Ted and Sylvia Blishak write

the Leisure Rail column for

Passenger Train Journal

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Information below is reprinted by permission of the publisher, White River Productions, Inc.  www.whiteriverproductions.com

Our column in issue No. 231 (2007:2) was entitled, "Riders or Readers? Which Kind of Subscriber Are You?"  We wanted to know if luxury rail trips are on your agenda, and many of you responded. Your replies are edited due to space constraints; here they are, and we really appreciate your inputs.

Mike McGinley wrote, "Dear Ted and Sylvia: I just read your article in PTJ (while on a cruise ship) and am glad that you asked for some input.

"I would like to see a product somewhere between the pure railfan (Trains Unlimited Tours) and the super luxury of GLE.
The price of two people for two

weeks on a Princess ship to/around/from Hawaii for 15 days was about $5,000 per couple, a lot for us. And I fear that the GLE would not offer the best of all possible rail experiences, the open vestibule door.

"I would buy something that offers the learning experiences of a cruise (tours of wineries, battlefields, or boat tours), nice day coach travel, and hotels at night. Trips have to be attractive to the non-railfan family mem­bers in order to get the railfan to commit to taking them."

[Sylvia's comment: Several companies offer group tours on excursion trains with nights at hotels. Mayflower has eight-day trips for $1,459 per person, on a shared double basis, including 5 trains and 13 meals. Rail Travel Center's 11-day trip includes seven trains, one meal per day, and one overnight train with a sleeper, for $2,699 per person, double occupancy. But— good news! GLE has just announced some shorter, more affordable trips. See Karl Zim-mermann's North American Intercity column in the Third Quarter 2007 issue of PTJ.]

Dave Shore called from British Columbia to say that he's not poor, but doesn't want to spend as much money as GLE charges. Before a trip to Europe, he priced the Venice-Simplon Orient Express's 24-hour luxury trip from Venice to London, but settled on a Eurailpass, with which he could go all over Europe and spend many days exploring.

Dick Anderson of Kennebunk, Me., wrote: "Just finished the GrandLuxe Express article—a treat to read it and imagine myself on board! I am one of those PTJ readers you identified: not able to spend money on an expensive train vacation."

An enthusiastic train-watcher who couldn't afford to ride in the 1950s, he began escorting rail tours, which not only gave him free pas­sage, but he actually got paid for riding trains like the pre-Amtrak Super Chief, etc!

After becoming an Episcopal priest, a Rock Island clergy pass enabled him to ride the Rockets.

"So I figured out how to get on board even though my salary didn't provide for a lot of travel. Here I am today, retired, reading about the GLE. If there is a way for me to enjoy such superb travel, believe me I will find it! ...I can also tell friends who CAN afford the trip all about it and hand them a copy of PTJ. Write more, and I'll read it!"

Cliff Kammerer of New Jersey said: "I have taken two AOE [now GLE] trips and am signed up for a third. I have done the Royal Canadian Pacific (twice) and the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf. Two years ago I did the CP's Empress Hudson run from Calgary to Vancouver—all daylight by steam!"

Kammerer has also taken a number of private railcar trips. "So as you can see, I'm a railfan who rides the rails."

David Shreiner wrote from Ohio and is a reader who has learned to make business travel fun; he also enjoys cruises aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2. He admits to "spending a lot of money traveling exclusively by rail and ship around the world to visit customers—and suppliers—for our small supply company. I also visit my father in Florida every two months. I travel on Amtrak, mostly by first class, two to three weeks per month.

"Almost everyone I meet... on Amtrak or in the Commodore Club on the QM 2, admits to being a railfan. Of course I want to continue to be included in the marketing for GLE. Your description of the planned GLE tours sounds just like the QM 2 trips: bus tours and luxury travel in between."

Mark Weitenbeck responded from Wisconsin: "There is a market for luxury train travel. Most of the riders will not be rail enthusiasts, but simply people who have money and like to travel. I break down 'rail enthusiasts' into four groups:
   1. Rail travelers (These are the people who join NARP and the various state ARP's.) PTJ readers are likely to be in group 1.
   2. Modelers (some have no interest in the real thing, freight or passenger).
   3. Railfans
   4. Rail historians (not always interested in today's trains).
"I have addressed all kinds of groups about train travel. The least receptive have generally been in categories 2, 3, and 4. Most of the folks I know couldn't afford a luxury rail trip. I am fortunate that I can. I always travel sleeper on Amtrak.

"Last year I took a trip to Europe to review high speed rail in Spain and France. Most members of the tour didn't fit into any of the four categories. They are simply people with money who like to travel, going with the highest class accommodations."

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