Steam enthusiast tour calendar

Our current programme of Railtrail Steam Train Holidays for enthusiasts who adore the world of steam.

Click on the tour title to see full details and book online. Where a fare is yet to be announced we invite you to express your interest using our online request form; click on "Express your interest..."

Last updated 4th January: added Springtime Steam in the Harz and German Mega Steam 7, incl. Meiningen Steam Festival

*February 6th (5 days) Magical Harz Steam £595 (SRS £60)** Enjoy a great value, short break with amazing steam in the snow (hopefully!) on the superb Harz Mountains Railway. Power up the incredibly steep gradients of the Brocken with the mighty 2-10-2T locos; we travel the rural Selkethal line with magnificent photo opportunities – especially if we get the sunshine to go with that crisp, clear snow scene!
*February 9th (6 days) Steam in Saxony Snow £889 (SRS £75)** Take in the Pressnitztalbahn and the rarely visited Shönheide line – both with the famous narrow-gauge Sachsen Meyer locos - and the steeply inclined Fichtelbergbahn – all normally snow covered at this time of the year. Enjoy a mainline steam run with Pacific 01 1066 from Nuremburg into the Ore Mountains, plus the atmospheric steam and heritage diesel collection in the Chemnitz & Schwarzenburg roundhouses.
*Take a fabulous extended holiday combining both tours & enjoy sensational steam in the February snow!* Magical Harz Steam plus Steam in Saxony Snow (9 days) Combined Tour Fare £1195 ex London by rail, *(SRS £120)**
March 28th (8 days) Dresden Festival & Saxony Steam Charters £985 (SRS £126) Booking now open Visit the superb Dresden steam festival with numerous visiting locos, and a night-time photo parade. Private steam charters on 3 famous Saxon narrow gauge lines: Dollnitztalbahn, Pressnitztalbahn and Schöenheide with photo run-pasts. Steam on the steeply inclined Cranzahl-Oberwiesenthal line. Mainline steam excursion to Radeberg brewery – and a tasting! Experience Chemnitz steam locos, roundhouses, yard and coaling stage.
April 4^th (6 days) Steaming through Saxony £795 (SRS £90) Booking now open Mainline steam Nuremburg - Dresden – Löbau with Class 52 8195. Steam on the remote Saxon narrow gauge line at Zittau. Radebeul steam charter with Saxon green 99 586 and heritage stock. A full day of steam on the re-opened Saxon Weisseritztalbahn. Mainline steam with 52 8195 to Radebeul, with Meissen option. Visit Löbau steam railway museum. Night photo parade and barbecue at Dresden Alstadt steam depot.
*March 28th (13 days) German Mega Steam 6 Combined Tour Fare £1580 (SRS £220) Booking now open Combine tours and experience great value Railtrail mega steam! Dresden Festival & Saxony Steam Charters PLUS Steaming Through Saxony. Save £200, PLUS enjoy an extra ‘bonus’ visit to Neuenmarkt Steam Depot!**
April 12th (7 days) Poland Steam Explorer £975 (SRS £120) Bookings now open This fantastic steam tour features: “Farewell mainline run of Pacific Pm 36-2” from Gniezno to Torun. Explore rustic narrow gauge Poland with 3 private steam charters: Gniezno – 17 miles of 750 mm steam with Px48; Sroda – 9 miles of rural 750 mm gauge; Zinn – 8 miles of rarely visited 600 mm gauge. Plus standard gauge timetabled steam run Poznan – Wolsztyn with the unique opportunity of (optional) footplate rides on a steam hauled public service train! Choose to join the tour by air “Own flight”, ex Berlin departing April 13^th (6 days) £695 (SRS £100)
April 18th (17 days) Australian Steam Explorer £3895 (SRS £630) Enjoy eight days of steam - including exclusive charters - plus some memorable rail journeys on the renowned “India-Pacific”, XPT and Tilt trains. This amazing tour will cover new territory in this, its fifth, year - as well as returning to the incredible Maitland Steam Festival, with its renowned “train chase”.
May 18th (3 days) Belgium Steam Weekend Fare TBA Enjoy a glorious long weekend of standard gauge steam, featuring a mainline steam run and two standard gauge private steam charters. We travel behind five different steam locos in just three days! Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
May 20th (5 days) Springtime Steam in the Harz Fare TBA Enjoy a wonderful 3 days of steam covering the whole of the Harz system! We include steam from Nordhausen and the opportunity to enjoy a day of steam riding the rural Selkethal lines, hopping on and off as you wish to use our private lineside photography bus. Plus, of course, storming the Brocken with the mighty 2-10-2T locos. This excellent holiday can be combined with the above Belgian steam weekend tour, at a combined reduced fare. Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
May 25th (4 days) Northern France Narrow Gauge Steam £545 (SRS £90) A new variation of this delightful tour, all at a relaxing pace to enjoy local drink and cuisine - popular with enthusiasts and partners alike. Enjoy travelling great narrow gauge steam lines, along with evenings in historic Arras. Includes the Baie de la Somme railway to the coast at St Valery, and visiting the opening day of the steam festival at the "P'tit train de la Haute Somme" - the First World War built, Froissy-Cappy-Dompiere line.
July 16^th (7 days) Isle of Man & North West Steam Fare TBA We feature 11 lines in just 7 days – including 3 days on the Isle of Man to experience Manx Electric, Snaefell, Laxey Mines, Groudle Glen and Isle of Man Steam. We take a private steam charter on the Ribble Steam Railway and ride the Lakeside & Haverthwaite, Ravenglass & Eskdale, East Lancs and Churnet Valley steam railways - and conclude our tour at the famous Foxfield annual steam gala. A superb getaway from the Olympics! Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
July 20th (13 days) Colorado Maximum Steam £1895 (SRS £495) We lineside through fabulous mountain scenery for great some photo opportunities. Enjoy two days with Union Pacific’s famous 844 or “Challenger” out on the main line, plus the stunning Cumbres & Toltec and Durango & Silverton narrow gauge lines, and steam over the La Veta Pass.
July/August 2012 (8 days) Welsh Mega Steam fare TBA A tour that has been extremely popular for the last few years, featuring eleven fantastic Welsh lines in just 8 days. Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
August 2nd (6 days, by air) Austrian Steam Explorer £1045 (SRS £170) A steam action packed short break featuring six steam lines. Austria boasts some great heritage railways in beautiful countryside; on this tour we visit most of them, from the Achenseebahn and lake cruise, to the famous Zillertalbahn. We also take the delightful Steyrtalbahn and the superbly scenic Mariazellerbahn.
August 30th 2012 (6 days) German Mega Steam 7, incl. Meiningen Steam Festival Fare TBA It’s Mega Steam time again, featuring a private mainline steam charter in the Rhein-Main region and Pacific 01 1066 steaming to Meiningen. Admission to Meiningen Works steam festival. Steam with 58 311 Karlsruhe – Baiersbronn. Private steam charters: Korntal – Marbach and Parkeisenbahn Killesberg. Visits to Sinsheim's huge Auto Technik museum (locos, road and aircraft including Concorde) and to steam depots at Heilbronn, Hanau and Kornwestheim. Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
September 12th (8 days) Swiss Mountain Steam £1495 (SRS £280) Our superb steam and scenery tour – plus the rare opportunity of the amazing journey over the Bruenig Pass hauled by a vintage steam loco. Panoramic vistas on the original route of the Glacier Express on the Furka Steam Railway, plus the Brienz – Rothorn steam railway.
September 2012 (5 days) Central France Steam and Scenery Fare TBA A 5 day tour featuring two steam train rides, the amazing village of Rocamadour and a scenic rail journey through the Cere and Alagnon Gorges. Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available
November 2012 (circa 14 days) India – Sights and Steam Fare TBA A two week tour visiting Delhi, Agra, Mumbai and steam to the “hill stations” of Shimla, Darjeeling and Matheran. The tour also includes two railway museums with engines in steam. Express your interest in receiving details of this tour as soon as they are available

Overseas fares are ex London. Flexible “Tour Joining” arrangements available, including “Own flight” discounts.

* NO SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT on these tours if booked by 12 December 2011