Why rail holidays in Europe could soon be on the up

Safe space

With some clients perhaps more anxious about confined spaces due to the coronavirus, trains could offer the freedom and space for clients to observe social distancing measures, Goodenough explains.

“Trains are expected to be less busy and, although passengers may have allocated seating, there’ll be more space onboard, giving clients the potential to be more in control of their distance from others,” he says.

Paul Brindley, head of sales at Eurostar, says the ability for clients to open a window on most trains is also reassuring. “Fresh air is circulated around the carriage [onboard Eurostar] every 15 minutes, giving passengers additional peace of mind when travelling.”

Goodenough also adds that in the current climate rail travel is likely to be seen as a good alternative to journeys by coach, where he says “social distancing is more difficult and passengers have less freedom to move around”.

He adds: “With the sad demise of coach operators such as Shearings in light of the pandemic, it seems likely that there will be reduced capacity for coach travel in Europe and, with its many benefits, we would expect rail to become a very popular alternative."

Environmental outlook

With conversations around climate change ever prevalent, a rail holiday could also appeal to clients who want to reduce their carbon footprint, believes Maria Cook, general manager at Ffestiniog Travel.

“With the spotlight on climate change, people are more aware of the importance of their carbon footprint. I believe this will become more central in their future holiday-making decision, due to the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting how fragile the world is and how much care needs to be taken to help with this global issue.”

Product preferences

A survey in June conducted by Ffestiniog Travel revealed that 85% of those willing to travel again have their sights set on European destinations, with Switzerland currently the most popular country for 2020/21 bookings.

Great Rail Journeys also currently counts Switzerland among its most popular destinations along with Italy, Germany, France and Scandinavia.

Eurostar has reported seeing the highest demand for its Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam routes as it restarts its services.

Tailor Made Rail has launched four new rail-drive itineraries, which it believes will be popular with clients seeking more freedom and less social interaction once in-destination.

“The trips incorporate rail travel to a destination, a stay at a resort-style hotel in a rural location and a week’s car hire. The idea is that customers who are worried about multiple journeys and hotel stays can travel from their local station to a hotel, pick up a hire car and then travel independently for a week around the region without the need for public transport."

Reassuring customers

Rail operators are rolling out numerous safety measures to protect and inform clients as we recover from the pandemic.

Arena Rail’s Goodenough explains: “In addition to ensuring appropriate measures have been put in place in all hotels, on all rail journeys and in all locations visited, every tour now includes a series of pre-departure health checks, adherence to social distancing regulations, as well as post-trip follow-up and health updates.

“We have also appointed a ‘Covid Tsar’ from among our team of experienced tour managers, who is specifically responsible for the logistics and final details of our departures.”

Citalia is working closely with Italy’s train operator Trenitalia, which has implemented a full Covid-19 protocol to keep travellers safe, with measures including offering temperature check devices at the main stations and hand sanitiser dispensers on all Trenitalia trains.

Meanwhile, Great Rail Journeys has produced a YouTube video featuring chief executive Peter Liney, discussing how the rail operator plans to adapt its offering due to the pandemic to ensure customers’ safety.