Jetsettersblog

Chicago-based specialty travel company Vacations By Rail’s European product line grew this year with the addition of five new independent rail vacations to some of Europe’s most popular cities. New packages include the following city combinations: Berlin-Prague-Vienna, Paris-French Riviera, Prague-Vienna-Budapest, Rome-Florence-Venice and Vienna-Salzburg-Munich.

Each European rail package includes centrally located hotels with daily breakfast, city orientation tours, and first-class rail travel and seat reservations connecting each city. New European rail vacations start at $1,215 land only, per person double. For more information, call 877-929-7245.

Train journeys are one of the most romantic ways to travel and for honeymoon couples looking for the romantic journey of a lifetime, Great Southern Rail’s The Southern Spirit (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) is just the ticket.

The Southern Spirit (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) is an exclusive six day/five night rail journey from Adelaide or Melbourne to Brisbane, and vice versa, covering 2,810 kms as it winds its way through four states – South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Honeymooners can opt for the luxury ‘platinum service’ which includes plush, spacious en-suite private cabins, on-call Cabin Steward Service and in-cabin menu, as well as fine dining in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant car. By day the cabin is a private lounge but by night it is transformed into a luxurious bedroom complete with double bed.

Days are spent admiring the natural beauty of the diverse landscapes through which the train travels, from the rolling plains of the south to the stark beauty of the Red Centre. The Southern Spirit also makes a number of stops allowing guests to discover the beauty of The Grampians, the majesty of the Murray River, the vineyards of the Hunter Valley and the quaintness of Byron Bay.

In the evening, after a sumptuous dinner in the restaurant, honeymooners can retire to their cabin, dim the lights, pour themselves a glass of wine or champagne and sit back and enjoy the in-cabin entertainment. In the morning a leisurely continental breakfast is served in the cabins.

There are a limited number of departures remaining on the Southern Spirit until June and honeymooners wishing to include this trip in their Australian itinerary should ensure they register their interest or book well in advance due to the popularity of this route.

Fares for the five or six day train journey range from AUD$3,500 – AUD$6,800 (approx £2,357 – £4,579) depending on departure point and service level. These prices include Whistle Stop Tours and transfers. To book, either log on to www.greatsouthernrail.com.au or contact your local travel agent or tour operator.

Background
The Southern Spirit was launched in early 2010 with just two departures. This service increased to four departures, and now, due to demand, has further increased for the 2011/2012 season.

Great Southern Rail also boasts the world’s only two transcontinental services, namely The Ghan which operates north to south from Darwin to Adelaide, and The Indian Pacific which traverses east to west, Perth to Sydney. The Overland service completes Great Southern Rail’s portfolio of “Australia’s Great Train Journeys”.

The Southern Spirit guests can choose either a Gold or Platinum Service cabin.
The Gold Service cabin is a twin sleeper featuring ensuite facilities and a three-seater lounger which converts to upper and lower sleeping berths by night.
The Platinum Service cabin offers the ultimate in luxury rail travel. This spacious ensuite features a lounger that converts to a double or twin bedroom by night. Guests have on-call Cabin Steward Service and an in-cabin menu that make this a truly five star experience.

Google Maps now offers information and timetables for trains running in mainland Britain. Travelers can search for trips throughout Britain at maps.google.co.uk, with information on more than 2,500 stations and 170,000 trips nationwide at their fingertips, in addition 8,000 bus stops and over 250 tube stations.

The move is the latest in a series of efforts to integrate train schedules and pricing to facilitate the sale of rail. Some of these are offered by the GDSs, such as Amadeus Rail IT Solutions. Third-party providers such as SilverRail Technologies are offering multi-country, cross-operator rail ticketing.

The Google Maps solution simplifies figuring which trains to take to get from a street in Reading to a hotel in Llandudno, or how many changes they’d have to make on the London to Edinburgh route. It also includes walking directions and bus timetables for connections, as well as the opportunity to click through to leading online train ticketing website www.thetrainline.com, to search for and book cheap train tickets.

Uncommon Journeys’ new 14-day Vista-Dome Great Western Explorer offers up some of the most extraordinary sights of the American West, combined with sightseeing, hotels and a leisurely pace. The itinerary visits Lake Tahoe, Hearst Castle, the California Coast (which it travels alongside for 131 miles by train), to the majesty of the Southwest, and Yosemite National Park.

The tour also includes a ride aboard the newly restored Virginia & Truckee Railroad into historic Virginia City, Nev.; steamship passage to the Catalina Island; and a visit to the Santa Monica Pier. All sightseeing and admission fees are included in the tour price of $3,995 per person. Hotels include the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno (a two-night stay) and the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles (also two nights). It also includes a tour manager to handle all the details. On-board guests stay in a first class sleeping car.

Three train routes are ridden in exclusively daylight passage through the Colorado Rockies over the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad “Main Line Through the Rockies” and the passage across the Navajolands of the Great Southwest, complete with Navajo Indian Guide commentary. All meals, wine and spirits while aboard the Vista-Dome Great Western Limited are included. A two-night stay in Santa Fe is also included. Relax with ease with Trip Cancellation Insurance from Seven Corners;  www.sevencorners.com

Bavarian Forest Holidays have reported another 20% increase in guests arriving in the village of Bayerisch Eisenstein by train and using public transport for the whole of their stay.

A survey of guests in 2011 has shown that the number of guests choosing to reduce their carbon footprint by using public transport is still rising. The proportion of guests using public transport has now reached over 25%, a very high figure for a small village in the depths of the Bavarian Forest, sometimes perceived as remote. Many more guests are using their car for travel to and from the village and using public transport while here.

The use of public transport by guests has increased significantly since the introduction of the GUTi card in May 2010, giving visitors free use of trains and buses in the Bavarian Forest, with usage up significantly in 2011, the first full year of the scheme. Unfortunately, the number of guests travelling by train from the UK has been hit by poor connections in 2011. The postponement of through services to Germany by the Deutsche Bahn until 2015 is a major blow to developing train travel from London.

Japan Rail East’s new Kanto Area Pass offers unlimited rides on the Bullet Trains and all other Japan Rail Trains in the Kanto Area. The pass works well for clients visiting Tokyo and the surrounding areas. The pass not only gets you around Tokyo but also to many of the top sightseeing stops nearby, such as Mt. Fuji, Ise and Nikko. The pass is also valid for travel to and from both Narita and Haneda Airports.

Award-winning Rocky Mountaineer invites travellers to spend a little more time exploring Western Canada with its Stay and Play offer. Guests who book a Rocky Mountaineer rail vacation of six nights or more from January 15 until April 15, 2012, can extend their stay in Vancouver, BC with a free additional hotel night and a complimentary day trip adventure on the West Coast or a dinner for two in the Canadian Rockies. Choose from a delicious dinner in Banff, Jasper or Lake Louise, AB or explore Vancouver on a city tour. GoldLeaf guests can also choose a Victoria Day trip with the Butchart Gardens tour, Whale Watching tour or North Shore Tour in Vancouver.

“We are thrilled to give our guests the opportunity to discover more of Western Canada and stay longer in the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, BC,” says Hubert Wat, Vice President, Global Marketing of Rocky Mountaineer.

“Whether it is a day trip excursion on the West Coast or a memorable dinner for two in the Rockies, our Stay and Play offer adds an authentic Canadian experience to our exciting rail journeys through British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies.”

A popular package option is the Canadian Rockies Highlights, a six night/seven day vacation, which includes a two day, all daylight rail journey onboard the Rocky Mountaineer, between Vancouver and Banff.

Guests enjoy delicious gourmet cuisine and panoramic views in GoldLeaf and the new SilverLeaf Service while travelling in comfort and style through the stunning scenery of British Columbia and the spectacular Canadian Rockies.

The package includes two nights of accommodations in Vancouver and two nights at iconic Canadian Rockies properties in Banff and Lake Louise.

Several day trip adventures are included such as a Glacier Helicopter tour in Banff National Park, Summit Helicopter Flightseeing tour as well as a Columbia Icefield Excursion.

The trip ends with an overnight stay in Calgary, Alberta. This exciting journey can also be done in reverse, travelling from Calgary to Vancouver.

The Stay and Play offer is only valid on new 2012 bookings for trips of six nights or more, made between January 15 and April 15, 2012 and must be requested at the time of booking. RedLeaf and SilverLeaf Service offer will be limited to a one night stay in Vancouver and either a Vancouver City Tour or a dinner for two in Banff, Jasper of Lake Louise. Offers are based on availability and may be modified, withdrawn or travel dates may be substituted without prior notice. Further restrictions may apply.

For more information on the Stay and Play offer or to receive a copy of the 2012 Rocky Mountaineer brochure, please contact your local travel professional or Rocky Mountaineer directly at (800) 665-7245, or visit rockymountaineer.com. For the latest news and offers, follow us on Twitter @rmountaineer  or become a fan on Facebook.

For more information about Rocky Mountaineer, please visit www.rockymountaineer.com

VIA Rail is offering discounted packages of up to 50 percent off. The package allows for travel anywhere in Canada on VIA Rail’s network in any of their quality service classes. Those who book a train trip between eastern and western Canada or Quebec and Ontario will receive 50 percent off the adult regular fare from VIA’s most popular Canadian destinations. The deal is available for travel until May 31, but must be booked by Jan. 26.

VIA Rail is also offering discounted business and economy class trips between Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal until April 3. One-way trips departing from Toronto to both Ottawa and Montreal are $39 for economy class and $79 for business class with free Wi-Fi included.

Amtrak will present the Fifth Annual National Train Day, a celebration of trains and the different ways trains touch the lives of people around the country.

The celebration will take place at train stations in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as numerous other communities throughout the nation, on Saturday, May 12.

National Train Day is for people who relish the journey — not just the destination. This one-of-a-kind train event will bring the “rail way” to life for those in attendance, as well as those participating online and through social media.

To join in the celebration of this year’s National Train Day, passengers who are inspired by their train travel experiences can share what they see and do on their train journeys by submitting photos, video and stories at NationalTrainDay.com, on National Train Day’s Facebook page or on Twitter at @natltrainday for a chance to win prizes.

Signature experiences in the four markets will feature a wide array of family-friendly activities including train equipment displays, allowing visitors to get up close with Amtrak equipment. In select markets, they can take a walk through a privately owned, luxury train car. The Kids Depot allows visitors to bring their kids and lets them build, explore and compete for surprise giveaways happening all day long at the All Aboard Explorers’ kids zone. The Model Train Displays features miniature masterpieces. For more information, call 800-USA-RAIL.

All-Gay Winemakers’ Dinner returns to Napa Valley On the Napa Valley Wine Train

(Napa/Sonoma, CA) Out In The Vineyard and the Napa Valley Wine Train are pleased to announce the return of the one-of-a-kind-experience, The (Bigger) Gay Train, a food and wine event. On Saturday, March 31st, local LGBT Winemakers will be pouring their wines paired with the inspired cuisine of Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald.

The evening be filled with unforgettable memories on the rails of Napa Valley, aboard the legendary Wine Train. As the train departs, guests will enjoy a multiple course meal paired with wines from LGBT Winemakers found in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Sarah Bennett, Navarro Vineyards; Greg Bjornstad, Bjorstad Cellars; Mark Lyon, Sebastiani Vineyards; and Jeff Durham and Joey Wolosz, Gentleman Farmer Wines, will be on board to meet and greet throughout the evening.

Due to last year’s overwhelming response we are creating a more expansive event. In this case bigger is better and a lot more fun!

Join Out In The Vineyard and the Napa Valley Wine Train for a truly remarkable experience.

What: The Big Gay Train Dinner
A new multiple course menu designed by Wine Train Chef, Kelly Macdonald, and paired with LGBT Winemakers from Napa and Sonoma Vallleys

Where: On board the Napa Valley Wine Train

When: Arrive and check in 5:30 pm
Board Train 6:00 pm
Train Departs 6:30 pm

Tickets: $160 Gourmet Express Car
$175 VIP Vista Dome Car

More information is available at: http://winetrain.com/big-gay-train

Reservations can be made by calling the Wine Train at: 800-427-4124

About Out In The Vineyard
Out In The Vineyard is an experiential Wine Country Event and Travel company promoting positive LGBT lifestyles and offering exclusive, luxury itineraries and events in Wine Country for the discriminating gay traveler and their friends.

www.outinthevineyard.com  or www.facebook.com/outinthevineyard