The Railway Touring Company

Frequently mentioned in reviews: Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. Have done 2 tours with The Railway Touring company, really liked them both! Even rode on the Flying Scotsman as well! However I did the Somerset rider one in Sep 2024 and the AC broke on the way back in our carriage, it was boiling! There where no windows to open whatsoever and the manager on board was not helpful at all, said to my mum “I don’t see anyone else complaining” and then stomped off like a child, the stewards on board did their best to help out. Also one of the toilets had an issue and left not a pleasant odour and on the way back we had to terminate at Slough, (there was an issue with the mainline into Paddington though) so I can’t blame them for that. A fantastic to York in first class for our ten year wedding anniversary! We were superbly taken care of by friendly, attentive who made us feel extra special! A wonderful experience made even more spectacular by a beautiful engine, Duchess of Sutherland. Can't wait to go on another journey with them in the future! Had a fabulous on Clan Line on 24 August 2024 with RTC to Worcester on the Cotswold Adventurer tour. So grateful for the professionalism and friendliness of all involved, but especially for the expertise of the driver who saved the from being abandoned due to a broken rail. Everything ran very smoothly from booking tickets to when we arrived back at London Victoria at the end of the day. Well done to everyone involved in organising this - it was superb! Excellent from York to Carlisle being hauled by the magnificent Flying Scotsman in its centenary year 2023. The food in premier dining was very good and the from The Gravy Train company serving the food and drinks were very friendly and efficient. It was a fabulous day out and a dream come true to travel by a world famous train. Thank you. Caught the Cumbrian Mountain Express. We had great day out. The were very friendly and helpful. The views of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales were amazing in the winter light. Steam and Christmas Markets in Germany 30/11 - 08/12/2023 After many years of day trips with RTC, 3 Great Britain trips (myself) and a Scottish Highlander Holiday we embarked on the Steam and Christmas Markets in Germany tour recently. The mix of Picturesque Rail travel, Steam Railways visits, great Christmas Markets and free time to explore worked very well for us both. Relaxing views from the trains were a lot better than what you miss flying, albeit it takes a bit longer. Taking manageable cases also helps when changing trains en route and Taxis helped for our journey to/from the Bonn Hotel. The Maritim Hotel a short tram (short walk/frequent service) ride south of Bonn is a big quality Hotel with spacious rooms and a large Breakfast choice. The three Heritage Railways (2 short, one long up to levels of Snow) had bags of Character and were very welcoming with hot drinks, Gluwein and Cakes. Run pasts, shunting, ‘fake’ arrivals and shed visits were all arranged for Photographers. We also found the Christmas Markets so very atmospheric, loved by locals and visitors alike. The cruises on the Rhine and Main were very enjoyable with seasonal snacks, drinks and Music. In our second location the Railway themed Altora Hotel we understood was new to RTC, smaller but meant our group had its room for Dining. To reach it we had a Luxury spacious coach operated by an established tour operator. (Brochures in the seat backs) We didn’t expect this Hotel to be the same as the previous one being smaller and further East but generally we had no real complaints. In fact my wife who doesn’t like meat dishes found all she was offered was very tasty. The railway in the dining room is an attraction itself and you can see Steam pass just across the road, on movements from the station and sheds which are about 15 minutes’ walk away. It’s also a similar walk in the opposite direction to the town centre with a good and less crowded Christmas Market than larger cities. It has a large variety of smaller shops and mini trains to take you up to the Castle which has wonderful views. The rides up to the Brocken summit revealed a Winter Wonderland behind impressive powerful Locomotives, memorable on both days The Journey home was changed due to a German train drivers strike but RTC pulled out all the stops and Leaving Wernigerode at 7.00am our Luxury coach got us all the way to Liege in Belgium (around 7.5 hours incl stops) instead of Hannover station around 2 hours. From there we got a train to Brussels Midi with plenty of time before our booked Eurostar to London. Our Tour Manager Ian Stanley was very helpful plus knowledgeable throughout aided for a few days with important planning from Andrew Thompson too We travelled First Class from Durham on the Edinburgh Flyer, hauled by Black 5 45212, in a Mk2 Inter City First Open from around 1970. The coach was clean and comfortable although the toilets were somewhat dated as you might expect. All the we encountered were friendly and helpful. We had lunch in the city but the snacks on the train were fine. Detailed timings, history and points of interest were provided in a helpful booklet. There were adequate opportunities for photos on arrival and departure from Edinburgh. Unfortunately the water stops were at locations without platforms - it would have been nice to disembark but we appreciate the pathing difficulties on a busy main line. An enjoyable day and we hope to try The Waverley in the not too distant future. After completing Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express on Saturday 22nd February 2025, we look forward to re booking another with The Railway Touring Company. From booking to helping with a Christmas surprise information for me I found the company to be very professional. The tour itself was such a great day. Was picked up from Milton Keynes on time and during the day we was fed a lovely breakfast and evening meal. The food was great and on train was very Helpful. Although our was expensive, we feel it was worth every penny to have such a enjoyable one off day out with them. Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.