Intrepid Travel has launched a range dedicated to rail travel which includes 40 trips and three new itineraries.
The range caters to the rising trend of train travel, said the operator, with new data showing 92% of UK travellers plan to take a train on their next trip.
Each rail trip will be accompanied by one of Intrepid’s local leaders, who will help travellers navigate complex routes and stations and “maximise the experiences during rest stops and overnight stays”.
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As part of this newly dedicated trip category, Intrepid will offer popular routes such as Bangkok to Southern Thailand, and lesser-known ones like Varanasi to Agra, India, as well as rail family adventures from Tokyo to Kyoto and Rome to Pompeii.
The range also enables UK customers more opportunities to travel flight-free, with the option to travel from London via Eurostar on four itineraries: Paris to Rome, Paris to Istanbul, Paris to Berlin and Paris to Madrid.
An Intrepid spokesperson said: “Our rail journeys offer travellers an added dimension of discovery, allowing customers to travel slower, experience more of the countryside and have more opportunities for local interaction.
“With an average group size of 10-12 travellers, Intrepid rail trips offer customers community, conversation, and a sense of connection.”
The spokesperson added the launch “reflects Intrepid’s long-term product development plans, replacing internal flights with less carbon-intensive options, where viable, as part of our global decarbonisation strategy”.
Three new itineraries
The three new rail itineraries are the Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure; Paris to Istanbul; and Paris to Rome by Rail.
The 11-day Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure, priced from £2,395, makes use of the Trans-Mongolian Railway, constructed in the late 1940s following the route of ancient tea caravans from Beijing to Mongolia.
The trip begins in Beijing, traveling through hilly landscapes in China, exploring Inner Mongolia and visiting Khustai National Park, the dunes of the Gobi Desert and Sainshand, before disembarking in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia.
Paris to Istanbul, which is 15 days in length and priced from £3,270, travels from Paris to Budapest by train, following the same route as the Orient Express.
Travellers will stop to explore iconic spots and lesser-known sites in Strasbourg, Munich and Salzburg.
Travellers will then journey on local trains from Belgrade to Istanbul, stopping for local delicacies, like a traditional Serbian lunch in a Salaš home.
On Intrepid’s new 10-day Paris to Rome by Rail itinerary, priced from £2,990, travellers will hop on the Gotthard Panorama Express through Switzerland.
This train takes the original historic route on the Gotthard railway, constructed in 1872. The journey spirals through the alps, with panoramic views of the countryside, and Wassen Church, as well as stops for scenic hikes, medieval castles and a farm-to-table Italian cooking demonstration.