Rail Plus arrives early with 2006 brochure

Australasia’s largest supplier of rail travel has released its 2006 brochure which features the wholesaler’s biggest program expansion in recent years. 

Distribution of the brochure early December is the first time the program has been launched before Christmas. 

Canada, holiday packages to Japan and passes for four new country pairs and five new countries in Europe have been added to the Rail Plus program. 

CEO, David Stafford said while the European changes continued Rail Plus’ reach across Europe, he expected that point to point sectors and sleepers throughout Canada as well as three popular self-guided Rocky Mountaineer packages would make the biggest impact. 

The Canada packages are 9 days/8 nights Vancouver to Toronto, 8 days/7 nights Vancouver to Vancouver and 3 days/2 nights Vancouver to Calgary and include rail journey, accommodation, hotel transfers and tours. They are priced from $2818 per person twin share,  $2365 and $1116 respectively. 

At the same time, Rail Plus has expanded its Japan product with two independent Japan rail tour packages, 11 days/10 nights Tokyo to Osaka and 8 days/7 nights Kyoto to Tokyo.  

Packages include daily breakfast, accommodation and Japan Rail Pass and are priced from $1810 per person twin share (8 days) and $2228 pp twin share (11 days). 

A variety of Japanese Day Tours are also available but can only be purchased in conjunction with a Japan Rail Pass or Japan rail tour package. 

In Europe, the original rail pass, Eurailpass, now provides unlimited travel on the rail networks of 18 countries in Europe following the addition of Romania.

Rail Plus has also added new regional passes for France-Benelux, France-Germany, Germany-Austria and Germany-Switzerland as well as national passes for Hungary, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden. 

The addition of 9 new rail passes for 2006 is in line with Rail Plus’s goal of making European rail travel even more flexible. Mr Stafford said biggest seller would again be the Eurail Select Pass for three, four or five countries. 

The biggest selling rail tour packages are the 5 days Tops of Switzerland (from $723 per person) and the 3 days Glacier Express (from $511 per person). Due to Switzerland’s popularity, Rail Plus has an additional brochure page devoted to Swiss scenic trains. 

Among other features of the new brochure are expanded Frequently Asked Questions section, US Amtrak, travel times on European networks, luxury trains (Orient Express, Eastern & Oriental Express, Road to Mandalay and Royal Scotsman), sightseeing tours in London and Avis rail-drive packages