Responsible train vacations
Our Railway Vacations
Scotland by railway vacation
Experience authentic Scotland independently and car-free
Trans Mongolian railway vacation
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
Ireland vacation by train
Discover contrasts of Dublin, Galway and Belfast, car-free.
England tour by train
Explore England's diversity and fascinating history by train
West Highlands guided rail tour in Scotland
Discover Scotland's Highlands & distinctive islands by train
West Highland Line railway vacation in Scotland
Take the "The World's Best Rail Journey" to the Isle of Skye
Railway tour of Morocco
Rediscover Morocco's two greatest Imperial Cities by rail.
Scotland guided rail tour, Skye & Glencoe
Visit Scottish castles and beautiful gardens by train
Southern Europe rail tour, 16 days
Tour through the best of Southern Europe in 3 weeks!
Eastern europe by train, the Iron Curtain tour
Whizz around Europe's lesser-visited cities by rail!
Central Europe rail tour, 15 days
An exciting trip around the continent's fairytale cities
Balkans rail vacation
Travel through seven countries in the Balkans.
Scotland island hopping vacation, car free
Explore three contrasting Scottish islands car-free
Trans Mongolian vacation, tailor made
Ride the Iconic Trans-Mongolian Railway in all it's glory.
Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way Guided Rail Tour
A fully guided tour around Ireland's famous touring route
Reunification Express vacation, Vietnam
Most wonderful way to travel from north to south of Vietnam
Japan small group vacation by bullet train
Japan's must-see cities and beautiful, rural countryside
Bulgaria vacation by train
Self-guided trip by slow-ride train through best of Bulgaria
Imperial Trans Siberian tour, Russia to Japan
Russia, Mongolia & Japan on the Trans-Siberian Railway
Ireland train vacation, wild Atlantic way
Spend a week on Ireland's acclaimed touring route by train
Ulaanbaatar to St Petersburg rail vacation
Experience Mongolia, Siberia & Russia’s Golden Ring.
Ecuador railway vacation with Galapagos cruise
Step into Darwin's shoes and explore the Galapagos
Hidden Japan vacation
Get beneath the surface into the heart of Japan
Beijing to St Petersburg overland winter tour, 18-35
A frosty foray into the winter wonderland of Russia!
Classic Trans Siberian railway tour
Classic trans Siberian railway tour from Moscow to Vladivostock
Trans Siberian 13 day tour, 18-35
Want an epic journey across three countries & 7 time zones?
Best of Switzerland tour
Fantastic Alpine views with delicious cheese and chocolate!
Indian Himalayas tour, toy trains and hill stations
A train through rural India & hill stations of the Himalayas
Emissions & the environment
Or, take a simple case study such as going from London to Paris on a return trip. Taking the plane emits, on average, 122.1 kg of CO2 per passenger. The same trip by train is 15.0 kg of CO2. It is also worth noting that taking the car, however, results in 48.4 CO2 being emitted per passenger. If you pack the car full of passengers, however, the figures lower significantly. ****
With rail vacations, the fact is that most travelers still start or end their journey by plane, and then choosing to traverse their chosen destination by rail. This certainly is great news in terms of keeping polluting cars off the roads, but let’s not kid ourselves that taking the train on vacation is always the green stairway to heaven. It also depends on the fuel being used by the trains in question, with an electric train emitting between 20 per cent and 35 per cent less carbon per passenger mile than a diesel train, for example.
What makes rail travel a responsible and also a truly relaxing way to travel, is the way in which it immediately connects you with not only the place, but the people. You are engaging with commuters and families on board the train and not hiding behind the wheel of a car, or indeed a gated resort. Rail vacations are a glorious antithesis of cruise vacations, in fact. Less polluting, they use local food suppliers, your stops are for much longer than just a morning, you stay in locally owned accommodation when you are not sleeping on board the train, and you actually get to see the landscapes. Appreciate its contours, culture and communities. In other words, you actually get that sense of arriving in a place, because you have seen the landscape that preceded it. And, even better, if you read up on the history of the rail route as well, you can gain a good understanding of the region’s history too. And from the minute you step off the train, if you travel with a responsible tourism provider, your money also stays in the community you are visiting, as you eat in local restaurants, drink in local pubs and shop in local boutiques.
** Railway Handbook 2017: Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions; published by the International Energy Agency and International Union of Railways
*** World Energy Council
**** Source: Ecopassenger.org. This figure is based on 1.5 passengers traveling in a car, which is the European average for a car doing this journey.
People & culture
On a more serious level, however, governments do need to connect all forms of transport with tourism. Ensure that travelers have more than ten minutes to catch a ferry after they step off a Scottish train, for example. Or build the bike hire network across stations, so that tourists can enjoy both the rails and bike trails while they are at it. Hear ye, or hear ye. Connectivity is the new cool.
What you can do
By taking the train on vacation you are already doing a lot to be responsible. However, railway stations have always been hubs for those in need and, in particular, vulnerable children. So we recommend supporting this wonderful charity, aptly called Railway Children. And share news of it on your social media networks too. This international charity works in the UK, India and East Africa raising money to support children living at risk on the streets, and to carry out research that provides an invaluable tool that can create change at government level. So that railway children aren’t ignored for much longer. If you are keen to support the idea of responsible train vacations, there are many ways in which you can get involved with this charity, as detailed on their website.
"Tourists should never give money to child beggars they meet abroad. Organised begging is one of the most visible forms of human trafficking, especially around railway stations in countries like India, and it's largely financed and enabled by good-hearted people who just want to help.
“One of the reasons I really like the train is that you are not in your own cocoon of a car, and so you do get to meet the local people. It is a much more social thing and you meet all sorts of characters on a train, sometimes even ones you might not necessarily want to spend time with! Of course, our guests love the views, the skies, Ben Nevis and all those sorts of things, but more than most, like all good travel, they remember meeting the people”.