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


TOURIST/RAILFAN TOUR
JULY 5-20, 2011
SURE-GO

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

Our popular journey through England and Wales once more includes Yorkshire and the lake district. Added to this year's programe is a London start, with touring there followed by a day sightseeing in historic Oxford and magnificent Blenhem Palace. We have also added Stratford upon Avon, so including William Shakespeare to the list of writers and poets that the tour will introduce. Others include Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and the Bronte Sisters.



We will, of course, ride some outstanding steam trains, explore a few castles and walled towns, walk through beautiful gardens and take in some exceptional scenery. Also included is a little of eccentric Britain, including a tea pot, a chocolate and a cheese factory. Most of our hotels have an interesting history, from coaching inn to stately home. They all offer a fine restaurant and comfortable, en suite rooms.

With a maximum of twenty four participants your host, Geoff Cooke, can include things that larger groups cannot. It is that little bit extra, as well as a few great train, boat and bus rides, that makes our tours special.





Day 1 Tuesday July 5: (D) Your tour starts on arrival at the Best Western Cromwell. Check in and relax after your flight, or take this chance to do something you have always wanted to in this great city. This evening, gather for dinner and meet the rest of the tour participants.



Day 2 WednesdayJuly 6: (B) Start your tour with some of London's greatest sights. Our private coach tour today will start with a drive past some of London's most famous landmarks including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Arrive at the Tower of London where a Beefeater will take us on a private guided tour explaining the history behind this fortress of imprisonment and torture. See the Crown Jewels before enjoying some free time to explore on our own. Why not visit Traitors Gate, the armouries or the Bloody Tower? Departing the Tower we head to The Mall to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony as one of the Queen's Household Regiments march from St. James Palace to Buckingham Palace dressed in their world famous tunics and busbies.* Next we take a short cruise on the River Thames to enjoy excellent views of St. Paul's Cathedral and Shakespeare's Globe before heading for a traditional pub lunch in Whitehall, close to Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister (food/drink not included). After lunch we have a photo stop at Westminster Abbey. The afternoon part of the tour begins with a visit to St Paul's Cathedral. Explore the masterpiece designed by Wren in 1673 with a professional guide, taking time to listen to the 1695 organ that Mendelssohn once played and visit the tombs of Nelson and Wellington. There will also be the chance to test the unique acoustics of the Whispering Gallery (not always visited by other tour groups). Then we head through Knightsbridge to one of the worlds most famous stores - Harrods, where we finish our day with tea and scones served on the fourth floor terrace restaurant. Tea includes tea, scones, jam and clotted cream. The tour ends at Harrods leaving you free time to explore the store at your leisure. Dinner is not included today, as this is your opportunity to visit the West End where you can enjoy a meal followed by a show.

Day 3 Thursday July 7: (B, D) This morning we will motor to the famous city and university of Oxford. Enjoy an open top bus tour to find out about one of the greatest Universities in the world. This afternoon, visit Blenhem Palace, a World Heritage site and previously the home of Winston Churchill. Blenhem is still one of England's most prestigious stately homes. Continue this afternoon to Stratford upon Avon, where we will spend the night at the centrally located Grosvenor Hotel.







Day 4 Friday July 8: (B, D) This morning we will explore Stratford Upon Avon on an open top bus. William Shakespeare's legacy is everywhere to be seen in the oak framed buildings, pretty gardens and churchyards. This afternoon, motor to Kidderminster to join a steam train on the Severn Valley Railway. Ride through the attractive country stations along the River Severn before arriving at Bridgenorth for onward road travel to the Park House Hotel in Shifnal.

Day 5 Saturday July 9: (B, D) Our first visit this morning will be Ironbridge. Named after the first cast iron bridge, built in 1795 over the River Severn and still standing today, this area saw the birth of the industrial revolution. We will see the famous bridge and explore the re-created Blists Hill Victorian town, a fascinating insight into a more leisurely era. This afternoon, bring history right up to date with a visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. Major exhibits feature the RAF's experimental aircraft, some amazing World War II German rockets and the Cold War. Return to the Park House Hotel.



Day 6 Sunday July 10: (B, D) This morning we will enjoy a short walking tour through the well preserved medieval town of Shrewsbury. Well away from the normal tourist route, Shrewsbury is a wonderful insight into a modern English town that has jealously held on to it's heritage. Leave Shrewsbury for a drive to Trevor in Wales. Board the narrow-boat 'Eirlys' for a really memorable trip - a 45 minute cruise along the Llangollen canal across the 'stream in the sky' - Thomas Telford's famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct, 126 feet above the valley floor. Following lunch in the Telford Inn, a Canal-side pub (not included), continue to Llangollen for a second canal boat, this time traditionally operated with a horse. Motor deeper into Wales, into the heart of Snowdonia at Betws y Coed, where we will spend the next two nights at the Royal Oak Hotel. Following dinner there will be a rare treat when we attend a choir concert at St Mary’s Church. There is no sound quite like the stirring sound of a Welsh male voice choir, with the passion and hwyl that blends the choral tradition of the past with musical talent of the 21st century.

Day 7 Monday July 11: (B, D) This morning we will motor down the LLanberis Pass to ride a rack (cog) railway to the top of Snowdon Mountain, the highest mountain in England and Wales. The railway starts in the small town of Llanberis and ends at the summit of the mountain from where, on a clear day the Welsh say you can see four Kingdoms – the Kingdoms of Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and Heaven. The café at the summit offers refreshments and the highest gift shop in the land. Our lunch stop will be at the Welsh Slate Museum, where you can find out how Wales roofed the world. Situated in the original Dinorwig slate mine workshops, this museum displays an amazing collection of Victorian machinery, all powered by the largest waterwheel on the British mainland. After lunch we will visit the Bodnant Gardens in the Conwy River valley. These gardens, owned by the National Trust, are amongst the finest in Wales.











Day 8 Tuesday July 12: (B, D) Today we will ride on some outstanding railways. Our train journey will start at Betws y Coed on the standard gauge Conwy Valley line. A diesel multiple unit will take us down the attractive railway to Blaenau Ffestiniog, where we will join a steam train on the Ffestiniog Railway to Porthmadog. After a stop for lunch at Harbour Station in Porthmadog with an optional visit to the Boston Lodge Workshops, we will motor the short distance to Pont Croesor to join the Welsh Highland Railway for Caernarfon. These two narrow gauge railways combined make the longest, and possibly the most scenic, heritage railway journey in Britain. They also include some of the most unusual steam locomotives – Garratt articulated on the Welsh Highland and Fairley articulated on the Ffestiniog. Our hotel for the next two nights will be the splendid Seiont Manor Hotel.











Day 9 Wednesday July 13: (B, D) On arrival back in Caernarfon we will visit King Edward 1st’s largest Welsh Castle. Find out about the investiture of the Prince of Wales and learn why this castle looks different to all other Welsh Castles. Continue to the Island of Anglesea over the Britania Bridge, Continue your journey as we cross the Menai Bridge over the Menai Straight onto the island of Anglesea. See the two historic bridges that carried the road and railway across the straight to the ferry port at Holyhead and on to Ireland. Make a photo stop at LlanfairPG, the station with the longest name in Britain, before continuing to Plas Nweydd, a stately home with astonishing artwork by Rex Whistler and a museum featuring the Battle of Waterloo. Continue this afternoon over the Menai Bridge to Penrhyn Castle, a stately home built as a Norman castle. The extraordinary architecture houses a stately home, an industrial railway museum, a model railway room, a doll museum and an exhibition that interprets the story of the Pennant Family, slate, sugar and slaves. There is also at least one travelling exhibition and a Victorian walled garden.



Day 10 Thursday July 14: (B, D) This morning we will visit Conwy. Explore the town walls before entering Conwy Castle, one of the most interesting in Wales. Find out why it was built and how it was defended. Explore the walled town, including medieval and Victorian residences and the smallest house in Britain. Find out about Llewelyn the Great, the last Welsh Prince who opposed the English occupation under King Edward 1st – and lost. Both Caernarfon and Conwy are World Heritage Sites. Continue to Chester this afternoon where we will enjoy a tour of the city in a chartered vintage open top bus, a replica of a London B-Type that was introduced in 1910. This was one of the earliest double deck buses in the world, built to replace the remaining horse-drawn buses of the period. Our hotel tonight will be the elegant Queens Hotel, built by the railway company opposite the station.



Day 11 Friday July 15: (B, D) Motor this morning to Keighley, where we will join a steam train on the Keighley and Worth Valley railway for a short journey to Haworth. Visit the Parsonage Museum to learn about the Bronte family. Walking down the ancient cobbled streets and looking out over the moors will bring to life the books written by Emily and Charlotte. Continue this afternoon to York, and to our hotel for the next two nights, the Monkbar Hotel, well located in the heart of York near the Minster.



Day 12 Saturday July 16: (B, D) This morning we will join an open top bus tour of York before visiting the magnificent York Minster. (Entry to the Minster included). You can spend the rest of the day in the city, taking time to walk down the famous Shambles and to visit the Castle and Jorvik Museums. Alternatively, join Geoff on a guided walk through town to York Railway Station with its magnificent curved train-shed roof and then to the York Railway Museum. Dinner this evening will be at The Sidings, a restaurant situated adjacent to the east coast main line that carries high speed trains from London to Edinburgh. Wave at the drivers as they thunder past - maybe they will blow their whistle for you.



Day 13 Sunday July 17: (B, D) After breakfast we will motor to the market town of Pickering to catch a train on the 18 mile long North York Moors Railway. Ride the steam train over the dramatic Yorkshire Moors to Grosmont, where there will be time to examine the locomotive workshops before we continue to the fishing port of Whitby by coach. Tour Whitby on a steam operated bus, one of only two operating worldwide. This will be followed by time to explore the attractive fishing port. Discover the legends of smugglers, Dracula, a traditional maritime seaside town steeped in history and set among spectacular cliffs and bays. Stroll down the pier and visit Whitby Abbey. The abbey that still (mostly) stands dates from the 12th century, but lies near the site of a 7th-century Saxon monastery. It was on this site in 664 AD that it was decided to follow the Roman Catholic church instead of the Celtic Church with regard to the date of Easter. Later this afternoon we will continue to the Gisborough Hall Hotel. From the sweeping private driveway, to the surrounding woodlands and distant hills, the Gisborough Hall Hotel exudes countryside charm and exclusive seclusion. The historic hotel is an ivy-clad example of Victorian architecture at its very best.





Day 14 Monday July 18: (B, D) This morning we will motor across the Yorkshire Dales to Windermere in the Lake District. En route, explore some of the smaller attractions that make England special. At Leyburn, visit Teapottery, the home of the eccentric teapot before continuing to the picturesque market town of Hawes. Visit the museum located at the disused railway station, the Ropemaker and the Wensleydale Cheese Centre – an opportunity for lunch. Continue this afternoon to Bowness on Lake Windermere where we will spend the next two nights at the Old England Hotel.



Day 15 Tuesday July 19: (B, D) Visit Grasmere, where there will be time to explore the attractive village and find out about the heritage of Wordsworth before we continue our scenic coach ride past Kendal in the northern lakes to Ravensglass on the coast. Ride on the steam operated small gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale railway to the base of the district's highest mountain, then motor around the picturesque coastal road back to our hotel.







Day 16 Wednesday July 20: (B) This morning, take a leisurely cruise on Lake Windermere before we drive to Manchester airport and the adjacent rail station at around 5:00PM. Alternative drop-off points are at Windermere railway station or Chester.



PRICES                             PRICES ARE PER PERSON

Double room occupancy..............................$4348
Single room supplement.............................$ 698
Deposit to hold space..............................$ 500
Final Payment due by April 5, 2011

TOUR INCLUDES

29 MEALS
FULLY ESCORTED
15 NIGHTS LODGING
BAGGAGE HANDLING
ALL TRANSPORTATION PER THE ITINERARY
ALL EVENTS & TICKETS PER THE ITINERARY


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.


03019  visits October 21, 2010.

Last modified: Thursday, 12-Jan-2012 08:20:54 PST