We are regular travellers with Railtrail. As always, excellent rail trips, hotel good. Fantastic scenery. Good service by the "baggage man" who couriered our suitases. Underwhelmed by the tour man... See more
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I came across Railtours when browsing on the Internet & found a holiday that sounded ideal for me. I rang the company up & spoke to a really helpful person, who answered my questions. The holiday in q... See more
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We like to travel with Railtrail because you always have the option of talking with someone directly by phone during office hours, looking at their varied rail trip brochures either by post or online... See more
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As is the norm with Railtrail , the booking experience was superb - beautifully handled as usual by Marie. Even after a few slightly complicated changes to the travel arrangements by me, the final b... See more
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Company details
- #93 of 146 best companies in Tour operator
Written by the company
Welcome to Railtrail Tours Railtrail Tours is one of the UK’s leading specialists in escorted holidays by rail. Established in 1979, we have over 45 years of experience in crafting award-winning rail tours that combine comfort, scenery, and cultural discovery – all with the reassurance of an experienced Tour Manager throughout. Departing from your local railway station, our holidays take you on unforgettable journeys across the UK, Europe, and worldwide. From nostalgic steam adventures to luxurious rail cruises and scenic trips through the Highlands, Alps, or beyond, our tours are carefully designed for those who love the romance and relaxation of rail travel. We offer small group holidays with First Class rail travel, quality hand-picked hotels, and expertly planned itineraries. Our specialist Steam Railway Tours are especially popular with enthusiasts, offering rare locomotives, heritage lines, museum visits, and exclusive events that celebrate the golden age of steam. As a proudly family-run company, we take great pride in offering personal service, attention to detail, and a warm, welcoming experience from booking to boarding. Many of our customers return to travel with us again and again, which speaks volumes about the care we put into every tour. At Railtrail, we believe the journey should be just as memorable as the destination – and we look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.
Why Travel with Railtrail
Written by the company
- Award-Winning Holidays by Train in the UK, Europe & Worldwide
- Our Promise to You At Railtrail Tours, we believe the journey should be just as memorable as the destination. Since 1980, we have been creating award-winning escorted rail holidays that combine comfort, scenery, and discovery. Every Railtrail holiday is fully escorted by an experienced Tour Manager, giving you peace of mind from start to finish. We do include First Class rail travel where possible, carefully selected hotels, and itineraries that blend iconic railway journeys with fascinating excursions. Whether you dream of steam locomotives and heritage railways, a scenic cruise through the Highlands, or a grand European rail adventure, we take care of every detail so you can simply relax and enjoy the experience. As a family-run company, we pride ourselves on personal service and have built a loyal community of travellers, many of whom return year after year. With thousands of happy customers and excellent reviews, you can book with confidence knowing you’re in safe hands.
Book with Confidence – Our Railtrail Guarantee
Trusted since 1980, we promise every journey is fully protected and expertly escorted.
At Railtrail Tours, your peace of mind is our priority. Every holiday you book with us is financially protected, so you can travel with complete confidence. Our tours are fully escorted by experienced Tour Managers who are there to support you throughout your trip, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. We carefully select quality hotels, plan seamless rail connections, and create unique itineraries that blend unforgettable railway journeys with cultural highlights. As a family-run business, we take pride in personal service and attention to detail. Should the unexpected happen, our friendly UK-based team is here to put things right. That’s the Railtrail Guarantee.
Contact info
21 The Smithfield Centre, ST13 5JW, Leek, United Kingdom
- 01538382323
- enquiry@railtrail.co.uk
- www.railtrail.co.uk
Award-Winning Escorted Rail Holidays
4.7
Excellent
307 reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
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Easy to book with very helpful advisor.
24 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We greatly appreciate your five-star rating. It’s fantastic to know that you had a wonderful experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star rating – it’s much appreciated! We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Lovely company
Good selection of holidays and it was easy to book. Good interaction with the company office
14 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. We always strive to give our best to help our clients and I’m glad that we exceeded your expectations. Looking forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Easy and straight forward to book and…
Easy and straight forward to book and view holidays
Confirmation sent through swiftly and pavement system easy to use
9 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! We are glad to hear that you had a seamless and stress-free experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Speedy and helpful
6 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a four-star review. We’re glad to know that you had a positive experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Efficient handling of booking
Marie was very efficient at dealing with our booking, including belated provision of insurance details.
22 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We greatly appreciate your five-star rating. It’s fantastic to know that you had a wonderful experience with us. We pride ourselves on our customer experience and it makes all our hard work feel rewarded when you you say such gracious words. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Great tour company
Holidays very easy to book online.
We have really enjoyed all the holidays we have travelled on with Railtrail Tours, they always have a good itinerary with interesting places to visit.
6 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a five-star rating! We’re thrilled that you had a positive experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Good telephone service
A real person answered the phone immediately and was very helpful. Booking process very straightforward.
13 January 2025
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. Providing exceptional experiences is our top priority, and your feedback motivates us to keep exceeding expectations. We look forward to welcoming you on your Railtrail Tour in 2025.
Xmas in Scotland
I booked a holiday getaway for xmas with Railtrail. The tour was very well organised. I was very impressed with the itinerary that was sent before departure and everything was as described. It was a shame that the weather was not so good, but Xmas in Scotland? It's to be expected. The hotels and the food provided was all very good and I would certainly book again with Railtrail.
20 December 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We greatly appreciate your five-star rating. It’s fantastic to know that you had a wonderful experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you back on a Railtrail tour.
A great company to deal with !
Personal Service with well informed staff. A non stop holiday, well managed, despite the travel problems.
9 September 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a four-star review. We’re glad to know that you had a positive experience with us. Your feedback is valuable, and we’re always striving to improve. If there’s anything specific you think we could do better, please feel free to share. We look forward to welcoming you back on a Railtrail tour.
Fabulous experience in Switzerland
The long journey to our excellently based hotel was expertly eased by Louise, our tour guide, who did a great job throughout our week. We thoroughly enjoyed travelling on all the varied methods of transport, all easily accessible from our hotel. We had been to some of the locations on previous trips but the amazing Stoosbahn was new to us as was the spectacular postbus ride from Meirigen to Oberwald where we embarked on the steam train over the Furka Pass. Even the rain that day didn’t mar our enjoyment.
21 September 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you for your gracious words and your five star review. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed Louise's guidance. Providing exceptional experiences is our top priority. We look forward to welcoming you back on a Railtrail tour.
Great tour guide and programme of daily…
Great tour guide and programme of daily excursions.
7 May 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star rating – it’s much appreciated!
Canals, Steam and Historic Chester
Customer service by email was excellent. Answered my questions in a timely manner and set up my online account for me to complete my booking. The rail tour and hotel accommodation lived up to all expectations. Personable efficient tour leader and friendly inclusive group.
8 September 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Your five star review means a lot to us. We always strive to give our best to help our clients and I’m glad that we exceeded your expectations. We hope to see you again soon!
Great tour
Great tour, lots of interesting places seen, many off the beaten track. Excellent tour manager and bus driver.
5 September 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star rating – it’s much appreciated!
The tour guide was excellent
The tour guide was excellent. It was so nice to be on a tour- my first. I found it relaxing because someone else was in charge!!
30 August 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We are grateful that you took the time out to leave us an excellent five star review.
Tour manager was excellent
Tour manager was excellent. Always had plan B for traindelays/ cancelations
10 June 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review.
Excellent RailTrail Experience!
In September, 2023, I took my first Railtrail tour - "The Heart of Wales Steam & the Brecon Beacons". It was a wonderful experience - the people, the booking process, the logistics, everything. And now I've booked my second Railtrail tour - "Wonderful Wales" - for September 2025. A satisfied customer returns!
20 December 2023
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We are so pleased you enjoyed your tour in 2023 and are sure that the Wonderful Wales experience will exceed your expectations. Thank you for your lovely review.
Disappointed as the tour guide had…
Disappointed as the tour guide had little interest and not informative. The tour was expensive and with free time was not supported, previously railtrail had supported tickets for travel on free days. Will not be booking again with railtrail. Overall did not represent good value for money.
11 July 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
We are also disappointed that you found the Railtrail Tour Guide dis-interested and not informative. Could you send your thoughts to enquiry@railtrail.co.uk so that we can investigate this further as we need to know if this was an isolated incident or a re-occurring one. From looking at our recent Questionnaires I cannot see any sight of this but our Operations Team, will look into this further. Thank You.
Friendly staff
4 December 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a five-star rating! We look forward to welcoming you back on a Railtrail tour.
A Helpful Company ignore date below
They are always very helpful and friendly and their Tours are well organised and they mostly travel by Traim
4 December 2024
Reply from Railtrail Tours Ltd
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star rating – it’s much appreciated!
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