Welcome to Railtrail Tours
A family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years.
Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care
01538 382323
Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I come and see you? Where are you based?
- Experience & Safety You Can Trust
- How do your fares work? And where can I travel from?
- What is included in the tour fare?
- Do you offer Railcard discounts?
- How active and busy are your rail tours?
- Do you offer a concierge/luggage service?
- Can I make a special request?
- Do I need my passport or photographic ID?
- Do I need travel insurance?
- How do I book with you?
- Can I reserve my place without a deposit?
- How much is the deposit?
- How can I make a payment?
- When will my final balance be due?
- What are Railtrail Rewards?
- When are my final details and itinerary sent?
- What happens if my tour is cancelled?
- What happens if the tour operates but I cannot travel due to British Government Covid restrictions at my home address?
- Where can I find your reviews?
1. Can I come and see you? Where are you based?
Our offices are in the centre of the historic market town of Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands - between the Potteries and the Peak District. If you wish to visit, you will need to call the office to book an appointment during office hours (Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00.)
2. Experience & Safety You Can Trust
We are a family company entering our 44th year of organising escorted rail holidays. Throughout the pandemic Railtrail have consistently put passengers before profit.
3. How do your fares work? And where can I travel from?
For each tour we publish a Fares Table showing not only the fare for those wishing to join at the 'tour base' (join & leave at the hotel) but also fares offering your choice of First Class (where available) or Standard Class rail travel from every UK mainland rail station.
Railtrail's British tours are unique in that, we offer tour fares inclusive of rail travel from any rail station in the UK, along with seat reservations (where applicable) as part of the tour package. (Should you miss your specified train, or a connecting train, your ticket is still valid on the next service. All we ask is that you telephone either the office during office hours, or your Tour Manager outside of office hours, to let us know of your hic-cup in your journey and we will then take control leaving you free to relax and enjoy the remainder of your journey.)
4. What is included in the tour fare?
* Options to travel 'tour base' or 'inclusive rail package' & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)
* Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
* Included Meals (Many tours include some light refreshments during the day, whilst on a few continental tours based in beautiful destinations we leave the occasional evening free to give you an opportunity to experience the ambience and dine at leisure in a restaurant of your choice. To avoid any confusion every tour summarises the included meals at the end of each day description a simple code that states what meals are included on that day. The meals included are: B=Breakfast, L=Light lunch, LR=Light refreshments, D=Dinner.
* Hotel Porterage (where available we do include hotel porterage whenever we can, however carrying luggage is the customer's responsibility, including onto or off a train. We would recommend a modest sized suitcase with wheels and a retractable handle and a small piece of hand baggage per person).
5. Do you offer Railcard discounts?
If you have a National Railcard the fares table shows a nominal amount that you can deduct from the tour fare shown. Not all our tours have a Railcard discount, as this depends on the internal journeys of the tour.
6. How active and busy are your rail tours?
Holidays by train require a reasonable level of physical fitness. Our only wish is for you to enjoy your holiday and it is for this reason that we must be sure that the tour you have selected is suitable for you. As part of the booking process, you are required to comply with a few mobility questions, and we ask for your co-operation in answering these. We always ask that that you and all members of your party travelling can:
* Carry your own luggage on and off the trains?
* Walk at a reasonable pace with a group?
* Climb steps and stairs comfortably?
(If the answer is no to the above questions, we would advise that the tour wouldn't be suitable and would discuss this with you.)
In the UK there is the National Rail service Journey Care/Passenger Assist which is a free service, Passenger Assist includes:
- offering a helping hand to navigate the station
- support when boarding the train
- meeting you from your train and taking you to your next train or the exit
- carrying your bag(s) - up to three items of luggage
(This service needs to be booked in advance, tel: 0800 0223720 or 0845 60 50 600)
7. Do you offer a concierge/luggage service?
It is possible to arrange to have your luggage collected in advance from your home and delivered to your UK or European tour hotel, leaving you free to enjoy your holiday by train even more! Using Railtrail's luggage service allows you to travel light on the first and last days of your holiday. Concierge needs to be requested on booking.
8. Can I make a special request?
Yes, any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room location, upgrades, a particular facility at a hotel etc. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed by us. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.
9. Do I need my passport or photographic ID?
If you are a UK National, you do not need to your passport to travel mainland England, Scotland, Wales. If you are visiting the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight Northern Ireland or Channel Islands you will be required to show photographic ID (passport, driving licence…) when boarding the ferries.
You will need your passport to visit Europe or Worldwide Destinations. Ensure your passport is: Valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the destination and that your passport is in date.
10. Do I need travel insurance?
For European and Worldwide tours it is a condition of booking that you are adequately insured and it is a condition of travel that before departure you provide to us details of your insurance arrangements (insurers name, your policy number and the emergency contact number stated on your policy) and also 'next of kin' / In Case of Emergency contact information.
For UK holidays this requirement is not mandatory for UK nationals but we do recommend that you are similarly insured and request that you do provide us with 'next of kin' / In Case of Emergency contact information; insurance is mandatory for NON-UK nationals and it is a condition that you provide details to us as above.
11. How do I book with you?
Book online:
Click on the "Tours & Departures" button to explore the online itinerary, photos and links for each Tour.
When you have your chosen tour on screen, use "Departure Search" to select the number of passengers who wish to travel and click on "Display All Dates". Select your preferred departure date, click on the "Book Now" link for that date and use our Online Booking System to book your holiday online, at any time.
Telephone:
Contact us on 01538 382323 during office hours and we will take you through the booking process.
Once you have completed your booking you will receipt a receipt of payment, your invoice, and an additional information form to complete. Please be sure to check all the details on your invoice in due course.
If you have any queries whatsoever, you can also use the Book Now link to "Request a Call Back" or contact us by e-mail. The Railtrail Customer Service team will reply or ring you back in office hours and answer any queries. (Some departures are also marked as "Call Back" if, for instance, there are options we need to discuss with you. Use the Call Back facility to register your interest and we will call you to discuss the tour, without obligation.)
12. Can I reserve my place without a deposit?
Railtrail have always held holiday 'option bookings' of up to 4 weeks, so if you need a holiday to look forward to but don't want to pay your deposit yet you can still RESERVE YOUR PLACE COMMITMENT FREE.
13. How much is the deposit?
At time of booking, you need to pay a deposit of:
- £75 PER PERSON for UK tours,
- £150 PER PERSON for European and
- £400 PER PERSON for worldwide tours.
Remember - deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE.
14. How can I make a payment?
Our preferred means of payment is cheque, debit card or direct bank transfer (BACS). Payments made by credit card will be charged a processing fee of 2.5% (waived from 13th January 2018). You can also choose to make a payment by signing in to your Railtrail account on our website and clicking on Balance Payments.
For payment by BACS please transfer the amount to the following account, quoting your 5-digit Booking Reference number:
Account Name: Trustee of Clients, Railtrail Tours Ltd
Sort Code: 30-93-83
Account Number: 00839674
BIC: LOYDGB21080
IBAN: GB35 LOYD 3083 8300 8396 74
15. When will my final balance be due?
Full payment of your holiday will be needed:
- 9 weeks before departure date for UK tours or
- 13 weeks before departure for ALL Grand Tours By Rail, European tours and Worldwide tours
16. What are Railtrail Rewards?
Choosing to travel with Railtrail will be even more rewarding with our Railtrail Rewards Loyalty Points Scheme and Frequent Traveller Club. We are privileged to have so many customers who travel with us regularly, coming back year after year to enjoy our unique brand of Rail holiday, recognising this we like to reward our clients. For 43 years the Railtrail brand name has been synonymous with quality and experience, combined with friendly customer service and experienced Tour Managers. We have always liked to include more in our tours than clients expect.
Loyalty Rewards Points:
Railtrail is the only rail holiday company with a Loyalty Rewards Scheme. For every pound you spend, you will receive 1 Loyalty Point on return from your holiday, which can then be used as a discount on your next tour with us! Loyalty Points remain valid for 3 years after your return from your holiday.
If you recommend Railtrail to someone not already on our database, then when they travel on their first tour with us, your Loyalty Points account will also be credited with the value of £25 per person booked if it was UK tour, £50 per person booked if it was a European or Grand Tour, and £100 if they travelled on a Worldwide Tour.
Frequent Traveller Club:
The Railtrail Frequent Traveller Club is a new and exclusive club, created to reward our most loyal clients. Once you have travelled with us a minimum of 5 times you automatically become a member of a select club that receive special offers, promotions, free tour upgrades and gifts including a quality pin badge to wear with pride. The more you travel the higher your reward. There are three stages to the Frequent Traveller Club:
* Bronze - You have travelled between 5-7 tours with Railtrail
* Silver - You have travelled between 8-10 tours with Railtrail
* Gold - You have travelled on 11 or more tours with Railtrail
17. When are my final details and itinerary sent?
Your holiday details, confirmed itinerary and any rail tickets and seat reservations will be forwarded to you 7-10 days before departure. When you receive these please ensure you check all your details.
18. What happens if my tour is cancelled?
Thanks to our unique Trust Account scheme your monies are 100% secure. Should your tour have to be cancelled by Railtrail Tours, for any reason, you have the choice of either a FULL CASH REFUND of all monies paid or to book onto an alternative tour, often at an incentivised fare.
19. What happens if the tour operates but I cannot travel due to British Government Covid restrictions at my home address?
You will be credited with the full value of all monies you have paid for the tour to be used towards an alternative tour(s) of your choice, irrespective of any irrecoverable costs that we have incurred from your cancellation.
20. Where can I find your reviews?
You can find our clients reviews on our 'Feefo' website. For four consecutive years we have been awarded the 'Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award' for consistently delivery excellent.
Useful Links:
Railtrail Fares table: https://www.railtrail.co.uk/Inclusive-rail-fares-explained
National Railcards: https://www.railcard.co.uk/
UK Gov Passport, ID & travel regulations: https://www.gov.uk/
Travel Insurance guide: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel-insurance/
Travel Insurance guide: https://www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/
Feefo reviews: Please click here
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21 The Smithfield Centre, Leek
Staffordshire Moorlands, ST13 5JW
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