| According to UK rail holiday specialist | | | | With good networks of European lines, |
| company, Great Rail Journeys (GRJ), 40,000 | | | | frequent departures on the busy routes and |
| Britons take package rail holidays every | | | | fast train services such as the German ICE, |
| year. Whether the change in attitudes is due | | | | French TGV or the Eurostar connecting France |
| fear of flying, or simply a move to slow down | | | | with London, it can often be faster to travel |
| away from the hectic pace of normal life, | | | | by train rather than flying. One of the main |
| avoiding the inevitable rush to meet tight | | | | drawbacks experienced by many rail travelers |
| deadlines imposed by connecting flights, and | | | | within Europe is the difficulty that can |
| crowed airports - many travelers today have | | | | sometimes be experienced finding accurate |
| chosen that they simply don't want to travel | | | | information and booking linking tickets. Rail |
| to their destination by plane. | | | | providers rarely have details of other rail |
| | | | providers' services, and most UK travel |
| Back in the 1950's rail holidays were all the | | | | agents can provide very little rail |
| rage, despite commercial aviation just | | | | information once the traveler gets beyond |
| starting to take hold following relief from | | | | Paris or Brussels. A few websites such as |
| the austerity of the war and an excess of | | | | have sprung up to help fill this gap and, |
| ex-military aircraft. As the 1960's and 70's | | | | despite being an amateur site rather than a |
| progressed however, technological advances | | | | commercial venture, can prove to be a good |
| meant that flying became more affordable and | | | | resource for planning rail trips abroad. |
| traveling abroad by air took hold. For many | | | | |
| years rail still had the advantage of cost | | | | UK domestic breaks have also seen a recent |
| over air travel for internal journeys, | | | | resurgence, with UK short weekend breaks |
| however the growth of the low cost airlines, | | | | becoming extremely popular for shopping |
| and poor investment in the infrastructure of | | | | trips, quick family getaways or for visits to |
| many of the UK train lines, has left a sad | | | | London to take in a West End show. Recently |
| legacy for the UK rail network. | | | | a few short break travel companies and rail |
| | | | networks like GNER have teamed up to provide |
| The change in the trends over recent years | | | | a wide variety of rail package deals to UK |
| back towards rail travel, especially by | | | | cities in an effort to bring more travelers |
| younger travelers, may in part be due to the | | | | back to rail travel by making journeys |
| ease with which the Channel Tunnel affords | | | | cheaper and quick holidays easier to arrange. |
| access to Europe. It is common these days | | | | |
| for young travelers to go on extended travels | | | | While the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, |
| across Europe by purchasing a Eurailpass. | | | | "The speed is so easy, and the train disturbs |
| These sorts of trips are most often | | | | so little the scenes through which it takes |
| associated with backpacker holidays, but they | | | | us, that our heart becomes full of the |
| represent an extremely convenient ways to | | | | placidity and stillness of the country", may |
| easily see a large amount of Europe as the | | | | not seem to fit in with the current popular |
| Eurailpass ticket offers unlimited train | | | | image of the UK rail network, many Brits |
| travel throughout 18 different European | | | | appear to be turning away from the airlines |
| countries. | | | | in favour of the railways for trans European |
| | | | travel and short break getaways. |