, allowing passengers to plug in headphones and choose from about 7 music/entertainment channels and radio stations. Basic headphones can also be purchased on the trains.
- Newspapers are available. Beverages and snacks can also be purchased from the trolley cart.
- The service crew on the train takes orders for porters in the main cities in Germany.

Second Class:
- All seats are reclining and have an audio minijack, allowing passengers to plug in headphones and choose from about 7 music/entertainment channels and radio stations. Basic headphones can also be purchased on the trains.
- Newspapers are available. Beverages and snacks can also be purchased from the trolley cart.
- The service crew on the train takes orders for porters in the main cities in Germany.

On board services:
Each train has a restaurant car with two sections: the traditional restaurant and self-service bistro. Public phone booths and luggage lockers are also available on board the train. With exception of the first and last cars, the ICE train is a non-smoking area.
The latest ICE generation with tilting technology even offers a magnificent panoramic lounge at each end of the trains for a spectacular view of the landscape. With most ICE trains, there is one carriage (sometimes more) where individual seats are equipped with LCD screens. (The screens are actually built into the backrest of the seat in front.) Usually there are two video channels to choose from, which typically show feature films, like airlines would do. There are no speakers, but the corresponding audio is available via the audio minijack.
At both ends of ICE3 trains there is a passenger compartment (on one side 1st class, on the other side 2nd class) with a view on the tracks, due to transparency of the glass wall separating the compartment from the driver's cabin. In special circumstances the driver can make the wall opaque by the press of a button.

There is also a compartment with a play area for children.

All ICEs have "repeater" carriages, which are equipped with technology to enable mobile phone use (as the windows have a metal coating). Cell phone use is possible in these carts only. These carts are marked with a sticker of a symbolized mobile phone. "Silent" carriages have a sticker with a symbolized whispering sign. In these carriages use of laptops, mobile phones and other "noisy" equipment is prohibited.