Great Rail Journeys is the UK's leading operator of holidays by rail. Founded over
25 years ago, there is no-one who understands rail travel like we do.

At Great Rail Journeys, we firmly believe that the journey is as important as the destination. A holiday by rail makes your journey an integral part of the travelling experience. There is time to watch the landscape change, time to talk to your companion, time to understand the country through which you are travelling. We offer carefully crafted and stimulating holiday itineraries to captivate and intrigue, paying as much attention to travelling as to arriving.

Fully escorted holidays

Many of us lead busy lives, make important decisions every day and are used to being 'in charge'. An escorted holiday is an opportunity to truly unwind. Let someone else organise the tickets. Enjoy the view in front of you and look no further ahead than lunch. Relax, safe in the knowledge that your hotel is expecting you.

Our Tour Manager meets you at St Pancras International or Heathrow airport (or Edinburgh or Holyhead on our Scottish and Irish tours) on the first day and remains with you throughout the holiday (the exception to this is the ocean cruise section of certain holidays). Every GRJ Tour Manager is a courteous and friendly professional. They are sociable, organised and unflappable. Their backgrounds are varied and include business, teaching and the travel industry. It goes without saying that they enjoy travelling.

The Tour Manager's job is to ensure that arrangements made by our office come to fruition hundreds of miles away on your holiday - and that any local difficulties are overcome before you are even aware of them. Within the framework of the overall itinerary, they will help you to enjoy your holiday in your own way. They are good listeners, good conversationalists and good company.

Book early with confidence

We believe our prices are fair and reasonable and we do not make 'late booking offers' or 'late discounts'. Therefore you can book early, confident in the knowledge that you are getting the best price. If for any reason we do reduce the price of a tour, for example because one of our suppliers reduces their rates, then we apply the reduction to everyone on that tour, including those who have already booked.

Booking your holiday

Holidays with Great Rail Journeys are not available through travel agents and can only be booked direct. Researching and planning your holiday is often half the fun and, once you have found your ideal holiday, we offer two ways to book - by using our secure online booking facility on this website or by telephone. To improve our service, your call may be recorded for training and quality purposes.

Our Reservations team

We know our holidays can seem complex and appreciate that you may have questions that can only be answered in person. A human touch is important, and our specialist Reservations team can help you choose the right holiday, answer your questions about the itinerary, our hotels and excursions, or the level of mobility required for certain elements of the tour - in fact, anything you need to know.

Our Customer Services team

Once we have received your booking form by post or email and the appropriate deposit, our specialist Customer Services team will issue you with a holiday confirmation. From then until your departure date, they will arrange further holiday documentation, booking variations, hotel or flight upgrades, holiday extensions and any amendments that may occur before your holiday departs. Our Customer Services team is available on 01904 527105.

So much included

Many of our customers travel with us every year. We aim to create a range of holidays to suit different interests and, itineraries, based on the feedback received by customers, to improve itineraries from year to year. We often receive comments that so much more is fitted into a GRJ holiday than could be achieved independently in the same timescale.

Because we visit an attraction as a group, we also benefit from the local guide's expertise, making it easier to appreciate what we are seeing. With so much to see, we do have to adhere to certain timings and plans. After all, we do not want to miss the train to our next destination! But we ensure that there are free afternoons or entire days where you can pursue your own interests, return to a favourite gallery for an in-depth visit or simply relax on your own.

Within a typical group of 30-45 people there are bound to be common interests. Our tours are quite sociable, although there is no organised 'entertainment'. A convivial drink in the bar, discussing the day's events is a typical end to a Great Rail Journey's day.

No hidden extras

If you read the small print of some brochures, you may discover that few excursions are included and many of the interesting sights are 'optional extras' at additional cost. This adds to your budget and takes away from your enjoyment because you are pressured to book extra treats as you travel.

This is not the case on GRJ holidays, where every excursion, city tour and sightseeing visit we describe in the itinerary is included in the price. We make it crystal clear on each holiday itinerary exactly what is included and what extras should be budgeted for, which means there are no hidden extras.