Hop aboard with Great Rail Journeys
Celebrate the Mayflower ’ s quadricentennial with Select Travel Service
Ireland and the United Kingdom
COMPILED BY KENDALL FLETCHER
Hop aboard with Great Rail Journeys
With more than 290 individual tours visiting 50-plus countries , Great Rail Journeys has spent 44 years becoming the largest operator of escorted-group rail tours in the world .
The company offers a variety of railway excursions through the United Kingdom .
“ It ’ s an incredibly diverse group of islands with so much history and natural beauty to uncover ,” says Group Marketing and Sales Director Alex Roberts . “ From rolling coastlines to cosmopolitan cities to stunning mountain ranges , there is something to suit every taste . Discovering the U . K . by rail is easy and the rail network is vast , allowing you to travel effortlessly through the country whilst experiencing some of the most spectacular scenery .”
Roberts says there ’ s a trend emerging among American travelers toward rail holidays in Scotland , where the famous Jacobite train , also known as Harry Potter ’ s Hogwarts Express , is just one of the available rail options in the region . Two of the other tours include the following : Vintage Railways of the Isle of Man : The destination is famous for its stunning coastline , superb sandy beaches , spectacular scenery and gentle pace of life . This charming island also boasts some of the most impressive heritage railways found anywhere in the British Isles , not to mention the historic horse-drawn trams .
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The Loch nan Uamh Viaduct in Scotland carries the West Highland Line .
Yorkshire and Northumberland : Rail journeys bring to life the
history and wild , natural beauty of Yorkshire and Northumbria on this eight-day tour . Passengers follow in Viking and Roman footsteps visiting historical York , Chester ’ s Roman Fort , Bamburgh Castle , Lindisfarne and Alnwick Gardens .
For more information , contact Roberts at alexroberts @ greatrail . com or visit greatrail . com .
Celebrate the Mayflower ’ s quadricentennial with Select Travel Service
SELECTTRAVEL . COM
As an endorsed partner in the Mayflower 400 project , Select Travel Service is offering tours to England designed around the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower .
“ This is a story of adversity and welcome , the Pilgrim fathers , the origins of Thanksgiving and lots more ,” says Manager of Business Development Keith Somers .
The Pilgrim Roots group tour includes an eight-day itinerary designed to lead travelers in the footsteps of Pilgrim ancestors with a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon ( Shakespeare ’ s hometown ); a stop in Lincoln to see the Magna Carta of 1215 ; a stay in Nottinghamshire , where groups can tour Pilgrim villages ; and a free day in London .
The Mayflower Explorer is an 11-day group tour that mixes stops on the Pilgrim Roots tour with a guided tour of Southampton , a river cruise in Dartmouth , a stay in Plymouth ( which was the final departure point of the Mayflower ), and a visit to Harwich , the hometown of the ship ’ s captain Christopher Jones . Select Travel Service also offers tailor-made tours to fit a group ’ s specifications .
“ We are keen to work with adult leisure groups and those specifically interested in following the origins of a particular family , plus special interest student groups and special groups interested in anything from ship building to textiles to theater to faith ,” Somers says .
He also says travelers should start their Mayflower-related expeditions now , not only in the anniversary year of 2020 , as Plymouth is a small city with limited accommodations .
For more information on the Mayflower 400 project , contact Somers at keiths @ asla-select . co . uk or go to selecttravel . com .
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