Just the Ticket: G Adventures Introduces New Rail Journeys Through Europe And North Africa

G Adventures has added several new Rail journeys to its line of tours for 2016/2017. The new trips include train-based adventures through Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain and Russia, ranging from a three-day add-on in St. Petersburg to, to a 23-day tour that rolls through seven countries in Europe.

These new Rail tours bring the small group tour operator’s current offerings to 24 different trips that use trains as the primary mode of transport, visiting 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The trips, which run between nine and 54 days, range in price from USD *$849. to $5699 per person.

“The addition of these trips gives train lovers greater flexibility,” says G Adventures’ U.S. Managing Director Ben Perlo. “Passengers can enhance their tours through optional combinations and enjoy even more ways to slow down and experience the scenic views and local communities through which they travel.”

The newest Rail journeys listed in G Adventures’ 2016/2017 Classic catalog and website include:

• Spain + Morocco by Rail – This 14-day tour combines the best destinations of the G Adventures’ Classic Spain and Morocco highlights tours. An on-board Chief Experience Officer helps travelers explore the Spanish countryside by train, meeting locals in Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville and sampling the exotic side of this gorgeous country. They cross the Strait of Gibraltar for another week to get to know the delights of Morocco, such as Fès, Casablanca, and Marrakech, and its souqs, mint tea and friendly locals. Passengers will visit a G Adventures-supported women’s development project that includes a traditional home-cooked Moroccan meal and basic how-to lesson in Arabic, which helps to provide women and children access to education opportunities and healthcare services. From *$1,499. per person.
• Budapest to Sofia by Rail - From pastoral countryside to forbidding forests and fairytale villages, this 10-day rail tour travels from Budapest, Hungary to Sofia, Bulgaria on a road and rail much less traveled but very worthy of experiencing. Passengers will explore the weathered architecture of Budapest, grand Ottoman palaces, “Dracula’s Castle” in Transylvania, the eclectic Ladies Market of Sofia and much more – all accessible via comfortable trains. From *$1,499 pp.
• London to Sofia by Rail – This 22-day tour invites travelers to ride the rails from London to Sofia, Bulgaria and experience a combination of Western and Eastern Europe’s charm firsthand. Soak in a thermal bath in Budapest or opt to explore Buda Castle, Hungary’s royal palace, before discovering Romania’s countryside or marveling at the baroque architecture of Brasov. From *$4,164. pp.

• The St. Petersburg Express, which begins in the Russian capital and ends in Moscow, leads passengers into the city’s hidden back alleys to learn about its complex history and gain access to the world-renowned Hermitage museum. This three-day, add-on-only adventure is available to train travelers who are interested in expanding their introduction to Russian culture. Eligible tours that combine with this railway extension include: the 16-day “Trans-Mongolian Adventure” from Moscow to Beijing, and the 17-day “Epic Trans Siberian Journey” from Moscow to Vladivostok. St. Petersburg. Add-on from *$369. pp, two people minimum.

“In the age of acceleration, slow travel is fast emerging as an antidote to the hectically paced lives that many of us are leading in cities and suburbs,” said G Adventures Global Product Manager, Rachel Wasser. “Train travel invites passengers to not just relax and recharge, but to enjoy the moment in a more vintage and romantic way, taking time to truly see a landscape while someone else is doing the driving.”

Since launching the Rail style of travel in late 2014, G Adventures has been engineering rail-based trips as yet another way for travelers to get up close and personal with a place and its people, often at a more leisurely and low-impact pace.

In terms of sales, its two most popular Rail journeys over the past year have been its 12-day Beijing to Hong Kong Express itinerary, and its 12-day Delhi to Goa West Coast India & Rajasthan by Rail, each of which have select 2016 departures currently discounted at 15% off.

G Adventures’ 16-day Trans-Mongolian Adventure and 21-day Trans-Mongolian Express tours round out the operator’s top four selling Rail trips for the period since 2015.

* Prices do not include flights