“There’s a rail holiday for every type of client,” says Richard Adams, Great Rail Journeys marketing manager. “There’s everything from scenic tours, which offer easy access to the wide open spaces of Canada’s National Parks, or the highest mountains in Europe, to ‘combination’ tours such as rail-cruise itineraries and fly-coach-rail holidays across the US.
“There are also short breaks of just a few nights, as well as three-week long journeys. And, of course, there are iconic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as The Ghan through Australia’s Red Centre, or India’s Palace on Wheels and even the Trans-Siberian Express across Russia to the Sea of Japan.”
It’s easy to extend European journeys further afield with good, high-speed rail connections. France has the TGV, Spain Renfe and Italy Artesia. Overnight sleeper options can make longer journeys more palatable – Elipsos Trenhotel services can take clients to Barcelona and Madrid from Paris overnight, and Artesia sleeper services run from Paris to Rome, Bologna, Florence, Verona and Venice. Or for a luxury option, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express connects London to Venice.
If you register any booking you make before December 17 for Eurostar tickets to a connecting destination, you could win one of a range of prizes that include weekend breaks or a week’s skiing. Visit eurostar4agents.com/explorewinter for more details.
In the US, the extensive Amtrak network provides a comprehensive and an easy-to-use rail service, covering everything from city-to-city hops to mega-journeys crossing from coast to coast or north to south. Agents can earn commission booking direct with Amtrak, get training online and contact an agency sales centre for support at intlhelp@amtrak.com.
Further afield, iconic rail journeys can form the backbone of a holiday. The new Maharaja Express is an uber-luxury option in India and don’t forget perennial favourites such as Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and the Eastern and Oriental Express, which runs through Thailand and Malaysia.
Escorted rail tours are available through train specialists such as Great Rail Journeys, and tour operators such as Page & Moy, Titan HiTours and Leger Holidays offer a selection of rail options alongside their coach tours.
Richard’s tips
Identify your market – it’s mostly grey!
Escorted rail tours are hugely popular with the grey market and the first choice for any customers who want the ‘security’ of an escorted tour but who don’t fancy being herded around in a group.
Single travellers
Escorted tours can be great for single travellers too. While there may be a single supplement to pay, the reality is that it is company, especially at mealtimes, that single travellers want most, as well as peace of mind. We also offer designated itineraries and departures exclusively for single travellers, with no single supplements to pay and extra care and attention from the tour manager.
Myth-busting
One of the common assumptions is that a holiday by rail means sleeping on trains. The reality is that most rail holidays involve daytime rail journeys. Relatively few itineraries require an overnight rail journey and then we select comfortable sleeper services – or we’ll be on an iconic hotel-train.
Not all rail holidays are tours
Many are ‘stay-put’ holidays where rail is used to reach the resort, for example the Swiss Alps or the Italian Lakes, but once there, the group enjoys seven nights in one hotel, with day excursions from this base. We also like to use rail for as many
of our excursions as possible too.
Fit to travel?
Remember – although rail holidays attract older travellers, agents need to consider if customers are fit enough for the holiday. Not only is lots of sightseeing involved, including pounding cobblestones in medieval cities, but customers also have to be able to get on and off trains with their own bags, which they have to stow in the carriage’s designated area or even above their seat – this is particularly true of European trains. We make specific suggestions about dimensions, weight and wheels for cases, so discuss this with your customer when they book.
Compare prices
When comparing prices of rail holidays, check carefully what is included in terms of meals, sightseeing and meals. An itinerary can appear to be packed with ‘must-see’ highlights but watch for the word ‘optional’, which means your clients will pay extra to join excursions or to go into attractions. The same thing applies to meals: how many are included?
Stable prices
Speaking of price, another aspect of escorted tours is that operators are loath to offer late deals because they know customers compare notes over dinner, this means that package prices are stable. And there isn’t one price for agents and another for direct bookers. Great Rail Journeys undertakes to offer the same price to everyone on the holiday, so if we reduce a price for any reason, we apply the discount to everyone, including those who have already booked.
A UK or international group?
On a long-haul rail holiday, ask if the operator is creating a ‘complete’ group travelling from the UK or booking clients into an international tour with travellers from all over the world. This makes for a very different group dynamic and can lead to cultural and linguistic differences, so check before you book.
Independent rail holidays
For customers who really don’t want to join a group, turn to a specialist rail operator to tailor-make a trip combining rail journeys with good hotels. Wrestling with international train timetables is not for the faint-hearted, nor is it a good use of an agent’s time. This is where our Rail Select holiday.
Major rail operators
Treyn
Affordable group rail holidays to the most beautiful parts of Europe. railholidays.com, 01904 734888
Great Rail Journeys
Fully inclusive, upmarket escorted rail tours to Europe and worldwide. greatrail.com, 01904 734200
Rail Select
Tailor-made European holidays by rail for independent travellers. railselect.com, 01904 521921
Eurostar
The high-speed passenger train operating from St Pancras in London, offers travel to a range of European destinations. eurostar4agents.com, 08448 224334
Rail Europe
Largest distributor of European rail tickets in the UK, offering journeys on Eurostar, TGV, Ski Train, Elipsos, Renfe and InterRail passes. raileuropetrade.co.uk, 0844 848 4066
Amtrak
America train network. Find agent training modules online at amtrakagentsupport.com. amtrakrailagent.com, 0808 234 4630
