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The Benefits of Rail Tours

Traveling by train evokes adventure and romance.

By Elizabeth Crawford

Last Modified: Jun 06, 2011

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Imagine relaxing on board a train while seated comfortably in a window seat, watching the majestic, snowcapped mountains of the Canadian Rockies pass by. When you travel by train, you don't need to keep an eye on the road or worry about directions and maps. Instead, you can spot bald eagles as you cross the state of Alaska or spy kangaroos in the Australian Outback. Admire the rolling hills in Italy's Tuscan countryside or watch the sunset off the coast of California.

You can do all this-and more-on a rail tour.

Rail tours are available throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South & Central America, Australia & New Zealand and even Africa. With a rail tour, like many other escorted packages, all of your travel arrangements are made for you, including sightseeing, hotels and many meals, but also transfers to the train stations and tickets for your rail travel.

In fact, with all of your reservations pre-arranged, rail tours make travel absolutely hassle-free. Instead of figuring out train timetables yourself, let an experienced tour operator deal with arrival and departure times!

Some rail tours exclusively feature rail travel. That means except for airport transfers and city sightseeing that takes place via motorcoach, you'll arrive at each of your overnight cities via train.

Other rail tours include one or more journeys between cities by train, but also use motorcoaches for transfers between cities. For example, many rail tours in Europe use the high-speed TGV for transferring from Paris to Lyon, or the speedy Eurostar to travel from London to Paris.

Some rail tours feature overnights on board a train. That means you'll enjoy comfortable, private sleeper cars while you journey by night from one destination to another.

On a rail tour, you'll have local guides who will assist with your transfers to and from train stations and your hotel. Or a tour director will accompany you and your fellow travelers on your entire trip, from beginning to end. Either way, you can rest assured that an experienced and knowledgeable tour representative will smooth the way in foreign cities and help you make the most of your vacation.

NOTICE: This article is general in nature and for informational purposes only. To the best of our knowledge, the information was accurate at the time it was written; however, we suggest you confirm specific details and prices with the appropriate vendors before you set out on your trip since services, policies, and prices can change with time. AffordableTours.com assumes no obligation with regards to the information or to update or inform the reader of any changes or other factors that could affect the information contained herein.