Great Rail Journeys adds new UK itineraries

UK’s premier rail holidays escort company, Great Rail Journeys, is bumping up its UK itineraries for the coming year.

Year 2010 will see four new British journeys adding to the existing choice of UK rail itineraries offered by the company. With the recent trend to holiday at home, UK’s tours have seen a significant rise in traffic, and Great Rail Journey’s managing director Steve Kimber says the first lot of UK tours had sold-out within weeks in 2008. The company introduced its first British tour last year.

Kimber says that the weakening pound has seen demand for UK holidays grow even more this summer. leading to the increased itineraries. One of the new tours on offer will be the Land’s End to John O’Groats tour, a 14-day trip which explores the region from Cornwall to the Highlands, and culminating in Edinburgh. The tour combines a number of mainline services with key heritage and branch lines running through the region. Four departures have so far been announced, between May and October 2010. The itinerary cost, beginning at £1,595, would include all accommodation on a primarily half-board basis, and will cover rail travel from London city.

Great Rail Journeys will also be introducing an eight-day circular tour of Yorkshire and Northumberland with prices starting at £650. A seven-day tour of the English Lake district starting at £720 and a £395 upwards Edinburgh Tattoo journey are among the other new journeys being introduced.

The company will also add to its European itineraries, with a London through to Istanbul 12-day itinerary which features three nights on the Danube Express. New rail-cruise holidays are also being offered, and new destinations like the Austrian Tyrol will also be featured.