the railway touring company - world rail tours 2013

The Railway Touring Co.Great Railway Adventures 2013

The Travel Trust Association (TTA)The TTA is a trade association of travel agents and travel organisers, established to provide financial protection for the customer. The TTA lays down strict guidelines on how the customer’s funds should be handled, and each member must adhere to those guidelines. Every TTA member pays the customer’s funds into a designated trust account which is supervised by an independent trustee; a Banker, Chartered or certified Accountant or Solicitor.

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3rd Floor, Albion House, Chertsey Road Woking, Surrey, GU21 1BF 0870 8890577 www.traveltrust.co.uk

The holidays in this brochure that include air travel are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is T7149.ATOL protects customers from losing their money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out financial checks on the firms it licenses and requiring a guarantee, called a bond, to be lodged with them. If a firm goes out of business, the CAA will make a refund to the customer, or if already abroad on holiday, arrange for the customer to complete their holiday and fly home.

Who are we?The Railway Touring Company is one of very few worldwide railway tour operators to charter their own trains. We offer the unique experience of travelling in many countries by private vintage steam hauled train giving customers the time and opportunity to view and enjoy the scenery. There may be the chance to stand on the open balcony of a railway carriage, or to open the carriage window and experience the true ambience of the countryside.Most of our chartered trains operate during day-time only and we use hotels for overnight accommodation. Some tours feature vintage hotel trains providing overnight accommodation en route, with hotel accommodation at our destination.Where we use predominantly service trains, as in Switzerland and Norway, we devise uniqueitineraries and include special steam hauled programmes to complement the tour.

Our Chartered Steam TrainsWhenever possible we hire steam trains for our exclusive use. This allows us the flexibility, within operational parameters, to run to our requirements. It also enables us to stop the train for photographs of the scenery; the train itself; and sometimes staged train movements, known as run-pasts. We can often arrange for tour customers to ride on the footplate of the locomotive, should they wish, but at their own risk. Since our tours often number around 40 customers there are occasions when we have access to older trains with limited capacity, and sometimes to facilities not normally available to large groups or individuals.

Scheduled TrainsWhere we travel by scheduled train, with few exceptions, we travel First Class in reserved seats or reserved carriages. This has proven to be much better value for money since the additional space, comfort and lack of crowding are obtained at a worthwhile supplement compared with Standard Class travel.

Alternative Airports, Independent Travel and ExtensionsOur customers come from throughout the UK and overseas. Wherever possible we choose flights which allow connections from local airports, and prices for these connecting flights start at around £99 return. Most overseas tours allow for independent travel arrangements whereby customers may extend their stay, stop en route, or make their own travel arrangements. We can provide a `ground only’ quotation for all of our tours so that overseas customers and independent travellers can make their own way for getting to and from the tour joining point.

Extra Tours and Tour UpdatesThroughout the year we keep pace with an ever-changing world. It is often possible to initiate new tours after our brochure has gone to press, and to make alterations to published information.

Website – www.railwaytouring.netOur web site provides details of all our tours plus information about additional tours and amendments to our tour programme. Don’t forget to bookmark our web site amongst your favourites. We welcome contributions of photographs that customers have taken on our tours and that they are willing for us to use in publicity materials.

Booking Conditions and InformationCustomers should ensure that they read our Booking Terms & Conditions and Booking Information before booking a tour. Details can be found on the back pages of this brochure.

Dear Customer,

Welcome to our 2013 collection of railway tours where we aim to provide a range of destinations to suit different interests and expectations. Our brochure contains details of an amazing variety of tours worldwide. We hope that you will take time to browse through its contents and find tours to meet your particular requirements.

This year we have introduced some completely new tours. These include ‘Finland’, a new destination for the Railway Touring Company, and ‘Steam in Saxony’, which visits Dresden and eastern Germany. Some past favourites return, including ‘Ecuador and Columbia’ and ‘South American Adventure’, which combines aspects of our regular ‘Old Patagonia’ tour with a visit to Uruguay.

We have also retained the ever popular destinations in our programme. However whilst the title may be the same, the tour itinerary invariably changes; it will differ from year to year. Don’t miss out because you think that you have seen it all before! Consider Switzerland, the magical mountain destination; Sardinia, the island paradise with enchanting narrow gauge railways; Norway, boasting the splendour of its fjords and glittering coastline; ‘Autumn in New England’, for the spectacular foliage colours in the USA; and Peru, for the Andes Mountains and Inca cultural wonders. We have two tours to India this year, covering different aspects and areas of this amazing country.

Increasingly we are able to offer overland tours for those who prefer not to fly to a destination. This applies to tours in the UK and to mainland Europe. We have a variety of interesting tours in Scotland, and ‘Snowdonia & the Northern Fells’ increases in popularity. Our tours in Switzerland and some to other countries in Eastern and Western Europe begin with a journey by Eurostar train.

Travelling by train is the emphasis of all of our tours and often provides journeys through breathtaking scenery that is normally unreachable. Many of our tours use specially chartered trains just for our group providing a calm environment for travel in the comfort of your own seat. They also allow more time for photography, leisurely lunches, and to chat to fellow travellers. However our tours are much more than just rail travel. They include quality hotels, good food, exciting excursions, wonderful attractions, meeting new people and making new friends.

We look forward to welcoming you on one of our tours soon and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2013.

Nigel Dobbing, Managing Director.

Front cover image: Yana Zhuchenko

UK The Great Britain VI April 4 – 7

UK The Cock O’The North May, July, September 8 – 9

UK The Western Isles June, August, September 10 – 11

UK The Summer Highlander July 12 – 13

UK Snowdonia and the Northern Fells July – August, August 14 – 15

UK The West Highlander Steam Express September 16 – 17

Europe Steam in Saxony April 18 – 19

Europe Steam in Tuscany April 20 – 21

Europe Austrian Steam Safari May 22 – 23

Europe Sardinia and the Emerald Coast May, October 24 – 25

Europe Steam in the former Yugoslavia May 26 – 27

Europe The Golden Arrow May 28 – 29

Europe Highlights of Switzerland June 30 – 31

Europe Swedish Steam Safari July 32 – 33

Europe Finland July 34 – 35

Europe Swiss Steam Express July 36 – 37

Europe Rail and Fjords of Norway July – August 38 – 39

Europe Germany, Austria and Switzerland August 40 – 41

Europe The Black Sea Express September 42 – 43

World The Hill Stations of India March 44 – 47

World Java June – July 48 – 51

World The Andes of Colombia and Ecuador September – October 52 – 55

World Autumn in New England October 56 – 59

World Peru and Bolivia October 60 – 63

World Railways of the Indian Hills November 64 – 67

World South American Adventure November 68 – 71

World Eritrea November 72 – 73

World Sri Lanka February 2014 74 – 75

Booking Conditions 76

Booking Information 77

Pre-Tour and Post-Tour Arrangements and Travel Insurance 78

Railtour Reservation Form 79

Great Railway Adventures 2013 Programme

THE RAILWAY TOURING COMPANY, 14A TUESDAY MARKET PLACE, KING’S LYNN, NORFOLK, PE30 1JNPhone: 01553 661500 • Fax: 01553 661800 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.railwaytouring.net

Saturday 20th AprilA Castle to Taunton and a West Country with a Battle of Britain to NewquayThe Great Britain VI departs London Paddington a little after 09:00 and steams along the ex-Great Western Railway main line to Reading. Here we join the Berks and Hants route and head for the West of England through Newbury. At Taunton our ex-Great Western Railway Castle class locomotive is replaced by two locomotives - rebuilt West Country class No. 34046 “Braunton” and Battle of Britain class No. 34067 “Tangmere”.Our double-headed train now begins the climb to Whiteball summit, on the border of Somerset and Devon, before dropping down the Culm Valley into Exeter. We follow the Exe Estuary and then run beside the sea wall from Dawlish to Teignmouth, one of the most superb stretches of railway line in Britain. It is an exhilarating experience to travel along this route through tunnels and rock cuttings right at the edge of the sea. After Newton Abbot, there are some of the steepest gradients on main lines in this country. First there is the difficult climb of Dainton Bank, up to Dainton Tunnel, before dropping down to Totnes, and then it is the climb up Rattery Bank before the descent to Plymouth. After leaving Plymouth we cross the River Tamar on Brunel’s

masterpiece, The Royal Albert Bridge, and enter Cornwall. Our train continues through the wonderful Cornish countryside crossing numerous viaducts en route to Par. From here our two ex-Southern Railway Pacific’s take our train over the amazing steeply graded line to Newquay where we arrive in the late afternoon and transfer to our hotels.

Sunday 21st AprilOver the South Devon banks to Bristol; through the Severn Tunnel to South Wales After a leisurely breakfast we depart Newquay mid morning hauled by our two ex-Southern Railway Pacifics. We join the main line at Par and should then enjoy some spirited running through the splendid Cornish countryside. We cross Brunel’s Saltash Bridge before entering Plymouth. Leaving Plymouth our two steam locomotives demonstrate their true power as they tackle the long steep climbs of Hemerdon and Dainton banks. After Exeter the climb to Whiteball will be followed by a fast run from Taunton to Bristol across the Somerset Levels. At Bristol a Castle Class locomotive replaces the Pacifics for the run to Swansea. The route is through the Severn Tunnel and along the South Wales main line to Cardiff and the terminus station at Swansea. Overnight accommodation is in Swansea.

Monday 22nd AprilThe Central Wales Line with two Black 5’sOur train leaves Swansea Station steam hauled by two ex-LMS Black 5’s and tackles the difficult climb up Cockett Bank. We are soon on the single track Central Wales Line and our first stop will be at Pantyffynnon where the locomotives take on water. We continue northwards through the glorious Welsh countryside to Llandeilo, and then follow the River Towy to Llandovery. We commence the long and tortuous climb up to Sugar Loaf Summit, which is approached by gradients as steep as 1 in 60, and pass beneath the hills via the 1,000 yard (910 metres) long Sugar Loaf Tunnel. We descend to Llandrindod Wells where there will be a one hour break while our locomotives are serviced. This ‘spa’ town has many ornate style buildings from the Victorian and Edwardian eras and is also home to the National Cycle Collection. We continue northwards through hills and forests along the sinuous single track. We cross the magnificent turreted Knucklas Viaduct, with its 13 arches, just before Knucklas Station. We stop at Knighton Station in Shropshire, 100 yards from the Welsh border, for our locomotives to take on water and for passengers to ‘stretch their legs’. We join the Welsh Marches line at Craven Arms and continue north-bound to Shrewsbury.

UK Tours - The Great Britain VI

Bob Green

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The Great Britain VI

Following the highly successful Great Britain V rail tour we shall again divide our train in Scotland, thus operating two trains around Scotland at the same time. Passengers change from one train to the other by travelling across the beautiful Island of Skye. This allows all passengers to experience the spectacular Mallaig & Kyle of Lochalsh routes.

The all steam-hauled tour begins at London Paddington and on day one takes the West of England main line to Newquay. Day two includes the route through South Wales to Swansea and the following day follows the awesome Central Wales Line.

There is the option of a day sightseeing in Edinburgh or a trip to Aberdeen and back with an A4 class Pacific steam locomotive. We also travel over the scenic Highland main line.

Saturday 20th to Sunday 28th April 2013

Here we take the ex-GWR Birkenhead route through Ruabon and Wrexham to Chester. We pass through Frodsham before joining the West Coast Main Line for our run to Preston, where we have overnight accommodation.

Tuesday 23rd AprilA Duchess over Shap and BeattockOur train leaves Preston mid morning hauled by Pacific locomotive No. 46233 “Duchess of Sutherland”. We should have a fast run along the West Coast Main Line through Lancaster and Carnforth before the climb to Grayrigg. After Tebay our locomotive will be working hard for the climb to Shap summit, followed by a speedy descent to Carlisle. On leaving Carlisle the “Duchess” will have an easy run to Lockerbie prior to the great climb to Beattock’s summit, the equivalent to two Shaps in one. We descend to Carstairs where we leave the Glasgow line, then tackle the shorter gradient to Cobbinshaw en route to Edinburgh Waverley. We transfer to hotels in Edinburgh for two nights accommodation.

Wednesday 24th AprilFree day in Edinburgh or an optional trip to Aberdeen steam hauled by an A4 class PacificToday is a free day to explore Edinburgh. Breakfast at the hotels is included.

Optional steam trip to AberdeenOur train leaves Edinburgh Waverley hauled by A4 class Pacific locomotive No. 60009 “Union of South Africa”. The route follows the old Edinburgh suburban line then passes Edinburgh airport before crossing the spectacular Forth Bridge. We follow the delightful Fife coast then skirt the Lomond Hills before crossing the famous Tay Bridge into Dundee. Our steam locomotive takes on water here before we head north through Arbroath and Stonehaven to Aberdeen. There will be around two and a half hours to explore the Granite City, the oil capital of Europe. We return to Edinburgh via the outward route over the Tay and Forth Bridges, and hopefully the direct route from Haymarket to Waverley through The Mound Tunnels.

Thursday 25th AprilOver the Forth Bridge to Inverness or Fort WilliamBritannia class 4-6-2 No. 70013 “Oliver Cromwell” will be ready to leave Edinburgh Waverley with our train at around 09:00. We cross the magnificent Forth Bridge, with superb views over the Firth of Forth, and enter Fife. The journey through Fife is both scenic and fascinating; we hug the sea shore for some of the way. At Thornton Junction our train will be divided into two parts.

Train 1Train 1, hauled by No. 70013 “Oliver Cromwell”, continues through Fife to Ladybank where it takes the single track line via Newburgh to Perth. We then head northwards along the Highland main line through Pitlochry and Blair Atholl passing through amazing scenery. The terrain becomes more rugged as we climb to Druimuachdar Summit, 1484 feet above sea level, the highest on Britain’s Railways. We descend to Aviemore before beginning the climb to Sloch Summit (1315 ft.), from where it is downhill all the way to Inverness. We transfer to hotels in Inverness for overnight accommodation.

Train 2After reversal at Thornton Junction, train 2 will be hauled by No. 61994 “The Great Marquess” and head south-westwards to Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline. Here we join a freight line which runs along the Forth to Longannet Power Station and Alloa. We continue through Stirling to the outskirts of Glasgow at Springburn. We pass through Dumbarton before joining the West Highland line at Craigendoran. After a brief stop at Arrochar & Tarbet Station, we observe the tranquil beauty of Loch Lomond. We leave Crianlarich, where the Oban line branches off, and head for the wild and desolate Rannoch Moor. We pass by Loch Treig and through the amazing Monessie Gorge. The highest mountain in Scotland at 4,418ft, Ben Nevis, comes into view as we approach Fort William where we arrive in the mid afternoon. Overnight accommodation is in Fort William.

Continued overleaf.


Bob Green

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Tour Summary

Premier ClassPrice per person: £2755 Single Supplement: £395 Optional trip to Aberdeen £175

First ClassPrice per person: £1850 Single Supplement: £340 Optional trip to Aberdeen £125

Tables for two can be guaranteed in Premier Class and First Class for a supplement of £159 per person. (subject to availability)

Premier class includes:

• Eight nights overnight accommodation and breakfast in 3 and 4-star hotels

• Eight lunches served on the train

• Four breakfasts served on the train

• Five dinners and one Afternoon tea silver served at your seat on the train

• Seats will be in first class open coaches with comfortable deep cushioned Pullman style seats

• Apart from breakfast, other meals at the hotels will be at your own expense

First class includes:

• Overnight accommodation and breakfast in 3 star hotels

• Coffee or tea and Danish pastries

• Afternoon tea and biscuits served at your seat

• Seating is in first class open coaches with tables for two (supplement £159 per person) or four

• Apart from breakfast other meals in hotels will be at your own expense

Optional steam trip from Edinburgh to Aberdeen – 24.04.13This includes a Premier class reserved seat, full Scottish Breakfast and 3-course lunch with tea or coffee. First class seats are also available including Danish Pastries with orange juice, morning coffee or tea, afternoon tea or coffee served with a selection of finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream.

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Friday 26th AprilSteam on the Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig routesTrain 1 – Inverness to Fort WilliamWe depart from Inverness steam-hauled by LMS ‘Black 5’ No. 44871. Premier class passengers will be silver served a full Scottish Breakfast at their seats soon after departure. We pass over the Caledonian Canal on the Clachnaharry Swing Bridge, then take the Kyle line at Dingwall; possibly the most scenic line in the country. The route takes us up to Raven Rock Summit and Luib Summit before we stop at Achnashellach for the locomotive to take water. We descend to the shores of Loch Carron and experience fine views of the lochs and mountains. At Kyle of Lochalsh we join road coaches which take us on a scenic tour over the Skye Bridge on to the Isle of Skye and to Armadale. Here we take the ferry to Mallaig. On arrival at Mallaig our special train will be waiting with steam locomotive No. 61994 “The Great Marquess”. We enjoy a scenic journey east passing the Sands of Morar and crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct en route to Fort William and our overnight accommodation.

Train 2 – Fort William to InvernessWe depart from Fort William, steam-hauled by K4 class 2-6-0 No. 61994, for our journey to Mallaig. We cross the impressive Caledonian Canal at Banavie and run beside Loch Linnhe. The splendid curved Glenfinnan Viaduct is a masterpiece of engineering famous in its own right but given greater prominence recently through the Harry Potter films. Take the opportunity to photograph it, it’s a fabulous sight. We are travelling through some of the most breathtaking scenery that Scotland has to offer. The beautiful colours of the glens and lochs stand out in contrast against the sombre tones of the mountains. There are views of the Atlantic Ocean and distant islands before we reach Mallaig. On arrival at Mallaig we join a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. Here road coaches will be waiting to take us on a scenic tour through the Isle of Skye and over the Skye Bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh. Here our special train will be waiting for us and we shall be steam-hauled to Inverness by ex-LMS ‘Black 5’ No. 44871. Overnight accommodation is in Inverness.

Saturday 27th AprilThe best of Scottish Scenery en route to EdinburghTrain 1 – Fort William to EdinburghWe depart from Fort William mid-morning steam-hauled by former LNER 2-6-0 No. 61994 “The Great Marquess”. We climb out of Fort William through the Monessie Gorge and pass Roy Bridge before tackling the steepest part of the climb up to Corrour (1,350 ft.), the second highest summit on British Railways. We cross Rannoch Moor and continue through Tyndrum to Crianlarich where our steam locomotive takes on water. We face another stiff climb up to Glen Douglas before reaching Garelochhead. From here “The Great Marquess” will haul our train through Helensburgh and Dumbarton to Edinburgh Waverley. Overnight accommodation is in Edinburgh.

Train 2 – Inverness to Edinburgh over the Highland Main LineWe depart from Inverness late morning hauled by No. 70013 “Oliver Cromwell”. We make the arduous climb up to Slochd Summit (1,315 ft.), probably the most gruelling climb on the whole network. We climb for 13 miles at 1 in 60


Bob Green

Bob Green

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followed by another 10 miles at mostly 1 in 60. We descend through Aveimore before commencing the climb to Druimuachdar Summit (1,484 ft.), the highest summit on Britain’s railways. We continue to descend through the Highlands, passing Blair Athol and Pitlochry, before arriving in Perth where our steam locomotive takes on water. On leaving Perth we take the Glasgow main line and climb up to Gleneagles and Dunblane. There are fine views of Stirling Castle after we pass through Bridge of Allan. We continue to Edinburgh Waverley and transfer to our hotels for overnight accommodation.

Sunday 28th AprilNo. 4472 Flying Scotsman from Edinburgh to York and No. 60007 “Sir Nigel Gresley” from York to London King’s CrossOur train leaves Edinburgh in the morning and heads along the East Coast main line hauled by arguably the world’s most famous steam locomotive, “Flying Scotsman”.

We pass over the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick upon Tweed and enjoy fine views of the North Sea as we pass through Northumbria. We cross over the River Tyne leaving Newcastle and enjoy magnificent views of the cathedral at Durham. On arrival at York there will be a break while locomotives are changed. We leave York hauled by ex-LNER A4 class Pacific No. 60007 “Sir Nigel Gresley” and we have requested a fast run back to London King’s Cross. This will be the culmination of our epic all steam tour of Britain.


Bob Green

Bob Green

Luggage

All luggage transfers from Newquay to Edinburgh are taken care of by RTC. Passengers are responsible for taking their own luggage to the train in London, to the first hotel in Newquay, and then to the train from the last hotel in Edinburgh. All other transfers between hotels and trains are made by RTC.

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Tour Summary

Premier ClassPrice per person: £2755 Single Supplement: £395 Optional trip to Stranraer £175

First ClassPrice per person: £1850 Single Supplement: £340 Optional trip to Stranraer £125

Tables for two can be guaranteed in Premier Class and First Class for a supplement of £159 per person. (subject to availability)

Premier class includes:

• Eight nights overnight accommodation and breakfast in 3 and 4-star hotels

• Eight lunches served on the train

• Four breakfasts served on the train

• Five dinners and one Afternoon tea silver served at your seat on the train

• Seats will be in first class open coaches with comfortable deep cushioned Pullman style seats

• Apart from breakfast, other meals at the hotels will be at your own expense

First class includes:

• Overnight accommodation and breakfast in 3 star hotels

• Coffee or tea and Danish pastries

• Afternoon tea and biscuits served at your seat

• Seating is in first class open coaches with tables for two (supplement £159 per person) or four

• Apart from breakfast other meals in hotels will be at your own expense

Optional steam trip from Edinburgh to Aberdeen – 24.04.13This includes a Premier class reserved seat, full Scottish Breakfast and 3-course lunch with tea or coffee. First class seats are also available including Danish Pastries with orange juice, morning coffee or tea, afternoon tea or coffee served with a selection of finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream.

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The Cock O’The North

ThursdayHighland Chieftain to InvernessWe join the Highland Chieftain train for the journey from London King’s Cross Station to Inverness via York. En route, a light lunch will be served at our seats. We speed along the East Coast Main Line, as we head north, passing through Newcastle, Edinburgh and Perth. At Inverness we check in to our 3-star hotel for two nights. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant. (L D)

FridayStrathspey Railway and the Keith & Dufftown RailwayOur road coach takes us to Aviemore where we join a Strathspey Railway steam train for the journey to Broomhill and back. With the Cairngorm Mountains close by, the area is a favourite tourist attraction because of its natural beauty. We rejoin our road coach to travel from Aviemore to Dufftown, where lunch will be served in the Buffer Stop, a railway restaurant car. We take a return trip by vintage diesel rail car on the 11 mile long Keith and Dufftown Railway, the most northerly heritage railway in the UK. It passes through spectacular scenery, with glimpses of the varied wildlife, along a river valley and climbing through dense pine forests.

To end the day, we visit a traditional Highland whisky distillery before returning to our hotel in Inverness. (B L D)

SaturdayInverness to Kyle of Lochalsh by TrainAfter a traditional Scottish breakfast, we have the morning to explore or relax in Inverness before boarding the early afternoon service train bound for Kyle of Lochalsh. Our luggage is transported by privately chartered road coach, which follows our progress over the next three days. We pass through forests, alongside lakes overlooked by mountains, then run along the shores of Loch Carron, a sea inlet. The line has been voted one of the most scenic in Britain. From Kyle of Lochalsh, we take a coach journey over the Skye Bridge and on to the Isle of Skye. We travel to Portree, the main town and capital of the island, which is known for its picturesque harbour. We check in at The Royal Hotel which will be our base for the next two nights. (B D)

SundayTour of SkyeToday, we have a tour guide for the day as we explore the fascinating Isle of Skye by road coach. We shall see the Black Cuillins, mountains of jagged bare rock with twelve summits above

3,000 feet. We return to Portree where there will be time to look around and there will be time to enjoy a picnic lunch. We shall also visit the north of the island, including the Flora MacDonald Memorial Cross and the romantic and historic Dunvegan Castle, ancient home of the MacLeods. Skye is renowned for its spectacular scenery, vibrant culture and heritage, as well as its abundant wildlife, which includes the golden eagle, sea eagle, red deer and otter. As always we will stop the coach for photography and filming when appropriate. (B L D)

MondayFerry to Mallaig for Jacobite Steam Train TripAfter breakfast, we say farewell to Portree and head south by road coach to Armadale where we catch the ferry to Mallaig, a boat journey of around thirty minutes. On arrival at Mallaig there will be time to explore the village and find lunch before joining The Jacobite steam train to Fort William, for another unforgettable journey. Described as one of the great railway journeys of the world, the Jacobite takes us for forty two miles through some of the most magnificent scenery that Scotland has to offer. Apart from the mountain and sea views, it crosses the world famous twenty-one arches of the Glenfinnan

UK Tours - The Cock O’The North

This tour explores the north of Scotland and avoids busy roads by using fast trains and travelling First Class to and from the North. Highlights of the tour include visits to preserved steam railways, the spectacular train journeys from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and from Mallaig to Fort William, plus two nights on the Isle of Skye.

A special coach handles our luggage, accompanying us throughout the Scottish part of our tour. We take advantage of the contemporary First Class Lounge at London’s King’s Cross Station which provides a peaceful space in which to relax prior to our journey.

Thursday 16th to Tuesday 21st May, Thursday 4th to Tuesday 9th Julyand Thursday 5th to Tuesday 10th September 2013

Bob Green

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Viaduct. On arrival at Fort William we rejoin our road coach for the journey to Inverness, passing through the Great Glen with its many lochs. We shall also travel the whole length of the famous Loch Ness. At Inverness we check in to our hotel. (B D)

TuesdayThe Highland Chieftain back to LondonWe enjoy an early breakfast at our hotel before transferring to the railway station to join the Highland Chieftain for our return journey. We can relax in our First Class seats as we leave Inverness and pass through the Highlands, a wonderful experience, en route to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and London King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on the journey south. (B L)

Approx. timings Outward ReturnLondon King’s Cross 12:00 15:54Peterborough 11:58* 15:26*York 13:54 13:53Inverness 20:11 07:55*Passengers from Peterborough change trains at York on both outward and return journeys.

UK Tours - The Cock O’The North

Tour Summary

London (Price per person) £1230 Peterborough (Price per person) £1195 York (Price per person) £1160 Single supplement £145

Price includes:

• First class rail travel to Inverness and return, from London, Peterborough or York, with at-seat dining

• 5 nights bed and breakfast at good quality 3 star hotels

• 5 dinners

• 4 lunches

• Our own road coach to transport luggage for the duration in Scotland leaving you free to enjoy the train rides and other journeys

• First class rail travel on The Jacobite from Mallaig to Fort William

• Standard class rail travel between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh (First Class not provided on this train)

• All train travel, transfers and tours

• Reserved seats

• The services of a tour manager

Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

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Derek Phillips

Perth

Stirling

Boat of GartenKyle

Ft. William

Skye

Mallaig

InvernessBroomhill

KeithDufftown

Edinburgh

To the South

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The Western Isles

TuesdayHighland Chieftain to ScotlandWe wave goodbye to London’s King’s Cross Station aboard the Highland Chieftain train and en route a light lunch will be served at your seat. We stop at York where more passengers may join the train, including those who have travelled by service train from Peterborough. The train continues its journey along the East Coast Main Line via Newcastle and Edinburgh and on to Stirling. From there, a coach takes us to The Inn at Inverbeg for dinner and overnight accommodation. The Inn is located in beautiful countryside on the banks of Loch Lomond and enjoys stunning views of both the Loch and Ben Lomond. It also prides itself on its excellent customer service. (L D)

WednesdayLake Cruise on Loch LomondAfter a leisurely breakfast, and perhaps a stroll by the Loch, our road coach takes us the short distance to Tarbet where we have a private cruise on Loch Lomond, with a light lunch provided. We rejoin our coach to travel the short distance to Arrochar and Tarbet Station to catch a train to Fort William. The route passes through spectacular scenery, crossing the remote Rannoch Moor, to Fort William. The town is located in an enviable position on Loch Linnhe with the majestic Ben

Nevis, at 4,406 feet Britain’s highest mountain, as its backdrop. Our train is due to arrive at 16:09 and we check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

ThursdayThe Jacobite and over the Sea to SkyeDescribed as one of the great railway journeys of the world, The Jacobite steam train takes us for 42 miles through some of the most magnificent scenery that Scotland has to offer. Apart from the mountain and sea views, it crosses the world famous twenty-one arch Glenfinnan Viaduct. The final destination is Mallaig, where we have around two hours to explore the village and fishing port and find lunch. We board the ferry for the Isle of Skye. At Armadale we rejoin our road coach which, as always, has followed us with our luggage, to travel to our hotel in Portree. (B D)

FridaySkye and Harris IslandsOur coach takes us across Skye to Uig, pausing a few times for us to take in the scenery. Our ferry departs at around 14:00 for the one and half hour crossing to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. We travel onwards through the bleak landscape of Harris and Lewis to the island’s capital, Stornoway, where we stay at a hotel for two nights. (B D)

SaturdayThe Isle of LewisToday we have a guided coach tour of the Isle of Lewis, including the Butt of Lewis with its lighthouse, and the Calanais Stone Circle. These spectacular prehistoric standing stones form dramatic avenues with a circle of large monoliths at the centre. They were almost totally covered with peat until the mid-19th Century. We stop for lunch on our journey. (B L D)

SundayLochinverThis morning we have time to relax in Stornoway. We join the ferry for Ullapool to return to the mainland before travelling on to Lochinver, a pleasant village with a beautiful harbour and a magnificent mountain backdrop. We stay here for two nights at the luxurious Inverlodge Hotel, set on a hillside overlooking the bay. All rooms have splendid views and deer often appear on the lawns outside. (B D)

MondayNorth West Scottish HighlandsOur road coach takes us to discover the remote, impressive landscape of the North West Highlands, which offer deserted sandy beaches and spectacular mountain scenery.

UK Tours - The Western Isles

Scotland is just on your doorstep and it is so beautiful! This wonderful tour explores the north-west of Scotland, avoiding busy roads by travelling on fast trains in comfortable First Class seats for the journeys to and from the north. Highlights of the tour include visiting areas where other tours do not normally go, such as the Isles of Harris and Lewis and the beautiful region beyond Ullapool, plus a trip on The Jacobite steam train.

A coach handling our luggage will accompany us throughout Scotland. We take advantage of the contemporary First Class Lounge at London’s King’s Cross Station which provides a peaceful space to relax prior to our journey.

Tuesday 11th to Wednesday 19th June, Tuesday 6th to Wednesday 14th Augustand Tuesday 17th to Wednesday 25th September 2013

Bob Green

11

The tour passes through Scourie and Laxford Bridge before arriving at Durness, where there will be time for lunch. (B D)

TuesdayDunrobin Castle and InvernessWe depart by road coach along mountain roads to Lairg and Dunrobin Castle. The Castle is located on high terraces from where there are views across its wonderful gardens to the sea beyond. A highlight of the visit will be the falconry display. We have lunch in the Castle before transferring to Golspie Station where we board a train to Inverness. Upon arrival we check in to our hotel. (B L D)

WednesdayThe Highland Chieftain back to LondonWe enjoy an early breakfast at our hotel before transferring to the railway station to join the Highland Chieftain for our return journey. We can relax in our First Class seats as we leave Inverness and pass through the Highlands, a wonderful experience, en route to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and London King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on the journey south. (B L)

Approx. timings Outward Return London King’s Cross 12:00 15:54 Peterborough 11:58* 15:26* York 13:54 13:53 Stirling 17:19 ------- Inverness ------- 07:55 *Passengers from Peterborough change trains at York on both outward and return journeys.

UK Tours - The Western Isles

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• First class rail travel from London to Stirling and Inverness to London with at-seat dining

• 8 nights half board accommodation in 3 star hotels

• 5 Lunches

• All train travel and coach transfers mentioned in the itinerary

• First class rail travel on The Jacobite from Fort William to Mallaig

• Standard class rail travel between Arrochar and Fort William and Golspie and Inverness (First Class not provided on these trains)



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Bob Green

EdinburghGlasgow

Stirling

HelmsdaleStornaway

Ullapool

Inverness

Perth

Uig

MallaigFort William

12

The Summer Highlander

Tuesday 16th JulyHighland Chieftain to ScotlandAt mid-day the Highland Chieftain train leaves London’s King’s Cross Station bound for Inverness. It stops at York to collect further passengers, including those who have travelled by service train from Peterborough. As we speed along the East Coast Main Line a light lunch will be served at our seats. We pass through Newcastle, Edinburgh and Perth en route to Kingussie, from where we transfer by road coach to our hotel in Fort William. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant. (L D)

Wednesday 17th JulyThe Jacobite and over the Sea to SkyeThe Jacobite steam train is described as one of the great railway journeys of the world. It takes us for 42 miles through some of the most magnificent scenery that Scotland has to offer. Apart from stunning mountain and sea views, it crosses the world famous twenty-one arch Glenfinnan Viaduct. The final destination is Mallaig, where there will be around an hour to explore this attractive fishing port and then board the ferry for the Isle of Skye. At Armadale we rejoin our road coach which, as always, has followed us with our luggage. We travel through Kyleakin and Broadford on the picturesque Isle of Skye before crossing the famous Skye Bridge, which links Skye to the Kyle of Lochalsh.

At Kyle of Lochalsh we board the late afternoon service train to Inverness and travel along one of Europe’s most scenic railway lines. We run alongside Loch Carron, then enjoy superb views of lochs and mountains, and pass through forests, en route to Inverness, where we arrive around 20:00. We transfer to our hotel which will be our base for 3 nights. Dinner will be served at our hotel. (B D)

Thursday 18th JulyThe Far NorthBreakfast is served in the hotel restaurant before we depart by road coach to Dunrobin Castle. Here a piper will greet us and lead us to the castle which is perched high above the seashore. We shall have a tour of the castle and its grounds, including a falconry display, before taking a light lunch. We rejoin our coach and continue northbound to John O’Groats, with its tiny harbour and views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkneys. We visit the Castle of Mey before arriving at Thurso Railway Station where we join a ScotRail service train to Inverness. The railway takes a different route to the road, thus providing a fresh perspective on the region’s wonderful scenery. On arrival at Inverness we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 19th JulyThe Strathspey and Keith & Dufftown RailwaysToday, our road coach takes us to Aviemore where we join a Strathspey Railway steam train for the journey to Broomhill and return. Our train will travel through the countryside at a leisurely pace, with the Cairngorm Mountains in view, allowing us to fully appreciate the scenery in an area famous for its stunning natural beauty. On arrival back at Aviemore, our coach takes us to Dufftown, where lunch will be served in the Buffer Stop, a railway restaurant car. We take a return trip by vintage diesel rail car on the 11 mile long Keith and Dufftown Railway, the most northerly heritage railway in the UK. It passes through spectacular scenery, with glimpses of the varied wildlife, along a river valley and climbing through dense pine forests. To complete our day, we have a visit to a traditional Highland whisky distillery before we return to our hotel in Inverness. (B L D)

UK Tours - The Summer Highlander

This tour allows us to travel to and from Scotland by fast trains, avoiding busy roads and making the journeys even more enjoyable by travelling First Class. Highlights of the tour include travel by train on preserved steam railways, the spectacular train journeys from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and from Mallaig to Fort William, and the Isle of Skye.

We are accompanied throughout Scotland by a road coach that will handle our luggage. We take advantage of the contemporary First Class Lounge at London’s King’s Cross Station which provides a peaceful space in which to relax prior to our journey.

Tuesday 16th to Saturday 20th July 2013

Derek Phillips

13

Saturday 20th JulyThe Highland Chieftain back to LondonWe enjoy an early breakfast at our hotel before transferring to the railway station to join the Highland Chieftain for our return journey. We can relax in our First Class seats as we leave Inverness and pass through the Highlands, a wonderful experience, en route to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and London King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on the journey south. (B L)

Approx. timings Outward Return London King’s Cross 12:00 15:54 Peterborough 11:58* 15:26* York 13.54 13:53 Kingussie 19:16 ------- Inverness ------- 07:55 *Passengers from Peterborough change trains at York on both outward and return journeys.

UK Tours - The Summer Highlander

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• First class rail travel on the Highland Chieftain and on The Jacobite Steam train

• Standard class rail travel between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness and between Thurso and Inverness (First Class not provided on these trains)

• 4 nights accommodation in a twin, double or single room

• 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners


July 2013

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Snowdonia and the Northern Fells

FridayExplore LiverpoolWe meet at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Liverpool, located opposite Lime Street Station, which will be our base for two nights. Arrive at your leisure giving you time, if you wish, to explore this fine city. Dinner and overnight accommodation is at the Holiday Inn Hotel. (D)

SaturdayThe Settle to Carlisle RailwayToday we join the “Cumbrian Mountain Express” steam train at Liverpool Lime Street Station. Our journey begins with an impressive exit from the station hauled by a magnificent Pacific locomotive, either “Duchess of Sutherland” or “Oliver Cromwell”. Breakfast will be served at our seats soon after departure. We head north to Preston and Carnforth then skirt the Lake District before entering the Lune Valley. Our steam locomotive will be fully extended as we begin the ascent to the summit of Shap Fell. Descending through Penrith North Lakes, we halt at Carlisle for a two hour break and time to explore the Border City. Leaving Carlisle we join the Settle and Carlisle Railway, climbing up through Langwathby and Culgaith and pausing for water at the market

town of Appleby. Spectacular scenery follows as we climb the steep gradient to Ais Gill summit and pass through Dent Dale, with the Peaks of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent dominating the landscape. Twenty major viaducts and fourteen tunnels culminate in the magnificent 24 arch Ribblehead Viaduct. As we continue back to Liverpool Lime Street, we enjoy a four course dinner, silver-served at our seats. We stay overnight at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. (B D)

SundaySteam along the North Wales Coast After breakfast we join the “North Wales Coast Express” special steam train at Liverpool Lime Street Station and take our reserved 1st class seats. Hauled by steam locomotive No. 6201 “Princess Elizabeth”, we take the Liverpool to Manchester Railway route of 1830 before joining the West Coast Main Line to Warrington. On leaving Chester we cross the River Dee and enter Wales, running along the Dee Estuary and then beside the Irish Sea as we pass Prestatyn and Rhyl. This coastline is known for its stunning beaches and, at Colwyn Bay, we have fantastic views of the Great Orme. We pass through several small seaside resorts on the Irish Sea coast before

arriving at Bangor. Here we transfer by road coach to Penrhyn Castle for a short visit. This dramatic neo-Norman fantasy, with extensive grounds, was built in the early 19th Century for a wealthy Welsh family. It is crammed with fascinating objects and has a stable block which contains an industrial railway, dolls, and model railway museums. Afterwards our coach takes us across Anglesey to Holyhead where we rejoin our steam train for the return journey to Llandudno. We walk to the Imperial Hotel and check in for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

MondayThe Snowdon Mountain and Welsh Highland RailwaysThis morning we transfer to Llanberis Station for a diesel trip on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, with its superb summit views, weather permitting! Back in Llanberis there will be some free time to explore this delightful Snowdonian town and have lunch. In the afternoon we take a trip on the newly completed Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, through the magnificent Snowdonia National Park. This fantastic forty mile journey, steam hauled by a two foot narrow gauge Garratt locomotive, begins

UK Tours - Snowdonia and The Northern Fells

This popular tour to Cumbria and around North Wales features main line steam trips and steam trains on ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’.

Main line trips include travel over the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway, along the picturesque North Wales coast line, and up the dramatic Conway Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog. We travel on an interesting variety of ‘Great Little Trains’ including the Snowdon Mountain, Ffestiniog, Talyllyn, Welshpool and Llanfair, and Vale of Rheidol Railways. One highlight of the tour is to travel over the railway wonder of the 21st Century, the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway.

These journeys by steam train present a very special way of seeing some of the best scenery in the British Isles. All in all a steam epic! With limited spaces available, we recommend early booking to secure a place.

Friday 26th July to Thursday 1st AugustFriday 16th to Thursday 22nd August 2013

Toby Smith (Age 14)

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close to Caernarfon Castle. It takes us through spectacular mountain scenery, Beddgelert, and the famous Aberglaslyn Pass. On arrival at Porthmadog, we return by road coach to the Imperial Hotel in Llandudno, for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

TuesdayA Steam spectacular to Blaenau Ffestiniog; the Ffestiniog RailwayAfter breakfast we take a ride on the 3’6” gauge Great Orme Tramway from Llandudno Victoria Station to Great Orme Summit Station. Afterwards we go to Llandudno Junction Station to join ‘The Welsh Mountaineer’ special steam train to Blaenau Ffestiniog. It will be hauled by a former LMS ‘Black 5’ or ‘8F’ steam locomotive along this incredibly steep branch line, climbing uphill into Snowdonia through Betws-y-Coed and Pont-y-Pant to Blaenau Ffestiniog. There will be around two hours to explore Blaenau Ffestiniog and find lunch before we travel on the Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog. We transfer to Portmeirion where we have dinner and overnight accommodation at The Hotel Portmeirion. (B D)

WednesdayThe Cambrian Coast and Talyllyn RailwayAfter breakfast we transfer to Porthmadog Railway Station where we join a service train for the scenic journey south along the Cambrian coast to Tywyn. At Tywyn we travel on the narrow gauge Talyllyn Railway (TR) for the full length of the line to Nant Gwernol and return.

On return to Tywyn, there will be a tour of the TR museum and time to purchase lunch. We then board a service train from Tywyn to Aberystwyth where we have dinner and overnight accommodation at the Marine Hotel. (B D)

ThursdayVale of Rheidol Railway and Welshpool and Llanfair RailwayToday we travel on the Vale of Rheidol Railway from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge. From Devil’s Bridge we transfer by road coach to Welshpool. There will be time to find some lunch in Welshpool before we begin our journey on the picturesque 2’6” gauge Welshpool and Llanfair Railway. We take an enjoyable steam hauled ride through the delightful Banwy Valley to Llanfair Caereinion, and return to Welshpool. From here we return to Liverpool by road coach, calling at Chester Station on the way for the convenience of customers who may wish to catch a train there for their homeward journey. (B)

UK Tours - Snowdonia and The Northern Fells

Tour Summary

Price per person £1225 Single supplement £190

Price includes:

• 6 nights accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels

• 5 breakfasts in hotels and one on the train

• 6 dinners

• All seat reservations and coach transfers



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Bob Green

Chris Parry

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The West Highlander Steam Express

Saturday 21st SeptemberA Royal Scot from Preston to GlasgowOur train departs from Preston hauled by steam locomotive No. 46115 “Scots Guardsman” and heads north, passing through Lancaster. After Oxenholme Lake District, the gradient begins to increase and our steam locomotive will be working hard as we climb up to Grayrigg Summit. We pass through the scenic Lune Gorge and Tebay before commencing our assault on the dramatic Shap Fell, a major obstacle in the days of steam. On arrival at Carlisle there will be a break while our steam locomotive is serviced. We cross the border into Scotland at Gretna and, after Lockerbie, face a formidable climb up to Beattock Summit. The route then drops down through undulating countryside to Carstairs and Glasgow Central Station. We transfer to Glasgow hotels for overnight accommodation.

Sunday 22nd SeptemberThe spectacular West Highland Line to MallaigWe transfer to Glasgow Queen Street Station for an early departure, at around 06:30. Today our special train will be hauled by steam locomotive No. 46115 “Scots Guardsman” for the journey to Fort William. We travel around the outskirts of Glasgow towards the West Highland Line. We shall soon be passing within sight of the famous River Clyde between Dalmuir, Dumbarton and Craigendoran. After a brief stop at Arrochar & Tarbet Station we witness the tranquil beauty of Loch Lomond. We leave Crianlarich, where the Oban line branches off, and head for the wild and desolate Rannoch Moor. We pass by Loch Treig and through the amazing Monessie Gorge. The highest mountain in Scotland at 4,418ft, Ben Nevis, comes into view as we approach Fort William around lunchtime. Here we have a short break and a different steam locomotive, K1 class No. 62005, comes on to our train for the journey to Mallaig and back.

We cross the impressive Caledonian Canal at Banavie and run beside Loch Linnhe. The splendid curved Glenfinnan Viaduct is a masterpiece of engineering famous in its own right but given greater prominence recently through the Harry Potter films. Take the opportunity to photograph it, it’s a fabulous sight. We are travelling through some of the most breathtaking scenery that Scotland has to offer. The beautiful colours of the glens and lochs stand out in contrast against the sombre tones of the mountains. There are views of the Atlantic Ocean and distant islands before we arrive at Mallaig. Here we have a break and an opportunity to explore this fishing and ferry port, to take a leisurely stroll to sample the bracing sea air, to spend some time shopping, or enjoying the excellent traditional fish and chips! We return to Fort William, make our way to our hotels for overnight accommodation and maybe ‘a wee dram or two’!

UK Tours - The West Highlander Steam Express

Join us for an exhilarating four day tour around the Western Highlands of Scotland on our own exclusive steam hauled chartered train, featuring three different steam locomotives. The tour begins in Preston, where there are good connections from London, Birmingham, The Midlands and the North of England.

There is no better way to enjoy the superb scenery of the Western Highlands than to travel through it by train. Highlights of the tour include visits to Fort William, Mallaig and Oban plus views of the majestic Ben Nevis, the tranquil Loch Lomond, the barren beauty of Rannoch Moor, and much, much more. Mountains and moorland, lochs, glens and seascapes abound as we travel the West Highland Line, the world famous Fort William to Mallaig Line, plus the Oban Line.

Our train will be hauled by an LMS Royal Scot class, two LMS Black 5’s and LNER K1 class steam locomotives. It offers the option of travel in Premier Class, with a full meal service served at your seat, First Class or Standard Class. A buffet car will be included in the train.

Saturday 21st to Tuesday 24th September 2013

Bob Green

17

Monday 23rd SeptemberFort William, Oban and GlasgowAt 09:00, after a hearty traditional Scottish breakfast, we leave Fort William, steam hauled by No. 46115 “Scots Guardsman”. Climbing out of Fort William through the spectacular scenery of the Monessie Gorge, we pass Roy Bridge, then tackle the steepest part of the climb up to Corrour, the second highest summit on British railways. We cross Rannoch Moor and continue through Tyndrum Upper to Crianlarich where we change locomotives. We set off for Oban double headed by two Black 5 locomotives 44871 and 45407, passing through Tyndrum Lower and continuing through the magnificent scenery of Loch Awe and the Falls of Cruachan. Soon after passing Taynuilt we arrive at the terminus of the line, Oban, where there will be a break for lunch. As soon as we leave Oban we begin an awesome climb where the locomotives will be working flat out to reach the summit. We begin our descent to Connel Ferry and Taynuilt, retracing our route to Crianlarich, from where “Scots Guardsman” will return our train to Glasgow. We face another stiff climb up to Glen Douglas before descending to Helensburgh and the Clyde valley. We pass through Dumbarton and Springburn before arriving at Glasgow Queen Street.

Tuesday 24th SeptemberJourney homeWe depart Glasgow Central at 09:30 hauled by No. 46115 “Scots Guardsman” travelling by the Glasgow and South Western route through Paisley and Dalry to Newton on Ayr. Here we take the freight only line to Mauchline Junction where we join the Glasgow and South Western Main Line. We continue through Kirkconnel, Dumfries and Gretna to Carlisle. We continue steam hauled climbing up to Shap summit, and then descend to pass through Carnforth and Lancaster en route to Preston.

The Locomotives

The West Highlander Steam Express will be hauled in turn by four different steam locomotives.

LMS Royal Scot Class 4-6-0 No. 46115 “Scots Guardsman” Preston – Glasgow – Preston and Glasgow – Fort William – Glasgow

LNER K1 Class 2-6-0 No. 62005 Fort William – Mallaig – Fort William

2 x LMS ‘Black 5’ Class Nos. 44871 & 45407 Crianlarich – Oban – Crianlarich

Approximate Timings

Saturday 21st September Preston 10:20 Glasgow Central 17:55

Sunday 22nd SeptemberGlasgow Queen Street 06:30 Crianlarich 10:35 Fort William 12:50 – 13:15 Mallaig 15:00 – 17:00 Fort William 18:50

Monday 23rd SeptemberFort William 09:00 Crianlarich 12:00 – 12:30 Oban 14:00 – 15:00 Crianlarich 16:30 Glasgow Queen Street 19:30

Tuesday 24th SeptemberGlasgow Central 09:30 Preston 16:00

UK Tours - The West Highlander Steam Express

Tour Summary

Premier Class £955 First Class £755 Standard Class £545Premier Class Single Supplement £100 First Class Single Supplement £100 Standard Class Single Supplement £79

Premier Class price includes:

• 3 nights hotel accommodation in Glasgow and Fort William

• 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners silver served at your seat on the train

• First class accommodation on the train

Table for two supplement £50.00 per person

First Class price includes:

• 3 nights hotel accommodation and breakfast in Glasgow and Fort William

• Dinner in Fort William

• First class accommodation on the train

Table for two supplement £50.00 per person

Standard Class price includes:

• 3 nights hotel accommodation and breakfast in Glasgow and Fort William

• Dinner in Fort William

• Standard class accommodation on the train

September 2013

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Bob Green

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Steam in Saxony

Thursday 4th April London to DresdenWe travel by Eurostar from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord. We change stations in Paris and take a French TGV express from Gare de l´Est to Frankfurt Hbf. We continue by German Inter-City Express (ICE) train to Dresden. We check in to the elegant Pullman Hotel in Dresden, where we will be based for the entire tour. It is located on the famous shopping boulevard Prager Straße, near to the railway station and the historic old town.

Friday 5th April to Saturday 6th AprilDresden Steam Locomotive FestivalThe first two days of our tour are entirely dedicated to Dresden´s amazing steam locomotive festival. This is one of the largest such events anywhere in Europe and will feature the participation of no less than 11 operational locomotives in steam, including 03 1010, 23 1019, 23 1097, 41 096, 44 14 86 and many more. You will have full access on all three days to the heritage roundhouse with is large turntable as well as the adjacent Dresden Transportation Museum with its historically valuable collection on exhibit. Each day will feature a slightly different programme, as we also make main line steam

excursions to the brewery in Radeberg, board parallel running steam trains in the scenic Elbe valley and watch the turntable shows. Where we board these special steam trains we will have especially reserved seats allocated. Filmers and photographers will find many attractive opportunities to get great shots, while travelling partners will also have the option to take a break from some of the festival´s activates and instead visit the cultural sights and historic landmarks in Dresden´s old town. For the entire stay in Dresden you will be issued with a with a week-long transit pass, allowing you full access and unlimited use of all of Dresden´s trams, busses, river ferries, funiculars and even the globally unique Schwebebahn, a mountain-climbing monorail that hangs from steel support beams and originally dates from 1901. (B)

Sunday 7th AprilDresden to Hof with 01 533Today we hit the German main line in fine style, taking the former East German flagship “Pacific” 01 533 on a long run from Dresden to Hof in Bavaria. En route our coal-fired 4-6-2 will pass through the Saxon cities of Chemnitz, Zwickau and Plauen. The scenery along this historically significant rail corridor is marked by many high

bridges passing over broad valleys below. The most spectacular of these is the one-of-its-kind Göltsch Viaduct, the largest brick-built bridge in the world! The 574 m long and 78 m high structure was built from 1846-1851 and features no less than four rows of arches on top of each other, providing a visual homage to the old Roman aqueducts. After steaming over the viaduct we pass through what used to be the East German-West German border and arrive at Hof, one the last operational refuges of 01 Class steam locomotives in the 1970s. We return from Hof to Dresden by service train in the late afternoon. (B)

Monday 8th AprilPaddle Steamer Cruise on the Elbe RiverThis day is dedicated to the exploration of Saxony by water. We take an authentic paddle steamer dating from the late 19th century for a scenic cruise from Dresden to Königstein, in the heart of Saxon Switzerland. The relaxed pace of the steamer, the rhythmic splashing of the paddle wheels, the huffing and puffing of the oscillating steam engine and the slowly passing landscape all make for a remarkably refined pace of travel - slow, pleasant and utterly serene! The ship features a full service galley and you will be able to have lunch aboard and dine in either one of

European Tours - Steam in Saxony

This new tour to Saxony offers a rich blend of railways, culture, history and nature; the finest that this region of Eastern Germany has to offer. Based in the celebrated Baroque city of Dresden, we explore the different treasures of Saxony by steam train and steamboat. Our visit coincides with the annual steam locomotive festival in Dresden, a weekend extravaganza of turntable shows, nocturnal photography and special steam excursions on the main line.

We make the most of this opportunity, including steam-hauled travel behind a variety of different main line locomotives. We also explore the area to the south-east of Dresden known as “Saxon Switzerland”. We cruise by paddle steamer on the scenic River Elbe through wild and romantic scenery passing steep rock formations, flat table top mountains, quaint market towns, and towering fortresses. We conclude our tour with visits to two of Saxony´s lesser known but all the more appealing narrow gauge railways, the Döllnitzbahn and the Pressnitztalbahn.

Thursday 4th to Thursday 11th April 2013

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two stately appointed salons or on the open deck. From the steamboat´s spacious decks we will see all of Dresden´s principal landmarks, including the impressive Baroque churches and chateaus. Further upstream we will sail through so-called Saxon Switzerland and its stunning sandstone rock formations and jagged cliffs. Shortly before approaching Königstein and its expansive, hilltop fortress dating from the Napoleonic era, we also see the distinctive tabletop mountain known as the Lilienstein. In Königstein our steamer turns around and returns to Dresden. Upon our return there you will free time to enjoy a casual evening in the city. (B)

Tuesday 9th AprilNarrow Gauge Steam on the PressnitztalbahnWe continue our discovery of eastern Germany by travelling to the Saxon Ore Mountains, close to the Czech frontier. We visit the rebuilt Pressnitztalbahn, where both the line and operating locomotives have been substantially rebuilt by dedicated volunteers. We have an exclusive chartered steam train on the line, allowing us to pause for attractive photographic run-pasts in rural scenery and at typically provincial stations. A buffet lunch with regional specialities will be served at the railway. In the late afternoon we return by chartered bus to Chemitz and then by service train to Dresden. (B L)

Wednesday 10th AprilNarrow Gauge Steam on the DöllnitzbahnToday we visit a narrow gauge railway that could be described as a “best kept secret”! We travel from Dresden the short distance to the provincial town of Oschatz from where the Döllnitzbahn runs to Mügeln, affectionately known as the “Wild Robert” amongst locals. We have an exclusively chartered steam train which will take us over the entire length of the preserved line and back. En route the dedicated crew will perform several run-pasts for us. We will have a buffet lunch at one of the idyllic station buildings along the line. In the late afternoon we shall take the service train back to Dresden. There will be free time in the evening to enjoy all that the city and its historic sites have to offer and find a restaurant of your choice for a meal. (B L)

Thursday 11th AprilReturn to LondonWe begin the return journey by taking an ICE train to Brussels via Frankfurt. We then travel by Eurostar from Brussels to St. Pancras International. (B)

European Tours - Steam in Saxony

Tour Summary

Price per person £1695 First Class on Eurostar, TGV and all service trains

Price per person £1195 Standard class on Eurostar, TGV and all service trains

Single supplement £250

Price includes:

• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotels

• 2 lunches

• All special steam charter trains as mentioned in the itinerary

• All visits as detailed in the tour itinerary

• All transfers



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Steam in Tuscany

Sunday 14th AprilFlight to BolognaWe take a direct flight from London to Bologna. On arrival, we transfer to the railway station and join an InterCity train for Rimini, where we check in at a comfortable, luxurious, 4-star hotel. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant this evening. (D)

Monday 15th AprilSteam special from Rimini to FlorenceAt Rimini Station we join our special train for Florence, where the arrival of our steam locomotive always causes a stir! This time we are hauled by a class 741 2-8-0 Crosti-boilered steam locomotive. We speed along the main line to Faenza, then take the scenic route through mountains, passing over spectacular viaducts. During this exciting journey we shall stop for photographs as well as breaking the journey for lunch in a good local restaurant. Arriving at Florence, we transfer to a 4-star hotel for two nights. (B L D)

Tuesday 16th AprilA wonderful day in FlorenceWe have a morning sightseeing tour of Florence,with an expert local guide. The city was the birthplace of the Renaissance and the focus of artistic creativity for some of the world’s greatest talents. We shall see the main attractions of this

wonderful city: the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo. The afternoon and evening will be free to explore medieval Florence and find a good restaurant for dinner. The Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David; the Uffizi Art Gallery; and the church of Santa Croce, final resting place of Galileo and Machiavelli; are all within easy reach. (B)

Wednesday 17th AprilSteam charter train Florence to SiennaWe return to Florence’s Santa Maria Station to board our train, this time hauled by an Italian 2-6-0 class 625 steam locomotive. We travel through superb Tuscan scenery heading for Sienna. We travel by road coach from Sienna to San Gimignano, a small fourteenth century fortified town. Here we take for lunch in a traditional restaurant serving specialist dishes of the region, plus good Tuscan wine! After lunch we return by road coach to Sienna, where we stay for two nights. (B L D)

Thursday 18th AprilSteam charter train around TuscanyToday we join our special vintage train, hauled by 2-6-0 steam locomotive No. 625-100, for a circular tour through Tuscany. Heading south from Sienna, we pass through Monteroni d’Arbia, Asciano, Monte Amiata and Monte Antico, through rolling vine covered hills and woodland.

Lunch will be served in a typical Tuscan restaurant before we rejoin our train and return to Sienna via the lovely medieval towns of Murlo and Monteroni d’Arbia. (B L D)

Friday 19th AprilTour Sienna and travel to PisaSienna is one of the most interesting cities in Italy, so there is plenty to see. After a city tour in the morning we have lunch in a good local restaurant, then in the afternoon we transfer by road coach to Pisa. Dinner and overnight accommodation is in Pisa for two nights. (B L D)

Saturday 20th AprilSteam through the Tuscan Hills to La SpeziaToday, our train will be hauled by one of the last surviving serviceable 2-6-2 express passenger steam locomotives of the 685 class. Leaving Pisa after breakfast, we head north-eastwards to Lucca and then take a picturesque route through the Tuscan Hills to La Spezia. This line is not used much so we shall be able to make photographic stops and take pictures of the train on the move. We stop in La Spezia for a tasty Italian lunch before returning to Pisa on board a regular service train, travelling along the coastal line. (B L D)

European Tours - Steam in Tuscany

Europe is indebted to Tuscany for its extraordinary contribution to our culture. So why not join us for a visually stunning tour across some of Italy’s most artistic regions and, of course, travel along some of Tuscany’s many delightful railways?

Our tour begins on a superb steam hauled special train in Rimini. We also visit the historic towns of Florence, Sienna, Pisa and La Spezia. Florence is one of the highlights of the tour, taking in world famous sights including the Duomo, the Uffizi Art Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio.

Sunday 14th to Sunday 21st April 2013

Neil Smith

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Sunday 21st AprilVisit Pisa’s leaning tower and return to UKOn our final morning, we have an exciting city tour of Pisa which includes the famous leaning tower and magnificent Duomo. We lunch in a city restaurant before transferring to Pisa Airport for a mid-afternoon flight back to London. (B L)

European Tours - Steam in Tuscany

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights London to Italy and return

• 7 nights accommodation in 3 and 4-star hotels

• 7 breakfasts

• 6 lunches (wine included)

• 6 dinners (wine included)

• All train travel and transfers

• All tours mentioned in the programme

• The use of local guides for city tours


• Road coach at our disposal for the whole tour to effect luggage transfers etc.


April 2012

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La Spezia

Firenze

Siena

Rimini

Neil Smith

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Austrian Steam Safari

Thursday 9th MayLondon to SalzburgWe travel by Eurostar, TGV, and EuroCity trains from London St. Pancras International to Salzburg via Paris and Munich. We have three night´s accommodation in Salzburg, at a four star hotel close to the railway station and near to the city´s historic old town. We enjoy dinner in the hotel this evening. (D)

Friday 10th MaySteam in the Alps Today, we travel from Salzburg to St. Gilgen by coach. We cruise on Lake Wolfgang, which is surrounded by mountains, and travel in fine style to St. Wolfgang. Rack and pinion mountain trains of the Schafbergbahn depart from St. Wolfgang climbing to the summit of the 1,783 metres high Schafberg. We shall conquer this mountain in the most exclusive way possible, travelling on our own chartered train pushed by an original coal-fired steam locomotive dating from 1893. Our vintage passenger coach is known as the “Kaiserwagen” as it was built originally for the use of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef. We continue to the summit of the Schafberg. Here there is an unparalleled 360 degree panorama of Austria´s highest peaks, nearby glaciers, and no less than

seven Alpine lakes below. There are three charming mountain inns at the summit of the Schafberg, providing a choice for our lunchtime refreshments during our break there. In the afternoon we return by steam train to St. Wolfgang, by boat to St. Gilgen, and by bus to Salzburg. The evening will be free to enjoy all that the city of Salzburg has to offer and find a restaurant of your choice for a meal. (B)

Saturday 11th MayAustrian Main Line and Branch Line Steam with No. 78.618Today another highlight awaits us. We take a service train for the short distance from Salzburg to Vöcklabruck, where the massive 4-6-4 “Hudson” tank engine 78.618 awaits us. This rugged locomotive of 1930s vintage will then take us for a sprint over the Westbahn main line corridor, before branching off onto the scenic Salzkammergut line at Attnang. We continue on to Gmunden, a beautiful town on the banks of Lake Traun, one of Austria´s most spectacular Alpine lakes. In Gmunden a specially chartered vintage tram will take us from the station to the banks of the lake. There you may enjoy the spacious flair of the town´s lakeside promenade´s and have lunch at a venue of your choice. In the early afternoon we

take the tram back to our charter steam train, which picks us up again at Gmunden station and takes us back via Attnang and Vöcklabruck to Timelkam. From there 78.618 carries on to its operational base at the museum roundhouse at Ampflwang and we ride along. This will especially allow us to stage several attractive runpasts once we reach the preserved branch line between Timelkam and Ampflwang. After reaching the massive roundhouse at Ampflwang, there will be time to view the many other steam locomotives stored there. In the late afternoon our trusted 4-6-4 will take us back to Vöcklabruck, from where we return to Salzburg by service train. (B)

Sunday 12th MayPaddle Steamer Cruise on the Danube and Pöstlingbergbahn in LinzAfter breakfast we travel by service train to Linz. Here we transfer to our hotel before taking a paddle steamer cruise on the River Danube. We have a late morning departure on board Austria´s last genuine Danube paddle steamer, the formidable “Schönbrunn” built in 1912. We steam westwards to Aschach and enjoy lovely views of the city, the river, and the adjacent hills, from the steamer´s stately open decks. Lunch is available on board the ship, in one of three elegantly appointed

European Tours - Austrian Steam Safari

Come with us on an all new tour and enjoy the natural beauty of Austria during the late spring as we explore the rich culture and fascinating heritage of this Central European country.

We are pleased to offer an exciting combination of steam-hauled travel on scenic mountain railways, over remote “back country” branch lines, and aboard vintage narrow gauge trains. We visit classic Baroque cities, panoramic mountain peaks, serene forest landscapes, and quaint countryside towns.

Those who enjoy filming and photographing steam trains will appreciate the photographic run-pasts which will be included as part of the programme during chartered train excursions. An additional highlight is our cruise on the last genuine paddle steamer on the River Danube, the mighty “Schönbrunn” built in 1912. Experience Austria in a whole new way!

Thursday 9th to Friday 17th May 2013

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dining saloons. There will be a short break in Aschach. Later in the afternoon the ship returns to Linz and we return to our hotel. We have an early evening excursion to the top of the picturesque Pöstlingberg, Linz´s own panoramic peak. We travel on the remarkably engineered Pöstlingbergbahn, one of the steepest adhesion-only railway lines in Austria. We return to the hotel for dinner. (B D)

Monday 13th MayWith 77.28 to SummerauIn the morning our next exclusive charter train, hauled by another powerful Austrian tank locomotive, awaits us. This time the 4-6-2 tank engine No. 77.28 does the honours, as it pulls us through the hilly countryside of Upper Austria on the curvy, single-track Linz – Prague main line as far as the border station of Summerau. En route it will need to battle numerous gradients. At Summerau we watch the locomotive reverse and travel back in the direction of Linz as far as Freistadt. There a coach will pick us up and take us into the historic town center of Freistadt, where a late lunch will be served. After lunch, we visit the local museum dedicated to the old Budweis – Linz – Gmunden horse railway, which was the first overland railway in continental Europe to use tracks and carriages, in this instance pulled by horses rather than locomotives. We will ride on an old horse-drawn train over the only operational tracks that still remain from the line. Then in the late afternoon we continue by coach to nearby Gmünd, where we check into the elegant Hotel Goldener Stern for 3 nights. (B L)

Tuesday 14th MaySteam in the Backwoods of Austria with 92 2271In the morning a coach picks us up at our hotel in Gmünd and takes us the short distance to Zwettl. This quaint town is located in the northern Austrian region known as the “Waldviertel”, which loosely translates into “Forest Quarter”. The name says it all, as this sparsely populated but wildly romantic corner of the country is dominated by gorgeous evergreens and dense woods. Zwettl also lies along one the longest standard gauge branch lines to have lost all passenger services but remain open to freight traffic. The so-called “Martinsberger Lokalbahn” is thus an exciting as well as somewhat exotic destination for us, but in fact it is a real “diamond in the rough” and offers a wonderful steam railway experience in serene nature. Our exclusively chartered steam train will first take us from Zwettl southbound to Waldhausen and then back again to Zwettl. En route a lunch buffet will be served on the train, and the driver will also pause for numerous runpasts, allowing all photographers and filmers to get some great shots of the rugged 0-8-0 tank engine No. 92.2271. One of the engineering highlights along the way is the 240 m long, stone arch and steel truss railway viaduct at Zwettl.

Upon our return to Zwettl we stay aboard the steam train and then complete the northern piece of this long branch line. We steam to the junction at Schwarzenau and then beyond over the freight-only tracks to Waidhofen an der Thaya. From there we reverse once more and return via Schwarzenau to Zwettl. After a visit to the historic town centre of Zwettl the coach takes us back to Gmünd. (B L)

Wednesday 15th MayNarrow gauge steam to Gross Gerungs and Litschau with 399.01We continue our exploration of the Austrian Waldviertel and travel on the local narrow gauge railway, which centers on Gmünd and features two lengthy branch lines both to the north and south. As a real novelty, we traverse the entirety of both the southern branch to Gross Gerungs and the northern branch to Litschau in one day! The motive power on our charter train will be provided by the distinctive 0-8+4 steam locomotive 399.01, dating from 1906. En route to Gross Gerungs in the morning, we will not only pass through the typical forest landscapes which give the region its name, but also run along some mighty castles and cross over some old stone arched bridges. On the way to Litschau in the afternoon, we will pass along some equally beautiful scenery with quaint fields and ponds. The helpful crew will put on a good show for us, allowing us to stage several more runpasts. Lunch is provided on the train. We will return to Gmünd in the late afternoon, after having cleared both branches. (B L)

Thursday 16th MayTransfer to Nürnberg, Steam in Franconian SwitzerlandOn the penultimate day of our journey we travel from Gmünd by coach back to Linz, where we board a German ICE express to Nürnberg. We arrive in Nürnberg in the early afternoon and check into our hotel opposite of the station. Afterwards we take the local train to nearby Forchheim, where we will have our last exclusive steam train charter of the tour, as a preserved German 0-8-0 tank engine takes us down the 30 km long branch line via Ebermannstadt to Behringersmühle. This part of Germany is known as Franconian-Switzerland, due to the rugged yet romantic scenery marked by cliffs and hills. Our train will have a buffet car attached and a Bavarian buffet will be served for dinner onboard. Upon our return to Forchheim, we will return to Nürnberg by service train. B D)

Friday 17th MayReturn to LondonWe return to London travelling by InterCity Express (ICE) train from Nuremberg to Brussels via Frankfurt and Cologne. At Brussels we change trains and take a Eurostar service to London St. Pancras International. (B)

European Tours - Austrian Steam Safari

Tour Summary

Price per person £2195 First Class on Eurostar, TGV and all service trains

Price per person £1795 Standard class on Eurostar, TGV and all service trains

Ground only option £1395 Salzburg – Nuremberg


Price includes:


• 4 lunches and 3 dinners

• All special steam charter trains as mentioned in the itinerary


• All transfers



May 2013

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Sardinia and the Emerald Coast

SaturdayLondon to CagliariWe board a scheduled flight from London Stansted to Cagliari. We transfer by road coach from the airport to the Hotel Mediterraneo in Cagliari for dinner and overnight accommodation. (D)

SundayOristano by steam hauled trainWe have a mid morning departure from Cagliari by steam train. Our standard gauge train will be hauled by 740 class 2-8-0 steam locomotive No. 740-303. We travel northwards along the main line that connects Cagliari with the port of Golfo Aranci in the north-east of the Island. The line is mainly single track and crosses the plain of Campidano, passing through San Gavino and Sant’Anna en route to Oristano. Here we enjoy a late lunch in a restaurant close to the sea. After lunch we continue to Macomer where we leave our special train. We travel by road coach to our hotel which is located between the old city and the sea in Bosa, on the west coast of the Island. This small town is built on the River Temo and dominated by the hilltop remains of Castello Malaspina, a medieval fortress. There will be time to explore the sights, including the Baroque

cathedral with its splendid interior of marble statues and frescos. At the end of the day, we return to Bosa and our hotel. (B L D)

MondayNarrow gauge train to NuoroAfter breakfast we join our narrow gauge charter train at Bosa Marina Station. We travel inland to Macomer, climbing high amongst the hills and giving us spectacular views over the sea. On arrival at Macomer we change to another narrow gauge train for the journey to Nuoro. We enjoy a typical Italian lunch in Nuoro. After lunch we transfer by road coach to the Arbatasar Hotel in Arbatax where we stay for the next two nights. (B L D)

TuesdaySteam from the coast into the mountainsIn the morning we take the short walk to Arbatax Station, beside the harbour, to join our special vintage train, hauled by 2-6-2T steam locomotive No. 400 or 402. Soon after leaving Arbatax Station we begin the long climb to Villa Grande, where a typical Italian open air lunch awaits.

We rejoin our train for the final dramatic climb through the spiral to Gairo, from where we return by road coach to our hotel in Arbatax. (B L D)

WednesdayNarrow gauge steam in spectacular sceneryToday, we travel by road coach to Gairo Station to join our vintage steam train and continue our journey inland. The climb up to the summit at Anulu is spectacular and the drop down to the fascinating little town of Seui, where our locomotive is serviced, is equally dramatic. At Betilli we stop at the station for lunch beside our train. It is a specially created picnic place in a superb setting, and the wine will flow freely! Our journey continues through some of the most beautiful scenery possible, high above Low Flumendosa Lake, then descending to Villanova Tulo Station. The line winds its way across the countryside to Nurri and Mandas, from where we transfer by coach to Cagliari. Dinner and overnight accommodation is at the Hotel Mediterraneo in Cagliari. (B L D)

European Tours - Sardinia and the Emerald Coast

D H Lawrence wrote that the Italian island of Sardinia had been left outside of time and history. Sardinia’s spectacular scenery, ancient roots, friendly locals and amazing little railways make this Italian island a truly magical place to visit.

A mountainous place about the size of Wales, Sardinia has a beguiling coastline and inland, narrow gauge railways run for more than 450 miles through beautiful countryside.

We travel on privately chartered trains, with steam locomotives wherever possible. The carriages for our trains are usually on display in the Sardinian Railway Museum and date back to the early 1900’s; carriages with polished teak bodies and open end-balconies providing stunning views. Mass tourism has yet to reach Sardinia and it is still unspoiled,

but the country’s narrow gauge railways are increasingly under threat. They are not, however, run down. They are fully staffed and well maintained, and the only thing missing is the passengers! Sardinia is such a popular destination that this is our twelfth year touring the island.

Saturday 11th to Monday 20th May and Saturday 19th to Monday 28th October 2013

Neil Smith

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ThursdayNarrow gauge steam train to SorgonoWe transfer from Cagliari to Mandas Station by road coach. Here we join our narrow gauge train of restored wooden-bodied vintage carriages hauled by a diesel locomotive. We head north along the scenic Sorgono branch, a line no longer open to regular traffic. At Ortuabis we enjoy a delicious Italian style barbecue, and are entertained by a local folk group. After lunch, we continue to the terminus at Sorgono, from where our coach takes us to the Hotel Taloro, beside Lake Gusana. (B L D)

FridayStandard gauge train to the Emerald CoastAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Macomer. Here we join a standard gauge service train for the scenic journey along the main line to Olbia and on to the sea-level terminus at Golfo Aranci. There are fabulous views over the Mediterranean Sea here and we stop to enjoy a fine lunch with wine. Afterwards we transfer by road coach to Palau and our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

SaturdayCruising the Emerald CoastAfter a leisurely breakfast we join our specially chartered boat at Palau harbour. Once wild, this stretch of coastline was developed in the 1950’s as a millionaire’s playground. Now, it is well cared for and kept in pristine condition. We enjoy a day’s cruise, going ashore at the picturesque Maddalena Island for lunch, and then continuing along the Emerald Coast. We call at Spargi Island along the way and stay long enough to explore the island or swim from the beach. At the end of the day, we return to Palau Harbour and our hotel. (B L D)

SundayPalau to Alghero by narrow gauge trainWe board our special vintage train at Palau Station, travelling in style aboard a first class carriage sporting plush velvet seats. We climb into the hills and pass through forests and along deep valleys en route to the town of Tempio Pausania. The line descends, crossing bridges and viaducts, as it winds its way through pretty rural villages. It climbs again before we pause at Nulvi for an excellent local feast. We continue our journey to Sassari. Here we board a service train for the journey to the coast at Alghero where we check in to the 4-star Hotel Calabona for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

MondayReturn to London StanstedAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Alghero Airport for our late morning flight to London Stansted. (B)

European Tours - Sardinia and the Emerald Coast

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights

• All rail and coach transport

• Transfers

• Hotel accommodation in 3 and 4-star hotels

• 9 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 9 Dinners

• Wine and mineral water with lunch and dinner on the island



*Please note that we shall have the services of a road coach throughout this tour to transport our luggage between hotels.

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October 2013

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Colin Boocock

Phil Lawson

C Wright

Colin Boocock

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Steam in the former Yugoslavia

Friday 17th MayFly to LjubljanaWe take an early afternoon direct flight from London to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. On arrival in Ljubljana we travel by road coach to the Slovenian Railway Museum, at the former Ljubljana Šiška Railway Station. We view the collection of steam locomotives, rolling stock and other exhibits portraying Slovenia’s railway history. After our visit we transfer to a hotel in Bled for dinner and overnight accommodation. Bled is in a scenic area and well known for the glacial Lake Bled with the iconic Bled Castle perched on a rock overlooking the lake. (D)

Saturday 18th MaySteam through the Julian AlpsToday we travel northwards by road coach through the Julian Alps to Jesenice, a steel producing town in the Upper Sava Valley. Jesenice is very close to the Austrian border and appropriately our train of vintage coaches will be hauled by Austrian 2-8-0 steam locomotive No. 25.026. Our scenic trip on the “Transalpina” Railway, which connects Jesenice in Slovenia with Gorizia in Italy, passes through the Julian Alps. The route follows rivers and lakes through the mountains to Nova Gorica, situated on the Italian border. We return to Bled by steam, where we enjoy a delightful dinner in the Mayer National restaurant. We have overnight accommodation in Bled. (B L D)

Sunday 19th MaySteam charter to TrebnjeAfter breakfast we transfer to Ljubljana Railway Station where we join our train formed of four-wheeled passenger coaches hauled by 2-10-0 steam locomotive No. 33.037. We take the electrified main line eastwards to Zidani Most and Sevnica. Here we leave the main line and head south-westwards on a single track line to Trebnje where we have lunch in a restaurant. After lunch we continue along this secondary route to Ljubljana. We travel by road coach from Ljubljana to Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, where we have dinner and overnight accommodation in the Hotel Antunovic. (B L D)

Monday 20th MayZagreb to TuzlaThis morning our road coach takes us to Zagreb Station where we board an InterCity train to Vinkovci, the main railway junction of eastern Croatia. Here our coach will be waiting to transfer our group to Hotel Tuzla in the city of Tuzla for dinner and overnight accommodation. Tuzla is the third largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in an area dominated by coal mines. (B D)

Tuesday 21st MaySteam charter Tuzla to BrckoWe have a morning visit to the locomotive depot at Buckinje, the last steam depot where Class 33 steam locomotives are in regular use. We then

transfer to Tuzla Railway Station where we join our specially chartered train hauled by Class 33 steam locomotive No. 33-504. We make a 110km round trip from Tuzla to Brcko and back. En route, there will be ample time for photographic run-pasts to record this rare occasion. Dinner and overnight accommodation will be in Tuzla. (B L D)

Wednesday 22nd MayBanovici; Oskova for double headed steamAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Zivinice where we join our specially chartered passenger train hauled by Skoda built 0-6-0T steam locomotive No. 19.12 (the only one of its type in service). We travel to Banovici where both standard and narrow gauge steam locomotives are in regular service on the coal mine railways. We have lunch in Banovici before visiting the locomotive depot. We then transfer by road coach to Oskova where there is a 760mm narrow gauge railway line. We have specially chartered a train which will be double-headed by two JZ class 83 0-8-2 steam locomotives. There should be opportunities for some spectacular pictures! We continue our journey to Turija, and then return to Oskova. We return to Tuzla by road coach for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 23rd MayBanovici and DubraveToday we transfer by road coach to Oskova where

European Tours - Steam in the former Yugoslavia

Join us on this tour of contrasts visiting countries that once constituted Yugoslavia. We commence our tour in Slovenia at the beautiful city of Ljubljana, and travel with steam locomotives from the Slovenian Railway Museum. In Bosnia we encounter regular everyday steam locomotive workings in a totally different environment, a coal mining area.

We conclude our tour in Serbia at Mokra Gora on the world’s only preserved steam operated International Narrow Gauge Railway. This may be the last time we are able to offer such a comprehensive tour to Bosnia as steam traction is in serious decline.

Friday 17th to Tuesday 28th May 2013

Chris Bailey

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we join a specially chartered train. We shall travel from Oskova to Turija and onto Banovici hauled by ex-MAV 0-8-0T steam locomotive No. 55-99. We leave Banovici after lunch and return to Oskova. From here we transfer to Dubrave where there will be time to visit the coal mine which has working Class 33 steam locomotives. We transfer by road coach to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for dinner and overnight accommodation at the Holiday Inn. (B L D)

Friday 24th MayDiesel charter to SarajevoAfter breakfast we transfer to Sarajevo Railway Station where our special train will be waiting for us. A former Yugoslav Railways (JŽ) series 661 diesel locomotive, built by General Motors and one of the most used diesel locomotives in Yugoslavia, will be hauling our train of two passenger coaches. We set off in a north-westerly direction to Duboj where we join the highly scenic and mountainous line to Pudlugovi. Here we leave the main line to travel on a branch line to Vares, a superb line with no passenger service. We return to Sarajevo and to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 25th MayBorder Crossing by Steam TrainThis morning we travel by road coach from Sarajevo to Visegrad where we stop for lunch. At Visegrad our narrow gauge train, hauled by a Class 83 0-8-2 steam locomotive, will be waiting for us. We shall travel along the latest extension to the Sargan Narrow Gauge Railway in Bosnia. Less than an hour after leaving Dobrun our documents will be checked by on-train Bosnian and Serbian customs and immigration officials before we cross the border into Serbia.

This is one of the last Narrow Gauge Steam railway border crossings in the world! We continue to Mokra Gora from where we travel by road coach to Zlatibor, a popular mountain resort in Serbia, for dinner and overnight accommodation in Hotel Mona. (B L D)

Sunday 26th MayMokra Gora and the Sargan 8Today we travel from Zlatibor to Mokra Gora by road coach. On arrival we join our special train hauled by a Class 83 steam locomotive for the journey from Mokra Gora to Sargan Vitasi. The railway was named “Sargan 8” because of the unusual figure-eight loop by which it gains 300 metre in height between the Mokra Gora Valley and the Sargan. The narrow-gauge railway line is located amidst gorgeous scenery and is described as “one of the most beautiful railways in the world”. We have lunch at Jatare Station before returning to Mokra Gora. We transfer by road coach to Zlatibor for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 27th MayNarrow Gauge Railway MuseumThis morning we transfer by road coach to Pozega to visit a fascinating Narrow Gauge Railway Museum with its collection of Yugoslavian steam locomotives of many different types. After our visit, we travel by road to Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. We arrive at around 19:00 for a farewell dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 28th MayHomeward boundAfter breakfast we transfer to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Surcin, for our return flight to London. We arrive in the afternoon. (B)

European Tours - Steam in the former Yugoslavia

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Ljubljana and Belgrade to London

• 11 nights hotel accommodation with breakfasts

• 9 lunches (some packed) and 11 dinners

• All train travel, steam charters and transfers mentioned in the itinerary



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The Golden Arrow

Friday 24th MayLondon to ParisThe “Golden Arrow” leaves London Victoria Station at around 09:20 and travels to Dover via Ashford, Canterbury and Deal. From Dover Priory Station we transfer by coach to Dover Ferry Terminal where we board our P & O Ferry for the voyage to Calais. From here we transfer to Calais Ville Railway Station where ex-PLM Chapelon Pacific steam locomotive No. 231 K8 (formerly allocated to Calais depot) will be waiting with our train. The “Flèche d’Or” will leave Calais at about 15:15 and travel to Paris Gare du Nord via the old main line through Noyelles and Abbeville. We transfer to our hotels in Paris for two nights accommodation. (B - Pullman/First) (D - Pullman/First)

Saturday 25th MayDay in Paris or steam train to PithiviersThis morning we have breakfast at our hotels. Today there is an option of a free day in Paris or a main line steam trip to a preserved narrow gauge railway. The steam train will depart from Paris Gare de l’Est hauled by class 141 TB 2-8-2T steam tank locomotive. Our route is via Noisy-le-sec, Valde-Fontenay, Sucy Bonneuil, Brétigny-sur-Orge, and Etampes to Pithiviers. Here we visit the preserved narrow gauge (600mm) railway operated by the Association du Musée des

Transports de Pithiviers (AMTP) over a section of the former Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury (TPT). The preserved line opened in 1966 and runs for 4 km (2.5 miles) mainly along the roadside from Pithiviers to Ormes and Bellébat. We shall enjoy riding over this superb preserved railway with several steam locomotives working trains for us. We return to Paris Gare de l’Est hauled by the class 141 TB steam tank locomotive. Our return route to Paris is via Les Aubrais-Orléans, Orléans, Patay, Voves, Dourdan and Savigny sur Orge. Dinner for Pullman/First class passengers is provided on the train, or at the hotel for those choosing a free day in Paris. Overnight accommodation is at our hotels. (B - Pullman/First/Standard) (D - Pullman/First)

Sunday 26th MaySteam trains to London and Somme Bay RailwayAfter breakfast at our hotels, we transfer to Paris Gare du Nord to join our train hauled by steam locomotive No. 231 K8. We depart at approximately 09.00 and follow the route of the old main line through Amiens to Noyelles-sur-Mer. Here we visit the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme (Somme Bay Railway), a preserved metre gauge railway. There will be two locomotives hauling metre gauge trains and we shall travel from Noyelles-sur-Mer to St. Valery along a section

of dual gauge track. St. Valery is delightfully situated on the Picardy Coast adjacent to the Baie de la Somme and at the mouth of the Somme River. The village is a popular tourist destination because of its medieval character and there is a wide choice of bars and cafes to visit. We return to Noyelles-sur-Mer and rejoin our train with steam locomotive No. 231 K8 for the journey to Calais Ville. Here we transfer by road coach to our ferry for the voyage to Dover. At Dover Priory Station we join our train hauled by steam locomotive No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell for the journey to London Victoria via Tonbridge. (B - Pullman/First/Standard) (L - Pullman/First) (D - Pullman/First)

European Tours - The Golden Arrow

In 2002 and 2004 The Railway Touring Company recreated the “Golden Arrow”, the famous luxury boat train of the Southern Railway and later British Railways which ran between 1929 and 1972. It linked London with Dover, where passengers took the ferry to Calais to join the “Flèche d’Or” of the Chemin de Fer du Nord and later SNCF which took them on to Paris.

We are repeating this exercise for the final time in May 2013. Steam locomotive No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell, in full Golden Arrow regalia, will haul this famous train out of London Victoria Station, probably for the last time.

Friday 24th to Sunday 26th May 2013

Hugh Ballantyne

29European Tours - The Golden Arrow

Tour Summary

Pullman Class – Sorry, sold out! Price per person £N/ASingle Supplement £N/A

First Class – Sorry, sold out! Price per person £N/ASingle Supplement £N/A

Standard ClassPrice per person £445 SIngle Supplement £36

Optional Tour to Pithiviers First Class £89 Standard Class £59

Pullman Class includes:

• 2 nights 3/4 star hotel accommodation in Paris

• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners (1 breakfast, 1 lunch and 3 dinners* silver served at your seat on the train - *1 dinner at hotel if choosing a free day in Paris on Saturday)

First Class includes:


• 3 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners (1 breakfast, 1 lunch and 3 dinners* served in the restaurant car on the train - *1 dinner at hotel if choosing a free day in Paris on Saturday)

Standard Class includes:


• 2 breakfasts

Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D= Dinner

May 2013

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Highlights of Switzerland

Tuesday 4th June London to BernWe travel by a Eurostar train from London St. Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord, then transfer to Gare de Lyon and take a French TGV directly to Bern. We shall be based at the Hotel Allegro in Bern for the first four nights of our tour. The evening will be free to visit the city and find a restaurant of your choice for dinner, possibly in the Bundeshausplatz, the large square in the heart of Bern.

Wednesday 5th JuneBern Steam Tram, Gurten Mountain Funicular and Gurten Steam TrainThere will be free time this morning to explore the city of Bern with an option to use the Swiss Pass which is valid on the city’s entire public transportation system. In the early afternoon we have an exclusive tour by Bern’s legendary steam tram. The metre gauge 0-6-0 tramway locomotive pulls a classic wooden coach with open end balconies. There will be stops for photography and filming as we pass many of Bern’s historic landmarks. Our tour concludes at the base station of the Gurtenbahn from where we take a trip on the funicular that climbs the 864 metres (2,835 ft) high Gurten Mountain. From the summit there are spectacular views of Bern, the Jura Mountains,

and the Alps. Facilities on the Gurten include restaurants, a viewing tower, and a steam operated garden railway which we shall ride on over the full extent of its circuit. There is the option to buy dinner at one of the attractive restaurants on the Gurten or return by funicular and tram to the town centre for a meal. (B)

Thursday 6th June Paddle Steamer Cruise on Lake Lucerne and Mount PilatusToday we travel on a Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon Railway (BLS) service train through the idyllic Emmental region to Lucerne. In Lucerne we board the grand old paddle steamer “Unterwalden” dating from 1902 and travel first class on the world famous Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad. Here we take a vintage electric railcar on the unique Pilatusbahn, the steepest rack and pinion railway in the world, to the summit of Mount Pilatus 2,132 metres (6,995 ft) above sea level. There will be magnificent views of other Swiss lakes, the surrounding mountains, and the city of Lucerne. There will be an opportunity to have lunch at the typical Swiss mountain inn on Pilatus before we take the railcar back down to Alpnachstad. We return to Lucerne where there will be free time to explore the city, perhaps by taking a leisurely stroll over the landmark wooden

Chapel Bridge. We return to Bern in the evening by a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) service train. (B)

Friday 7th JunePaddle Steamer Cruise on Lake Geneva and Rochers de Naye Mountain RailwayAfter breakfast we take an SBB service train from Bern to Lausanne, covering a most scenic line in the process. We board an elegant paddle steamer at Lausanne-Ouchy and set sail on Lake Geneva, one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. There will be some spectacular views of the French Alps to the south, the Bernese Alps to the east, and terraced vineyards on the nearby northern shore. Our destination is the famous resort town of Montreux where we disembark and transfer to the local railway station. Here we board a traditional Swiss rack and pinion railway for the climb up to the peak of the dominant Rochers de Naye, some 2,042 metres (6,699 ft) above sea level. From here there are spectacular views over Lake Geneva and across to the French Alps. There will be time for refreshments at the summit lodge before we return to Montreux on the mountain railway. We travel back to Bern on the famed “Golden Pass” narrow gauge railway route via Gstaad, Zweisimmen and Spiez. (B)

European Tours - Highlights of Switzerland

Join us, as we conquer the Swiss Alps by steam train and lake steamer. We journey to the top of the most majestic peaks on exclusively chartered trains and glide over the pristine blue lakes on genuine paddle steamers dating from the Belle Époque. On every day of this completely new tour, we visit a different mountain summit, arriving there in fine style and true comfort. Perhaps the ultimate “highlight amongst highlights” is our journey to the highest railway station in Europe, atop the Jungfraujoch, in the prestigious teak-bodied “Eiger Ambassador” train.

We are based in Switzerland´s charming capital city of Bern and at the famous mountain resort of Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland. Each tour member will be issued with either a 1st or 2nd class Swiss Pass giving unlimited travel by rail, bus, tram and ship throughout Switzerland and providing additional mobility during free time on the tour.

Tuesday 4th to Tuesday 11th June 2013

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Saturday 8th JunePaddle Steamer Cruise on Lake Thun and Niesen Mountain FunicularToday we travel by train from Bern to Interlaken, where we shall be based for the remainder of the tour. After checking in at our hotel there will be time to find a restaurant of your choice for lunch. In the afternoon we have a cruise from Interlaken West to Thun on the historic paddle steamer “Blümlisalp” dating from 1906. We shall pass numerous lakeside chalets and chateaux dominated by the peaks of the surrounding Bernese Oberland. Once we arrive at Thun we transfer by service train to Müllenen near Spiez where we board an historic Niesenbahn train. This funicular railway climbs to the peak of the beautiful Niesen, a pyramid-shaped mountain that has inspired many artists. The incline up to the peak is quite spectacular, as are the sweeping views of Lake Thun and the Lötschberg railway line down below. There will be an opportunity to enjoy a sunset dinner atop the Niesen before we return by funicular to Müllenen. We return to Interlaken by service train. (B)

Sunday 9th JunePaddle Steamer cruise on Lake Brienz, Giessbach Funicular, Steam Train to top of the Brienz RothornWe have a leisurely morning in Interlaken before a late morning departure from Interlaken Ost on board the immaculately restored paddle steamer “Lötschberg” dating from 1914. We cruise amidst rugged Alpine scenery on Lake Brienz, passing the Giessbach waterfalls. Our immediate destination is the Giessbach Palace Hotel, a turreted Victorian wonder perched high on a cliff above the lake. We disembark at the landing stage below the hotel and take Europe’s oldest purely tourist funicular to the hotel. The Giessbach Palace Hotel features both an excellent cafe as well as a charming restaurant where refreshments or a light lunch may be obtained. Later we take the funicular back to the landing stage and re-board the “Lötschberg” for the short journey to Brienz. There we join an exclusively chartered train pushed by a coal-fired steam locomotive on the Brienz Rothorn Bahn. There will be opportunities for photographic run-pasts en route to the summit where there will be time to dine at the traditional Swiss restaurant.

We travel back down to Brienz as sunset approaches and return to Interlaken Ost by narrow gauge train along the shores of Lake Brienz. (B)

Monday 10th June“Eiger Ambassador” to the “Top of Europe”After breakfast we take a narrow gauge Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) service train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen. Here we change on to the Wengernalpbahn (WAB), a mountain railway that climbs up to Kleine Scheidegg. The Jungfraubahn runs from Kleine Scheidegg to the top of the Jungfraujoch and is perhaps Switzerland´s most acclaimed mountain railway. It is famous for the stunning scenery during the ascent and also it’s incredible engineering which includes a 7 km long tunnel through the heart of the Eiger and Jungfrau Mountains. We have exclusively chartered the railway´s only remaining heritage train, the “Eiger Ambassador”, which features two teak coaches pushed by a teak-bodied rack locomotive. This train may be considered one of the “crown jewels” of Swiss railways and we will enjoy its unique ambience as we ascend to the top of the Jungfraujoch, the so-called “Top of Europe”. The summit area is well sheltered with a restaurant where lunch may be obtained and ice sculpture exhibits to view. There are also excellent viewing platforms outside giving formidable views of the perennially frozen Aletsch glacier. In the afternoon we return in our teak coaches to Kleine Scheidegg where there will be a short break before we descend by a different route on the WAB to Grindelwald. There will be some free time to explore Grindelwald before we take a BOB service train to Interlaken. We enjoy a farewell dinner at out hotel. (B D)

Tuesday 11th JuneReturn to LondonOur return journey begins with a German Inter City Express (ICE) train from Interlaken to Basel SBB. Here we change trains and travel to Paris Gare de Lyon by a French TGV express. We transfer to the Gare du Nord and take a Eurostar service back to London St. Pancras International. (B)

European Tours - Highlights of Switzerland

Tour Summary

Price per person £1995 First Class on Eurostar and TGV First Class 8 day Swiss Pass

Price per person £1595 Standard class on Eurostar and TGV Standard Class 8 day Swiss Pass


Price includes:

• 7 nights accommodation with breakfast in 3 and 4-star hotels

• 1 Dinner

• All special charter trains and boats as mentioned in the itinerary


• All transfers



June 2013

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Swedish Steam Safari

Thursday 4th JulyFly to StockholmOur tour begins with a midday flight from London Heathrow to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital city. On arrival we transfer to Stockholm Railway Station and travel by train to Västervik, where we stay overnight. (D)

Friday 5th JulyNarrow gauge from Västervik to HultsfredThe morning is free to explore Västervik, or alternatively there is the option of visiting the locomotive depot. We take lunch at a local restaurant. At around 14:00 our specially chartered steam train leaves Västervik on the Smalspårsjärnvägen Hultsfred-Västervik narrow gauge railway. The line is 891mm gauge, otherwise known as ‘Swedish three feet’, and runs for 72 km to Hultsfred, over the first Swedish railway to be listed as a national heritage. We travel through landscape typical of the region with dark forests, small lakes and little villages. We arrive at Hultsfred at around 18:00 and our road coach will be waiting to transfer us to a 4-star hotel in Vaxjo. (B L D)

Saturday 6th JulyOhsabanan; Anten–Gräfsnäs RailwayAfter breakfast, we leave Vaxjo and travel by road coach to the Ohsabanan (Ohs Narrow Gauge

Railway), a preserved 600mm gauge railway. We have a specially chartered train for the one hour journey (15 km) from the old paper mill in Ohs Bruk through delightful woodland to Bor Norra. On arrival we re-board our coach for the journey to Anten where we join our chartered train on the Anten–Gräfsnäs Vintage Railway. This is an 891mm narrow gauge railway which runs beside Lake Anten for much of its length. Our train will be hauled by a 4-6-0 steam locomotive for the 24 km round trip to Gräfsnäs. Refreshments will be served during the journey. We have dinner and overnight accommodation at a hotel in Vargon. (B L D)

Sunday 7th JulyMain line steam from Mellerud to Bengtsfors to Mellerud and Mellerud to KarlstadToday, we travel to Mellerud where we board a specially chartered steam train on a standard gauge branch line no longer used for regular passenger services. The line was part of the Dal-Western Varmland Railway, “the beautiful views Railway”, and passes through woodland, farmland and picturesque villages. Our train will be hauled by an E class 0-8-0 No E902 steam locomotive for a return trip to Bengtsfors. Lunch will be served in the restaurant car on the train. On arrival back at Mellerud we change locomotives to a B class 4-6-0 No. 1316.

Our train joins the Gothenburg to Karlstad main line and we continue on our journey. On arrival into Karlstad we check into our hotel where we have dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 8th JulyMain line steam from Karlstad to TorsbyToday, we have arranged a special train, hauled by B class 4-6-0 steam locomotive No. 1316, for a return trip from Karlstad to Torsby. This is another line surrounded by typical Swedish scenery with glistening lakes and quaint villages. Lunch is taken in the restaurant car on the train. On the return journey we transfer from Karlstad to Örebro, where we check in to a 3-star hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 9th JulyTour of Örebro or visit to Nora Railway Museum This morning there are options of a city tour of Örebro or a rail trip. Örebro’s old town is located on the banks of the River Svartån, dominated by the magnificent Castle which dates back to the 13th Century. The town contains many 18th and 19th Century wooden houses, and the water tower which is a popular destination as an outlook tower. Lunch is arranged in a local restaurant.

European Tours - Swedish Steam Safari

Sweden offers a wealth of interesting places to visit, with a lively metropolis, breathtaking landscapes, and a fascinating cultural heritage. It is known as the most innovative country in the world, the home of inventors and entrepreneurs but also a creative hub for fashion, music and food.

During this tour, we explore Stockholm, one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. Sweden is a remarkable place for preserved steam railways and we use many of them for travel during our trip back to the bygone era of steam. We make leisurely journeys by train through the beautiful Swedish countryside with its large forests, farmland, lakes and wealth of flora and fauna.

Thursday 4th to Saturday 13th July 2013

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Those choosing the rail option transfer by road coach to Järle Station to join a chartered train to Nora, hauled by a 2-6-4T steam tank locomotive built by NOHAB, a Swedish company. At Nora we visit the locomotive depot and workshops and then continue our journey by steam train to Gyttorp and return to Järle. Lunch will be served on the train. Those visiting Örebro will travel by road coach to Järle and be joined by the rail trip party for the journey to Grängesberg. Here we visit the Grängesberg Railway Museum, home to a large collection of Swedish steam locomotives and best known for its two steam turbine 2-8-0’s, one of which we hope will be steamed for our visit. We continue by road coach to Falun where we visit the railway centre which contains around seven steam locomotives. We have dinner and overnight accommodation at the Grand Hotel Falun. (B L D)

Wednesday 10th JulyMallet on the narrow gauge; National Railway MuseumAfter breakfast, we transfer by road coach to Jädraås where we join a specially chartered train hauled by a Mallet 0-6-6-0 steam locomotive. We have a return trip on the Jädraås-Tallås Railway, an 891mm narrow gauge railway that runs for 6 km through picturesque scenery to Tallås. After lunch in Jädraås we continue by road coach to Gävle where we visit the Swedish National Railway Museum with its magnificent collection of steam locomotives and carriages. We also view the Swedish reserve collection consisting of a large collection of steam locomotives, some of which once formed Sweden’s military reserve. We check in to a hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 11th JulyThe Uppsala-Lenna RailwayToday, we travel by service train to Uppsala for a trip on the Uppsala-Lenna Railway. Our train will be hauled by a 2-8-0 steam locomotive along this historic narrow gauge line, opened in 1876, the oldest 891mm railway in the region. It was built to provide a connection between the ironworks in Länna and the standard gauge network. The preserved line runs from Uppsala through Lenna to its headquarters at the former junction of Faringe, where we visit the railway workshops.

A light lunch is included. We travel to Stockholm for overnight accommodation in a hotel. There will be free time in the evening to explore Stockholm and find a restaurant of your choice for dinner. (B L)

Friday 12th JulyNarrow gauge railway and steamship cruiseWe transfer to Stockholm Railway Station this morning and join a high speed train to Läggesta. Here we change trains for a steam hauled trip on the 600mm gauge Östra Södermanlands Railway. This heritage railway has a fine collection of steam locomotives and an internationally noteworthy collection of passenger vehicles. We travel in delightful vintage carriages to Mariefred, where the station buildings have been maintained in period style, true to the railway’s heyday. We have over three hours to visit the picturesque town of Mariefred which is located on Lake Mälaren and famous for Gripsholm Castle, regarded as one of Sweden’s finest historical monuments. The castle is a museum containing paintings and works of art, including the National Collection of Portraits, one of the oldest portrait collections in the world, and a marvellous theatre dating back to the late 18th Century. Mariefred has plenty of restaurants and cafes for lunchtime snacks. At 16:30 we take the steamship SS “Mariefred” back to Stockholm, on a route it has sailed since 1903. Dinner will be served on board, and our overnight accommodation is in Stockholm. (B D)

Saturday 13th JulyReturn to the UKThe morning is free for a sightseeing tour of Stockholm, a city which is made up of 14 islands connected by some 50 bridges on Lake Mälaren. It is a lively, cosmopolitan place with modern Scandinavian architecture along with fairytale towers, a captivating Old Town (Gamla Stan) the historical centre, and lots of green space. Gamla Stan contains old buildings and narrow cobblestone streets leading to chic shops and cafes, and is also home to the Royal Palace and the Swedish parliament. Later, we transfer by road coach to Stockholm Airport for an afternoon flight back to London Heathrow. (B)

European Tours - Swedish Steam Safari

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Stockholm

• 9 night’s hotel accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels

• 9 breakfasts, 8 dinners and 7 lunches

• Travel by private charter trains and service trains included in the programme

• Coach transfers between stations and the hotels and where otherwise stated



July 2013

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15 16 17 18 19 20 21

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Combine Sweden and Finland – price £4595 per person for both tours, including a short flight from Stockholm to Helsinki.

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Finland

Saturday 13th July Fly to HelsinkiWe take an afternoon scheduled flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki. On arrival, we transfer by road coach to our hotel in central Helsinki for overnight accommodation.

Sunday 14th July Sightseeing in Helsinki and Steam from Porvoo Today, we have breakfast at our hotel followed by a morning sightseeing tour of Helsinki. Later we transfer by road coach to Porvoo, a town on the southern coast of Finland famed for its “Old Town” with cobbled streets and predominantly wooden houses. We have an excursion by specially chartered steam train from Porvoo to Kerava and return, along a route that is partly a preserved railway. Our train will be hauled by class Tk3 2-8-0 steam locomotive No. 1168. At Porvoo there will be time to visit the preserved railway ‘depot’, a café and shops. Afterwards we continue by road coach to Kouvola where we check in to the Culmunus Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Monday 15th July Mainline and branch line travel with Finland’s Largest Steam LocomotiveFollowing breakfast we transfer to the railway station, where we join our special train hauled by Pacific Hr1 1009. We enjoy an interesting journey by steam down to the coast at Loviisan Satama. We return by steam to Lahti. After a break in Lahti we continue steam hauled along the former main line to Hyvinkaa. Dinner and overnight accommodation in Hyvinkaa. (B L D)

Tuesday 16th July‘Pacific’ haulage from Hyvinkää to Hanko and backAfter breakfast in our hotel, we travel by road coach to Hyvinkää. Here we join a specially chartered train hauled by class Hr1 ‘Pacific’ steam locomotive No. 1002 or 1009. We take the freight-only line through Lohja to Karjaa and then the branch line to the coast at Hanko. These single track lines should provide great opportunities for photography, as they pass through scenic countryside with forests and latterly have fine views over the sea.

We return by our special train to Hyvinkää where we visit the National Railway Museum. The museum site has preserved buildings from the 1870’s and contains a comprehensive collection of locomotives, rolling stock, and many other items.Some exhibits are unique like the only surviving imperial train of the Russian Emperor. We return to Lahti for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 17th JulySteam on the Jokioinen narrow gauge railway and steamboat cruiseWe have breakfast in our hotel and then travel westwards by road coach to Humppila. Here we have a trip on the 15 km long Jokioinen Museum Railway, the only remaining continuously operated narrow gauge railway in Finland. We have a specially chartered mixed train, with passenger coaches and freight wagons, for the journey to Jokioinen and back. The railway operates five steam locomotives and our train will be hauled by a delightful wood burning 2-8-0 tender locomotive No. 6. We have lunch whilst on the railway before transferring by road coach to Tampere, Finland’s second city, where we check in to a four star hotel.

European Tours - Finland

This is the Railway Touring Company’s first tour to Finland for ‘steam’. July is the best time of the year to visit this Northern European State as it is daylight for most of the day and the weather should be warm and sunny. Finland is a country of thousands of lakes, has the largest forested area in Europe, and wildlife is abundant.

The state-owned VR Group operates a railway network serving all major cities with 1,524 mm (5 feet) Russian gauge track. There is a surprising number of working steam locomotives which can operate on the country’s main lines and this tour includes most of them. We feature two 4-6-2 ‘Pacifics’, two 4-6-0’s, a 2-8-2, a 2-8-0, an 0-6-0T, plus some narrow gauge steam. We have also included a lake cruise by steam boat. We are sure there is enough to delight most of our customers.

Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st July 2013

Hugh Ballantyne

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In the late afternoon we join the magnificent steamship SS “Tarjanne” for a cruise with dinner on the beautiful Nastjarvi Lake. We return to our hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 18th July Steam Strategic Reserve and wood burning steam haulage on the main line After breakfast we transfer to Tampere Railway Station where we join a special train hauled by Haapamäki Railway Museum’s class Hb1 4-6-0 No. 555 steam locomotive. We steam out of Tampere and head north-east to Orivesi where we leave the electrified main line and continue north through Vilppula to Haapamäki. Haapamäki is the location of Finland’s strategic reserve which contains many locomotives of all the Finnish steam types. We have around two hours to view all the stored and preserved locomotives. We leave Haapamäki on a train formed of wooden bodied coaches and hauled by wood burning class Tn 2-8-2 steam locomotive No. 1082. We travel east to Jyväskylä where we join a freight-only line that runs north through Suolahti, deep in the lake area, to Haapajärvi. On arrival we check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 19th July Steam through Lakeland scenery We rejoin our steam train after breakfast and head north along the freight only line from Suolahti hauled by wood burning class Hv3 4-6-0 No. 995. We head north to Haapajärvi along a freight only line through lush Lakeland scenery. At Haapajärvi, we change direction of travel and our locomotive runs round our train and turns.

We head westwards to Lisalmi on a non electrified secondary line, then south past large lakes and forests to Pieksemaki and on to Jyväskylä. We check in to a hotel for a two night stay. (B L D)

Saturday 20th JulySteam from Jyväskylä to VassaWe join our final special steam train at Jyväskylä and head north along the non electrified secondary line to Vassa, a seaside town on the Gulf of Bothnia. Our train will be steam hauled by Hr1 Pacific No. 1021. We return to Haapamäki by our steam train and there a class Vrl ‘shunter’ will be in steam for our group shunting in the station area. We return by road coach to Jyväskylä for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Sunday 21st July Return to UKAfter breakfast we board the morning intercity train from Jyväskylä direct to Helsinki. We transfer by road coach to the airport for our return flight to London. (B)

European Tours - Finland

Tour Summary

Price per person £2395 Single supplement £250Ground only option £2150 Helsinki – Helsinki

Price includes:

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Helsinki

• 8 night’s hotel accommodation in 3 or 4-star hotels

• 8 breakfasts, 7 dinners and 5 lunches

• Travel by private charter trains and service trains included in the programme

• All visits as detailed in the programme

• Coach transfers between stations and the hotels and where otherwise stated



July 2013

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8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Combine Finland and Sweden – price £4595 per person for both tours, including a short flight from Stockholm to Helsinki.

Hugh Ballantyne

36

Swiss Steam Express

Friday 19th July London to ZurichWe travel from London St. Pancras Interational by Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, then transfer to Gare de Lyon and take a French TGV direct to Zurich. We shall be based at a hotel in Zurich´s town centre for the first four nights of the tour. There will be free time in the evening to explore Switzerland´s largest city where most of the sights are located between Zurich’s main railway station and Lake Zurich.

Saturday 20th JulyBy Giant Steam Locomotive around Northeastern SwitzerlandWe hit the ground running, as we have haulage by one of the largest and most powerful locomotives in Europe, the formidable 4-8-2 “Mountain”, French Class 241 A 165. This four-cylinder De Glehn compound was built in 1931 in Lille and arrived in Switzerland after its active career with SNCF ended. Today it has the distinction of being the largest coal-fired steam locomotive in Europe, where the coal is still shoveled in manually rather than through the use of a stoker. We will take 241 A 65 on a thrilling main line steam special around Northeastern Switzerland, past cities, mountains and lakes. Our circular route around Mount Säntis will run as follows: Zurich – Winterthur – St. Gall – Rorschach – Buchs – Sargans –Thalwil – Zurich. We will be comfortably accommodated in 1st class

and refreshments as well as lunch will be available in the train´s dining car. In the evening you will have some more free time to enjoy all that Zurich has to offer. (B)

Sunday 21st JulyPaddle Steamer Cruise on Lake ZurichAfter a leisurely breakfast we take one of the city´s iconic blue trams to the waterfront landing stage and board the classic paddle steamer “Stadt Zürich” of 1909 vintage. We shall be accommodated in first class on the spacious upper deck. We have a four hour cruise travelling the length of Lake Zurich to the medieval town of Rapperswil, where the ‘old town’ is dominated by a turreted castle. En route we pass lakeside communities set in a constant background of hills, with the snow covered Alps to the east. Refreshments and lunch are available on aboard from a restaurant in the classy Art Nouveau saloon. When we return to Zurich in the afternoon each tour member will be issued with a complimentary transport pass which allows full use of all trams and trains in the city. This may be used to broaden the scope for individual sightseeing and exploration. (B)

Monday 22nd July Steam Motor Railcar and “Rare Trackage” in the Zurich OberlandToday we head for Zurich´s picturesque back country, as we steam over rural lines through the so-called Zurich Oberland. First we take the unique Swiss steam motor railcar from Zurich via Winterthur to Bauma. We will thus travel over some of Switzerland´s busiest main lines on a four-wheeled, single axle-driven, vertical-boiler equipped railcar at a comparatively quaint pace, as high speed express trains whisk by left and right! This is an experience as unique and exciting as it sounds! In Bauma we will change steam trains and shift onto another charter consist provided by the local preservation society DVZO. This group maintains a wonderful collection of late 19th century and early 20th century heritage stock, including ornate coaches and some really old steam locomotives. The hilly line from Bauma to Hinwil has been without passenger traffic since 1969, making it the ideal place for us stage several attractive runpasts for all filmers and photographers. We will have an exclusively chartered steam train, hauled by the society´s oldest tank locomotive dating from 1889. Our idyllic journey will take us from Bauma to Hinwil, then over the main line with regular traffic to Wetzikon and Bubikon, before we steam over the freight-only, non-electrified branch line from Bubikon to Wolfhausen, covering one of the rarest

European Tours - Swiss Steam Express

Join us on a main line steam tour of Switzerland. We shall travel, steam hauled, on exclusively chartered trains in vintage first class carriages, covering some of Switzerland´s most scenic and unusual lines. Some of the routes have not been used by steam trains for some years! Other lines in our programme are scheduled for upgrading with an ultra-modern signaling system which will render them inaccessible to steam traction in the near future. Thus our tour provides one of the last opportunities to travel over these routes. We shall be based in the elegant cities of Zurich and Bern, and to provide some exciting variety, we shall have trips by narrow gauge steam train and historic paddle steamer.

Friday 19th to Friday 26th July 2013

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bits of track in the country! The absence of any catenary on this remote branch line again makes it very photogenic and we will take advantage by staging a few more runpasts. Our charter train will include an old, four-wheeled dining car, where typical Swiss specialties will be served for lunch. In the afternoon our charter train will steam back to Wetzikon. From there we return to Zurich with the steam motor railcar, taking the route via Uster. (B L)

Tuesday 23rd July Steam in the Bernese OberlandWe move to Bern for the second part of our tour using SBB´s excellent luggage forwarding service to ship our suitcases by train to Bern. We board a fast service train to travel from Zurich to Interlaken Ost where a specially chartered narrow gauge steam train awaits us. It will be hauled by the rack and pinion steam tank locomotive No. 1067. We steam into the heart of the Bernese Oberland and into the valley below the mighty Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks. Our train climbs up steep gradients to Lauterbrunnen where the famous waterfalls, from which it gets its name, can be seen. We change trains and board a Jungfraubahn (JB) service train for Kleine Scheidegg via the resort town of Wengen. Kleine Scheidegg is probably Switzerland´s most famous panoramic railway station and there will be time there to take in the breathtaking scenery all around and to have lunch. We continue by JB service train to Grindelwald where there will be time to walk around this famous mountain resort at the foot of the Eiger glacier. We return to Interlaken Ost by our steam train and then change to a service train for the journey to Bern. We collect our suitcases at the station office and check in to our town centre hotel. There will be free time in the evening to relax and explore the Swiss capital and its medieval old town, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and find a restaurant of your choice for dinner. (B)

Wednesday 24th July Steam in the AlpsToday we have a main line steam train trip amongst some of Switzerland´s most beautiful scenery. We travel by Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon (BLS) service train from Bern to Konolfingen. Here we join our train of elegant former BLS first class carriages hauled by the 2-6-2T main line steam tank locomotive No. 5810, the largest and fastest steam tank locomotive in Switzerland.

We travel from Konolfingen via Thun and Spiez to Zweisimmen, being the first to reach the town on a standard gauge steam train for many years! There will be time to find a suitable venue for lunch in Zweisimmen before we return by steam train to Konolfingen, the base of the Dampfbahn Bern preservation society. We change trains to a BLS service train for Bern. There will be free time to relax before dinner. (B D)

Thursday 25th July Steam in Western Switzerland and along Lake GenevaWe join our special train with 2-6-2T steam locomotive No. 5810 for the longest of our steam-hauled journeys of this tour. We steam out of Bern taking the main line south-westwards to Fribourg. There we reverse direction of travel and journey through hilly and agricultural terrain along rural branch lines. We pass through the towns of Payerne, Loucens, Moudon, and Palezieux, where we rejoin the main line. We continue through the stunning scenery of the Lavaux vineyards, perched high above Lake Geneva, to Lausanne´s historic main station. There will time to take lunch in Lausanne before we steam along the north bank of Lake Geneva to Vevey and Mountreux, passing the famous Chillon Castle, on our way to St. Maurice. Here we reverse and traverse a branch line to the Swiss-French border at St. Gingolph on the south bank of Lake Geneva. We shall have a break in St. Gingolph, providing an opportunity to walk the short distance from the station to the lake promenade, perhaps choosing to have some drinks or ice cream on either the Swiss or French side of town. In the afternoon we steam back to St. Maurice, Montreux, and Vevey. We leave the main line and take the spectacular route through the terraced vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Palezieux. We continue via the main line through Romont and Fribourg to Bern where we arrive in the evening. We enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel. (B D)

Friday 26th July Return to LondonOur return journey to the UK begins by travelling from Bern to Paris Gare de Lyon by direct TGV express. We transfer to the Gare du Nord and then take a Eurostar service back to London St. Pancras International. (B)

European Tours - Swiss Steam Express

Tour Summary

Price per person £2195 First Class on Eurostar and TGV First Class 8 day Swiss Pass

Price per person £1695 Standard class on Eurostar and TGV Standard Class 8 day Swiss Pass


Price includes:


• 3 dinners

• All special charter trains and boats as mentioned in the itinerary


• All transfers



July 2013

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Rail and Fjords of Norway

Saturday 27th JulyTour of OsloWe take a morning flight from London Heathrow to Oslo where we check in to our hotel for two nights. In the afternoon there will be a sightseeing tour of this rapidly developing city. Norway has eighteen hours of daylight at this time of year and we take full advantage of this during our tour. (D)

Sunday 28th JulySteam on the Krøderbanen and Urskog-Hølandsbanen RailwaysToday, we travel by private road coach to Krøderen where we join a steam hauled train on the Krøderbanen. This is Norway’s longest preserved railway line and we travel the 26 km to Vikersund and back. Our journey, in carriages built of teak, is through changing scenery. In the afternoon our road coach takes us to Sørumsand where we have chartered a steam hauled train on the Urskog-Hølandsbanen line. There will be opportunities for the train to stop for photographic run pasts on this 750mm gauge preserved railway which was once part of the Oslo-Stockholm main line. We return to our hotel in Oslo. (B L D)

Monday 29th JulySpectacular Mountains and Fjords en Route to BergenWe leave Oslo on the morning train to Bergen¹ for one of the greatest railway journeys in the world. The route climbs to high altitude at 1,303 metres

(4,267 feet) passing lush forests, snow capped mountains, sparkling lakes, and thundering waterfalls. After Finse, the highest station on the line, our journey continues across barren and windswept mountain plateaux with everlasting snow giving a stunning backdrop. Our train passes through tunnels and beside deep fjords as it descends to Bergen where we arrive mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is free for sightseeing in Bergen, a city surrounded by hills and fjords. Locations of note include the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site; fish market; the busy quayside; and the home of Edvard Grieg. Alternatively, it is possible to take the famous funicular railway to the top of Mount Fløien for panoramic views over the city and out to sea. Bergen will be our base for the next three nights. Dinner is not included this evening providing an opportunity to try one of Bergen’s excellent restaurants. (B)

Tuesday 30th JulyCruise Sognefjord and Ride the Flåm RailwayBergen is the gateway to the fjords and today we board a ship there for a cruise along the Sognefjord to Balestrand and Flam. Sognefjord is Norway’s largest fjord and the second longest in the world at over 200 km (127 miles). Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water and pretty villages cling to the steep sides. We arrive at Flåm and find lunch ashore. In the afternoon we ride the electric Flåm Railway,

one of the steepest railway lines in the world. It climbs 865 metres in 20 kilometres through spectacular scenery to Myrdal Station. The train stops by the famous Kjosfossen waterfall for passengers to take photographs. We change trains at Myrdal, for the journey back to Bergen. (B D)

Wednesday 31st JulyBergen and Garnes to MidttunWe have the morning free to explore Bergen. Mid-afternoon, we transfer by road coach to the Gamle Vossebanen, a heritage railway near Garnes. Here we join a chartered train from Garnes to Midttun, and return, hauled by an ex-main line steam locomotive. The line is 18 km long and we will arrange for the train to stop for photographic run pasts as we pass through the Arna Valley. We return to Bergen by road coach and have dinner in the hotel restaurant. (B D)

Thursday 1st AugustCruise to Stavanger; KristiansandWe leave Bergen on the morning ferry for Stavanger, enjoying a relaxing cruise through the calm coastal waters of the south-western islands. We transfer by road coach from Stavanger Harbour to the railway station where we board a train for Kristiansand. We stay overnight in Kristiansand. (B D)

European Tours - Rail and Fjords of Norway

This tour features one of the most unspoiled destinations in the world. We experience the magnificent Norwegian fjords, travel on one of the best maintained railway systems in Europe, whilst witnessing truly outstanding scenery.

Our tour covers southern Norway beginning in Oslo, Norway’s capital, and also visiting the delightful cities of Bergen, Stavanger, and Kristiansand. We visit the National Railway Museum; travel on four preserved railway lines, including narrow gauge; and the world famous Flåm Railway.

Saturday 27th July to Monday 5th August 2013

Mike Hyde

39

Friday 2nd AugustThe Setesdalsbanen Narrow Gauge RailwayToday we travel by road coach to Grovane where we join a steam charter train on the Setesdalsbanen. This is a 1067mm narrow gauge railway that has some rare types of locomotives; including two delightful Dubbs tank locomotives, built in 1894. Later we join a regular train from Kristiansand to Hamar via Oslo². We stay overnight in Hamar. (B D)

Saturday 3rd AugustHamar Railway Museum; Train to ÅlesundWe visit the National Railway Museum at Hamar to view the national collection and take a trip on their steam operated museum line. We board an early afternoon train to Andalsnes, and then continue by road coach to Ålesund. This is Norway’s fishing capital and it is situated on several islands. We stay overnight in Ålesund. (B D)

Sunday 4th AugustCruise the GeirangerfjordToday, we board a ship for a full day’s cruise along the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is one of Norway’s most spectacular fjords and famous for its spectacularly high scenic waterfalls. We should arrive back in Ålesund by the early evening, providing time to explore this Art Nouveau town by the sea. Again, we stay overnight in Ålesund. (B D)

Monday 5th AugustReturn to LondonWe transfer by road coach from Ålesund to Andalsnes where we join a service train to Oslo Airport. We have a late afternoon flight back to London. (B)

European Tours - Rail and Fjords of Norway

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights London to Oslo

• 9 nights hotel accommodation in 3 and 4-star hotels including breakfasts

• 1 lunch and 8 dinners

• Rail travel as detailed in the itinerary

• All transfers

• All travel advertised by ship and road coach

• The services of a tour manager throughout


Please note that due to ongoing engineering works around Oslo, a service bus will be provided between:-1–Oslo and Hoenefoss on Monday 29th July.2–Drammen to Oslo and Oslo to Lillestroem on Friday 2nd August.

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Dave Ensor

Mike Hyde

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Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Monday 19th August London to LindauWe travel by train from London St. Pancras International to Lindau via Paris, Mannheim and Ulm. We arrive at Lindau in the German state of Bavaria in the evening. We check in to our hotel which is close to the historic terminus station and adjacent to the lakeside promenade. Dinner will be served at the hotel this evening. (D)

Tuesday 20th August Steam on the Wutachtalbahn in Southern GermanyWe begin our tour by travelling to one of the most scenic areas of Germany, offering everything from castles, forests, lakes and mountains. We take a Deutsche Bahn (DB) service train from Lindau to Singen via Friedrichshafen and Überlingen, travelling along the northern banks of Lake Constance. We transfer by road coach the short distance from Singen to Blumberg-Zollhaus from where the 25 km long Wutachtalbahn (Wutach Valley Railway) operates. This is one of the most unusual and impressive stretches of railway in Germany, boasting magnificent civil engineering structures but also wonderful scenery. The central section of this line is popularly known as the “Sauschwänzlebahn” (Pig Tail Line) because of the twisting nature of the route. We have a specially chartered train of vintage 1st class carriages hauled by either a 2-8-2 Class 93

or a 2-10-0 Class 50 steam locomotive. We travel from Blumberg-Zollhaus to Weizen and back and en route there will be opportunities for photographic run-pasts. In the late afternoon we return by road coach to Singen, and from there by train to Lindau. There will be free time in the evening to explore Lindau and have dinner at a restaurant of your choice. (B L)

Wednesday 21st August Mountain Steam in Switzerland After a leisurely breakfast we take a comfortable EuroCity service train the short distance from Lindau to Rorschach in Switzerland, passing through Bregenz in Austria en route. At Rorschach Station our exclusive chartered train will be waiting for us with the rack and pinion steam locomotive “Rosa” ready to push us up the hill to the quaint town of Heiden. The 5.6 km long line features some steep gradients making it an acoustic delight as we listen to the hard working steam locomotive whilst taking in the gorgeous views of the lake below. The sheer expanse of Lake Constance is truly impressive and Lindau will be visible on the other side of the water. Once we reach Heiden there will be time to walk around the historic town centre and have lunch at a venue of your choice. In the afternoon we return to Rorschach by our steam train and there will be time to walk along the lakeside waterfront before catching a EuroCity train back to Lindau. (B)

Thursday 22nd August Paddle Steamer Cruise on Lake ConstanceAfter two days of steam on land, we go on to Lake Constance today and sail aboard the “Hohentwiel”, an immaculately maintained paddle steamer dating from 1913. This boat, with its polished brass, varnished teak, and lavishly upholstered saloon seats, may well be the most lavish paddle steamer anywhere in Europe. Passengers can have a drink in the elegant Belle Époque cabin or relax in a comfortable lounge chair on the spacious upper deck whilst savouring the amazing views that unfold in all directions. The steamer offers a full catering service for those who may wish to dine on board. In the late afternoon we return to Lindau and the evening will be free to discover more of the town’s medieval centre and old market square. (B)

Friday 23rd August Steam in VorarlbergThis morning we take a service train from Lindau to nearby Bregenz, the capital of Austria´s western-most state of Vorarlberg. A road coach then takes us to Bezau, an attractive little town located in a forested region. The terminus of the Bregenzerwaldbahn is located here and we shall join a special train hauled by 0-6-2 steam locomotive No. Uh 102 built in 1931. This typical Austrian 760 mm narrow gauge railway once ran for 35 km all the way to Bregenz but today just the last

European Tours - Germany, Austria and Switzerland

This brand-new tour centres on Lake Constance, the Bodensee, a vast inland body of water which is jointly shared by Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We are based in the romantic Bavarian resort of Lindau, a medieval town that is located on an island in the lake! Lindau has a famous harbour entrance with a lighthouse and landmark lion statue. There are superb views from the town across the water to the Austrian and Swiss Alps, most notably the majestic Mount Säntis in the heart of the Swiss Appenzell. We shall take short day trips from Lindau to discover nearby destinations in all three countries, enjoying steam outings both by land and water. This tour provides cultural variety and a completely new way to experience the natural beauty of these three European countries.

Monday 19th to Monday 26th August 2013

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5 km have been preserved. We steam along from Bezau to Schwarzenberg and back and en route there will be opportunities for photographic run-pasts. When we return to Bezau, there will be time for lunch and a walk round the town before our road coach takes us to Lustenau. This Austrian town lies on the River Rhine and is home to the Rhine Regulation Railway, a unique 750 mm narrow gauge works line that was built in the 1890’s when the banks of River Rhine had to be artificially regulated. The 6 km museum line runs to the lakeside where the river enters, crossing the Austrian-Swiss border twice en route. Our chartered train will be hauled by one of the railway’s historic steam locomotives and there will be opportunities for photographic run-pasts during the journey. In the late afternoon we return by road coach to Bregenz and from there by service train to Lindau. (B L)

Saturday 24th August Lake Cruise and Swiss Main Line Steam In the morning we enjoy another classic cruise on Lake Constance, taking a vintage 1930’s triple-deck, white-funneled, motor vessel along the German shoreline. We travel to Friedrichshafen where we change on to the ferry that crosses the lake at its widest point, sailing to Romanshorn in Switzerland. As we arrive at the port of Romanshorn, we shall see our exclusively chartered steam train waiting at the station platform adjacent to the water. It will be hauled by the locally-based 2-6-2T steam tank locomotive No. 3 which was built in 1912 specifically for working over the hilly routes of eastern Switzerland. Our train will cover a circular route passing though scenic rural areas, over steeply graded lines, along a section of main line, and including track rarely traversed by steam locomotives.

We pass through St. Gallen, Gossau, and Sulgen, with Lake Constance, Mount Säntis, farm pastures, grazing cows and apple orchards providing the backdrop. A light buffet lunch will be provided on the train. We return to Romanshorn from where we take the ferry back to Friedrichshafen and the boat back to Lindau. (B L)

Sunday 25th August Steam on the Ochsenhausen Narrow Gauge LineToday we take a service train from Lindau to Warthausen which is located in the nearby region of Oberschwaben. We travel by specially chartered steam train on the 22 km narrow gauge railway that runs from Warthausen to Ochsenhausen. The scenery along the route is marked by farmhouses, rolling hills, open fields and some dense forests. It is rural Germany straight out of a picture book! Ochsenhausen is a wonderfully sleepy little town with a quaint railway station and we shall pause there for a look around. Light refreshments are provided on our train. Our steam locomotive will be running chimney first on the return journey to Warthausen and we shall stage several photographic run-pasts, a real highlight for all those filming and taking photographs. In the late afternoon we return by service train from Warthausen to Lindau. This evening we dine together at our hotel, a fitting end to our fabulous tour. (B L D)

Monday 26th August Return to LondonWe return from Lindau to London by train, travelling via Stuttgart and Paris. (B)

European Tours - Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Tour Summary

Price per person £1995 First Class on Eurostar, ICE/TGV and all service trains

Price per person £1595 Standard class on Eurostar, ICE/TGV and all service trains

Ground only option £1295 Lindau – Lindau


Price includes:



• All special steam trains and boat trips as mentioned in the itinerary


• All transfers



August 2013

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The Black Sea Express

Thursday 12th September SofiaOur flight with British Airways takes us direct to Sofia, where we check in to a 4-star hotel. In the afternoon, we have arranged a city tour and a tram ride. Dinner is at the hotel. (D)

Friday 13th SeptemberSteam to Veliko TarnovoWe transfer to Sofia Railway Station to join our special train formed of historic carriages from the Royal Train of King Boris III. The train will be hauled by 4-6-2 steam locomotive No 05.01 for the journey to Cherven Brjag. We steam out of Sofia and travel northwards via the spectacular Iska Gorge to Mezdra, an important railway junction, and Cherven Brjag. From Cheven Brjag we shall be hauled by steam locomotive No. 01.23, a 2-8-2 ‘Mikado’ and arguably the best engine in the Bulgarian steam fleet. We have some steep gradients to climb before we arrive at Veliko Tarnovo, one of Bulgaria’s primary tourist destinations having many historical monuments and landmarks. We stay at the centrally located Hotel Yantra for 2 nights and have dinner in the hotel this evening. (B L D)

Saturday 14th SeptemberExploring Veliko Tarnovo or Branch line steam with 4-8-2 No. 03.12Today, we offer a choice of activities. After a traditional breakfast in our hotel there is the option of a sightseeing tour of historic Veliko Tarnovo followed by free time for relaxation or a day trip by special train along branch lines, hauled by 4-8-2 steam locomotive No. 03.12. After the day’s activities we return to the Hotel Yantra for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Option 1: Exploring Veliko Tarnovo The city of Veliko Tarnovo is located on the River Yantra, and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. The old city is situated on three hills through which the river meanders. Tsarevets is one of the hills and also the location of a stronghold of the same name. We tour the city and discover some of its historical landmarks and afterwards there will be free time to visit the shops or maybe a museum or art-gallery.

Option 2: Steam tour with 4-8-2 steam locomotive No. 03.12We travel by road coach from Veliko Tarnovo to Svistov, passing through the Bulgarian plain en route. Our special train, formed of coaches from the King Boris Royal Train, will be waiting at the branch line terminus of Svistov. We travel southwards along the single track line and head for the main line junction at Levski. There should be opportunities for photographic run-pasts on this section. From Levski we continue southwards along another branch line to its terminus at Trojan. Trojan is noted for its monastery and it is possible that a visit could be arranged, depending on time. We return to Veliko Tarnovo by road coach.

Sunday 15th SeptemberTo VarnaAfter a leisurely breakfast, we join our special train, hauled by steam locomotive No.01.23, at Veliko Tarnovo. After a false start, for photography, we depart for Varna, taking the route via Poroyo, Sumen and Sindel, a delightful line with some steep gradients. During the journey we will call at Asenova to visit the steam locomotive reserve. On arrival at Varna we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

European Tours - The Black Sea Express

This tour presents an opportunity to travel by steam train through many of the most scenic areas of Bulgaria. We use a variety of standard gauge locomotives for a grand steam hauled tour aboard the Bulgarian Royal Train. The tour begins in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, and heads for the Black Sea Coast at Varna and Burgas. The area is well known for its major seaside resorts and vast white sandy beaches which attract many tourists in summer.

We travel on a narrow gauge steam train for the spectacular journey through the Rhodope Mountains to Velingrad, Bansko and Dobrinishte. This area has a rich cultural heritage with medieval castles, churches, monasteries, and picturesque villages with traditional Bulgarian architecture from 18th and 19th Centuries. We visit the famous Rila Monastery, the historic towns of Veliko Tarnovo and Nesebar, before we conclude our tour in Sofia.

Thursday 12th to Sunday 22nd September 2013

Assen Stoyanov

43

Monday 16th SeptemberSteam Train to Burgas; historic NesebarToday we travel by steam train from Varna along a very scenic line to Komunari and Karnobat. We then head eastwards along the main line to the Black Sea Coast at Burgas where we arrive in the late afternoon. We transfer by coach to our hotel in the ancient town of Nesebar, one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The ancient part of the town is situated on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow man-made isthmus. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its abundance of historic buildings. There will be free time to relax or take part in an optional sightseeing tour of historic Nesebar and its delightful old town. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Tuesday 17th SeptemberNesebarFree day to explore the historic Serbian town of Nesebar. In the morning we have organised a guided tour of the old town on foot. The rest of the day is at your leisure. (B D)

Wednesday 18th SeptemberTo Stara ZagoraAfter breakfast we transfer to Burgas Railway Station to join our special train hauled by steam locomotive No. 01.23. We travel westwards to Karnobat and then continue along the main line to Yambol and Stara Zagora, where we stay overnight. (B L D)

Thursday 19th SeptemberStandard & Narrow Gauge steam trains to VelingradOur train today will be double-headed by steam locomotives No. 03.12 and No. 01.23. We leave Stara Zagora and travel westwards along the main line through Dimitrograd and Plodiv to Septemvri. At Septemvri we transfer to our special narrow gauge train hauled by a large 2-10-4T steam tank locomotive No. 609.76.

Our route crosses the Plain of Thrace before climbing into the Rhodope Mountains and passing through the dramatic Velingrad Gorge with its fast flowing river. We arrive at Velingrad, high up in the mountains, a winter sports resort and one of the most popular Bulgarian centres for medicinal mineral water springs. We transfer to a hotel in Velingrad for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 20th SeptemberVelingrad to DobrinishteAfter breakfast we rejoin our narrow gauge train at Velingrad Station. We will be hauled by our 2-10-4T steam tank locomotive No. 609.76 up the very steep gradients into the Rila Mountains, through magnificent scenery. We traverse two spirals before arriving at Avramavo Kolibi, the summit of the line 1,267 metres above sea level. The route is then mainly downhill to Bansko, but levels out for the final section to the terminus at Dobrinishte. We transfer by coach to our luxury hotel in Sandanski for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 21st SeptemberRila MonasteryAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Sandanski Station. We rejoin our standard gauge train which today will be hauled by ‘Pacific’ steam locomotive No. 05.01. We travel to Dupnitsa, where we leave the train to visit the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria’s most famous monastery. We return to our train at Dupnitsa for the journey back to Sofia where we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Sunday 22nd SeptemberReturn to UKThis morning there will be an optional visit to the Sofia Locomotive Depot or alternatively free time to explore Sofia. We transfer by road coach to the airport for our early afternoon British Airways flight to London Heathrow. (B)

European Tours - The Black Sea Express

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights London Heathrow to Sofia and return

• 10 nights hotel accommodation with breakfasts

• 7 lunches (some on train, picnic lunches) and 10 dinners

• Train travel shown in the itinerary

• Transfers and sightseeing as shown in the itinerary



September 2013

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Nigel Dobbing

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The Hill Stations of India

Friday 15th MarchFlight to IndiaWe take an evening scheduled departure from London Heathrow to Mumbai.

Saturday 16th MarchArrive Mumbai We are greeted with a traditional Indian welcome on arrival in Mumbai and then transfer to the Hotel Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. Mumbai, once known as Bombay, is the largest city in India and was originally an assortment of seven islands on the Konkan coastline. It is the commercial capital and one of the port cities of India. After lunch we have a half-day guided tour of the city visiting the ceremonial Gateway of India; the Prince of Wales museum, an impressive building containing an excellent collection of artefacts from the Elephanta Caves; and other attractions. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (L D)

Sunday 17th MarchThe Matheran Hill RailwayToday, we travel first class by service train on the Mumbai Suburban Railway to Neral. Here we join

a specially chartered steam train on the narrow gauge Matheran Hill Railway. We shall be hauled by a “B” Class locomotive to the Hill Station of Matheran and back. There will be many opportunities for photography on this journey. We return to Mumbai in the early evening and have dinner and overnight accommodation at our hotel. (B L D)

Monday 18th MarchExploring Mumbai; the Nilgiri foot hills at MettupalayamAfter breakfast, the morning will be free to explore the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai, symbolised by the presence of Bollywood, the centre of the world famous Hindi film and TV industries. A choice of optional tours is available, at extra cost, including the Elephanta Caves, 5th Century rock cut cave temples on an island across Mumbai harbour; a trip to Film City for the first hand experience of Bollywood; or a guided tour through the industrial and the residential parts of Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world. After an early lunch, we transfer to Mumbai airport to board a Jet Konnect flight to Coimbatore.

On arrival we transfer by road coach to Mettupalayam, in the foot hills of the Niligiri Hills, where we stay in the small Hotel EMS Mayura. Dinner will be at the hotel this evening. (B L D)

Tuesday 19th MarchNilgiri Narrow Gauge Rack RailwayOne of the highlights of our tour is the journey by our special steam train on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, one of the oldest mountain railways in India. This metre gauge line uses a rack and pinion system for climbing the steep gradient between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. We shall be pushed up the incline by a magnificent large Blud SLM built 0-8-2T rack steam tank locomotive. There are spectacular views over the mountains during this exciting journey. We continue from Coonoor to Ooty (Udagamandalam) where the route is not so steep, with steam haulage requested. We arrive at Ooty around 16:00 and transfer to the Taj Savoy Hotel for two nights. (B L)

World Tours - Hill Stations of India

India is a mystical country of contrasts and cultural differences. It was home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires which were identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. It remains a multilingual, multiethnic society with vast differences in geography and climate. It is the seventh largest country in the world by area and is second only to China in population; it prides itself on being the most populous democracy in the world.

We shall travel around India using trains and internal flights, staying in the best hotels and seeing some of this amazing country’s major attractions along the way.

India is also home to some fascinating narrow gauge railway lines, including the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway which climbs to Ooty, and the Matheran Hill Railway. We also enjoy a trip by train on the main railway line out of Chennai, hauled by the vintage steam locomotive “Express”, which is more than 160 years old!

Friday 15th to Sunday 31st March 2013

Cedric Spiller

45

Wednesday 20th MarchSightseeing in Ooty and steam on the rack railwayThis morning we have a sight-seeing tour of Ooty and a visit to the Coonoor Tea Gardens, with lunch at the Tea Garden Restaurant. After lunch we join our private steam hauled train and travel in style from Coonoor to Ooty. There is the option to miss the sightseeing tour of Ooty and travel by road coach to Mettupalayam to join the private steam charter train there. This provides an opportunity to travel the full length of this magnificent railway again. (Steam has been requested for today but has not yet been confirmed) (B L D)

Thursday 21st MarchCoimbatore to ChennaiWe have a coach transfer from Ooty to Coimbatore airport where we board a flight to Chennai. We arrive in Chennai at around 17:30 and transfer to the city centre Hotel Courtyard by Marriott for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 22nd MarchVintage Steam on the main lineAfter breakfast we transfer to Egmore Railway Station, Chennai. Here we board a special steam train for the journey to Guindy, south of the city, and back. We shall be hauled by the ex-East Indian Railway (EIR) steam locomotive No. 21 “Express”, the older sister of the celebrated Indian steam locomotive “Fairy Queen”. “Express” was shipped from England to India in 1855, making it one of the world’s oldest operable steam locomotives. In the late afternoon we transfer to Chennai airport for a flight to Delhi. Here we check in to a hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 23rd MarchSteam charter train to RewariWe transfer to Delhi Cantonment Railway Station to board our specially chartered steam train hauled by a WP class Pacific steam locomotive.

We experience a rare steam-hauled journey across the plains to the Rewari Steam Locomotive Depot. Here there should be several steam locomotives in steam and shunting for us, on both broad gauge and metre gauge tracks. We take a service train back to Delhi in the afternoon and return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Sunday 24th MarchTaj Mahal and Agra Fort Railway StationWe begin the day early, transferring from our hotel to Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, one of the three main railway stations in Delhi. Here we board the ‘Taj Express’ which departs at 07:10 for Agra in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Packed breakfast boxes will be provided by the hotel. After a three hour journey we arrive at Agra Cantonment Railway Station and transfer to the Taj Mahal for a guided tour of one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjehan as the mausoleum for his favourite wife. We shall have at least two hours to admire the beauty of the white marble monument and its finely decorated interiors, an acknowledged masterpiece of symmetry set amidst landscaped gardens. We have lunch at a hotel in Agra followed by a visit to the Agra Fort which is located across the Yamuna River overlooking the Taj Mahal. We visit the nearby Agra Fort Railway Station, one of India’s oldest railway stations and one of the few that has both broad gauge and metre gauge railway lines. We have an early dinner in a local hotel before transferring to the railway station for the Bhopal to New Delhi Shatabdi Express which leaves at 20:30. We arrive in New Delhi at 22:30 and transfer to a hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D) Continued overleaf.

World Tours - Hill Stations of India

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Mumbai and from Delhi to London

• Internal flights

• 14 nights hotel accommodation and breakfast

• 12 lunches

• 12 dinners

• All train travel, transfers, visits and tours as described in the itinerary

• The service of a tour manager


March 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Delhi

Agra

Darjeeling

Siliguri

Calcutta

Rewari

Shimla

Cedric Spiller

46World Tours - Hill Stations of India

Cedric Spiller

Monday 25th MarchFlight to Bagdogra for Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayWe take a morning flight from Delhi to Bagdogra and on arrival transfer to a Siliguri Hotel for lunch. In the late afternoon we visit the Siliguri steam locomotive depot and then travel by specially chartered steam train on the famous narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). Our train will be hauled by a “B” Class steam locomotive for a journey to Rungtong Station and return. High Tea will be served on the train. (B L D)

Tuesday 26th MarchSiliguri to KurseongAfter breakfast at our hotel, we may be able to travel by specially chartered diesel-hauled train on the DHR from Siliguri to Rungtong. If the train is not available then we shall travel by road to Kurseong. Here we shall stay overnight in an attractively restored British Colonial home, now converted into the Cochrane Place Hotel and also known as the Cochrane Palace after its previous resident. It nestles in the foothills of the Himalayas with awe-inspiring views of the majestic Mount Kanchenjunga, and surrounded by the wafting aromas of the finest Darjeeling tea. The early evening is free to explore the tea estates and if time allows we can visit a tea factory. (B L D)

Wednesday 27th March‘Toy Train’ to DarjeelingToday, there is the option of taking a 30-minute walk or a jeep transfer to Kurseong Railway Station. Here we board a steam train to Darjeeling on the DHR, nicknamed the ‘toy train’. We pass through the famous ‘Batasia Loop’ en route and, weather permitting, will be able to take photographs of the train against the background of Mount Kanchenjunga and the rest of the Himalayan range. We arrive in Darjeeling and transfer to the Windamere Hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

John Hunt

47World Tours - Hill Stations of India

Thursday 28th MarchGhum Monastery and DarjeelingFollowing breakfast we transfer to Darjeeling Railway Station for a steam train ride up the hill to Ghum, the highest point on the DHR line. We also visit the museum above the station at Ghum. We return by jeeps with a visit to Ghum Monastery en route. The remainder of the day is free to explore Darjeeling. (B)

Friday 29th MarchTiger Hill and Himalayan Mountaineering InstituteEarly risers are in for a real adventure with our excursion to Tiger Hill (subject to clear weather as advised by our local team). Tiger Hill is about 12 km from Darjeeling and is the place to see the spectacular sunrise over Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain. As the sun appears the mountain changes colour; it is an awe-inspiring sight. There are also views of Mount Everest in the distance. During the day we shall visit the famous Tibetan Refugee Centre, where traditional handmade textiles and handicrafts can be seen. We also visit the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute which houses collectibles of the legendary Sir Edmund Hillary’s and Sherpa Tenzing’s first climb of Mount Everest. The evening is free to explore the town and walk along its famous malls, visiting local shops and the food bazaar. (B)

Saturday 30th MarchDarjeeling to DelhiAfter breakfast we transfer to Bagdogra Airport to board an early afternoon flight to Delhi. On arrival in Delhi we transfer to an airport hotel where some rooms will be available for the group to wash and change. We have a farewell dinner before we transfer to the airport for our flight home. (B D)

Sunday 31st MarchFlight back to the UKOur flight leaves Delhi at around 03:30 and arrives at London Heathrow Airport at around 08:30.

Cedric Spiller

Cedric Spiller

48

Java

Thursday 20th JuneDeparture from LondonWe have a mid afternoon Emirates flight from London Heathrow to Dubai. In Dubai we connect with an Emirates flight for Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and Java’s main city.

Friday 21st JuneArrive in JakartaWe arrive at Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport and arrange visas. We then transfer to the 4-star Menara Peninsula Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. The hotel is on the perimeter of Jakarta’s business district 35 minutes drive from the airport, and conveniently located for access to the city. (D)

Saturday 22nd JuneSeeing JakartaJakarta is home to ten million people and boasts some of the best sights in south-east Asia. We have an expert local guide for our coach tour to the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Complex. This amazing site covers 120 hectares and contains ‘pavilions’, in local architectural style, depicting the life-style and culture of each part of

Indonesia. It also includes an elevated railway and the open air Transportation Museum, with its impressive selection of steam locomotives. During the tour we will have lunch in the park. We have dinner at a local restaurant or our hotel. (B L D)

Sunday 23rd JuneJakarta to Tegal and our first sugar millWe transfer to Gambir Station, Jakarta, and travel by service train to Tegal, in executive class with at-seat service. On arrival at Tegal we visit Jatibarang Sugar Mill. We return to Tegal and check in to the Hotel Bahari Inn for overnight accommodation. Dinner will be at a local restaurant or our hotel. (B L D)

Monday 24th JuneTegalAfter breakfast, we have a morning tour of Pangkah Sugar Mill to watch the steam locomotives at work and enjoy a charter train trip into the cane fields, over disused lines. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit Sumberhardjo Sugar Mill to see further steam locomotive activity.

We have dinner before staying overnight at the Hotel Bahari Inn, Tegal. (B L D)

Tuesday 25th JunePekalongan to Semarang by trainAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Pekalongan where we visit the Sragi Sugar Mill and watch the activities of the steam locomotives. After lunch at a local restaurant we transfer to Pekalongan Station to travel in executive class by service train to Semarang. Overnight accommodation is at the Laras Asri Hotel Salatiga. Dinner will be either at the hotel or at a local restaurant. (B L D)

Wednesday 26th JuneAmbarawa Rack RailwayToday is a highlight of the tour as after breakfast we visit the Ambarawa Rack Railway with its open air display of various steam locomotives. We have a charter train ride using 0-4-2T steam locomotive No. B25.03. The line runs from Ambarawa to Jambu through flat, very attractive tropical countryside before making a spectacular climb to Bedono. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we transfer to

World Tours - Java

Java is the most developed island in Indonesia and this tour provides a fascinating insight into its culture and traditions. We visit some delightful places and travel in comfort by train through tropical scenery including forests, mountains, and paddy fields. We use road coaches as an interesting alternative to access places where we cannot travel by train.

We visit sugar mills and plantations to see some of the last surviving steam-operated sugar cane railways in the world. These are incredibly diverse, with several narrow gauges in use and various types of steam locomotives. We shall also visit the Ambarawa Rack Railway and Cepu Forestry Railway for chartered train trips. A highlight of the tour is travel on the incredible and recently resumed ‘steam train through the main street’ in Solo!

The tour includes several wonderful sightseeing trips, one being a sunrise visit to the spectacular Mount Bromo, an active volcano standing nearly eight thousand feet high. We visit a number of popular tourist venues around the island which combined with our travel by train makes this fantastic tour a very enjoyable experience indeed.

Thursday 20th June to Sunday 7th July 2013

Robin Patrick

49

Semarang for a city tour including visits to Gedung Batu Chinese Temple (Sam Poo Kong) and Sam Pho Thai Jien, the oldest church in Indonesia. After the tour, we transfer to Semarang Station and travel by train to Cepu, where we transfer to the Grand Mega Hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel or at a local restaurant. (B L D)

Thursday 27th JuneCepu Forestry RailwayThe Cepu Forestry Railway is our venue for today. It was built for the haulage of teak logs out of the forest to the mill at Cepu. We have a morning charter train ride through forest and farmland to Gubuk Payung hauled by a 0-10-0T steam locomotive called “Tudjubelas” which was built by BMAG of Berlin in 1928. After lunch and traditional entertainment we have an afternoon charter train ride hauled by 0-6-6-0T steam locomotive No. 388 (CC30) to TPK. We return to the Grand Mega Hotel for overnight accommodation and have dinner in a local restaurant. (B L D)

Friday 28th JuneCepu to ProbolinggoWe leave Cepu at around 10:00 and travel by executive class service train to Probolinggo. There is a break of journey at Surabaya where we stop for lunch at a local restaurant. At around 18:00 we arrive at Probolinggo, a city famous for its mangoes and for the refining and exporting of sugar. We transfer to the Hotel Bromo View for two nights accommodation, enjoying dinner at a local restaurant. (B L D)

Saturday 29th JuneSemboro Sugar MillAfter breakfast, our road coach takes us to Tanggul where we visit Semboro Sugar Mill. We have arranged a trip into the cane fields with either Mallett-type steam locomotive No.15, built by Orenstein and Koppel in 1926, or 0-6-0T steam locomotive No. 29 built by Jung. There are two unique narrow gauge fireless locomotives that work behind this mill, and were seen operating in August 2011. Bullock hauled trains have also been seen here in the recent past. After lunch at the Mill, we return by road coach to Probolinggo where we stay again in the Hotel Bromo View. We have dinner at a local restaurant. (B L D)

Sunday 30th JuneMount BromoFor those who choose to rise early, one of the highlights of our holiday is a trip to see the sunrise over Mount Bromo, a truly spectacular sight and well worth the effort. We depart at 03:00 and afterwards return to our hotel for breakfast. Mount Bromo is an active volcano and part of the 8,000 foot high Tengger Massif. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indonesia. Later in the morning we depart by road coach to Malang from where we again travel in executive class on a service train to Kediri. On arrival we transfer to the Grand Surya Kediri Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 1st JulyMount Kelud TourAfter breakfast we have a morning tour to Kelud Volcano – ‘the youngest mountain in the world’! Later we visit a factory making local cigarettes entirely by hand, a coffee plantation, and Merican Sugar Mill. Steam locomotives here include No. 205, thought to be the last regular working 0-4-4-0T industrial Mallet-type steam locomotive in the world. Lunch and dinner will be at local restaurants. We stay overnight at the Grand Surya Kediri Hotel. (B L D)

Tuesday 2nd JulySugar mills at MadiunAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Madiun for a tour of two sugar mills. We visit Rejosari Sugar Mill and see a very rare steam locomotive, driven by a jackshaft. This mill also has a diesel locomotive driven by the same means. Purwodadi Sugar Mill has been one of the busiest mills in the area for steam locomotive operation but seasonal fluctuations in the sugar cane harvest influence the level of activity. Afterwards we transfer to Madiun Station and join the regular service train to Solo. Lunch and dinner will be at a local restaurant. We stay at the Hotel Best Western Solo for overnight accommodation. (B L D) Continued overleaf.

World Tours - Java

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Jakarta and return

• 15 nights accommodation in the best available hotels

• All meals as shown, sometimes packed lunches

• Travel by regular service trains around Java, mostly in Executive class

• Special steam charters at the sugar mills, Ambarawa Rack Railway, the Cepu Forestry Railway, and the Solo street train

• All visits and tours in the itinerary



June 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

July 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Jakarta

Semboro

SurabayaSemarang

Yogyakarta

Bandung

Robin Patrick

50

Wednesday 3rd JulySteam train through Solo streetsThis morning we travel by road coach into the hills to visit the Sukuh Erotic Temple, from where we continue to the Tasik Madu Sugar Mill. This mill has developed attractions for the visiting public including a museum and a tourist train. It also has working steam locomotives, steam driven mill machinery and a unique vertical boilered steam roller. Traditional music and dance entertainment, and lunch, will be provided at the mill. Later, we travel on a private charter train through the streets of Solo, a quite exceptional experience. Our train will be hauled by steam locomotive No. C1218. We transfer by road coach to Solo Station where we join a regular service train to Yogyakarta. We check in to the Hotel Melia Purosani for three nights accommodation. Dinner will be taken at the hotel or at a local restaurant. (B L D)

Thursday 4th JulyTemples and tradition in YogyakartaToday we have a guided tour of Yogyakarta, a city with an outstanding historical and cultural heritage and the main tourist destination on the island of Java. Our road coach takes us to the Borobodur Temple, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, thought to have been built at the beginning of the 8th. Century. We also visit the Sultan’s Palace, founded in 1755. After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the Prambanan Hindu Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening we visit the Ramayana Ballet for a magical open-air performance in a fantastic setting adjacent to the Prambanan Hindu Temple. Dinner and overnight accommodation is at the Hotel Melia Purosani. (B L D)

Friday 5th JulyFree day in YogyakartaThis is a free day to explore Yogyakarta which is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia and has many heritage buildings and monuments. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows, and has a number of art galleries and museums. The city has two passenger railway stations located in the heart of the city. Yogyakarta has several trendy shopping malls and Malioboro is a well-known shopping street running from Tugu Railway Station to the Sultan’s Square. There are traditional markets such as Pasar Beringharjo and Pasar Kranggan selling batik, traditional wayang puppets, sculpture, ceramics and silverware. To the east of the town centre is a large air-force museum containing an assortment of American and British aircraft together with a number of vintage Russian aircraft. Dinner and overnight accommodation is at the Hotel Melia Purosani. (B L D)

Saturday 6th JulyReturn flightsThis morning we transfer to the Adisucipto International Airport, located about 6 km (3.7 miles) east of Yogyakarta city centre, for an internal flight to Jakarta. In the afternoon, we board our return flight from Jakarta to London via Dubai. (B)

Sunday 7th JulyArrival in LondonAfter changing planes in Dubai, we arrive back at Gatwick Airport in the morning.

World Tours - Java

Bill Pemberton

Robin Patrick

51World Tours - Java

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Jakarta and return

• 15 nights accommodation in the best available hotels

• All meals as shown, sometimes packed lunches

• Travel by regular service trains around Java, mostly in Executive class

• Special steam charters at the sugar mills, Ambarawa Rack Railway, the Cepu Forestry Railway, and the Solo street train

• All visits and tours in the itinerary



June 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

July 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Neil Smith

Robin Patrick

Jakarta

Semboro

SurabayaSemarang

Yogyakarta

Bandung

52

The Andes of Colombia and Ecuador

Saturday 28th September Depart for ColombiaWe take an early morning flight to Paris where we change planes to fly to Bogotá in Colombia. On arrival in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, we transfer to our hotel for overnight accommodation.

Sunday 29th SeptemberSteam train from Bogotá to GachancipáAfter breakfast, we transfer to La Sabana Station in Bogotá. We visit the railway depot and workshops to view the collection of operational and rundown “Baldwin” locomotives. The Baldwin Locomotive Works, located in Pennsylvania, USA, was a builder of railway locomotives. The collection of steam locomotives includes three 2-8-2’s, one 4-8-0, and a 2-6-0 built in 1921 which was refurbished as recently as 2012. We board a specially chartered train hauled by either a “Baldwin” 4-8-0 or 2-8-2 steam locomotive. We shall travel along the line towards Zipaquirá as far as La Caro (34km) where we branch off towards Briceño (47km), Tocancipá (53km) and Gachancipá (58km). We return via the same route to La Sabana Station in Bogotá. We return to our hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 30th September Steam train from Bogotá to ZipaquiráToday we return to La Sabana Station in Bogotá. Our chartered train will be hauled by a coal fired “Baldwin” 2-6-0 steam locomotive, operated by Tren Turistico de la Sabana. The company runs heritage steam trains for 53 kilometres northwards from Bogotá to Parque and Zipaquirá. We have lunch at a traditional Colombian restaurant in Zipaquirá followed by a visit to the town which is famous for its Salt Cathedral. This is an underground church built inside a tunnel of a salt mine. The main square in the town centre is surrounded by old buildings in the Spanish Colonial style. We return to Bogotá station where three more steam locomotives will be waiting for us. Steam locomotives in Colombia are kept in remarkably good condition and we shall have a total of four of them to provide filming and photographic opportunities for us. Later we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 1st October Bogotá city tour and flight to EcuadorBogotá is located on the west of the Savannah of Bogotá, a high plateau in the Andes Mountains. It is one of the most important cities in South America and was once the main trade centre

between South America and Europe. It is a city of contrasts not least between the new and the old, and as such it offers a unique experience to its visitors. Today we visit the colonial city, to learn about its Spanish and pre-Colombian heritage, and encounter century-old plazas and churches overshadowed by towering skyscrapers. The neighbourhood of La Candeleria is where many landmark events took place in the history of Colombian and South American independence. Plaza de Bolívar (Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a South American revolutionary leader) is the city’s main square. It is surrounded by neoclassical buildings, museums, and old churches, including the Catedral Primada, the largest church in the country. The Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) is famous for its legendary El Dorado collections, and is regarded as the most important gold museum in the World. After the city tour, we have lunch and then transfer to El Dorado International Airport for our afternoon flight to Guayaquil in Ecuador. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

World Tours - The Andes of Columbia and Ecuador

This tour visits two of the less well known countries of South America that are dominated by the Andes Mountains. Several high plateaux host major cities such as Bogotá in Colombia and Quito in Ecuador where we spend time.

Both countries were once Spanish colonies and their cultural and architectural heritage figures prominently in our itinerary. The greatly varied climate with an incredibly diverse range of flora and fauna will be fascinating to experience.

Incredibly difficult terrain in the Andes Mountains made railway construction almost impossible but we travel by train to and through these areas. We use specially chartered trains with steam haulage wherever possible. Our journey from the Pacific Ocean into the Andes of Ecuador features climbing the world-famous ‘Devils Nose’. There will be many opportunities for filming and photographing spectacular scenery, historic heritage, and unusual highlights.

Saturday 28th September to Friday 11th October 2013

Bill Pemberton

53

Wednesday 2nd October Steam train from Duran to Yaguachi; Guayaquil city tourThis morning we travel by road coach from Guayaquil to Duran, crossing the Rafael Mendoza Avilés Bridge over the rivers Daule and Babahoyo. Duran is a ‘dormitory town’ for commuters but well known as the location from where the country’s first section of railway line opened in 1873. The network of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge lines eventually stretched for 965.5 km (600 miles) but natural disasters and neglect reduced this to only 10% open in 2008. We visit the railway workshops of the Ecuadorian Railways Company (FEEP), where we may see “Baldwin” built steam locomotives, a railbus (autoferro), and an Alstom built diesel locomotive. After our visit we board a train hauled by a steam locomotive, either No. 11 or No. 14, for the 21 km journey to the historic town of Yaguachi. We travel through the streets of Duran and then the Ecuadorian coast region, passing rice plantations and marshlands supporting a variety of birdlife. We witness something of the local customs and traditions and visit Yaguachi Cathedral before returning by steam train to Duran. We return to Guayaquil and in the afternoon have a tour of Ecuador’s largest city. The district of Las Peñas, where the city was founded, contains most of the city’s colonial buildings. It is located on the slopes of Santa Ana Hill from where there are good views across the city to the River Guayas. The Malecon 2000 is a long park beside the river where several historical monuments are located, including La Rotonda and the Moorish Clock Tower. There are also museums, gardens, fountains, shopping malls, restaurants, and waterfront jetties from where there are boat trips on the river. We stay overnight in Guayaquil. (B L D)

Thursday 3rd October Diesel hauled train from Yuguachi to HuigraIn the morning we return to Yuguachi by road coach to join a specially chartered train hauled by a diesel locomotive. We travel eastwards for 87 km through the coastal plain to Bucay, along one of the recently repaired sections of railway line that has been closed for nearly two decades. This lush region is one of the most productive agricultural areas in Ecuador. Bucay is 300 metres above sea level and the last station on the coastal plain before the ascent of the Andes Mountains. We visit the Bucay workshops and locomotive shed where the coastal steam locomotives were exchanged for mountain locomotives to begin the steep climb into the mountains. We continue towards Huigra passing through a very scenic section of the line within the Chan Chan River gorge. The vegetation changes from tropical into cloud forest as the line gains altitude. Huigra is 1,200 metres above sea level and site to the old headquarters of the the Guayaquil and Quito Railway Company (G&Q). The G&Q Railway had been declared impossible to build and construction was constantly beset with problems. Major John Harman was a major influence in getting much of the route completed but he died in mysterious circumstances and is buried in Huigra. We stay overnight in Huigra. (B L D)

Friday 4th October The Devil’s Nose and RiobambaToday, we continue the journey with our chartered train travelling from Huigra to Riobamba. An 800 metres section of the route between Huigra and Sibambe was rebuilt and reopened recently following destruction by a landslide in 1998. Above Sibambe Station we negotiate the spectacular and world-famous Devils Nose, an amazing engineering feat. This immense mountain resembles the shape of a nose and the railway climbs gradients of 1 in 18 and uses two zigzags to gain height and surmount the obstacle. There will be opportunities for filming and photographing this ‘railway wonder of the world’. We continue climbing the Andes until we reach the town of Alausi, a quaint colonial village with picturesque streets. We pass over a noteworthy steel bridge as we leave the town on a section of line that reopened in 2011. The route is high above the Chan Chan River Gorge all the way to Palmira, a bleak desert station at 3,200 metres above sea level. We have magnificent views of the high Andean Plateau en route to Guamote, a traditional and colourful indigenous town. We continue to Riobamba, a large colonial city in the central Andes, and transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 5th October Steam train Riobamba – Guamote – RiobambaThis morning we visit the Riobamba railway workshops which were the busiest on the G&Q Railway and where most of their steam locomotives were maintained. We then board a specially chartered steam train for a return trip to Guamote. This section of the route offers spectacular landscapes, multiple Indian villages, the Colta Lagoon, and imposing views of the 6,300 metres high Chimborazo Volcano. There will be opportunities for filming and photography en route including run-pasts with our train. In the late afternoon we have a tour of Riobamba, a city that still retains much architecture from the Spanish period. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Sunday 6th October Special train from Riobamba to Lasso We continue our journey northwards from the Riobamba Station travelling along the city streets and to the region known as the Avenue of the Volcanoes. As we gain altitude the environment changes once more into open moorlands. We pass many indigenous communities along the way to the Urbina summit and station. Urbina is the highest station on the line at 3,600 metres above sea level. It is located at the base of the Chimborazo Volcano, an inactive volcano, and the highest mountain in Ecuador. After a stop for some highland tea, our train will continue through the inter-Andean valleys, passing through the towns of Ambato and Latacunga. This section of the line has been recently rebuilt after nearly 20 years of neglect. We reach Lasso and transfer to an historical Hacienda Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Continued overleaf.


Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights from London

• 12 nights accommodation with breakfast


• All rail travel shown

• All visits and coach journeys shown



September/October 2013

M T W T F S S

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

54

Monday 7th OctoberDiesel train from Lasso to QuitoToday we continue travelling on our diesel-hauled chartered train from Lasso to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. From Lasso Station our train climbs into the Cotopaxi National Park, a protected area that takes its name from the 5,897 metres high Cotopaxi Volcano. There are some spectacular views as we pass close to one of the world’s highest active volcanoes. We continue to El Boliche (3,540 metres), the second highest station on this railway line, Machachi, and Chimbacalle Station in Quito. Chimbacalle Station has been beautifully restored to its original condition. We head to the colonial centre of Quito for lunch and a city tour. The historic centre of the city is one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centres in the Americas. It was the first to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. We stay overnight in Quito. (B L D)

Tuesday 8th OctoberRailcar from Ibarra to Salinas We transfer by road coach from Quito to the Imbabura Province in northern Ecuador, home to lakes, lush valleys, volcanoes and traditional indigenous towns and markets. We arrive at Ibarra Station which is the starting point for the line that used to reach San Lorenzo, a natural port on the Pacific Coast. This line was built in the 1960’s but only operated for 20 years before it was closed by landslides. Today this line is open for only 35 km as far as Salinas, an afro-Ecuadorian village in a dry subtropical environment. This line is highly scenic with spectacular tunnels and bridges as it descends into the Salinas Valley. We return to Ibarra for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 9th OctoberOtavalo Market and Quisato Equatorial siteIn the morning we visit the Otavalo market which is Ecuador’s best known Indian bazaar. It offers a good selection of tapestries, jewellery, ceramics

and wood carvings from this prosperous Otavalo culture. We continue to Quisato, an equatorial monument on the latitude zero line. Quisato offers an alternative and relevant vision of the equator based on pre-Hispanic culture and beliefs. We will learn about the significance of this region in relation to the sun. We return to Quito in the mid afternoon. (B L)

Thursday 10th OctoberReturn to UK or free day in Quito Following breakfast in the hotel we have a late morning transfer to Quito Airport for our return flight to the UK via Amsterdam. Those who have opted to stay on for the Galapagos Extension will take a fight from Quito to Baltra Island. (B)

Friday 11th OctoberArrival in London We arrive at London Heathrow early in the evening.

There is the option, subject to availability, to add a cruise extension to the Galapagos Islands at the end of this tour. Please contact us if you would like further details and information.


Bill Pemberton

John Hunt

Bill Pemberton

55World Tours - The Andes of Columbia and Ecuador

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights from London







September/October 2013

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30 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

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Hugh Ballantyne

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Autumn in New England

Tuesday 1st OctoberFlight to Boston; Arrival in CambridgeWe have a trans-Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Boston, arriving in the evening local time. We transfer from Logan International Airport to nearby Cambridge and stay at the charming Irving House, a Victorian Bed & Breakfast establishment, which will be our base for the next few nights. It is located near to historic Harvard Yard, a grassy area of about 25 acres that constitutes the oldest part of the famous Harvard University campus.

Wednesday 2nd October Day of leisure in BostonToday is a free day to explore Cambridge and Boston which are adjacent to each other and merely separated by the scenic Charles River. They are connected by the Red Line subway and both cities offer the authentic American atmosphere. Cambridge is the location of the famous Harvard University campus, vibrant Harvard Square with its shops, and historic Cambridge Common. Boston is one of the oldest

cities in the United States and has a wealth of cultural and architectural landmarks. It is also a pedestrian city and easy to get around on foot. Wander along the spacious avenues of Back Bay, visit the galleries on Newbury Street, see historic Beacon Hill with its 18th and 19th Century red-brick townhouses, or take a stroll down the famed Freedom Trail in the financial district. The ‘subway’ (or the “T” – Metro) is composed of four colour coded railway lines and is a very convenient mode of transport. Typical American rolling stock and big beefy diesel locomotives from Amtrak and MBTA Commuter Rail may be viewed at the city´s two passenger stations. (B)

Thursday 3rd October More leisure plus classic PCC trams in BostonThis morning there is the option of a vintage tram ride in Boston´s Ashmont district or taking leisure time to explore Cambridge or Boston. Boston features America´s oldest subway system and we first visit the original Park Street underground station from 1897 before continuing with the

subway’s flagship Red Line to Ashmont. There we travel on the vintage 1940’s PCC (Presidents’ Conference Committee) trams that operate the 2.4 mile long high speed line to Mattapan. This remarkable standard gauge operation is actually the only public transportation revenue service in the United States that has continuously operated PCC trams, icons of the 1940’s. The entire present stock has been tastefully refurbished and now represents a “must see” for any tram enthusiast. There will an opportunity to ride on several of the cream and orange coloured PCC coaches as well as to photograph or film them. The excursion concludes just before lunch time and the rest of the day will be free to further explore the different attractions in either Cambridge or Boston. (B)

Friday 4th October Steam in Connecticut Today´s programme provides the first opportunity to experience steam in New England, both by land and water! We take an early morning Amtrak Northeast Regional service from the nearby Back

World Tours - Autumn in New England

Few places are as pristine and naturally vibrant in autumn as New England! The famous autumn foliage and stunning symphony of colours in the backwoods of New Hampshire and Maine make the most north-easterly region of the United States the premier place to visit in the “fall”. We experience the rural charm and authentic Yankee spirit of this region by visiting an exquisite selection of top quality heritage railroads and classic cruise destinations.

We base ourselves in the cosmopolitan city of Boston; the cosy village of North Conway, New Hampshire; and the historic college town of Brunswick, Maine. Where available, we travel on original steam trains and also have an estuarine cruise on one of the very last coal-fired propeller-driven steamers on America´s East Coast. Preference is always given to first class and parlour car accommodation on trains! Every day, breakfast is included, whereas lunches, with one exception, and dinners are not. However, there will be ample opportunities to find suitable venues of your choice for these meals in each location.

From the cobble-stone streets of historic Beacon Hill in Boston to the shoreline of Connecticut, from the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire to the rocky cliffs of Mid-Coast Maine, this popular tour will give you the opportunity to experience the diverse beauty of New England in first-class comfort.

Tuesday 1st to Saturday 12th October 2013

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Bay Station to Old Saybrook in Connecticut. We travel there on the famed Northeast Corridor through southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We have reserved seats in business class. After about two hours on the train, we reach Old Saybrook, from where a road coach takes us to nearby Essex. There we board the Valley Railroad´s well known “Essex Steam Train” and travel the entire length of the route to Haddam and back. There will be a choice of either riding in the parlour car or the open car. We remain at the charming Essex Station, which features an excellent gallery and souvenir shop, to see and photograph the departure of the day´s second steam train. Our road coach then takes us to the nearby coastal town of Mystic. There we visit Mystic Seaport, a formidable maritime museum with an extensive collection of historic ships. One of them is the operational and absolutely genuine, coal-fired propeller-driven steamer S.S. “Sabino” from 1908. We board this delightful ship for a 90 minute cruise in Mystic´s coastal harbour and estuarine river. There will also be time for dinner in Mystic. After our visit to Mystic Seaport our road coach takes us to nearby New London, where we board an Amtrak train back to Boston. (B)

Saturday 5th October Steam on the White Mountain Central Railroad in New HampshireWe have a morning transfer by chartered road coach from Boston northwards to Lincoln in New Hampshire. There we visit the heritage Hobo Railroad and take a ride on a vintage diesel-hauled train for a 90 minute ‘fall foliage’ sightseeing tour through the richly coloured woods and along a wild river. The rest of the day will be spent at the nearby Clark´s Trading Post, a classic New Hampshire attraction and home to the White Mountain Central Railroad (WMCRR). For this weekend, Clark´s Trading Post is running several steam trains on its 2.5 mile scenic line which includes the world’s only standing example of a wooden covered railway bridge. The flagship steam locomotive of the WMCRR is No. 6, a fascinating two-bogie, wood burner, built by the Climax Manufacturing Company. It is one of the few operational Climax steam locomotives anywhere in the world and will make an impressive sight pushing our train! There will be ample time to ride on the train and photograph the Climax! Other locomotives, including a Shay geared steam locomotive which is normally locked away, will be on display. Clark´s Trading Post also features live animal shows with trained black bears, museums filled with Americana, local arts and crafts shops, plus many other regional attractions. In the early evening we travel from Lincoln to North Conway where we check in to the elegant Eastern Slope Inn, a classic New England hotel, which will be our base for the next four nights. (B)

Sunday 6th OctoberSteam to the top of Mount Washington and Conway Scenic RailroadToday features one of the highlights of the tour as we visit the nearby Mount Washington Cog Railway. This original engineering marvel dating from 1869 is indeed the very first rack and pinion railway in the world and at the same time New

England´s most internationally acclaimed tourist line. In recent years the railway has begun introducing diesel locomotives, but the first train of the day is still steam-hauled. We join this train and let the coal-fired locomotive push us up the unique wooden trestle to the summit station of the 6,288 ft. high peak, as such the highest mountain in New England. On a clear day it is possible to see both the Atlantic Ocean and Canada from the top! The forest scenery below should unfold like a painter´s palette, with a vibrant mix of different colours, foremost green, yellow, orange and already some red. We return by steam train down the trestle to the Marshfield base station and then continue by our road coach to the nearby Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway. After lunchtime, we board a parlour car and take the train on the “Valley Line” route south to Conway. This train will be hauled by the former Canadian National ‘switcher’ (shunter) 0-6-0 steam locomotive No. 7470. After our ride there will be some extra time to film the other arriving and departing trains as well as to have a look around the immaculate and very ornate North Conway station building dating from 1874. (B)

Monday 7th OctoberNotch Train on the Conway Scenic RailroadWe return to the Conway Scenic Railroad for a second day, this time covering the north-bound track on its flagship Notch Train. This is indeed one of the most scenic rides anywhere on the East Coast with panoramic mountain vistas that include steep ravines, cascading brooks and streams, plus lots of dense woods. From an engineering point of view, there are the famed Frankenstein Trestle and Willey Brook bridges over which the train passes. We have premier seating in a vintage North American dome car and a complimentary three-course lunch in the “Hattie Evans” Pullman Standard dining car. Our train is hauled by an iconic vintage diesel locomotive, representative of U.S. railroading from the mid 20th Century. The end of the line is at Crawford Notch where we stop for an hour and enjoy the unspoiled nature around Saco Lake. Here the ‘fall’ foliage will be already close to its peak colours. After our round-trip return to North Conway, the evening is free to relax or explore the town, and find a restaurant of your choice for a meal. (B L)

Continued overleaf.


Tour Summary

Price per person £3795 Single supplement £395Ground only option £3050 Boston – Boston

Price includes:

• Flights from London Heathrow to Boston and back

• 11 nights hotel accommodation

• 11 breakfasts and one lunch

• All transfers on Amtrak trains or chartered coaches, as outlined in the itinerary

• All railway trips and boat cruises, as outlined in the itinerary



October 2013

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14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

Andrew Thompson

58

Tuesday 8th OctoberScenic Train along Lake WinnipesaukeeToday, we travel the short distance from North Conway to Meredith to visit another of New Hampshire´s most beautiful regions, the state´s Lake District. We have a return trip on the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, a heritage line that runs beside Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in the state. We travel in an opulent parlour car hauled by a vintage diesel locomotive from Meredith to Lakeport and back, enjoying the finest views of the lake from our train. Afterwards there will be free time to explore the lakeside resort towns and discover all that they have to offer. In the late afternoon we return to North Conway for our last evening there. (B)

Wednesday 9th OctoberSteam on the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Clipper Sail on Casco BayToday we leave our base in New Hampshire and travel by road coach to Maine, the easternmost state in both New England and the United States. We visit Portland, Maine´s largest city, where there will be time to take a stroll around the old port and have lunch. In the afternoon we have an exclusive chartered steam train on the two foot gauge harbour railway known as the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum. Our train will be hauled by Baldwin-built 2-4-4T steam tank locomotive No. 7 for a trip over the full extent of the line along the seafront of Casco Bay. There will be opportunities for photographic run-pasts. Later we walk the very short distance from the Narrow Gauge Museum to the boat landing stage. Here we board an elegant clipper, a very fast sailing ship of the 19th Century, for a scenic sail on Casco Bay. Casco Bay features many famous forts and lighthouses, rocky cliffs and several little islands. In short its maritime qualities are quintessential Maine! In the late afternoon, we travel by road coach to the college town of Brunswick, where we shall be based at the charming Maine Street Inn

for the rest of the tour. The Inn is located near to Amtrak’s station and the pretty campus of Bowdoin College. (B)

Thursday 10th OctoberMaine Eastern RailroadAfter a leisurely breakfast we have a late morning departure from Brunswick Station on the Maine Eastern Railroad. This railroad operates very handsome rakes of restored stainless steel streamlined carriages hauled by legendary FL-9 diesel locomotives with their rounded nose. Our seats are in the stately parlour car. This scenic coastal line runs for 57 miles close to Maine’s rocky shoreline from Brunswick to Rockland via Bath and Wiscasset. We reach Rockland shortly after noon and most of the afternoon will be free to explore this beautiful seaside town. In the late afternoon we take the return train to Brunswick where there will be free time in the evening to discover the sights and a restaurant for dinner. (B)

Friday 11th OctoberSteam on Maine’s Narrow Gauge RailwaysToday we travel by road coach to Alna to discover part of Maine’s narrow gauge railway heritage. We travel on its flagship two-foot gauge railway, the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway (WWF), which has successfully rebuilt an attractive section of line from a previously huge network. The WWF owns several indigenous steam locomotives and a 1920’s Ford railcar. We travel behind a steam locomotive over the entire length of the rebuilt line, pausing for photographic run-pasts en route. We shall also have the opportunity to ride in the Ford railcar over the sidings in Sheepscot yard. There is so much to see and do at the WWF that we shall spend the greater part of the day there. In the afternoon we go to Wiscasset, a town located on the tidal Sheepscot River and noted for its early architecture. There will be time to take a stroll along the coast or to photograph the passing trains of the Maine

Eastern Railroad. In the late afternoon we return to Brunswick. (B)

Saturday 12th OctoberReturn to Boston on Amtrak, Flight to London HeathrowOur ten day tour of New England concludes today with a morning departure from Brunswick to Boston. We make this journey by rail, taking Amtrak´s excellent Downeaster service for the quick and efficient, three plus hour ride down the Atlantic coast to Boston North Station. Our seats are reserved in business class which is adjacent to the train´s well stocked bar car. After arrival in Boston, there will be free time in the city to find somewhere for a meal and maybe some last minute shopping. In the late afternoon, we transfer by road coach to Logan International Airport for our evening return flight to London Heathrow. (B)


Andrew

Thompson

Andrew Thompson

59World Tours - Autumn in New England

Tour Summary

Price per person £3795 Single supplement £395Ground only option £3050 Boston – Boston

Price includes:

• Flights from London Heathrow to Boston and back


• 11 breakfasts and one lunch

• All transfers on Amtrak trains or chartered coaches, as outlined in the itinerary

• All railway trips and boat cruises, as outlined in the itinerary



October 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

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Peru and Bolivia

Thursday 3rd OctoberFlight to Lima, PeruWe have a morning flight from London Heathrow to Lima via Miami. We transfer to the Casa Andina Hotel, located in the Lima district of Miraflores, for two nights. Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru, located in valleys on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Miraflores is known for its shopping areas, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches. Dinner is not included this evening and since the district is full of hotels, cafés, pubs, and restaurants there will be ample choice of venue for your evening meal.

Friday 4th OctoberLima city tourAfter breakfast at the hotel, we have a morning sightseeing tour in Lima, visiting both the modern and the colonial parts of the city. Lima was the seat of Spanish rule for 300 years and retains impressive buildings of distinctive Moorish architecture. Today Lima is a bustling metropolis, the cultural and business centre of Peru, characterised by its historic centre, popular traditions, colourful craft markets, and unique cuisine. In the afternoon we visit the Gold Museum to see the legendary golden treasures of the Incas. We also plan to visit a park (if open) where there

is a 500mm narrow gauge railway that operates a 1926 built 0-4-0T steam tank locomotive. We return to the Casa Andina Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 5th OctoberBy rail from Lima to HuancayoThe Central Railway, Ferrocarril Central del Peru, is a remarkable standard gauge railway line and the most important in Peru from an economic point of view. It begins at the Pacific Port of Callao and was well known as the highest railway in the world until 2006 when China opened its line to Lhasa in Tibet. The line reaches its summit at 15,686 feet near Galera Station before it descends to La Oroya (12,000 feet) and Huancayo (10,700 feet). Our journey begins at Lima Desamparados Station, only a little above sea level, and makes the spectacular climb into the mountains. The steepest gradients are 4.5% and the line traverses 66 tunnels, 59 bridges and 22 zigzag bends. Warm clothing is necessary when we leave the train for photography as we will experience a dramatic drop in temperature. Lunch will be provided on the train. At Huancayo, we transfer to the Hotel Turismo for overnight accommodation. Dinner tonight is in a typical restaurant of the region. (B L D)

Sunday 6th October Huancayo to Huancavelica by trainDuring the morning we travel from Huancayo to Huancavelica by “el Tren Macho”, literally ‘the man train’. It has this name because according to a popular saying it is the train that “leaves when it wants and arrives when it can”. There was previously a break-of-gauge at Huancayo until 2008 when the former narrow gauge (914 mm; 3 feet) line closed to be rebuilt as standard gauge (1,435 mm; 4 ft 8½ in). We pass through beautiful Andean scenery and have lunch en route. We check in to a hotel in Huancavelica before making afternoon visits to the historic former Santa Barbara mercury mine, and a “stone community”. Later, we experience a Scissors Dance Show, an impressive demonstration of typical Andean art, skillfully performed by dancers with scissors. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 7th OctoberBy road to AyacuchoThis morning we travel by private road coach to Ayacucho. This is a wonderful journey which takes us past old silver mines and an abandoned railway line before the climb into the Andes Mountains. We reach higher altitudes than our train two days

World Tours - Peru and Bolivia

This tour is so full of culture and amazing sights that it is difficult to know where to begin! We commence with a city tour of Lima, the capital of Peru. We shall then travel by train and by coach amongst mountains rising to over twenty thousand feet, see lakes, and pass from spring to winter in a matter of hours as we reach altitudes of up to around sixteen thousand feet.

Seeing the sunrise in magical Machu Picchu is amazing, possibly the world’s most celebrated sight; and we sail on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Without a doubt this tour is a real cultural Andean feast.

As for the railway side, we cover a good proportion of the railways in Peru including what was, until recently, the highest railway in the world. We also pass through the Andes on one of Peru’s most luxurious trains. It is true to say that all of the varied railway journeys that we make are spectacular and very special.

Thursday 3rd to Sunday 20th October 2013

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previously and, in fact, we shall be on the highest paved road in the world, with the possible exception of the Himalayas. We have a packed lunch en route. Ayacucho is a city that was founded by the Spaniards in 1540, and contains many buildings that reflect Spain’s influence over hundreds of years. We check in to the Hotel Ayacucho, and there should be time to explore the colonial city centre before dinner. (B L D)

Tuesday 8th OctoberPisac and the Sacred Valley of the IncasAfter breakfast in the hotel, we have an early morning transfer to the local airport for a flight from Ayacucho to Lima. We then take a connecting flight from Lima to Cusco. On both flights we pass over the massive Andes Mountains and should get some spectacular views. Cusco is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and from there we make the journey to the valley of the Urubamba River, the so called Sacred Valley of the Incas. We continue our journey towards Pisac, to an area best known for its Incan ruins of more than 30 independent settlements spread out over the mountain slopes overlooking the southern end of the Urubamba Valley. Today it is possible to walk through the ruins, including Intyhuatana, the temple of the sun, from where the view is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Almost the whole town of Pisac has been converted into a street market selling all kinds of handicrafts, antiques and Alpaca wool clothing. Afterwards, we continue to a hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 9th OctoberOllantaytambo and Aguas CalientesThis morning we travel along the Urubamba Valley to the town of Ollantaytambo, an Inca archaeological site. The ‘Old Town’ was built by the Incas over five hundred years ago and is unique in all of Peru. The distinctive stone structures of the Incas are all around – defensive walls guard the entrances to the town; agricultural terraces cover the valley slopes; store houses stand on the hillside; and stairways lead to the Sun Temple. At Ollantaytambo Railway Station we board a PeruRail service train for the 1.5 hour journey along the 914 mm (3 feet) narrow gauge line to Aguas Calientes. We shall travel by the Vistadome service in carriages with large panoramic windows offering incomparable scenic views of the mountainous terrain along the Urubamba Valley, and with at-seat refreshments included. Upon arrival there is a short walk to the hotel where we shall have dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 10th OctoberMachu PicchuWe have breakfast in the hotel before an early morning journey by bus (20 minutes) to the impressive ruins of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We shall have a three hour guided tour through several sectors of this famous archaeological complex which was discovered in 1911 by the North American historian Hiram Bingham. There will be optional walks available to visit the nearby ruins of Inty Punku, the so called “Sun Door” on the East

side of the main complex, or to climb up to the Moon Temple on the top of Wayna Picchu Mountain (entrance fee not included), from where there are astonishing views of the entire Machu Picchu ruins. Lunch will be taken in the Sanctuary Lodge. In the afternoon, we return by bus to Aguas Calientes Station where we board a PeruRail train for the journey to Poroy, just outside Cusco. We transfer by private vehicle to a hotel in Cusco city for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 11th OctoberCusco city tourAfter breakfast in the hotel, we have a morning sightseeing tour of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. We shall see the many historical Inca and Spanish colonial monuments in the city. These include the Inca Koricancha (Temple of the Sun) which today forms part of the 17th Century Santo Domingo Cathedral. Also, we will visit the ¨Piedra de los Doce Angulos¨ (stone of 12 angles) to see the amazing Inca walls of huge carved stone blocks that fit perfectly. We shall go high into the mountains overlooking the town for photographs, and later visit the PeruRail locomotive depot and meet the staff. In the evening we return to our hotel in Cusco city and have dinner at a traditional local restaurant. (B L D)

Saturday 12th OctoberTrain to Lake TiticacaFollowing breakfast, we transfer to Cusco Railway Station where we join a service train for Puno. We travel 1st class, with lunch served on board, for 240 miles along this standard gauge line which has been mentioned among the 25 greatest railway journeys of the world. The train makes stops along the way. Local women bring handicrafts to sell in the market at Sichuan, a picturesque village set in a plain landscape. La Raya Pass is the highest point on the route at around fourteen thousand feet, and here there is an exquisite view, weather permitting, over the plains to the snowcapped mountains. Puno is located on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world at over twelve thousand feet and the largest lake in South America. We transfer to a hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Continued overleaf.


Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights from London Heathrow via Miami to Lima returning from La Paz

• Internal flights in Peru and Bolivia



• Transfers

• All rail and coach travel

• Entrance to all attractions mentioned

• Local guides



October 2013

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7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

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Lima Huancayo

Machupicchu

Cusco

La Paz

Huancavelica

Ayacucho

ArequipaPuno

Juliaca

Mollendo

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Sunday 13th OctoberCruise on Lake Titicaca and La Paz, BoliviaToday we have a cruise on Lake Titicaca and move from Peru to Bolivia. Following breakfast in the hotel, we board a chartered hydrofoil and cross the amazing cobalt blue waters of Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. Our first call is at Copacabana in Bolivia where we visit the Cathedral which houses the statue of La Virgen de la Candelaria (the “Dark Virgin”), reputed to have miraculous healing powers. Our journey continues to the Island of the Moon where we visit the Temple of the Virgins of the Sun (Iñak Uyu) where the most beautiful women of the Incas were offered in sacrifice to their gods. Afterwards we visit the Island of the Sun to see the Inca Staircase (Steps) and the Inca Fountain, where you will have the opportunity to taste its sacred waters that are believed to give eternal youth & happiness. We have lunch at “Uma Kollu” archaeological restaurant and visit a picturesque handicraft market. After lunch we continue our cruise to Huatajata where we visit the “Andean Roots Eco Village”. This is a museum and exhibition on the culture and history of the region. A state of the art audio system explains the cultural heritage of the Aymaras and the Incas. There are replica mud houses of the Chipaya people and also of the tortora (reed) boats used by explorer Thor Heyerdahl for his expeditions across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Limachi brothers, who built the actual “RA II” and “Tigris” for some of these epic journeys, are often here and happy to talk. We travel by road coach to La Paz for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 14th OctoberTour of La Paz city and Moon ValleyWe have breakfast in the hotel before making a morning sightseeing tour of La Paz. The afternoon is free, providing further opportunities to explore the city. La Paz is the highest capital city in the world and it sits in a ‘bowl’ surrounded by high

mountains. Overlooking the city is the towering triple-peaked Illimani which is always snow-covered and can be seen from several locations. The city is renowned for its traditional culture and unique markets such as the Black Market and Witches Market. Calle Jaen is one of the few places in the city with preserved colonial buildings, currently housing several interesting museums including the Musical Instrument and the Precious Metals Museums. Sagarnaga Street, just south of Plaza San Francisco, is the main tourist area. It is mainly a market street with craft and souvenir shops, but also the location of budget hotels, tour and travel agencies, and cafes. Just outside the city is the Moon Valley, an area of surreal, weathered rock where erosion has worn away the majority of a mountain. It is composed of clay rather than rock, and over the centuries the elements have created a somewhat odd work of art here, like a desert filled with stalagmites. We stay overnight in our hotel in La Paz. (B L D)

Tuesday 15th OctoberBy train from Oruro to UyuniAfter breakfast, we transfer by road coach to the city of Oruro, approximately 3 hours from La Paz. This former mining city was once an important railway hub but today it is famous for its UNESCO listed ‘Carnaval de Oruro’, a religious festival. There are very few passenger trains in Bolivia and we join one of the twice-weekly ‘Expreso del Sur’ trains to Uyuni. They are operated by La Empresa Ferroviaria Andina S.A. (FCA) who run the ‘Expreso del Sur’ and the ‘Wara Wara’ on this metre gauge route to the border with Argentina. The former is more luxurious and faster than the latter, using modern trains equipped for comfortable long-distance travel with adjustable seats, video and music, and a restaurant service with dinner served on board by a waiter. We arrive at Uyuni around 22:00 and transfer to our hotel in Colchani for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 16th OctoberPulacayo historic mining centre and Uyuni Train CemetryUyuni lies at the edge of an extensive high-level plain and serves as a gateway to the world’s largest salt flats, the nearby Salar de Uyuni. Today we head north-eastwards into the hills and visit the historic industrial site at Pulacayo. The world’s second largest silver mine was important in Bolivia’s economic development. It closed in 1959 but remains to this day as a monument to the past. At this virtual ghost town, brilliantly coloured rocks rise beside the road and a mineral-rich stream reveals streaks of blue, yellow, red and green. The mining centre retains an amazing collection of mine infrastructure including the mansion of Aniceto Arcehe, the President of Bolivia who built the mine and Bolivia’s first railway line. Nearby is a collection of rusting steam locomotives that were originally imported to transport the minerals. They include Bolivia’s first steam locomotive “El Chiripa”, and the train that was robbed by legendary bandits Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, including a wooden railcar that bears the bullet holes from the attack. In the afternoon we visit the Train Cemetery at the junction of railway lines to Chile and Argentina to the south of Uyuni Station. There are two lines of derelict steam locomotives plus the remains of carriages, wagons and railway equipment left to rust in this hostile environment. There will be time to relax before we have dinner at our hotel. (B L D)

Thursday 17th OctoberSalar de Uyuni: Colchani and Isla IncahuasiAfter breakfast in the hotel, the entire day is dedicated to the Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flat). Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat and covers an area of 10,582 km² (4,086 square miles). It is covered by a few metres of salt crust which serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium.


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We shall see the water bubbling on its surface in the so-called “Ojos de Agua” or “the eyes of water”, and watch the inhabitants in their work of extracting salt for marketing. The Salar serves as the major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano and is a major breeding ground for several species of pink flamingos. We shall visit Incahuasi Island, a rocky island located in the heart of the Salar and characterised by the presence of giant cacti. The hilly island provides spectacular views of the Salt Flat and is the best place to take photographs of the amazing surroundings. In Colchani, there are gift shops selling handicrafts made of salt. At sunset we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 18th OctoberTiwanaku – La PazFollowing breakfast, we transfer to Uyuni Airport for a flight to La Paz. On arrival, we travel by road coach to the amazing archaeological site of Tiwanaku, the capital of an ancient civilisation.

During its greatest times, the capital was the largest in the world and considered to be the ‘Cradle of all American Civilisations’. Some have hypothesized that Tiwanaku’s modern name is related to the Aymara term ‘taypiqala’, meaning “stone in the centre”, alluding to the belief that it lay at the centre of the world. These pre-Inca ruins have started endless archaeological debates; the most recent carbon-14 tests show that the site dates back to 1580 B.C. We have lunch before continuing to the port town of Guaqui where once train ferries operated on Lake Titicaca. We shall visit the former railway workshops of the Guaqui Railway to see the steam locomotives stored there. We return to La Paz for dinner and overnight hotel accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 19th OctoberReturn to UKThis morning we have an early transfer to the airport at La Paz for our flights to London Heathrow via Miami. (B)


Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Return flights from London Heathrow via Miami to Lima returning from La Paz

• Internal flights in Peru and Bolivia



• Transfers

• All rail and coach travel

• Entrance to all attractions mentioned

• Local guides



October 2013

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Railways of the Indian Hills

Saturday 2nd NovemberFlight to DelhiWe take an overnight flight from London Heathrow to New Delhi, the capital city of India.

Sunday 3rd NovemberDelhi to AmritsarWe arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi (Jet Airways) and change to an internal flight for Amritsar in the state of Punjab, north-west India. Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel where we have a late lunch. The remainder of the day will be free to explore Amritsar, the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion. There will be an optional tour in the evening to visit the Golden Temple to witness the beauty of the illuminated holy shrine of the Sikh community. (L D)

Monday 4th NovemberAmritsarAfter breakfast, we visit the Jallianwala Bagh, a public garden and site of the 1919 Amritsar

Massacre. The garden contains a memorial of national importance to the hundreds of innocent civilians who were cruelly shot whilst attending an independence protest meeting. After lunch we travel to the border between India and Pakistan near Wagah. There we watch the magnificent ceremony of ‘lowering the flags’ and closing the border crossing gates. This memorable military ritual takes place every evening before sunset. We return to our hotel in Amritsar for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 5th NovemberKangra Valley Narrow Gauge Railway Today we have an early breakfast before transferring to Amritsar Junction Railway Station. Here we board the 09:15 Ravi Express (Train 4633) to Pathankot where we arrive at 11:40. We change trains and travel by specially chartered steam train on the Kangra Valley Railway (KVR) to Joginder Nagar. This narrow gauge railway was built originally to carry materials for the Uhl

hydroelectric project and opened in 1928. It runs for 164 km (101.9 miles) through difficult mountain terrain, crossing numerous bridges, with an ever present panorama of snow-clad mountains and golden green fields. Joginder Nagar is the terminus of the line where we transfer to our hotel in the town. The location is surrounded by mountains covered with beautiful thick Pine forests in an area of Rhododendrons and Deodar Cedar trees. (B L D)

Wednesday 6th NovemberPalampurThere will be free time for leisure and relaxation today; or activities of your choice. For those who are interested, we have arranged for a reserved carriage to be available for our use on the KVR local service train between Joginder Nagar and Kangra. Palampur, 37 km by rail from Joginder Nagar, is famous for its mountain scenery and tea gardens. There are numerous picturesque streams in the area and it is a pleasant walk to Bundla

World Tours - Railways of the Indian Hills

This new tour visits areas of northern India stretching from the border with Pakistan in the north-west to the famous hill station of Darjeeling in the north-east. The northern frontiers of India are defined by the snow-capped Himalayan mountain range, including the world’s highest peaks, which will be visible from a number of locations visited on this tour. We travel through and stay in the foothills of the Himalayas, in areas of outstanding natural beauty with deep forests, meadows, and varied flora and fauna.

India’s culture and heritage are a rich mixture of the past and the present. This vast country is notable for its religious diversity, a vast variety of languages, and monuments that have been present for thousands of years. We shall have first-hand experience of these fascinating aspects of the country when we visit historic, religious and cultural sites.

British colonialism has left its mark on India, not least in the hill stations that were created and the railways that were built to reach them. We travel on an interesting selection of these narrow gauge railways often by specially chartered steam train. We stay in hill stations where names such as ‘The Mall’, ‘Cochrane Place’, ‘Windsor Tea Estate’ and ‘Victoria Boys’ School’ evoke memories of the British Raj.

Join us on this voyage of discovery to a fascinating country that cannot fail to provide an unforgettable and memorable experience.

Saturday 2nd to Sunday 17th November 2013

Cedric Spiller

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Stream, a wide chasm, and Bundla Tea Estate, one of the most beautiful tea estates. The Himachal Cafe at Neugal Khad has an outstanding view from its restaurant and is a popular photographic viewpoint. (B D)

Thursday 7th NovemberDharamsala Following breakfast, we have an excursion to Dharamsala which is located in the Kangra Valley, in the shadow of the Dhauladhar Mountains. It is the home of the Dalai Lama and centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. Several thousand Tibetan exiles live in and around McLeodGanj in Upper Dharamsala, where they have built monasteries, temples and schools. The town is also known for Tibetan handicrafts, thangkas (paintings on silk), Tibetan carpets, garments and other souvenirs. We shall visit McLeodGanj and the most important Buddhist site in the town, the Dalai Lama’s monastery. We return to Palampur, where we stay overnight. (B L D)

Friday 8th NovemberPalampur to Shimla Today we travel by road coach from Palampur to Shimla. We stop for lunch at Bilaspur which is situated in the Shivalik range of the lower Himalayas and surrounded by hills on all sides. We arrive at Shimla in the late afternoon and check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. Shimla was the summer capital of British India and is noted for its Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. The area is full of Pine and Deodar Cedar trees and the wood has been extensively used in building the many temples and palaces in the town. Shimla arts and crafts are highly in demand by visitors and include excellent pieces of jewellery, embroidered shawls and garments, leather articles, and sculptures. (B L D)

Saturday 9th NovemberSteam on the Kalka-Shimla Railway After breakfast at our hotel, we walk down The Mall in Shimla or transfer by road transport to Shimla Railway Station. This is the hill station terminus of the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge Kalka-Shimla Railway (KSR) which was constructed in 1906 to connect the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the Indian railway system. We have an exclusive chartered train hauled by class KC steam locomotive No. 520 for the journey to Kathleeghat and back (2 hrs each way). We return to our hotel by late afternoon allowing time to enjoy an evening stroll along The Mall, visit the church on The Ridge, Scandal Point, and the Tibetan handlooms and shops. (B L D)

Sunday 10th NovemberShimla – Kalka – ChandigarhWe travel by vintage railcar from Shimla to Kalka on the KSR today. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has spectacular scenery along the whole of its route as it descends for around 4,700 feet on a ruling gradient of 1 in 33. We pass through the picturesque Shivalik Mountains, through 102 tunnels and over 864 bridges and viaducts, on this masterpiece of civil engineering. We transfer from Kalka to Chandigarh and stay overnight in one of the city’s hotels. The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post independence in 1947 and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design. The city’s name is derived from an ancient temple in the city called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi. It is also referred to as “The City Beautiful” due to its beautiful surroundings, central grid of gardens, each dedicated to different species of flora. (B L D)

Continued overleaf.


Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to New Delhi and return



• 12 lunches

• 14 dinners




November 2013

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Monday 11th November Chandigarh – Bagdogra – Siliguri We have an early morning transfer to Chandigarh Airport where we board the 08:10 flight to New Delhi. Here we change to a flight for Bagdogra where we arrive at 13:45. We transfer to our hotel in Siliguri. Later, we visit the Siliguri depot of the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and then have a trip on a specially chartered steam train. We shall be hauled by a Class B steam locomotive to Rangtong Station and back, and during the journey high tea will be served on the train. On our return, we transfer from Siliguri Station to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 12th November Siliguri to KurseongAfter breakfast, we transfer to Siliguri Station and board a specially chartered steam train on the DHR. We journey to Rangtong Station from where we travel by road coach to Kurseong, a hill station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. We stay overnight in Kurseong, at an attractive colonial bungalow now converted into a hotel. Kurseong was a rest town and medical centre during the British days, with a TB Sanatorium and various villas and bungalows. The DHR station is at the centre of the town and the track runs through the length of the town. The early evening is free to enjoy the magnificent scenery with panoramic views from the tea estates, and if time permits we can visit a tea factory. (B L D)

(Normal DHR services between Siliguri and Kurseong remain suspended until further notice following a severe landslip at Pagla Jhora in June 2010. Monsoon rains in June 2011 destroyed much of the subsequent repair work, and further damage was caused by a severe earthquake in September 2011. There were also landslips causing damage at Tindharia in September 2011 and July 2012)

Wednesday 13th NovemberSteam on the Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayThis morning we have a jeep transfer to Kurseong Station on the famous DHR, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway is also known as the “Toy Train” and we shall travel to Darjeeling by steam train. En route we pass through stations at Sonada, Jor Bungalow, and Ghum. At the famous ‘Batasia Loop’ and weather permitting, we shall be able to take photos of the train against the background of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the rest of the Himalayan range. On arrival in Darjeeling, we transfer to a hotel where we stay for three nights. Darjeeling is a town in the Indian state of West Bengal and a popular tourist destination. It is located in the Mahabharat Range at an average elevation of 6,710 ft (2,050 metres). (B L D)

Thursday 14th NovemberDarjeeling to Ghum on the DHRThe development of Darjeeling dates back to the mid-19th Century when the British set up a sanatorium and a military depot there. Subsequently, extensive tea plantations were established in the region which is noted for its tea industry and famous Darjeeling black tea. Today we travel on the DHR from Darjeeling, taking the 10:40 ‘joy ride’ steam train to Ghum. On the way the train passes through Batasia Loop with its memorial to the Ghurkha soldiers. The line climbs to Ghum, the highest point on the DHR, where there will be time to visit the railway museum above the station. We return by jeep to Darjeeling and the remainder of the day will be free to relax and explore the town. (B L D)

Friday 15th NovemberSunrise at Tiger Hill, Ghum Monastery, DarjeelingEarly risers are in for a real adventure with our excursion to Tiger Hill this morning (subject to clear weather as advised by our local team). Tiger Hill is about 12km from Darjeeling and is the place to see the spectacular sunrise over Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain. As the sun appears the mountain changes colour: it’s an awe-inspiring sight. There are also views of Mount Everest in the distance. We visit the 1875-built Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at Ghum before we return to our hotel for breakfast. Later we visit the famous Tibetan Refugee Centre, where traditional handmade textiles and handicrafts can be seen, and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI). The latter houses the collectibles of the legendry Sir Edmund Hillary and the local Sherpa from Darjeeling, Tenzing Norgay, who first climbed Mt. Everest. The evening is free to explore the town, walk along its famous malls, and visit the local shops and food-bazaar. (B L D)

Saturday 16th NovemberDarjeeling to Delhi Today, we travel by road to Bagdogra Airport where we board the 14:15 flight to New Delhi, arriving in India’s capital city at 16:25. We have a farewell dinner and the use of rooms to freshen up before we leave on our return flight to the UK. (B D)

Sunday 17th NovemberReturn to UKOur flight leaves Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi in the early hours of the morning and arrives at London Heathrow mid morning.


Cedric Spiller

67World Tours - Railways of the Indian Hills

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to New Delhi and return



• 12 lunches

• 14 dinners




November 2013

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1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

Cedric Spiller

68

South American Adventure

Wednesday 6th November Fly to MontevideoWe take an evening scheduled flight from London to Montevideo.

Thursday 7th NovemberMontevideo, UruguayWe have an early afternoon arrival in Montevideo, the capital and the chief port of Uruguay, transfer to our hotel and check in. There is then an optional city tour or visit to the Peñarol Railway Workshops and Roundhouse which houses the Uruguayan steam fleet of mainly British origin. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (D)

Friday 8th NovemberMontevideo Steam Today, we join a specially chartered train hauled by Beyer Peacock built 2-6-0 steam locomotive No. 120. We travel from Montevideo to Minas and back, a journey of approximately 200 km (124 miles). Breakfast and lunch will be served on

board the train. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Saturday 9th November Fast Ferry to Buenos AiresThis morning we take the high-speed ferry from Montevideo to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital which is located on the estuary of the River Plate. We transfer to our hotel and check in. This evening we visit a Tango show where we will also have dinner. Tango music originated in Argentina and it has been recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s cultural heritage. We return to our hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Sunday 10th November To RosarioAfter breakfast in the hotel, we have a short sightseeing tour of the city. We then transfer to Buenos Aires Retiro Station where we board our specially chartered train hauled by an Alco diesel locomotive. We travel to Rosario, which is located on the western shore of the Paraná River in central

Argentina, 300 km (186 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires. We have dinner and overnight accommodation at a hotel in Rosario. (B L D)

Monday 11th NovemberRosario Steam specialToday we have a specially chartered train hauled by North British (Glasgow) 1914-built 5ft 6in gauge 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ steam locomotive No. 191. This former Central Argentine Railway broad gauge locomotive has been restored to working order recently at Perez workshops near Rosario. We travel from Rosario to San Nicolas de Los Arroyos where our Alco diesel takes over for the return run back to Retiro Station in Buenos Aires. We have dinner and overnight accommodation in Buenos Aires. (B L D)

Tuesday 12th November Fly to SaltaThis morning we take a flight to Salta, a city in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. In the afternoon we have a sightseeing tour of Salta, the Argentine

World Tours - South American Adventure

This extraordinary tour visits Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, three contrasting South American countries. We stay in the capital cities and travel by steam train in all three countries. Highlights include travelling over the Andes Mountains on the “Train of the Clouds”; through the wilderness to Esquel, deep in Patagonia, on the “Old Patagonian Express”; and the famous ‘Lake Crossing’ through the Andes from Chile into Argentina.

We travel on specially chartered trains, mostly hauled by steam locomotives, and see for ourselves the challenges faced by those who built the railway lines through extremely hostile terrain. A variety of track gauges are used in these countries and we travel on broad, standard, metre, and narrow gauge routes. We view steam locomotives of the six different gauges in use at the various railway museums visited.

We experience amazing vistas as we travel through the Andes Mountains, cross the Atacama Desert, navigate the estuary of the River Plate, and cruise the Patagonian lakes. Colonial heritage abounds in the towns & cities and we take time to view some of the best examples of their architectural splendour. There will be many filming and photographic opportunities covering various interests – landscape, transport, life style, flora and fauna.

This tour offers a truly spectacular three-in-one ‘South American Adventure’ – an experience not to be missed.

Wednesday 6th to Tuesday 26th November 2013

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city which has the best preserved colonial architecture. Many impressive buildings are located in the city centre ‘9th of July Square’ including the 18th Century Cabildo (Town Hall), the neo-classical style Cathedral, and museums. There are awe-inspiring views of the city and the Lerma Valley from the summit of San Bernardo Hill which can be reached by cable car. We have dinner and overnight accommodation at our hotel in Salta. (B L D)

Wednesday 13th November “Train of the Clouds”Today we join “The Train of the Clouds”, a tourist train service that runs on a route connecting the Argentine Northwest with the Chilean border in the Andes mountain range. It is known as the “Train of the Clouds” because clouds can sometimes envelope the train as it passes through the mountains. There are some spectacular views as the train runs from Salta Station to the La Polvorilla Viaduct, located at 4,220 metres (13,850 ft) above sea level. The route has 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals and 2 zigzags – the latter allow the train to climb steep gradients without the use of rack-and-pinion for traction. The service includes a dining car and we shall dine on board the train. We continue on this train to the Chilean border at Socompa for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 14th NovemberPrivately chartered train to Antofagasta in ChileAfter breakfast, we join a privately chartered train for the journey from Socompa on the Chilean/ Argentinean border to Antofagasta in Chile. The Salta–Antofagasta Railway is a non-electrified single track railway line that passes through the Andes, linking Argentina and Chile. It is a 941km (584 miles) long metre gauge railway line that crosses the Puna de Atacama, an arid high plateau in the Andes, and the Atacama Desert which is composed mostly of salt lakes and sand, the driest desert in the world. The route is normally ‘freight-only’ from its highest point at La Polvorilla Viaduct to the environs of Antofagasta. We stay overnight in Antofagasta. (B L D)

Friday 15th NovemberSpecial steam excursion with North British 2-8-4T No. 34Antofagasta is a port city in a major mining area of northern Chile. It is known as ‘The Pearl of the North’ because of its historical and economic importance. This morning we have arranged a specially chartered train hauled by the magnificent North British, Glasgow, built 2-8-4T steam tank locomotive No. 34. We have a return trip to Mejillones, a port city situated on the Pacific Ocean coast 60 km north of Antofagasta. Lunch will be provided on the train. We stay overnight in Antofagasta. (B L D)

Saturday 16th NovemberTo Santiago, capital of ChileAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Baquedano for a steam train trip with metre gauge 2-8-2 steam locomotive No. 3511. Four coaches will be included in the train – the destination will be confirmed later. In the early evening we take a flight to Santiago, where we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Sunday 17th November To TemucoToday we travel by fast train operated by ‘TerraSur’ from Santiago to Chillian on the electrified main line. Currently this is the only inter-city service that still operates in the country, and is the fastest rail service in South America. At Chillian we transfer by road coach to Temuco. This afternoon we visit the Pablo Neruda National Railway Museum in Temuco. The former Chilean Railways locomotive depot retains the coaling stage, locomotive workshops, and half-roundhouse where a collection of twenty locomotives, mainly steam, are on display. We transfer to our hotel in Temuco for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)


Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Montevideo and from Buenos Aires to London




• Ferry and boat trips





November 2013

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11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

Hooper

Nigel Dobbing

Nigel Dobbing

70

Monday 18th NovemberBy steam to ValdiviaFollowing breakfast this morning we join our special steam train at Temuco Station to travel to Antilhue. The train will be hauled by a powerful “Baldwin” designed (1953) 4-8-2 steam locomotive hauling 1930-built Linke Hoffman carriages, and an Argentinean Fiat dining car in which lunch will be served. During the journey, a number of stops will be made, in the glorious scenery, for photographic run-pasts. On arrival at Antilhue, we change to another special steam train formed of clerestory carriages and hauled by Beyer Peacock designed 2-6-0 steam locomotive No. 120. We travel to Valdivia where we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 19th NovemberSteam trains from Valdivia to Puerto Montt After breakfast we return to Valdivia Station where we board our special train, hauled by 2-6-0 steam locomotive No. 120, for the journey to Antilhue. We change trains at Antilhue and join our specially chartered train hauled by “Baldwin” built ‘Mountain’ Class 4-8-2 steam locomotive No. 620 for a pleasant highly scenic journey to Puerto Montt. During the journey lunch will be served in the dining car. On arrival at Puerto Montt we transfer to the nautically themed Presidente Hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 20th NovemberLake crossing to BarilocheThis morning we board our vessel to begin the famous Lake crossing to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. We cruise three beautiful lakes, interspersed with short road journeys on unmarked roads. We pass active volcanoes, spectacular glaciers, and majestic mountains always covered in snow. This must be one of the top five scenic journeys in the world!

On arrival in San Carlos de Bariloche, we check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Thursday 21st NovemberThe Old Patagonian ExpressAfter breakfast we transfer by road coach to Cerro Mesa. At around 10:30 our train, hauled by a narrow gauge 2-8-2 ‘Mikado’ locomotive, will steam out into the Patagonian wilderness of moors, mountains and forests. Despite its 750 mm (2 ft 5½ in) narrow gauge, the Old Patagonian Express includes a restaurant car where we shall be served coffee, tea, light refreshments and lunch. We shall see for ourselves how difficult this country is for railways as we experience an invigorating ride, battling against the force of gravity up though the mountains. After several photographic opportunities en route, we are due to arrive at El Maiten by 16:00 from where we transfer by road coach to El Bolson and our 3-star hotel. (B L D)

Friday 22nd November‘La Trochita’ to EsquelAfter breakfast, we transfer to El Maiten Station and again board the Old Patagonian Express. Refreshed with hot coffee and snacks we set off for Esquel on ‘La Trochita’, a nickname meaning ‘The Little Narrow Gauge’ in Spanish. This is a wild and remote line which is still totally steam operated. Our ride will be extremely exciting as the train tackles severe gradients through the mountains, with the high Andes always in sight. Lunch is served on board the train and we are due to arrive in Esquel at around 17:00. On arrival we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Saturday 23rd NovemberTrain to Lepa then onto BarilocheToday there are two choices. The first option is to transfer to Esquel Station where ‘La Trochita’ waits for us. We travel steam-hauled to Lepa, for a barbecue lunch beside the line. The second option includes a morning tour of the Esquel area visiting some early settlements where, unusually, only Welsh and Spanish are spoken! Later we rejoin the rest of the group for the barbecue at Lepa and then transfer by road coach to San Carlos de Bariloche. We stay overnight in San Carlos de Bariloche. (B L D)

Sunday 24th NovemberFlight to Buenos AiresFollowing breakfast this morning we take a flight from San Carlos de Bariloche to Buenos Aires. There will be some free time in the capital city before we have our farewell dinner. We have overnight accommodation in Buenos Aires. (B L D)

Monday 25th NovemberReturn home After a leisurely breakfast we transfer to Buenos Aires International Airport for our flight to London. (B)

Tuesday 26th NovemberArrival in LondonWe have an early afternoon arrival at London Heathrow.


Hooper

Nigel Dobbing

71World Tours - South American Adventure

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Montevideo and from Buenos Aires to London




• Ferry and boat trips





November 2013

M T W T F S S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

Robyn Macnamara

Nigel Dobbing

Nigel Dobbing

72

Eritrea

Tuesday 12th NovemberFlight to EritreaWe leave London Heathrow at 14:00 for Cairo from where we take a flight to Asmara in Eritrea. We transfer direct to the Asmara Palace Hotel for a late check in.

Wednesday 13th NovemberAsmara TourAsmara is perched on the eastern edge of the country’s highland plateau and has been Eritrea’s capital since 1897. The country was colonised by the Italians, and was once the jewel in Italy’s East African Empire. Our city tour of Asmara includes the Catholic Cathedral, thought to be the finest example of its style outside of Italy; the neo-classical Governor’s Palace; the Romanesque Opera House; the city park; and the cemetery of tanks, full of scrap military metal! There will also be time to visit the city’s bustling market. (B L D)

Thursday 14th NovemberAncient MassawaThe Eritrean Railway was built to link the capital city with Massawa on the Red Sea Coast. Construction of the 950mm (3 ft 13⁄8 in) narrow

gauge railway by the Italians commenced in 1888. The railway suffered damage during World War II and was almost totally destroyed afterwards during 30 years of civil unrest. The line between Asmara and Massawa has now been fully restored, with the last section of track finished in early 2003. The line has 29 stone bridges, two metal ones and 39 tunnels. Today, we travel by train from Asmara, on the edge of the Eritrean Highlands, down to Ghinda. Our ‘mixed’ train of passenger and freight vehicles will be hauled by a Mallet type steam locomotive. There will be opportunities to stop for photography along the way. We then travel by road coach from Ghinda to the coast at Massawa. Massawa is vitally important to Eritrea as it is the largest natural deep water port on the Red Sea. The city is located on two islands as well as the mainland. The island of Batse is an ancient Moorish centre and well worth a visit. The district of Taulud has a war memorial, cathedral, the Imperial Palace, and the old railway station. We have overnight accommodation at the recently refurbished Grand Dahlak Hotel in Massawa. (B L D)

Friday 15th November Steam to GhindaOur train today will be hauled by a large Mallet type steam locomotive for the long climb from sea level at Massawa, through gorges and across high slender viaducts, high up into the mountains to Ghinda. At Ghinda Station a Breda built 0-4-0T tank locomotive will be in steam for us and will work a short mixed train for our benefit. Our train locomotive will also make some photographic ‘run pasts’. We travel by road coach back to the Asmara where we stay at the Palace Hotel for five nights. (B L D)

Saturday 16th NovemberSteam to AsmaraAfter breakfast, we travel by road coach to Ghinda Station. Today, our train will be hauled by two Mallet type steam locomotives for the journey over the steepest and most spectacular section of the route between Ghinda and Asmara. This is the final section of the line to have been reopened on this once dilapidated railway. It climbs steeply as it twists and turns, passing over bridges and through tunnels. There will be opportunities for several photographic ‘run pasts’ on this impressive line. (B L D)

World Tours - Eritrea

Eritrea is a country in East Africa, bordering the Red Sea, with a varied and contrasting landscape. The Eritrean Railway has recently enjoyed a steam renaissance. Most of the 950mm narrow gauge railway was closed and the rails removed in the 1970’s but much of it has been rebuilt and recently reopened. Six of the original Italian built narrow gauge steam locomotives have been restored, including some Mallet-type articulated locomotives. The line passes through spectacular scenery as it climbs from the Red Sea to the capital, Asmara, at over 7,500 feet above sea level.

It has been dubbed the Darjeeling of Africa, but it climbs significantly higher than the Indian line. All of the Eritrean trains on this tour are chartered especially for us. We travel during a month when the weather is comfortable and through a country that is extremely friendly, not yet influenced by mass tourism. This tour also offers an extension to visit Cairo, including the Pyramids, and Alexandria.

Tuesday 12th to Wednesday 20th November 2013(Optional extension Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd November 2013)

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Sunday 17th NovemberVisit KerenToday, we visit the ancient, and predominately Muslim, city of Keren, the second largest city in Eritrea. The journey there takes us through some magnificent scenery as we pass through the mountains. Keren is overlooked by the Tigu, a 19th Century Egyptian fortress, from where there are good views of the city and surroundings. The city has some excellent examples of Italian and Ethiopian architecture. The ruins of the old Imperial Palace, destroyed in 1977, are located at the base of the Tigu. As an alternative to this outing, it is possible to spend the day exploring Asmara or relaxing by the hotel swimming pool. (B L D)

Monday 18th NovemberSteam in the MountainsWe begin the day with a visit to the locomotive depot and workshops at Asmara. One of the little Breda-built steam tank locomotives should be available for shunting and light duties. We shall have lunch at a restaurant in Asmara and then join our chartered train which will be hauled by a Mallet type steam locomotive. We shall travel as far as Arbaroba, maybe further, after which the Mallet locomotive runs round our train for the return journey. As our train climbs back up towards Asmara, the afternoon sunlight should give us spectacular photographic opportunities against a mountain backdrop. We hope to use our road coach to follow the train, and this will allow us to photograph the moving train as it grinds its way through the panoramic scenery. (B L D)

Tuesday 19th NovemberThe Fiat RailcarThe Eritrean Railway is one of the few railway systems still in existence (excluding tourist railways) that uses vintage equipment like the 1930’s Italian Fiat-built ‘Littorina’ railcars. Today, we have the opportunity to travel by ‘Littorina’ from Asmara to Nefesit. There will also be a steam train available for those who prefer to make the journey by this means. We return to Asmara by the steam train. There will be plenty of opportunities for photography of the trains and the spectacular scenery during these journeys. (B L D)

Wednesday 20th NovemberFlight to Cairo/LondonWe have an early morning departure for London via Cairo. (B L)

Cairo Extension

Wednesday 20th NovemberExploring CairoFrom Cairo Airport we transfer to the Cairo Sheraton Hotel, located on the River Nile, where we stay for three nights. We take a local tram through the streets of Cairo to the railway station, which also houses the Egyptian Railway Museum. After lunch in the city, our private coach will take us to the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar for some shopping. We return to our hotel for dinner. (B L D)

Thursday 21st NovemberThe PyramidsWe have arranged a private tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza and their steadfast and enigmatic guardian, the Sphinx. After lunch we tour the Egyptian Museum to see the golden treasures of Tutankhamun and other amazing exhibits of ancient Egypt. We have dinner at our hotel. (B L D)

Friday 22nd NovemberAlexandriaAfter breakfast, we transfer to Cairo’s main railway station for a mid-morning express train to Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city and its major seaport. The journey takes just over two hours, in surprisingly comfortable trains. We shall have lunch in Alexandria and then take a journey on the city’s old trams, where the fares are less than 3p a trip! We return to Cairo for a cruise on the River Nile with dinner and an Egyptian show which includes belly dancing. (B L D)

Saturday 23rd NovemberReturn to UKWe transfer to Cairo airport for our return flight to London Heathrow.

World Tours - Eritrea

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights London to Asmara and return


• Full board throughout

• All train travel, transfers and tourist visits detailed in the itinerary



Cairo Extension


Price includes:


• 3 dinners

• 3 lunches

• All visits, tours and transfers mentioned in the itinerary



November 2013

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Neil Smith

Neil Smith

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Sri Lanka – The Viceroy Special

Saturday 15th FebruaryFly to ColomboWe leave London Heathrow on a mid morning direct flight to Colombo.

Sunday 16th FebruarySteam train from the AirportWe arrive at Colombo Airport early in the morning and transfer to the nearby airport railway station. Here we join the “Viceroy Special” chartered train hauled by steam locomotive No. 340. Breakfast is served on the train as we travel south through Colombo to Mount Lavinia Station. We check in to the adjacent Mount Lavinia Hotel, an impressive colonial building at this beach resort. In the afternoon there is an optional visit by road coach to the Dematogoda locomotive depot where there is an interesting collection of both broad and narrow gauge steam locomotives. We return to the Mount Lavinia Hotel for overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Monday 17th FebruaryElephant Orphanage and steam train to KandyThis morning we rejoin the “Viceroy Special” at Mount Lavinia Station, hauled by 4-6-0 steam locomotive No. 251, for the journey to Kandy.

We stop en route to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage before taking the spectacular route into the hills. On arrival in Kandy we visit the famous Temple of the Tooth and, if time permits, the Botanical Gardens. We stay overnight at the luxury five star Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy. (B L D)

Tuesday 18th FebruaryTrain to Nanu OyaThe next four days rank as one of the Great Railway Journeys of the World. Our train will be hauled by diesel locomotive as we travel from Kandy into the ‘Hill Country’, passing tea plantations, cascading waterfalls and forests. We stop at Nanu Oya, from where we transfer by road coach to Nuwara Eliya, the highest town on the island. It contains many colonial style homes with English-type lawns and gardens looking out across a beautiful lake, making it seem like a piece of the English Lake District. We stay at The Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya. (B L D)

Wednesday 19th FebruaryTea Plantation and Botanical GardensWe spend today in the ‘Hill Country’ visiting a tea plantation and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens. The afternoon is free to explore Nuwara Eliya, a beautiful location with interesting sights. We stay at The Grand Hotel for a second night. (B L D)

Thursday 20th FebruaryTrain to Nanu OyaToday we travel by mini coach to Badulla, an area surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations. We board our train, hauled by diesel locomotive, for the journey to Bandarawella and Nanu Oya through truly dramatic scenery. On arrival at Nanu Oya, we transfer to The Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. (B L D)

Friday 21st FebruaryKandyThis morning we rejoin the “Viceroy Special” at Nanu Oya. We descend between mountain ranges through thickly wooded areas to the interior of the Island at Kandy. We shall have a tour of the sacred city of Buddhism.

World Tours - Sri Lanka – The Viceroy Special

After several successful tours to Sri Lanka in the past, we have reinstated the tour for 2014. This tour features the privately chartered “Viceroy Special” heritage steam train which re-creates some of the atmosphere of the British Raj. The train is comprised of two very comfortable air conditioned lounge cars, and restaurant and bar cars, hauled by British built Edwardian steam locomotives of the classic 4-6-0 type.

We shall stay at the best possible hotels as we travel by rail around the Island known as “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. It is famous for its tea plantations and one of the most attractive and interesting islands in the world, with its rain forests and cascading waterfalls. There is an abundance of wildlife, and herds of Indian elephants can be seen in their natural habitat.

Saturday 15th to Thursday 27th February 2014

Hugh Ballantyne

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In the evening we visit the Kandy Lake Club for a memorable cultural pageant and watch a fire walking show. We have overnight accommodation at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy. (B L D)

Saturday 22nd FebruaryTo Sigirya, Dambulla and HabaranaWe travel to Sigirya by road coach this morning and visit the 600 foot high ‘Lion’s Rock’. This massive ancient fortress and palace ruins is surrounded by one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. We go on to Dambulla where we visit the impressive Golden Temple, a multi-cave temple complex containing statues and paintings. We have lunch before continuing to Habarana where we stay for two nights at the lovely Cinnamon Lodge Hotel. (B L D)

Sunday 23rd FebruarySteam to TrincomaleeToday our special train is hauled by steam locomotive No. 340 for the journey from Habarana Station north to the port city of Trincomalee. On arrival at Trincomalee, we transfer to the Nilaveli Beach Hotel for lunch and spend the afternoon in this beautiful resort with its white sand beach. We return to Habarana, passing through elephant habitat, on board the steam hauled “Viceroy Special”, arriving late in the afternoon. (B L D)

Monday 24th February Anuradhapura, the Ancient CapitalWe join our special train at Harbarana Station this morning and travel through the jungle to Maho Junction Station, hauled by steam locomotive No. 340 then nortwards to Anuradhapura. On arrival we have a coach tour of the city, one of the ancient capitals and famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilisation. We visit the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree which is the oldest living documented tree in the world. We have overnight accommodation in a quiet forest setting at the Miridiya Lodge Hotel. (B L D)

Tuesday 25th FebruarySteam and Diesel to Mount LaviniaToday our train will be diesel hauled from Anuradhapura to Maho Junction where steam locomotive No. 340 will take over for the journey to Colombo. We continue to Mount Lavinia Station where we transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Wednesday 26th FebruaryThe Coastline to GalleThis morning we join the steam hauled “Viceroy Special” for the journey southwards from Mount Lavinia to Galle, hauled by locomotive No. 251. The line runs close to the Indian Ocean and we enjoy idyllic views of the sea, beaches and palm trees. En route we stop to visit the turtle hatchery at Kosgoda. On arrival at Galle we visit the historic Dutch Fort and lighthouse before returning north aboard our train. We call at Bentota Station, where those opting for the beach extension leave our train. We continue to Mount Lavinia for dinner and overnight accommodation at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. (B L D)

Thursday 27th FebruaryReturn to UKWe have a late morning departure from the hotel for our afternoon direct flight to London Heathrow.

Beach Extension Wednesday 26th February 3 Day Beach Extension Those who opt for the Beach Extension transfer from Bentota Station to the Club Bentota Hotel for three nights all inclusive accommodation. The resort hotel is located on Paradise Island. (B L D)

Saturday 1st MarchReturn to UKWe have a morning departure from the hotel for our afternoon direct flight to London Heathrow.

World Tours - Sri Lanka – The Viceroy Special

Tour Summary


Price includes:

• Flights from London to Colombo and return







Beach Extension


Price includes:

• 3 nights all inclusive accommodation


February 2014

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THE ATTRACTION OF TRAINSBy their very nature, trains, especially steam hauled trains, attract enthusiasts. Our tours will always include a number of photographic opportunities in the form of false starts and run pasts where this is practical and possible. Where possible, we also arrange locomotive footplate rides, museum and depot visits.

Many of our customers do not have the same exclusive interest in trains shown by some enthusiasts; therefore, we keep in mind the need to diversify our tour programmes. We do this by including visits to castles and historic houses, and to wildlife parks, using accommodation in resort style hotels, and providing free time for shopping and exploring.

Nevertheless the main attraction and therefore the emphasis of our tours is travel by train which includes the nostalgia, the companionship on board, and the passing scenery. We consider that those travelling on our tours will see more scenery and in greater comfort than by road coach or cruise liner.

SCHEDULES AND SERVICESWe arrange and advertise tours in good faith. Many scheduled railway organisations – train operators and track operators – only work two months ahead and therefore cannot confirm final schedules to us until that ‘window’. Likewise we cannot confirm and advise final numbers for a tour until full balances have been received from tour customers. Tours may be subject to occasional rescheduling or re-routing. The nature of steam trains is that breakdowns, delays and substitutions have to be accepted. Every genuine effort will be made to ensure that each of our tours runs as planned and advertised, or as close to it as possible.

FIRE RISKIn many countries at times of exceptionally dry weather, coal fired steam locomotives may be banned from operating and diesel or electric traction may have to be substituted. Oil fired steam locomotives however are normally still allowed to operate. The Railway Touring Company cannot accept any responsibility for steam bans during times of high fire risk.

SEAT RESERVATIONS AND OVERNIGHT TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTSOn some trains seat reservations are by individual seats, on others by block booking or complete carriage. Since the railways concerned make the allocations, we have to accept and be flexible about the seating arrangements. Where overnight travel is necessary we will arrange either to stay in a convenient hotel en route, to use one of the newer ‘hotel trains’, or to book Standard Class twin berth sleeper car trains (First Class is often single berth). These decisions are made on the basis of the length of the journey, the range of scenery likely to be missed by overnight travel, and the accommodation options available.

PORTERAGESome tours include porterage between stations and hotels; some include full luggage transfers between hotels, using either a supplementary road coach or scheduled ‘luggage in advance’ facilities. Porterage, where advertised, is included in the cost. However, there will be occasions when porters are not available or included and it will be each customer’s responsibility to handle their own luggage.

ACCOMMODATIONWe aim to use 4-star designated hotels throughout our tours as this offers us the standards of hospitality, catering and service that we would wish for our customers. We also seek out establishments which are either conveniently located for the railways in order to minimize transfers, or which afford some unique character. Where we cannot meet either of these criteria we ensure the best and most comfortable accommodation available.

FOOD AND DRINKMeals will be taken on trains, boats, planes, in hotels and restaurants and even al fresco, picnic or packed! Mindful of the diversity of our customer’s tastes we try to adopt a ‘middle of the road’ approach when choosing menus. We must also accept the limitations of on-board catering and marvel at the success that chefs regularly achieve in the confines of train kitchens. Hotel and restaurant meals are usually a set menu, with options for special dietary needs. If customers have any special dietary requirements they must please ensure that they let us know them at the time of booking. In this way we can make the necessary arrangements for customers with special requirements. Some of our tours include alcoholic and soft drinks and coffee, in which case this is clearly stated in tour information. Otherwise customers are responsible for their own refreshments.

PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH ISSUESCustomers are responsible for holding the necessary and appropriate travel documentation for their journey. For tours outside the UK, customers must ensure that there is at least six months validity remaining on their passports. We assume our customers are British Citizens whose passport shows they have a right to reside in the UK. If a customer has a passport of another country or state, or one that indicates restrictions on return to their country of origin, then they must please contact us prior to booking and well in advance of intended use.

At the time of the publication of this brochure in November 2012, UK Citizens require visas/permits for the following tour destinations: (£ indicates anticipated cost to individual applicants)

INDIA – £48ERITREA – £35EGYPT – £20

We will advise customers of the requirements and processing arrangements for booking these tours. Where appropriate and possible we will arrange to handle and secure group visas. This is only possible if individual tour customers can make available their passports to give sufficient time for them to be delivered, processed and returned as part of the group application. If customers need their passport in the eight to ten weeks prior to the tour then they will need to consider making an individual visa application. Where tour bookings are made late, customers should make enquiries to ensure that they can complete the formalities in time.

Health advice is dependent upon the destination, medical history and current health of each customer participating in a tour and we cannot assume any responsibility. Customers MUST seek advice from their GP or a travel medical centre.

PRETOUR and TRAVEL DOCUMENTSWe will send out information to tour customers for visa and general planning purposes when appropriate, usually at the ‘balance due’ time. If there is nothing significant to communicate then we will simply acknowledge that the customer’s balance of payment has been received.

We prepare and send a booklet of information to tour customers for all tours. This includes a passenger list with first or ‘known as’ names, where advised, (check on an old acquaintance, aide-memoir for names during the tour); the latest known itinerary with as much detail as necessary (including meal times/locations); emergency and general contact details; and usually some general and specific information about features of the tour programme. This is intentionally a small part of the information available and tour customers are advised to research and obtain detailed reference material, maps, schedules etc. appropriate to their particular interests.

Air travel tickets are usually sent to us for onward despatch less than two weeks before travel - please don’t panic! Rail tickets are often group travel documents held by the Tour Manager. In this case tour customers will be provided with joining instructions, which please observe since the party cannot progress until all members are present. Tickets, vouchers and coupons for onward travel during a tour, are usually held and distributed by the Tour Manager.

TRAVEL INSURANCEMany customers arrange their own travel insurance. THE RAILWAY TOURING COMPANY cannot assume any responsibility relating to travel insurance issues and customers should ensure that they are familiar with procedures should an incident occur. This is especially important with medical cover since we do not undertake to obtain medical attention, but to hand over the customer to an appropriate and suitable authority.

INFIRMITY AND DISABILITYTour managers are responsible for the general care and well-being of the whole group and are neither available, nor trained or insured for individual ‘personal’ care. Each tour, by way of the trains and terrain being visited, presents its own opportunities and restrictions. Customers should ascertain the suitability of the itinerary and facilities available relevant to their own needs. We shall be pleased to discuss customers concerns with them before they commit to a booking. We will attempt to accommodate and resolve any needs or problems caused by undisclosed mobility/dietary/general health issues but cannot accept responsibilities beyond those stated above. We would especially draw customer’s attention to the tours that visit high-altitude locations and the resulting possibility of cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

CONFIDENTIALITY, PRIVACY AND MAILING LISTSCustomer’s names and addresses have been obtained as a result of their response to advertisements, having been a previous customer or enquirer, or a referral from some other party. We do not share these details with anyone outside Warren Travel Ltd trading as The Railway Touring Company or The Railway Touring Company Ltd. Customer’s personal details such as credit card numbers, travel arrangements, companions etc. will only be kept to be used within the requirements of tour operating.

We are registered under the Data Protection Act. If one customer wishes to communicate with another customer, then please forward the stamped envelope/package to us. We will add the address and post on the mail. We will not divulge any addresses or telephone numbers.

FINANCIAL PROTECTIONWe are licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority and hold ATOL Number T7149. This ensures that in the event of the failure of our Company, customer’s money will be protected. If customers are on holiday at the time of Company failure, arrangements will be made for them to complete their holiday and return home. The flights we provide are supplied by other ATOL holders and are protected by their bonds. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

PAYMENTS FOR FLIGHTSThe payments that customers make for their flights are held by us in our trust account, on behalf of the ATOL holder who is supplying the flight, until the date that we pass the money to that ATOL holder. The ATOL holder supplying the flight will issue an ATOL confirmation invoice to confirm their contract with the customer. We will forward this to the customer no later than the day after we have received it.

Booking Conditions

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StatusThe Railway Touring Company is a direct sell tour operator and retail travel agent. All parts of a customer’s holiday are covered by our TTA membership (number T726X), and the air travel for all of our customer’s holidays is covered by our ATOL membership (number T7149). Warren Travel Ltd, trading as The Railway Touring Company, acts as a booking agent for the service providers whose terms and conditions of booking and carriage apply to our tours. Copies of these terms and conditions will be obtained from the relevant service providers and for-warded to customers on request.Tours will be confirmed and take place subject to minimum and maximum numbers booking. Railway components of a tour are provided subject to the serviceability of motive power and stock, and the operating conditions prevailing at the time of the tour. In the event of a failure to operate services as advertised then ‘best’ alternatives will be provided.

Programme and PricesDetails of each tour programme and its cost are published in our tour brochure, in leaflets, by correspondence, or by amendments notified to customers. Customers are required to acknowledge their acceptance of this information.

PaymentsAll tour bookings should be accompanied by payment of a deposit per person as follows:

£100 for travel in the UK£150 for travel within Europe£350 for travel beyond Europe

A confirmation of booking will be sent to customers which includes a statement of their account and a balance due date.

The balance of payment is required in time for us to pay our suppliers, usually ten weeks before travel. There are occasions when we are required to pay for group tickets earlier than this and the balance due date will reflect this.

During the period of time that we are establishing a viable tour group, deposits are fully refundable. Once we have confirmed the operation of a tour then deposits are not refundable.

Fidelity InsuranceIt is a requirement that all tour bookings be covered by Fidelity Insurance. This is a financial protection insurance which protects the customer’s money until the tour takes place. The cost of this insurance is included in the tour price.

Credit CardsWe make no charge on deposits paid by credit card. However full balances paid by credit card will be subject to a 2.1% charge. We are charged this percentage by the credit card companies and due to the ever increasing use of credit cards we are no longer able to absorb this cost. There are no charges for payments made by debit card, cash, bank transfer or cheque.

Customer CancellationWe have the following customer cancellation policy for all of our tours:

Cancellation prior to 12 weeks before tour departure – loss of depositCancellation between 8-12 weeks prior to tour departure – 25% refund of tour costCancellation less than 8 weeks prior to tour departure – no refund

Passports, Visas and HealthCustomers are responsible for ensuring that they have the correct travel documentation for tours, and this includes passports, visas and health certificates. We are willing to give advice on passport and visa requirements but customers should seek professional guidance on medical matters.

We shall obtain guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and tourist board where a security risk exists or arises in respect of a tour destination. This information will then be passed on to tour customers.

PricesPrices are determined against known exchange rates, fuel costs and tax regimes prevailing at 13th November 2012. The exchange rates used for prices quoted in this brochure are as follows:

£1 = 1.23 Euros£1 = 1.58 US$£1 = 9.11 Norwegian Krone£1 = 1.49 Swiss Francs

In the event of significant changes we must reserve the right to amend prices.

A NO SMOKING policy will be pursued where we have the control or influence over the service that we are providing on our tour.

Booking Information

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Pre-Tour & Post-Tour UK Hotels and Holiday ParkingWe are able to arrange customer’s pre-tour and post-tour hotel accommodation, car parking, coach and train travel, and connecting flights.

Customers may wish to consider staying overnight before and/or after travel on one of our tours. A night in a conveniently located hotel before departure or after return can mean that the customer begins or ends the tour more rested and relaxed. It may also avoid the frustrations and anxieties of early morning and late evening travel.

Pre-booked car parking can also be arranged for customers.

Examples:-

Airport Hotels with Holiday Parking

• Gatwick from £79 per room• Heathrow from £102 per room• Manchester from £70 per room

Secured Airport Parking

• Gatwick from £7.05 per day• Heathrow from £9.80 per day• Birmingham from £6.50 per day

Travel by road coach from and to the customer’s local town together with overnight hotel accommodation can be arranged. Prices are available on request.

Rail tickets from and to the customer’s home railway station to the tour departure point can only be booked where two or more passengers are travelling together. Prices are available on request.

The prices quoted above are correct at 13th November 2012.

Please telephone for details or indicate your requirements on the booking form.

UK Connecting FlightsWe are willing to make enquiries and, where possible, arrange connecting flights from the customer’s local airport to the main tour departure point. Prices are available on request.

Travel InsuranceDue to changes in the travel insurance regulations we are no longer able to sell travel insurance direct to our customers. We can however recommend and send to customers details of travel insurance through Holiday Extras, in conjunction with the Travel Trust Association. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like to receive details of this insurance.

Pre-Tour and Post-Tour Arrangements and Travel Insurance

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Title ..................... Forename ..................................................................... Surname ................................................................... DOB*..................

Title ..................... Forename ..................................................................... Surname ................................................................... DOB* .................

*DOB = Date of Birth

Please ensure your names are as they appear in your passport.

Address of first named ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

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................................................................................................................................................... Phone .................................................................

Please reserve the (tour title) ................................................................................................................................................................................

Indicate your requirements/preferences: Twin bedded room Double bedded room Single room(s) (Please tick)

Where options are available for the tour (ie choice of travel) please clearly state your choice(s).

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Please also specify any dietary or health related requirements.

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The deposit is £350 per person outside Europe, £150 per person within Europe and £100 per person for UK tours, plus insurance, if required.

The balance/full fare is due 10 weeks before travel; dates will be advised on your confirmation. As stated in our Booking Agreement a

Fidelity Policy will be added at the time of booking.

I enclose a cheque (payable to THE RAILWAY TOURING COMPANY CLIENT ACCOUNT).

Please charge my credit or debit card for:

£..................................... deposit full fare (Please tick)

Card Number .......................................................................................................................

Expires .................................................................................................................................

Start Date ............................................................................................................................

Please accept my booking on the terms and conditions as stated in the RTC Great Railway Adventures 2013 brochure.

Please sign and date .............................................................................................................................................................................................

Please send this form to:

THE RAILWAY TOURING COMPANY, 14A TUESDAY MARKET PLACE, KING’S LYNN, NORFOLK, PE30 1JNPhone: 01553 661500 • Fax: 01553 661800 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.railwaytouring.net

Visit our website for online booking – railwaytouring.net

Railtour Reservation Form

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14a Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1JNPhone: 01553 661500 – Fax: 01553 661800Web: www.railwaytouring.netE-mail: [email protected]

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