Escorted Holidays By Rail January – December 2018 Offering the best in rail travel for 20 years (1998-2018) “One of the world’s best and most innovative rail touring companies” – The Daily Mail Enjoy the freedom of travel with The PTG TOURS trAVEL EXperIENCE GroUP trAVEL Let us guide you through unfamiliar territory In today’s world the group tour has become an opportunity in the most comfortable and relaxing way to travel with other likeminded people who share common interests. At PTG Tours our itineraries further enhance the possible. We journey on some of the most experience by visiting places not on the itineraries of other tour scenic routes in the world. Simply enjoy groups. However, our itineraries are designed to give you the the world passing you by as you travel in choice of having your independence from the group by giving you the option to take time out to enjoy your own comfort to your destination. day or evening experience. Your trusted guide will be traveling with you to make sure you get the best and most HoteLS unique experiences. We make sure your trip We aim to provide stays at good hotels and these will vary is relaxed and problem free. depending on the type of tour. Generally the hotels we will use will be of a four star standard but we sometimes use three star Our guides have a passion for travel and extensive tour where the three star hotel is better located. All the hotels we use experience over many years but from time to time we join up have good online reviews - we aim for at least a rating of 8 on with local guides, in addition to our tour guide, who have local booking.com and at least a 4 on TripAdvisor – although this may insights and take your experience to another level that might be not be possible in some locations. missed if travelling without a guide. After 19 years of tailoring guided tours we have the expertise to PRICES, No FLY AND FLIght OptIONS ensure you get the rewarding holiday you are looking for time and time again. We expect to exceed your expectations and At PTG Tours we work hard to ensure our rail and culture holidays make a point of offering tours that can’t be found elsewhere. are great value. Our prices start from £799, making our tours available to as many travellers as we can without comprimising the unique experiences we offer. We give you the option to FINANCIAL ProteCTION personalise your tour and offer you the choices of how and where For your peace of mind we are both ATOL & ABTA bonded you want to travel. We can offer you the full package from the making your booking with us secure against any loss. It is UK by rail or air or a reduced price (tour only) where you are free always advised that you book with a company that offers to make your own arrangements. Many of our tours offer No Fly options and prices. ATOL & ABTA protection Trains leave for Europe from St. Pancras. Most tours are priced for tour only but we do display ‘including flight’ prices. 2 PTG TOURS | Personal, Tailored, Guided Tours “ The tour was a great credit to your organisation. There was so much to do, see, and enjoy. “We have been on some excellent tours with similar companies but feel it was the best one yet. There was a good mix of activities to suit rail enthusiasts, people who like rail travel, and those who just enjoy interesting holidays. We look forward to travelling with PTG Tours again”. Marilyn & Trevor, Huddersfield “ Nicola and I are really looking forward to the Hungary trip which is equally Don’t just take our word for it exciting. We both greatly enjoy travelling with PTG Tours, which we have done a number of times since 2002. All tours have been excellent: Portugal, Spain, Sardinia, Sicily, “ I went on your Vintage Port tour from WHAT OUR CUStomerS Alaska and Canada. We look forward 11 to 21 September and wish to to meeting the new members of your SAY ABOUT US! place on record the very high esteem team: David and Ferenc. Your tours I (and I believe the rest of my party) “ Of course I could have done much of always make the highlight of any held our leader David Gourlay in. He the Lisbon trip independently – and year; and you, and your team, provide was friendly, personable and clear. l alone. But to visit with a group of an excellent service.” friends, for that is what PTG travellers wanted to establish friendly relations Vic and Nicola, London soon become, led by a guide who with all of the people in his charge. knows his stuff, is so, so much better. He made an effort to socialise on David G is friendly, unflappable, and excursions and in off duty moments “ I joined this tour (Brazil) and thought brilliantly organised. And then there at the hotel. He was knowledgeable I would let you know how much I was a PTG special, the Sintra tram, about both the transport and the enjoyed it. It was very well organised not open to the general public. Health places we visited and organised and extremely successful, and Ray permitting, I’ll certainly be back for everything with an amazing with the help of our Brazilian guide more PTG tours! They’re unique!” efficiency, even where the odd little Bruno worked hard to ensure that thing didn’t go entirely to plan David LS, North Yorkshire every strand of enthusiasm was sorted it out as a matter of urgency. catered for, whether riding the trains, He made the holiday even more action photography or, as in my case, “ Thank you so much for providing enjoyable than it was and is a credit recording and photographing as many such a wonderful and unforgettable to your company. If all of your tour steam locos as possible. There were holiday, for myself, partner, leaders are of the same calibre as many highlights, but one that stands and friends, it exceeded all our David I would be more than happy to out is São João del Rei, where Ray expectations, a holiday none of us go on another one of your holidays.” and Bruno obtained permission for will ever forget. The hotels, scenery, Clive an unrestricted visit to the depot and trips, meals and organisation were roundhouse on this attractive system. faultless. Our special thanks go to our Other recent visitors have not had guide, David , who was exceptional, “ I decided to simply give myself up such luck. It meant we saw all 19 nothing was to much trouble for him, to the experience and see what steam locos here instead of about and was so friendly and made us all happened. Surprisingly, I am very 6. The hotel and meal arrangements feel so welcome, he is a real credit to glad now that I did – or I would worked well and both coach drivers your company, and was a pleasure to have missed out on one of the most were very good. All in all this was a meet him. David and PTG Tours will enjoyable family holidays of my superb tour in every respect.” always be spoken about in the highest life”… “I have never felt less touristy regards, to all our family and friends, in my life”… “This holiday was Graham, Derby and we hope to be able to join one of turning out to be far better than I your trips in 2015.” could possibly have imagined”… Phillip Clare Campbell, The Daily Mail 01235 227288 | [email protected] | www.ptg.co.uk 3 Our Full Programme of Tours for 2018 At PTG we have wide variety of tours and we want to guide you to the right tour for you and your rail holiday experience. With that in mind, we have put our tours into six categories: We have given a brief description of each category to help you understand what you should expect from our tours. CLASSIC Classic tours are our regular general interest tours that we tend to run each year and priced to represent good value for our travellers. Destinations usually include Portugal, Bulgaria, Slovenia, France, Slovakia and Italy. We stay at good hotels (mostly 4 star) and the itineraries are designed for easy going days with plenty of off-train activities, culture, history, gardens etc… Where possible the trains we travel on are of a certain vintage and one or two steam hauled trips are often included. Date Tour Name Tour Guide Page 15/03/2018 Springtime in Lisbon David 14 21/04/2018 Classic Montenegro and Serbia Marion 22 21/06/2018 Little Trains of the Dolomites David 40 28/07/2018 Classic Russia TBC 56 15/09/2018 Classic Baltics Petras 68 VINTAGE Vintage tours are Classic tours with an upgrade. Similar destinations apply but you have the choice of a quality accommodation or a standard accommodation. The lower price hotel option might be a B&B or Apartment Hotel rather than a 3/4/5 star hotel, but regardless of which accommodation you choose we, where possible, have hotels rated at least 4/5 on Tripadvisor and 8/10 on booking.com Date Tour Name Tour Guide Page 05/04/2018 Vintage Asturias David 16 07/06/2018 Vintage Central Portugal David 34 17/06/2018 Wonders Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania Maria 38 03/07/2018 Hidden Slovenia Marion 44 12/07/2018 The Railways of the Pyrenees David 50 13/07/2018 Vintage Slovakia (and into Poland) Marion 52 06/09/2018 Vintage Port 40 David 60 11/09/2018 Undiscovered Hungary Ferenc 64 14/09/2018 Vintage Slovenia (including Lake Bled) Marion 66 21/09/2018 Vintage Southern France and the Rhône David 70 10/10/2018 Wonders of Sardinia and Corsica Angelina 76 4 PTG TOURS | Personal, Tailored, Guided Tours RAILWAY RAmbLES These unique walking tours allow you to visit lost rail lines and see the engineering and stations that made these lines so spectacular.