London to Morocco by rail vacation

Planet

You couldn't get a more inherently sustainable way to travel than by train. Not only is it a wonderful way to see landscapes change as you traverse a country, or in this case an entire continent, but it has an extremely low carbon footprint compared to flying or using vehicles. On this trip we travel by train and public bus all the way through France, Spain and on to Morocco.

As part of our Responsible Travel policy, we advise customers to take reusable water bottles with them on tour. Our local leaders do not actively distribute single-use plastic water bottles. Where picnics are necessary on trains, our local tour leaders suggest local cafes or delis where things like sandwich wrapping will be in paper, rather than pre-packaged plastic affairs.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

On this trip you'll have two separate tour leaders - a Spanish and Moroccan one, each supported by expert local guides in the cities and various sites. We choose to run the trip this way to ensure an 'under the skin' experience of each country. Trained by us, the tour leaders promote responsible tourism practices not only with travelers but also with locals. A key role they play is to bridge the gap between those people passing through and those living in the places we visit, encouraging interactions and conversations that are favourable to both parties. Local guides provide an intimate local knowledge about their culture and lifestyles that may go unnoticed unless pointed out, as well as ensuring that money is going back into the local economy.

We have worked together with our local agent in Morocco for many years now and we’re proud of their responsible practices and strong ethics when it comes to tourism within Morocco. The team are regularly involved with our responsible business projects. In 2017, we funded the purchase of three looms for a women’s only cooperative based on the suggestion and brilliant business proposal from our Moroccan partner. The office staff and the on the road teams work hard to find meaningful and sustainable projects in Morocco that we can get involved with both financially and by raising awareness through our customers.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.