TRAINS & TRAVEL
P.O. BOX 10625
RENO, NEVADA 89510-0625
Chris@traintrips.biz Rail Tours Manager. For question regarding tour itineraries and details.
Deborah@traintrips.biz Office Manager: Accounting
1-800 359-4870 USA
1-800 752-1836 CANADA
1-800 266-8751 FAX
(530) 836-1944
OFFICE HOURS 9AM TO 5PM MONDAY-FRIDAY
PACIFIC WEST COAST TIME



RAILFAN/TOURIST TOUR
APRIL 8-17, 2011
SOUTH AFRICA
SURE GO

THIS TOUR IS BEING PLANNED AND OPERATED BY GEOFF COOK OF THE UK


This tour is ideal for railway enthusiasts
and photographers with options for their partners




Sandstone Railroad and Steam in Action are planning an outstanding heritage festival in April 2011. Include is travel from Johannesburg to Sandstone and accommodations while at the festival. Our coach will then be used for transfers and for day trips for the ladies and a visit to the Bloemfontein workshops to d find out about the restoration of the NGG11 and others narrow gauge locomotives. We have also added a special photographic event in Pretoria with Friends of the Rail before you head home.

Geoff Cooke will escort this tour. Geoff has run a number of special events at Sandstone, and his knowledge of Sandstone and his relationship with the Sandstone team will ensure that you get the very best out of this exciting event.

The Gala event will offer a diverse range of activities focused on the steam railway but also including vintage agricultural machinery, traction engines, military and road vehicles and livestock. Every day will be action packed, but the final program will only be available closer to the event. To enjoy the event fully, participants will be able to board and leave trains, and walk some distance, without assistance.



DAY 1 FRIDAY APRIL 8: (D) Arrive in Johannesburg this morning. Our coach will leave Johannesburg's OR Tambo Airport at noon, arriving in fouriesburg in time for an included dinner. We will stay in the Fouriesburg Country lodge for the next eight nights.

DAY 2 SATURDAY APRIL 9 TO DAY 8 FRIDAY APRIL 15: Each morning we will transfer by coach to the Sandstone Estate, arriving in time for early morning photography and breakfast. On some days, the coach will return to the hotel after breakfast to offer day and half day tours. This option will be ideal for partners who may feel that a full week at Sandstone is a little to much 'heritage'. Details of these tours will be added to the website as soon as they have been finalized.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be at Sandstone for the duration of the Festival. Some meals may not be included for anyone taking the touring options.

The Gala will operate with a relaxed program, allowing participants to have some say in what they would like to do or see. Sandstone welcomes participants to assist with the preparation and operation of the narrow gauge locomotives, traction engines, military vehicles, etc. If you are interested in this and have the necessary skills we will be delighted to forward your request to the organizers.



Some of the events that will occur during the week are as follows:

1) 22 Narrow Gauge locomotives will operate throughout the week hauling period consists drawn from the 200 strong Narrow Gauge wagon and carriage collection at Sandstone Estates.

2) Double double header. For the first time ever we will place all four of our Garratts to work hauling one train. The numbers are NGG13, No. 49, NGG16, No. 153, NGG16, No. 88, and NGG16, No. 113.

3) Sandstone's collection of traction engines, historical agricultural machinery, military vehicles, classic cars, buses and commercial vehicles and rare breeds will all be accessible to visitors and will be mobilized on a daily basis to enhance the track-side photographic possibilities.

4) Special program for dedicated photographers will be run with early morning and evening run pasts being coordinated on a daily basis. Some of the world's top railway photographers will be working to coordinate the best combinations of locomotives, wagons, freight loads etc., in the best locations to take advantage of the outstanding light and scenery options.

5) For those who are interested we will dedicate a day during the week for an organized tour of our Bloemfontein rebuild facility in the old SAR&H Steam sheds in Bloemfontein. This requires a 1.5 hour drive from Sandstone followed by an in-depth evaluation of the restoration of NGG11 No. 52, as well as a number of smaller O&K's, and other locomotives currently being rebuilt.



DAY 9 SATURDAY APRIL 16: (B) Visit Sandstone for the last time this morning. Later this morning, return to the hotel to check out and continue to Pretoria where we will book into the Holiday Inn for one night.The coach will make a stop at the OR Tambo (Johannesburg International) airport at about 5:00PM for anyone wishing to fly home tonight.

DAY 10 SUNDAY APRIL 17: (L) Early this morning we will motor to Capital Park, home of the Friends of the Rail steam preservation group. This group specializes in mainline trips to Cullinan and Rooivaal, as well as day and night photography at their enormous depot, which includes a working coal stage, ash pits and surprisingly rural scenery complemented by antelope and ostrich. We will have at least one, probably two, Cape Gauge locomotives in steam. This is an opportunity not to be missed by any steam photographer. Later this morning, make a short tour of Pretoria, including a visit to the Voortrekker Monument. Lunch will be a Braai (Barbecue) with Friends of the Rail, followed by a visit to the Reefsteamers depot at Germiston.



This afternoon, transfer to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport in time for evening flights to Europe and Britain.


PRICES                     PRICES ARE PER PERSON 
 
DOUBLE ROOM OCCUPANCY......................$2248
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT.....................$ 498 
DEPOSIT TO HOLD SPACE......................$ 100
FINAL PAYMENT DUE BY JANUARY 18, 2011
 
TOUR INCLUDES 
 
*24 MEALS 
*ALL TRANSFERS 
*FULLY ESCORTED
*9 NIGHTS LODGING 
*ALL EVENTS AT THE STEAM FESTIVAL 
 




Click here for Travel Insurance Information

TOUR BOOKING CONDITIONS

TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are corrected to November 1, 2010 and are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room occupancy. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary.

PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE: Personal items, meals not listed in the itinerary, laundry, phone calls, excess baggage charges, rental cars, side tours, insurance, passport fees including visas, vaccinations, gratuities, medical costs, tips to train or motor coach staff, extra tour costs due to unanticipated changes in the itinerary for reasons beyond our control, including weather, travel conditions, or cancellations, government intervention, sickness, political disputes, and failure of transportation or other causes beyond our control.

TRAVEL AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS: A valid passport is required for our international tours. In some cases a visa is also needed. Consult your health professional for the recommended immunizations and documents. Trains and Travel International , here on referred to as TTI, assumes no other responsibility if a client is refused entry into a country. Cost and cancellation fees will be paid by the client in the event they do not have valid documents.

CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control preventing the completion of such. Conditions can include weather, train schedules, equipment, motive power, revision of train consist, train delays, labor strikes, political disputes, derailments, closure of a rail line, break down of railroad or motive power equipment, railroads not honoring contracts and bus equipment problems. We will always endeavor, in each case, to provide substitutes, if any changes take place. TTI is not responsible for canceled trains, delays, hotel rooms, route changes or missed connections, for any reason whatsoever. We will not give refunds if such conditions or cancellations take place.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel insurance is mandatory and is required, but you can opt out. The Decision to Opt-Out or Decline is Mandatory. Insurance will cover and give tour members many benefits and protection. Benefits include baggage loss, accident, life, trip cancellation, sickness, bankruptcy, strike, weather conditions, employer termination or layoff effecting you or a person sharing the room with you, terrorist incident in your departure city or city of destination, jury duty, you are subpoenaed, hijacked, or quarantined, your residence or traveling companion residence is rendered uninhabitable, emergency military duty, traffic accident, single supplement upgrade when your traveling companion cancels their trip, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connections, itinerary change,emergency medical benefits, medical evacuation, pre-existing medical conditions if enrollment is within 21days of your invoice date, assault of you or your traveling companion before departure, burglary of you or your companion before departure 24 hour hotline emergency assistance, emergency cash transfer and more. We will supply you with a travel insurance brochure with rates and application when we mail you the invoice after your bookings. Travel insurance protects your vacation investments. US law allows us to offer this insurance to all persons worldwide. We will accept a "refusal of travel insurance wavier" if you do not wish to purchase any travel insurance.

RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Accepting your payment represents an agreement that you understand all the conditions, to be a member of our tours. TTI gives notice that they are acting agents for the owners, contractors and suppliers, providing the transportation and all related travel services and 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 engage in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disasters, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. TTI reserves the right to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, onboard accommodations, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. The right is also reserved to cancel any trip or train prior to departure for any reason . TTI is not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour, including non-refundable airline tickets, visa fees, planning, phone calls, or any other expenses. TTI reserves the right to decline to accept, or ask to leave a tour, any person whose actions impede the daily operations of a tour, welfare or enjoyment of other tour members. TTI cannot give any refunds for any unused services. The terms contained herein shall serve as a waiver of liability to TTI. Assumption of risk on behalf of the client, their heirs, executor, administrators, successors, and assigns for any and all known persons injuries

RESERVATIONS: A deposit is due in our office within 14 days after you make your bookings. Full payment is due 90 days before departure. You will receive an invoice, reservation form and current tour bulletins with your confirmation and travel insurance forms. No notice for final payment will be sent to you. It is your responsible to make the final payment on-time.

CANCELLATIONS: TTI does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, email or fax before any refunds will be considered. Allow enough time if sending your written notice by 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 to process some refunds. Cancellation refund rules: 100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $100 per person administration fee. 99 to 61 days before the departure of any tour there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Cancellations received 60 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive any refund. GW Travel Ltd has their own cancellation rules and these will apply. If booking on GW Travel Ltd ask for cancellation rules.

PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on tours operated by TTI. Bulletins include travel info related to the tour. Final documents will be sent out about two to three weeks before a tour begins. We offer tours operated by other companies and they may or may not send out tour bulletins and updates and most send out final documents only one to two weeks prior to the start of their tours.

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 per week will 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 TTI needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a full refund. Please take note that in some cases 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.

MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note that TTI does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all folks that enjoy trains and Rail journeys. 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 is to collect the rare mileage, you need to understand that possible route changes do happen.


02490  visits since Novemver 9, 2010.

Last modified: Thursday, 12-Jan-2012 08:19:57 PST