02 Sep 2024
Tags: Rail Holidays 2025, 2025 Rail Holidays of the World Brochure, Escorted Rail Tours, Rail Holiday Brochure Launch
Rail holiday specialist Ffestiniog Travel continues its journey into its next half century with the launch of its 2025 Rail Holidays of the World brochure.
Having experienced a bumper 50th anniversary trading year so far during 2024 the company believes the rail holiday travel renaissance is set to continue.
General manager Maria Cook comments; “We are excited to continue our journey reassured by the fact that rail travel is enjoying a resurgence, particularly among the over 50s travellers, who are opting for a slower pace, carbon footprint-light way of exploring destinations around the world.”
To tempt more travellers to train touring the company has included popular rail holidays in its 2025 escorted tour programme including return visits to New Zealand, Australia, India, Switzerland and across Europe together with ten new and revised itineraries.
New Tours
UK
Shetland & Orkney – Wildlife & History
A comprehensive tour of these beautiful islands, alive with wildlife and steeped in history, starting in Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh. Enjoy stays in Aberdeen and Inverness, in-depth guided tours and steaming along on the Keith & Dufftown and Strathspey Railways. Departing 27 May 2025 this 15-day tour is priced from £3,475pp and includes all travel, hotel B&B accommodation, 8 evening meals and a lunch, excursions, ferry and road transfers, guided tours on Shetland and Orkney and the services of a tour leader throughout.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/escorted-tours/uk-grand-tours/shetland-orkney-wildlife-history
Travel to Leeds and Bishops Auckland during the bicentenary celebrations of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. Visit the Middleton, Tanfield, and Keighley & Worth Railways and tour the National Railway Museum in York and Locomotion Museum in Shildon plus a highlight full length journey on the route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. This 8-day tour departs on 22 September 2025 and the price from £1,945pp includes rail travel, coach transfers, excursions, hotel accommodation on a half board basis, one lunch and services of a tour leader throughout.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/escorted-tours/uk-connoisseur-tours/north-east-england
Europe
Trams of Hungary, Czechia & Slovakia
Budapest, Bratislava, Brno and Prague are home to hundreds of kilometres of tram lines (as well as plenty of cultural sights). This tour of Central Europe provides an excellent opportunity to cover as many as possible and explore these vibrant cities. The 15-day tour departs 29 April 2025 and is priced from £2,395pp that includes all rail and tram travel, hotel B&B accommodation, excursions and services of a tour leader throughout.
Portuguese Cities, Trains & Douro Valley
This 10-day break to Portugal is an opportunity to enjoy the colourful trams of Lisbon and Porto, the picturesque coastal city of Sintra, a Port tasting in Porto and an unforgettable journey by historic train through the beautiful Douro Valley. Departing 14 June 2025, the price from £2,895pp includes return flights, all rail travel, city travel cards, excursions, hotel B&B accommodation and the services of a tour leader throughout.
An extensive rail tour with stays in Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna plus journeys on the Semmering line, Zillertalbahn and Achenseebahn. Includes a day trip to Bratislava and, whilst in Innsbruck, travellers will take the train across the border to Garmisch-Partenkirchen to climb the Zugspitze by rack railway. Priced from £3,150pp, this 14-day tour departs on 14 June 2025 and includes rail travel, city travel cards for Innsbruck and Vienna, hotel B&B accommodation, excursions and the services of a tour leader throughout.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/escorted-tours/grand-rail-tours/austrian-tyrol-more
A scenic early autumnal rail tour of the South of France. This holiday includes picturesque journeys on the Train des Pignes, and Les Petit Train de Jaune with stays in the historic cities of Nice, Perpignan and Lyon and a visit to Carcassonne. A wonderful way to meander through stunning landscapes. Departing 12 September 2025, the 10-day tour costs from £2,250pp and includes all rail travel, a canal cruise in Carcassonne, lunch and guided tour of Annot, hotel B&B accommodation and services of a tour leader throughout.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/escorted-tours/grand-rail-tours/the-french-riviera-more
Worldwide
Japan – Steam, Volcanoes & Bullet Trains
This exciting tour to Japan features Kyushu, the southernmost of the main Islands. A sub-tropical world of spectacular coastlines, mountains and smoking volcanoes. The tour combines railways, both new and old, with wonderful sightseeing in Tokyo, Beppu, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Kyoto plus a stay in a traditional Japanese Onsen. Departing 17 September 2025, the epic 20-day rail holiday is priced from £7,650pp and includes return flights, a 14-day First Class Japan Rail Pass, hotel B&B accommodation, two dinners, excursions and the services of a UK tour leader and a local English-speaking guide.
Take the train through Canada's great wilderness to Northern Quebec and Ontario, marvelling at the vibrant fall colours along the St. Lawrence River and experience the vast remoteness of James Bay. This is a tour for travellers seeking something completely different – distant destinations well away from the usual tourist beat. The 14-day escorted tour departs 3 October 2025 and the price from £4,195pp includes return flights, all rail journeys, hotel accommodation, transfers, excursions and services of a UK tour leader throughout.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/escorted-tours/worldwide-grand-tours/eastern-canada-in-the-fall
Small & Traditional
Highlights of Bosnia Herzegovina
Discover the hidden gems and a wealth of history of this beautiful country - both ancient and relatively modern. Visit Sarajevo and Mostar plus Konjic, the beautiful Kravica Waterfalls, Blagaj and enjoy a Jablanica boat cruise. Rail journeys include the stunning Šargan Eight narrow gauge railway with its hairpins and tunnels across the border into Serbia plus the very scenic Mostar to Sarajevo line. Departing 14 May 2025, this 8-day escorted tour priced from £2,550pp includes return flights, rail travel, transfers, B&B accommodation, 2 lunches and an evening meal, UK tour leader and a professional Bosnian guide.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/small-traditional/highlights-of-bosnia-herzegovina
Amazing alpine scenery, lush vineyards and apple orchards combine to offer a unique rural experience in Italy's Süd Tirol region. Rail highlights are the scenic narrow gauge line from Trento to Mezzana, the line from Bolzano to Merano and Malles near the Swiss border and the unusual Ritten tramway high above Bolzano. This 8-day tour departs on 1 October 2025 and the price from £3,765pp includes return flights, all rail travel, private coach, B&B accommodation in quality guest houses and private hotels, three lunches and four evening meals, excursions and services of a UK tour leader and local professional guide.
https://www.ffestiniogtravel.com/small-traditional/the-italian-dolomite
Maria Cook added; “The eclectic nature of our rail holidays must appeal to everyone, from the rail enthusiast, the lover of train travel to the culture vulture seeking to reach their destination by rail. Some are specialist train and tram tours, some touring by train to reach interesting places but all include cultural and interesting content to create a refined holiday.”
Order the 2025 Rail Holiday of the World Brochure at www.ffestiniogtravel.com
