Award-winning specialist tour operator Brightwater Holidays (www.brightwaterholidays.com, 01334 766062) has launched a brand-new collection of rail journeys for 2023, which start from just £575pp.

Due to the ongoing popularity of Brightwater's existing rail programme, which includes the best-selling Classic Scottish Steam Break, the range has been extended to include 11 new itineraries that stretch across the United Kingdom as well as beautiful destinations overseas. These holidays offer a chance to ride aboard some of the world's most iconic trains, from the Royal Scotsman to India's Maharajas' Express, and from Switzerland's panoramic-windowed Bernina Express to the heritage railways of East Anglia.

While rail is a central theme to each of the holidays, it features in different ways so guests can take their pick depending on what it is they're looking for. For example, some of the trips are simply no-fly, meaning guests will travel to and from the destination by rail. Other itineraries include memorable rail experiences, such as a ride aboard the Jacobite Steam Train as it crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland or a scenic tour through Switzerland aboard the Glacier Express.

These holidays start from just £575pp and two of which also have low single supplements of just £90pp. Guests can also save up to £300pp if they book their place on any of the rail journeys before 31st January 2023.

A digital edition of the dedicated Rail Journeys brochure is available here.

The Manx Explorer
This tour offers three different railway experiences on the Isle of Man, which is something of a mecca for steam and rail enthusiasts. Guests will enjoy rides on the Isle of Man Steam Railway, the Manx Electric Railway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway. Visits include Castle Rushen, the Laxey Wheel, Peel Castle and more, and guests will also take a short but delightful trip on the Douglas Bay Horse Tram, using 12 original tramcars refurbished including a double decker tram.
Departs 19th June & 25th September, 5 days from £695pp.

India's Golden Triangle aboard the Maharajas' Express
This luxurious holiday includes three nights aboard the stunning Maharajas' Express and offers overnight travel, negating the need for long road transfers and brings guests into the heart of the cities visited. An outstanding rail journey, this itinerary includes gems such as the battle-scarred Amber Fort, the majestic Taj Mahal and a game drive in Ranthambore National Park, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Guests will also enjoy a 5* stay in Delhi with a city tour that takes in New Delhi, the National Rail Museum, National Transport Museum and Rewari Loco Shed.
Departs 17th November '23 and 9th February '24, 8 days from £5,995pp.

Avignon & Portraits of Provence
Brightwater's new rail tour to Provence takes guests to the heart of the region that inspired many artists. Guests will soak up the grandeur of NÎmes, the extraordinary natural beauty of the Camargue and the shady squares of Arles. This is a no-fly holiday, with return travel aboard the Eurostar included, and the hotel throughout is the 4* Mercure Avignon Palais des Papes with its privileged location in the heart of the medieval walled city.
Departs 22nd June & 1st September, 7 days from £1,795pp.

Great Rail Journeys of Switzerland: The Bernina Express & Ticino
The highlight on this week-long tour is the Bernina Express, which winds its way at a leisurely pace through the stunning scenery of the Swiss Engadin Alps as guests travel from German-speaking Davos to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Further highlights include a couple of funicular railways; one to the summit of the Schatzalp, where high-altitude plants from around the world flourish in an Alpine Garden, and one to the top of Monte San Salvatore, which offers glorious views over the sparkling waters of Lake Lugano. This follows a particularly tasty morning, where guests will learn how to make an authentic risotto before washing it down with a glass of wine.
Departs 6th July & 28th September, 7 days from £1,995pp.

Italy's Puglia & Basilicata
Leaving London via Eurostar to Paris and onto Turin by train, guests will then continue onto Rome by rail for an afternoon guided tour passing the city's historic sites. From there, it's a long but rewarding journey to Lecce and Otranto. Guests will also visit La Cutura Botanical Gardens and the charming town of Alberobello with its characteristic whitewashed trulli houses, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. There will also be a full day's excursion to Matera, another UNESCO site and where Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was partially filmed.
Departs 11th June & 3rd October, 9 days from £2,595.

Over the Moors to Northumberland
The star of Channel 5's The Yorkshire Steam Railway, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the most popular heritage railways in the country and one of the longest, travelling through some glorious scenery in a truly authentic recreation of the golden age of steam. Highlights on this tour include a visit to a full-size replica of Captain Cook's bark Endeavour, the National Railway Museum in York and a guided tour at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Guests will also ride aboard the famous Settle & Carlisle line, visit Bamburgh Castle and tour the award-winning Alnwick Garden.
Departs 30th May & 8th August, 6 days from £975pp.

Heritage Railways of East Anglia
The tour begins at the East Anglian Railway Museum, which offers an excellent introduction to the railways of the Eastern Counties with a cornucopia of railwayana, followed by a short trip on the Mid-Suffolk railway line. A train journey here is combined with a visit to the popular royal residence of Sandringham, perhaps the most famous stately home in Norfolk, which also has some wonderful gardens to explore. An exciting day follows as guests take trips on standard-gauge and narrow-gauge railways and visit the Norfolk Broads, where they enjoy a relaxing two-hour cruise. This East Anglian escape ends in the unique surroundings of Bressingham Steam and Gardens, with its impressive collection of steam-driven machines set in gorgeous gardens and grounds.
Departs 23rd June and 28th August, 4 days from £675pp.

From Ribblehead to Ravenglass: Railways of Yorkshire & the Lakes
This holiday begins in Yorkshire with an opportunity to visit the National Railway Museum in York, with its huge collection of locomotives, coaches and other railway memorabilia, and then with a guided tour of RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Guests take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway over hill and dale to Whitby, where they visit the full-sized replica of Captain James Cook's bark Endeavour. From here, it's a ride on the famous Settle & Carlisle line, with its impressive viaducts and long tunnels, where on arrival in Carlisle they head for their hotel in the heart of the Lake District. Other highlights include a trip on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a quirky narrow-gauge line whose characterful little steam trains delighted and inspired Thomas the Tank Engine author Rev W Awdry, and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. On the final day, there is a cruise on Lake Windermere aboard a specially-chartered vintage boat followed by a tour of the Arts and Crafts gem, Blackwell House.
Departs 30th May & 8th August, 4 days from £965pp

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For further media information, please contact Martha Bernardo: martha@specialistjourneys.com.

Notes to Editors: Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, Brightwater Holidays is an award-winning specialist in escorted garden holidays and scenic Scottish tours. Most recently, Brightwater won Gold at the British Travel Awards for Best Coach Holiday Company. 

The holidays among Brightwater's growing portfolio feature visits to a selection of the finest gardens in the UK and Ireland, Europe and worldwide, as well as the opportunity to see plants in their natural habitat. Itineraries have been carefully crafted and timed to ensure that gardens are looking their best, and special features often include guided tours with garden owners or designers, visits to private gardens and exclusive behind-the-scenes visits. It also has a dedicated Private Groups service, with the Private Groups Manager Jenni Duncan being shortlisted for Group Leisure & Travel's Excellence Award in 2021.