The most family-friendly way to travel
WHEN looking at
different ways
to experience
a destination, rail is not
necessarily the first mode of
transport travellers consider.
But what they perhaps don’t
realise is that rail is a very
cost-effective and convenient
way to tour many parts of the
globe, particularly for groups or
families.
“Rail is a great option for
families as children under 12
only pay 50% on most pointto-point
rail tickets,” explains
Nicolette Harrop, assistant
manager, World Travel. She
recommends that families
conducting three or more rail
journeys, purchase a pass.
Passes provide unlimited
travel on the rail networks of
the countries covered. What’s
more, children under four
travel free on passes, which
also include discounts or free
access to museums, ferries
and buses.
There are a wide variety of
passes to choose from and
the particular discounts and
access benefits will vary
depending on the option
selected, Nicolette explains.
Annemarie Lexow, sales and
marketing manager at Travel
Vision agrees, saying that any
mode of transport that offers
an all-in-one combination of
transport and accommodation
is cost effective, especially for
families.
Kids are entertained
“Some rail packages also
offer breaks in between, so
the family can get off the train,
stay over, explore the area
and catch the train again the
next day to continue with the
journey,” she adds.
Also convenient is that
children are free to walk around
on board the train instead of
being stuck in a seat, Nicolette
points out. “Certain trains
actually offer a children’s play
area on board,” she adds.
For example, trains like ICE
International and Intercity Berlin
have children’s compartments
with tables where children can
draw and play.
The flexibility afforded by
most passes is considerable,
allowing travellers to choose
when they travel, comments
Nicolette. “There are no
check-in times, except for the
Eurostar, and there aren’t any
baggage restrictions like those
travellers would experience
using an airline.”
Less waiting, more
convenience
Rail travel means being able
to avoid long waits at airports,
agrees John Ridler, PR and
media manager, Thompsons
Holidays. “Travellers also save
on transfer costs as they travel
from city centre to city centre,
and if they travel overnight they
can save on accommodation
as well.”
Travelling by train is
particularly ideal when visiting
major cities and towns,
comments Inge Dobihal, md
of Austria Connection – a
specialised tour operator for
Austria, as well as Germany
and some Eastern European
countries in a more limited
capacity.
She says in many European
cities the old towns are closed
to traffic, making parking
difficult and expensive. This
rules out self-drive, making rail
transport a better option.
“Any train itinerary is suitable
for city hopping and the railway
networks are excellent and very
frequent. For example, it takes
two and a half hours to travel
from Vienna to Budapest and
there are 10 departures per
day.”
Cost and convenience aside,
Annemarie points out that
rail is probably the best way
to see a destination’s cities,
towns, villages and countryside,
providing a view that constantly
changes. “There’s also not
much opportunity for the group
to split off, so it’s great for
bonding – and if the journey is
a bit long, then there is space
to play games, read a book or
meet other travellers on board
the train.”
The beauty of rail, concludes
Nicolette, is that it can be
used as an add-on product, for
example if you only require a
point-to-point ticket for one or
two short journeys, or it can be
an itinerary in itself if travellers
want to explore a specific
country or countries in depth.
What are the trending destinations?
AS EURAIL passes
are economical and
flexible, travelling
around Europe and the
UK by train will always
prove popular.
However, there are
a number of other rail
destinations that are
particularly enticing
for travellers at the
moment.
France and Italy are
both favourites with
travellers, while more
recently there has
been an increase in
interest in Portugal
and Eastern Europe,
says World Travel’s
Nicolette Harrop.
Austria, Slovenia
Inge Dobihal says the
most popular itinerary
from her perspective
is between PragueVienna
and Budapest
and Vienna-SalzburgInnsbruck,
continuing
either to Munich or
Zurich. “Another very
attractive itinerary is
touring Austria and
Slovenia by train.” It’s
not difficult to see why
– with the view of the
Alps from their window,
travellers will journey
through snow-capped
mountains alongside
crystal-clear lakes,
enjoying breath-taking
scenery as they move
from destination to
destination.
Italy
Italian rail packages
are very popular, says
Thompsons Holidays’
John Ridler, adding
that the operator
promotes and sells
these, as well as
Spanish rail packages,
a great deal.
Thompsons offers a
seven-night grand tour
of Italy.
The three-star rail
package costs about
R25 267pp. Travellers
will experience the
history of Rome, relive the
Renaissance in Florence, and
meander along the romantic
canals of timeless Venice.
Switzerland
World Travel offers Swiss
rail packages that include
transportation and hotel
accommodation. The
tailor-made packages let
travellers experience the
best of each region, says
Nicolette. Whether it’s an
exploration of the cities or
breath-taking panoramic
views, rail provides a
convenient way to see a
great deal of Switzerland. The
combination, for example, of
Lake Geneva, the Alps and
the magic of rail would be
tough to beat.
Alaska
Travel Vision’s Annemarie
Lexow, says Alaska is
proving popular for rail
journeys. Travel Vision offers
an eight-night rail package
from R35 825pps. The
tour starts in Anchorage
and travels through
Seward, Talkeetna, Denali,
Denali National Park and
Fairbanks, before returning to
Anchorage.
It includes accommodation
in three-star hotels, standard
rail car seating, an economyclass
ticket from Fairbanks
to Anchorage and excursions
and entrance fees to the
Museum of the North.
However, says Annemarie,
clients need to know that
the season for rail is limited
due to the Alaskan winter,
which lasts from September
to April, during which these
journeys don’t operate.
India
Annemarie says luxury trains
in India are another popular
option. These operate from
September to April and stop
during the monsoon season,
from May to August.
Currently, Travel Vision
offers a five-star Palace on
Wheels luxury train trip for
seven nights. “There is no
better way to experience
the cultural heartland of
Rajasthan than on the Palace
on Wheels,” says Annemarie.
“Travellers will relish the
lifestyle of kings, while
listening to the tales of glory
and valour woven across the
majestic forts and splendid
palaces of Rajasthan.”
The trip, which starts from
R57 661pps, begins in Delhi,
travelling through Jaipur,
Udaipur, Jodhpur and Agra,
before returning to Delhi.
Wednesday departures run
from September 1-30.
The tour includes all meals,
tea, coffee and mineral water,
a deluxe cabin with bath,
entrance fees to all sights
and an English-speaking
guide.
Return to the ‘golden age’ of rail
THE romance of luxury rail
has once more caught the
imagination of South African
travellers, with rail experts
saying these itineraries are
growing in popularity.
“We have experienced
a lot of interest in the
luxury rail products and I
believe this is because it
offers a great alternative
to travellers looking for
something different,” says
World Travel’s Nicolette
Harrop. She thinks there is
good potential for the luxury
rail market in South Africa
specifically. “In most cases
it’s fully inclusive which is a
good drawcard.”
Travel Vision’s Annemarie
Lexow agrees, saying luxury
rail offers a particularly
attractive proposition to
explore countries like India
where travellers are offered
a five-star experience for
seven days, with all their
meals, tea, coffee and
mineral water, excursions
and taxes included in the
cost.
“Lately we are seeing
more unusual requests from
the upper-end customers
who I suppose grew up
with rail as a major mode
of transport in South
Africa and are therefore
comfortable in considering it
as a way to go on vacation,”
she adds.
The diversity of products
on offer is also a lot
more extensive than
many travellers might
think. Through Great Rail
Journeys, World Travel now
offers luxury train travel in
many different countries.
“Itineraries vary and the
traveller can choose from
various routings on offer,”
says Nicolette. “This allows
you to select luxury rail
products in accordance with
the time your traveller has
available.”
The Venice-Simplon
Orient Express, between
either London or Paris
and Venice, is a must for
every lover of train travel,
recommends Thompsons
Holidays’ John Ridler.
“There is also the Gan in
Australia, the Eastern Orient
Express between Singapore
and Malaysia, The Rocky
Mountaineer in Canada, The
Belmond Royal Scotsman in
Scotland and the Palace on
Wheels in India,” he adds.
Travellers can even
opt for a more niche rail
journey, such as a wellness
experience while travelling
through South America.
“With the Belmond Andean
Explorer, travellers can
upgrade their experience
of travelling through the
fantastic landscapes of the
Peruvian highlands with
relaxing wellness sessions
on board the train,” says
Annemarie.
She says this train is
the only one in South
America that offers rooms
to sleep. “It has also just
added the Picaflor Spa to
its service. The spa offers
exclusive treatments such
as the Andean Ritual and
the Power of the Sun, and
is available from Monday
through Sunday on all four
of the train’s routes.”
For a local experience,
says John, there is Rovos
Rail and The Blue Train.
The latter has an incredibly
romantic history, first setting
off in the 1920s. It has
since been refurbished in
the ’70s and modernised
in the ’90s, but it has
always retained its legacy of
providing unmatched luxury,
while invoking great history
and romance.
Currently the train travels
between Pretoria and Cape
Town, and Pretoria and
Hoedspruit.
