Full steam ahead

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Rovos Rail’s epic network provides passengers with a means to explore South Africa from the comfort of a luxurious train carriage drawn by a steam locomotive.

The popularity of train travel has waned somewhat since its hey day when explorers and settlers built rail networks wherever they could and the locomotive became the travel method of choice for many of Europe's elite.

But just like cruising, travel by train can offer both a means of getting from A to B, and a holiday in itself.

Practical railways throughout Europe and the UK offer an alternative way of getting around, while in Africa, Asia and Australia, epic railways draw seemingly endless paths across the landscape, often in uncharted territory.

And, as travellers become more adventurous, more aware of the pollution caused by air travel, and are drawn to a holiday encompassing many destinations due to time constraints, rail travel -again, like cruises - is becoming more fashionable.

Europe is a good starting point for rail travel novices and allows them to visit many countries within a short time frame.

ACP Rail International, which handles the international marketing of BritRail and Eurail, is working with travel agencies around the world to help them sell rail products and encourage clients to explore the continent's rural areas as well as capital cities.

"We don't get massive sales from the Middle East, but business is improving," explains ACP's sales support manager, Ian Campbell.

In the GCC, ACP primarily works with Al Rais Travel and Al Tayer Travel, both in Dubai, in order to sell rail services to UAE-based customers heading to Europe.

"It's a tough market," Campbell says. "For business travel the trade informs people that they can get from A to B by train or if clients are heading to Europe for leisure purposes, they can include rail travel between cities in the package."

In conjunction with UK tourist board, VisitBritain, BritRail wants visitors to explore areas outside of London and has therefore produced a range of rail passes that give the holder limited access to railways throughout UK. Most of Britain's rail network has been recently overhauled and kitted out with brand new trains, many of which boast buffet carts and dining options. In first class cabins, passengers are given more privacy and comfort and are afforded other small luxuries like curtains and newspapers.

Eurostar

Travellers might also consider travelling by train from the UK to Europe, rather than flying, which is more costly and time-consuming.

Eurostar, the high-speed train connecting London with several major cities in France, offers fast and simple connections without the hassle of air travel.

More than 3500 Middle Eastern visitors used the Eurostar in 2006, almost 2500 of which were from the UAE. More than 570 came from Saudi Arabia, which represented a 269% growth on the number of Saudi travellers that used the service the year before.

"All of the markets that make up the Middle East region for us are performing very well and our predictions are for 50% growth on the 2006 year-end figures by the close of 2008," explains Matt Jones, regional manager for Asia, Pacific, Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

"One of the biggest reasons for travellers from all across the globe choosing Eurostar above other methods of transport are the environmental benefits. Independent research has proven that travelling between London and Paris by Eurostar emits 10 times less carbon dioxide than flying."

Other perks of rail travel include the convenience of travelling from city centre to city centre, eliminating the cost of time spent travelling to and from airports, 20 minute minimum check-in, full security and immigration checks all carried out prior to boarding, and the fact that luggage stays with passengers for the duration of the journey.

Eurostar is set to move its operations base from London Waterloo to London St Pancreas on November 14, which it claims will provide a more efficient service than before.

"It will be even faster on the UK side. It won't even be worth flying to be honest," ACP Rail's Campbell adds.

The EuRail network allows passengers to voyage around Europe and watch the countryside slide by and according to Campbell, rail tours of Eastern Europe are becoming a popular choice with European travellers, as well as Scandinavia, Germany and Italy.

While the Eurostar network is limited to the UK and France, a new partnership between nine high-speed train operators in Europe is poised to change the way intra-Europe train travel is booked and paid for, and hopefully perceived by the travelling population.

"Basically they have formed a marketing alliance," Campbell explains. "The railways are trying to get their act together - the problem is that they all tend to work slightly differently. Rail Team (the alliance) is going to try to address that and to implement some standards."

The partnership will strive to achieve better connections between the different companies, to provide customers with a quick and efficient way of moving around the continent, he adds.

Rail Europe also offers visitors a selection of rail passes to facilitate their trip around the continent.

"A rail journey on a high-speed train is a memorable part of any holiday in Europe," says Theret Xavier, sales director, South America, Africa, The Middle East and South East Asia, Rail Europe.

"Imagine a train so fast it could travel from the heart of Abu Dhabi to Riyadh in just three hours at 300 kilometres per hour! The cheapest and most trouble-free way to travel France by rail is with a France Railpass purchased before clients leave the Middle East."

Travellers from the Middle East have the opportunity to purchase and book their train tickets before departing for Europe from one of Rail Europe's general sales agents, located in all GCC countries, as well as Egypt, Lebanon, and Iran.

Reservations are compulsory aboard most of high-speed trains in Europe, including the TGV and the Eurostar.

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