Great Rail Journey's New Brochures

Why fly to start your cruise when you can go by the relaxing and sedate way of rail travel, as did the travellers of a bygone age? Great Rail Journeys are specialists in escorted holidays by train. They offer more than 200 individual rail tours to over 40 countries. With in excess of 30 years of experience, they understand exactly what makes a holiday by train - or a 'land cruise' - successful.

There is nothing quite as relaxing as a cruise combined with a gentle rail journey. Savour ever-changing scenery along the tranquil banks of the Seine or travel effortlessly past the majestic castles and enticing views of the Rhine, Seine and Elbe. Head out into the open sea across the crystal-clear Mediterranean or the Norwegian coast, stopping at fascinating port towns along the way. There, rail cruises offer the best of both worlds. Train and cruise holidays that combine the luxury of a cruise with the relaxing convenience of a train.

For more info, see www.greatrail.com.

Rail and Sail!

Here's a great new thought about combining a cruise with a deluxe rail journey, both as a high-quality add-on to the voyage and an alternative means of getting to your cruise (as opposed to flying).

Great Rail Journeys has introduced the ultimate ‘sail-rail’ holiday for 2011, partnering with the unique Star Clippers line to create an exclusive Mediterranean cruise holiday on the world’s tallest sailing ship.

Great Rail Journeys’ carefully-planned First Class rail travel combines scenic journeys with civilised hotel stays in Paris, Venice and Rome, where additional sightseeing and meals are provided.

Dovetailing with these fully-escorted arrangements is a 10-night cruise on the Royal Clipper (above) the world’s largest true full-rigged sailing ship, which offers its 227 guests the ultimate in luxurious, yet laid-back cruising.

On this holiday, the Royal Clipper sails from Venice along the Croatian coast, dropping anchor off Rovinj, Hvar and Dubrovnik as well as Montenegro’s port of Kotor and the islands of Corfu, Sicily, Capri and Ponza before sailing into Civitavecchia for Rome at the end of its 11-day cruise.

Great Rail Journeys’ guests, who will be supported by their own Tour Manager throughout the holiday, can sit back and relax while the Royal Clipper’s crew does all the work, or may choose to lend a hand when it comes to unfurling the ship’s 56,000sq ft of sail.

Facilities include three swimming pools, a three-deck atrium and even crows-nests furnished with comfy sofas for the ultimate mast-head view! The no-tie dress code makes for a relaxed onboard atmosphere, with informal, yet first class dining.

Great Rail Journeys’ exclusive departure dates for The Royal Clipper Cruise are 23 July, 2 and 13 August, 2011.

The 2 August departure adds the extraordinary experience of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to an already memorable mix. On this date, the Royal Clipper departs from Rome and sails to Venice, visiting the same ports of call along the way, but in reverse. From Venice, Great Rail Journeys’ guests travel overnight on the Orient-Express to Paris before transferring to Eurostar for the last leg of an unforgettable journey.

The 17-day holiday costs £3,595 per person for 23 July and 13 August departures, and £4,475 for 2 August departure incorporating the Orient-Express experience.

The holiday includes First Class rail travel from London’s St Pancras, hotel accommodation en route, the cruise, most meals and the services of a tour manager throughout.

More info: 01904 521 980 or http://www.greatrail.com/.

Now You Can Rail-Cruise!

I couldn't find this anywhere online, so I thought I would turn this press release on AMA Waterways into a Blog. It should have real appeal to river-cruise fans, methinks.

AMAWATERWAYS, the fastest growing river cruise line in Europe, is offering a new series of escorted European rail-cruise holidays in partnership with York-based Great Rail Journeys. The five new itineraries take the stress out of flying, combining the excitement and romance of First Class rail travel from St Pancras International with the leisurely pace of a river cruise. Itineraries include:

Rhine Cruise – Nine days cruising the Rhine on Amalyra or Amalegro, passing through the beautiful scenery of the Black Forest, the Neckar Valley and the Rhine Gorge. Ports of call or excursions include Breisach, Strasbourg, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Rudesheim, Koblenz, Cologne and Amsterdam. The journey starts at St Pancras International, with Eurostar to Brussels and First Class rail through Luxembourg to Basel, returning from Amsterdam. From £1,735 per person, with departures from April to October.

Europe’s Heartland Cruise – Nine days’ travelling including a river cruise on Amadolce or Amacello from Cologne to Trier, via Nuremberg, Bamburg, Wurzburg, Miltenberg, Mainz, Rudesheim, Cochem and Bernkastel. Rail from St Pancras International to Cologne and from Trier is included. From £1,895 per person with departures from May to October.

Danube Cruise – 10 days from Nuremberg to Budapest on Amacello, Amalegro or Amadagio, calling at Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk, Vienna and Budapest. First Class rail is included all the way from St Pancras International to Nuremberg and from Budapest back to the UK. From £2,195 per person with departures from May to October.

Waterways of the Tsars – 16-day rail-cruise including the Jan Kiepura sleeper train to Warsaw and then the overnight Ost-West Express to Moscow, flying back to the UK from St Petersburg after a scenic 12-night cruise on MS Tolstoy across the Russian countryside, with several days in both Moscow and St Petersburg. From £2,975 per person, departures in July and August.

Rhône & Provence Cruise – Eight days in beautiful Provence, with Eurostar and TGV travel to Arles and from Lyon. The cruise, on Swiss Pearl, takes in Avignon (photo, above), Viviers, the stunning Ardeche valley and Vienne. From £1,949 with departures in September.

Each AMAWATERWAYS cruise includes all meals on board (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner), unlimited wine with dinner, a daily sightseeing programme, on board folklore and musical performances, bicycles for use in port and free internet access. First Class rail travel is included wherever possible, as well as four- or five-star hotels en route and the services of a friendly and professional Tour Manager.

Steve Williams, AMAWATERWAYS’ representative in the UK, says: “These exciting rail-cruises are the perfect way to travel for anybody who prefers a slower pace of life, which is what river cruising is all about. The fact they are fully escorted makes them ideal for single travellers, those who are less confident travelling independently or, of course, anybody who prefers not to fly. On all these itineraries, the rail element of the journey is an enjoyable part of the holiday, rather than merely a means of getting there. And what’s best, of course, is that there is no need to budget for any shore excursions, drinks with dinner, transfers or meals. With AMAWATERWAYS and Great Rail Journeys, it’s all included.”

Julian Appleyard, Commercial Manager for Great Rail Journeys echoes this sentiment: “We have seen a rapid expansion in our ‘cruising by rail’ concept and have refined our product over the previous two years. We know our customers like the comfort of First Class rail travel across Europe, and once ‘in resort’ four- and five-star hotels are expected. We are therefore delighted to partner with AMAWATERWAYS, a company that matches our own high standards of service and customer care.”