| TRAINS & TRAVEL P.O. BOX 10625 RENO, NEVADA 89510-0625 Chris@traintrips.biz Jane@traintrips.biz Deborah@traintrips.biz | 1-800 359-4870 USA 1-800 752-1836 CANADA 1-800 266-8751 FAX (775) 453-1004 | |
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This tour will create memories that will last forever. Travel back to a time when luxury on rails was customary. See the United States as the Rail Barons once did. Sleep on board some nights and in Hotels, on layovers. Dine on board with linens and monogrammed china.
Your passage includes: full meal and bar service, a professional staff from the railroads' own executive business cars, also from fine restaurants and hotels. Gourmet Meals are prepared on board in the small but efficient kitchen, using fresh ingredients. Our chef will tailor the menus to your specific requirements. This tour originates in Washington DC on October 29th and arrives in Los Angeles on November 3, and Oakland on November 4. Stay aboard the train in New Orleans; Oakland-bound guests will overnight at the Queen Mary while in Los Angeles. Includes all meals prepared aboard by our chef, complimentary bar, and hotel and transfers in Los Angeles for guests continuing on to Oakland. If you are looking for a relaxed and pampered vacation along with the beautiful vistas from the domes and luxurious lounges, please come aboard…and…Travel, Cross-Country in the Grand Manner!
DAY 2 SATURDAY-OCTOBER 30: (B-L-D) Morning finds us in Georgia, approaching Atlanta. We'll have 25 minutes to get out and stretch our legs during our stop in Atlanta, and this is a marvelous way to get the cobwebs out before sitting down to a delightful breakfast. Through the day we'll travel through miles of southern forest ablaze with the colors of fall as we cross Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. As dusk envelops us we approach the Pearl River, then cross Lake Ponchartrain on the longest railroad bridge in the US as we prepare to enter New Orleans. After the train is emptied of passengers and baggage our private cars are moved to the parking track that will be our home for the next 2 nights. DAY 3 SUNDAY-OCTOBER 31: (B) After breakfast we stroll from New Orleans Union Station over to the French Quarter, about 15 minutes away. The St. Charles streetcar looks tempting, and it's a great way to see the Garden District. Then it's off to the steamboat Natchez for a jazz cruise. Back to the train to freshen up a bit, (and maybe change into a costume!) then it's off to Bourbon Street, epicenter of the Halloween activities tonight! DAY 4 MONDAY-NOVEMBER 1: (B-L-D) Our train, the Sunset Limited, departs New Orleans at 11:55 AM, so we have a couple of hours to do explore those things that caught our eye last night. Shortly after departure, we cross the second-longest railroad bridge in the US--the famed Huey P. Long Bridge that spans the Mississippi River. Including approaches this bridge is 4.4 miles in length. We then head west across the bayou country of Louisiana. One of the towns we'll pass through today is New Iberia, home of Tabasco. Shortly after darkness falls we enter Texas at Beaumont. From here to Houston oil and petrochemicals are king. We take the opportunity to stretch our legs one last time in Houston before retiring for the night. During the night we feel some gentle bumps as our cars are switched at San Antonio. Here cars from the Texas Eagle are added to our train and our cars are again placed on the rear. Soon enough, all's made up and it's time to continue our trek west. DAY 5 TUESDAY-NOVEMBER 2: (B-L-D) Daybreak finds us leaving the Texas Hill Country and approaching Del Rio, and west Texas. Shortly after leaving Del Rio we cross the Pecos River on the high bridge, over 300 feet above the river. We're truly in west Texas now! Keep your eyes peeled for Judge Roy Bean's saloon and courtroom in the little hamlet of Langtry, which he named for his heartthrob, Lily Langtry. We begin a long gentle climb to Alpine, and a crossing of the Continental Divide, at over 1 mile altitude, then we will spend several hours descending to the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, which we arrive at in late afternoon. along the Mexican border, sometimes only 30 feet away, as we finally leave Texas and enter New Mexico. As we leave New Mexico the railroad begins to resemble a giant roller-coaster as we alternately climb and descend several summits before finally making our way into Tucson near midnight. DAY 6 WEDNESDAY-NOVEMBER 3: (B) Morning finds our train beginning the climb over San Gorgonio pass, in the midst of the giant wind farm. After we reach the summit at Beaumont, it's downhill all the way into Los Angeles! We'll wind through San Timoteo Canyon, then we may wait a few minutes at Colton to let Metrolink commuter trains cross before we continue our journey past Ontario International Airport, and our last stop, Pomona, before our 9:40 AM arrival at Los Angeles Union Station. We'll say our farewells to those whose journey ends here. For those of us continuing on to Oakland, a treat awaits as we board our motorcoach that will take us to the Queen Mary, which will be our hotel tonight.
DAY 7 THURSDAY-NOVEMBER 4: (B-L-D) We gather in the exquisite mission-revival waiting room at Union Station. Shortly before departure our steward appears and escorts us to our private cars, which are now on the rear of the Coast Starlight. We enjoy a light breakfast as we depart Los Angeles. Today we'll travel over 100 miles along the beautiful coastline of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, some of which we can only see from the train. We'll turn inland and make our stop at San Luis Obispo. Leaving this idyllic college town we begin the ascent of Cuesta Pass and its world-famous horseshoe curve. Passing through five tunnels, we crest the summit and begin to follow the Salinas River through this valley known as the Salad Bowl of America. Darkness descends as we approach Salinas, then it's on the way to San Jose. Of course we'll enjoy a farewell dinner, then we watch the city lights as we approach Oakland and the end of our journey.
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TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are subject to change without notice at any time.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, change train routing, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control occur. As almost everyone knows, in the railroad industry last minute changes do occur.
RESERVATION CHANGES: A $50 per person charge will apply for any changes made to a reservation. This will also apply for any changes in credit cards usded.
DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS: The required deposit is due in our office within 14 days of making a booking. For most tours the final payment is due in our office 90 days before the start of the tour. Due dates are posted for each tour and will also be on your invoice and in some cases we will vary the due Date depending upon the tour in question.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note before you book! Trains and Travel does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all people that enjoy the railroad hobby. We give strong warning that itinerary and route changes do happen and this is totally beyond our control when it does. If the only reason that you would want to book a tour with us is to collect the rare mileage, may we suggest that you be prepared for possible route changes.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: We assume no responsibility for injury, sickness, damage, loss, additional expenses, accidental delay or irregularities which may be caused through willful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of the companies providing or engaging in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour including Trains and Travel. We have no control on the timings of our charter trains and indeed passenger trains and charters can and do run late most of the time. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disaster, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. The right is reserved to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. We are not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour.
CANCELLATIONS: Trains and Travel does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, e mail or fax before any refunds will be processed. Be sure and allow enough time if sending your written notice by the very slow US mail postal system. When a written cancellation is received in the Trains and Travel office this will be the effective date of the cancellation. Please take note that it can take up to 60 days to process some refunds in but most cases refunds will be issued in half that time. Cancellation refund rules: 100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund. 99 to 75 days before the departure of any tour there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Any cancellations received 74 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive any refund. These cancellations rules apply to everyone and will be enforced.
RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE: Trains and Travel reserves the right to refuse service to anyone we deem necessary, to insure that all of our clients will have the best possible tour.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on our tours. Bulletins include weather, packing tips, food, health, updates and much more. Tickets and a detailed itinerary booklet will be sent out about three weeks before the tour begins.
PAYMENTS: Payments can be made with personal check drawn on a U.S. Dollar account, money order for U.S. Dollars, bank wire transfer, or credit card. We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover or American Express. Final payment for all tours is due 90 days prior to departure. If final payment has not been received 7 days after the due date, a late fee of $50 may apply.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: All prices are based on double room occupancy. We will try and match you with a roommate. if one is available. If not, you may be charged the single room supplement listed for the tour you are booked on. Single rooms may not be available in some remote locations and on some trains.
TOUR REFUNDS: If for any reason tour members amend or delete any arrangements during travel, and leave the tour on their own, we cannot give any refunds on unused portions of the tour. If buses and trains are cancelled by the carrier or there is a labor strike or they go out of business, we cannot be held responsible and we cannot give refunds. Travel insurance will protect you for any of these reasons. If TU needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a full refund. Please take note that refunds can take up to 60 days to process.
PARTIAL TOURS: We will allow passengers to join or leave a tour at certain points. It will all depend on the tour and the conditions. Give us a call and we will try and work up a custom option for you.
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