Photocap:Charter the Blue Train!
The Blue Train offers corporates the opportunity to
tailor-make their own Blue Train route. The train can be
chartered for strategic meetings, product launches, VIP
cocktail parties, Christmas lunches, dinners and even
weddings. The Conference Car, which accommodates up
to 22 delegates, is fully equipped with audio-visual and
technical equipment for a high level business meeting or
a small conference.
A guide to Europe by rail
EUROPE’S major
train stations link
destinations just about
anywhere on the continent.
They are generally located
in the heart of cities, their
networks offer connections
from the busiest of airports
to rural villages, and
they are points at which
all public transportation
converges – buses, taxis and
underground networks.
Coming from a country
with a comparatively
confined train travel culture,
South Africans tend to
under-appreciate intercity
train travel and, with large
distances to cover, it doesn’t
feature in local corporate
travel. But in Europe,
comprehensive networks,
high-schedule frequencies,
speed, reliability and
punctuality, make trains a
worthwhile option.
Johannesburg-based
World Travel has long
been synonymous with the
marketing of European rail
travel. Manager, Terri Wright,
is a mine of information, and
believes that, for journeys of
up to four hours, rail is the
way to go. She points out
that station check-ins are
also easier to negotiate
than airports – in most
cases travellers need only
arrive 10-30 minutes ahead
of departure
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
(17km southwest of Amsterdam)
The Schiphol station,
directly beneath the
airport under Schiphol
Plaza, offers connections
to Amsterdam Centraal
Station every 10 minutes,
with an average journey
time of 15-20 minutes.
The station offers the use
of business-class lounges.
Popular connections:
From Schiphol, high-speed
services travel across the
Netherlands and through
Europe, connecting with
the Thalys for France
and Belgium, or ICE
International for Germany.
Amsterdam Centraal to
Paris: Duration – 3h18
with up to 11 daily return
departures
Paris to Brussels:
Duration – 1h22 with up to
24 daily return departures
Amsterdam to Brussels:
Duration – 1h48 with up to
12 daily return departures
Thalys need to know:
Thalys’ business class,
branded Comfort 1, offers
large, comfortable seats
with electric sockets
to recharge electronic
devices, and free WFi.
Free international
newspapers in various
languages are available
and on journeys longer
than 50 minutes, a full
or a light meal is served.
Passengers can make use
of VIP lounges at Cologne,
Amsterdam, Schiphol and
Rotterdam.
Trains also feature Le
Salon – a semi-private
meeting space for groups
of four – and on some
services taxis can be
reserved on board for
onward transport on
arrival. E-tickets bearing
a clearly marked barcode
can be printed out by
passengers.
Frankfurt Airport
(12km southwest of Frankfurt)
Frankfurt Airport train station
offers connections to any
destination on Germany’s
Deutsche Bahn network. The
station is next to Terminal
1 and has both a regional
train station (platforms 1-3,
from where S-Bahn services
depart) and a long-distance
train station (platforms 4-7,
mostly for ICE high-speed
services). The connection
between terminals 1 and 2
is provided by Skyline, an
automatic train.
Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof
(Central Station) is
reachable in 10 to 12
minutes by S-Bahn
commuter trains, located
beneath Terminal 1.
Newsflash
Europe by Train, which has been the GSA for Trenitalia in South
Africa for some years, has recently been given the same point
of sale system as Trenitalia. This means that agents are able to
instantly price and book groups on Italian rail, as well as book
services on the train.
TRAIN TRAVEL
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
(23km north of Paris)
SNCF French Rail operates
direct TGV high-speed trains
to and from Charles de Gaulle
Airport and major French
cities such as Strasbourg,
Aix-en-Provence, Avignon,
Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille
and Montpellier, with average
journey times of under four
hours. The TGV also provides
regular services to European
capital cities.
Charles de Gaulle TGV
station is located underneath
Terminal 2. Passengers
arriving at Terminals 1 or 3
cannot access the station by
walking and need to take the
CDGVAL shuttle.
The RER B line is a local
train that travels to Gare
du Nord in Paris in 30-60
minutes. The Eurostar departs
from Gare du Nord to London,
with a journey time of 2h15.
Popular connections:
Paris to Stuttgart:
Duration – 3h40
Paris to Luxembourg:
Duration – 2h05
Paris to Avignon:
Duration – 2h40
Paris to Strasbourg:
Duration – 2h20
TGV need to know:
TGV high-speed trains connect
France’s major cities at
speeds of up to 300 km/h.
Both first- and second-class
coaches afford comfort for
work, rest and relaxation.
TGV offers non-smoking
trains; large, comfortable
seats with individual reading
lights and power sockets and
spacious luggage storage
areas. On some services taxi
reservations can be made on
board.
London Heathrow Airport (22 km west of London)
Public transport operator,
National Express, operates
high-speed, commuter and
regional train services from
Heathrow to more than 500
destinations throughout
England.
The Piccadilly
Underground line travels
to St Pancras Station in
London for connections
to European cities such
as Brussels, Paris and
Lille using the Eurostar.
The high-speed Heathrow
Express trains stop at
certain terminals at
Heathrow Central and travel
into London’s Paddington
Station in 15-20 minutes,
every 15 minutes.
Eurostar need to
know:
The Eurostar operates from
St Pancras Station. This is
the only fast train in Europe
that requires a check-in
time of 30 minutes (most
others require just 10
minutes).
It crosses to France in
the Channel Tunnel at
speeds of up to 300km.
The journey from London to
Paris takes 2h15, reaching
Brussels 1h51 minutes
later. The Eurostar also
travels to Euro Disney five
times a week in under
three hours.
There are three classes of
travel – business premier
class, standard premier and
standard class for those on
a budget. Travellers in the
first two classes can make
use of two ‘quiet’ coaches
in which to work and read.
Business premier offers
a dedicated, fast lane
check-in, which closes 10
minutes before departure,
as well as the use of
business premier lounges.
On board, carriages are
air-conditioned and feature
reclining seats with
generous leg-room, tables
and power sockets. ‘At
seat’ catering includes a
choice of complimentary
reading material and
wheelchair space.
5 great rail adventures
Pass through Peru ‘Footsteps of the Incas’ is a 10-day Country Explorer by Trafalgar by rail and coach, which showcases Peru. Guests visit Ollantaytambo before heading toward Machu Picchu on board the Vistadome train. Priced from R50 950 per person twin share, it includes nine nights’ accommodation with breakfast daily, four lunches and five dinners plus all transport, including the rail trip and internal flights. Book and pay by November 27 to save up to 10% with Trafalgar’s Early Payment Discount. 2016 travel dates include January 26-February 4, February 10-25, March 1-10, March 15-24, March 29-April 7, plus departures in May, June, July, August, September, October, November and Decembe.
Eastern magic
This year TravelVision is
offering the new G Adventures
Trans-Siberian tour connecting
Beijing with St Petersburg
via Mongolia. In the Arctic
Circle, passengers can
witness the Northern Lights
from Oslo to Kiruna. One
package in particular offers
avid rail travellers a luxury
option touring some of India’s
highlights.
Indian adventures
The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels
is an eight-day adventure,
offered by TravelVision?, that
explores Indian destinations
including Delhi; Jodhpur;
Udaipur; Chittorgarh; Sawai
Madhopur; Jaipur; Khajuraho;
Varanasi; Agra and Delhi. The
special starts from R51 180
per person sharing, departing
on November 29 (prices for
other Sunday departures, on
request). The package includes
on-board accommodation, all
meals, sightseeing, entrance
fees and taxes.
Polish highlights
Austria Connection’s Poland
by Train features the iconic
landmarks of Poland in a
10-day train tour. The package
starts from €796 (R11 088)
per person sharing. The tour
includes nine nights in three
hotels including breakfast, train
tickets with seat reservation
for the route Warsaw-TorunGdansk-Poznan-WroclawKrakow.
Highlights in Warsaw
include the Unesco World
Heritage Site, Torun on the
Vistula River. The town also
boasts Gothic-style churches
and houses. Valid for travel
throughout the year.
Imperial cities
The 10-day Imperial Cities
tour offered by Austria
Connection covers Prague,
Vienna and Budapest. The
package is priced from €824
(R11 420) per person sharing
in three-star hotels. On the
third day, passengers will
explore Prague or take an
excursion outside the city to
the Kutná Hora Unesco World
Heritage site, an important
town in Bohemia whose
origins can be traced back to
the 13th century. Packages are
valid at any time, throughout
the year.
