Planet Rail

The benefits of Rail Travel

Customers who regularly travel abroad by train know that it is the civilised alternative to flying with the following benefits:

• Speedy check-in with safe and efficient security checks
• Relax and enjoy the journey as you view the ever-changing landscape from the comfort of your seat
• Confidence that you will have your luggage with you when you arrive
• Watch the world go by during a meal in the restaurant car
• Move around the train freely at all times
• Get closer to the culture of the country you travel through
• Arrive at the very heart of the city
• Excellent quality and great value for money

Wherever you choose to travel and whatever you decide to visit you will find that our holidays combine great value for money and excellent quality. Our aim is to ensure you have a fantastic time and return hungry for more! We therefore strive to offer a more flexible service and give you the opportunity to tailor-make your own holiday.

Knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic staff

Planet Rail is based in rural North Yorkshire. Everyone in our small, dedicated team has a passion for our featured rail journeys, the regions and the types of holiday we offer, and we make sure that our staff experience our rail journeys, hotels and holidays so that they can offer the best possible service to our customers.

Tailor-made and Flexible travel arrangements

We appreciate that many of our group and individual customers value the independence of creating their own holiday. At Planet Rail we strive to give you the freedom to do some or all of the following:

• Decide where and when you want to travel and for how long (subject to available trains)
• Choose your preferred class of travel – First or Standard Class
• Devise your own multi-centre holiday (we can offer new destinations on request)
• Treat yourself to an upgrade
• Include excursions (where not part of our itinerary)
• Create your own itinerary (we can devise bespoke itineraries on request)
• Choose to fly to/from a destination with a choice of airlines
• Travel by overnight sleeper train

For more information about our tailor-made service please just pick up the phone or send us an email request.

Fully-escorted and tailor-made group holidays

We offer fully-escorted group holidays to a variety of exciting destinations, including Italy and Germany. There are numerous benefits to these types of holiday:

• You will be fully escorted by one of our friendly, professional Tour Managers. Thanks to their organisational and social skills they ensure that all our arrangements run smoothly, allowing you to relax, meet new friends and have a fabulous holiday.
• When we visit an attraction as a group we benefit from the expertise of a local guide, who will often add a whole new dimension to the experience.
• Every excursion, city tour and sightseeing visit we describe in the itinerary is included in the price. We make it clear on each holiday itinerary exactly what is included, so you can budget accordingly, safe in the knowledge there are no hidden extras.

Planet Rail offers a tailor-made service for groups of 6 or more people, allowing you and a group of friends or colleagues to travel together by rail on the itinerary of your choice. What’s more you will be able to enjoy excursions to some fascinating and unique destinations and experiences, sometimes at a reduced cost. We can cater for groups of any size so if you are a local association or organisation we can take the hassle out of organising a trip for you and your friends. You will also benefit from valuable savings, including free places*, which will make your planned trip more affordable. We also include the services of a professional tour manager * on some tours

* dependant on the tour and number of passengers travelling.

Committed to the environment

At Planet Rail we believe that everyone has a responsibility to ‘do their bit’ to protect the world we live in. For that reason we work hard to reduce our own emissions wherever possible and promote greener forms of travel (Rail is Greener than flying). We are committed to the values of responsible and sustainable tourism and reflect this in the way we work and do business.

We recognise that actions speak louder than words, so we have decided to make both Planet Rail as a business and all our rail holidays Carbon Neutral at no extra cost to you. We also acknowledge that for some customers this is less of an issue than for others. We therefore offer those who choose to fly to/from their destination the option to offset the additional emissions created by their journey.

In-resort services and attention to detail

We want you to relax and enjoy your holiday to the full, so we take care of all the details, from choosing the best routes and times to travel, to making suggestions about what to see and do at your chosen destination. We can organise those important finishing touches which can really make your holiday even more special:

• Pre-arranged tickets for special events such as the Verona Opera.
• Flowers, fruit or wine in your room to welcome you on arrival
• Private transfers to/from the airport (private transfers from the station to/from your hotel are normally included in your holiday)
• Complete peace of mind