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HERE’S MORE to the Sample package: Explore’s Family
T
US than theme parks, Adventures programme features the Grand
neon signs and fast-food Canyon, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion
restaurants. Even the land national parks in its 14-day Into The Wild West
of conspicuous consump- tour. Prices for 2009: from £1,950pp adults,
tion offers visitors plenty £1,850pp children – includes return flights to
of scope for getting back to Las Vegas, accommodation in hotels, tepees and
nature. The big attraction campsites plus some meals. www.explore.co.uk
in many areas is the great
outdoors – from the mighty peaks of the RAIL JOURNEYS
Rockies to the vast deserts and canyons In a country where the car is king, it’s no
of the south-west, to the lush, rolling surprise that trains are regarded as a poor
countryside of New England. relation. Yet with some careful planning,
rail travel is a good option for clients who
NATIONAL PARKS want to cut their carbon footprint or just
To anyone who questions America’s green sit back and enjoy the scenery.
credentials, it’s worth pointing out the The US rail network, operated by
country was the first in the world to Amtrak, may not be as extensive as in
establish a national park – Yellowstone Europe but there are routes through some
– in 1872. Today there are national parks of the most scenic parts of the country
in every US state except Delaware. The such as the Rockies, the west coast, the
National Park Service is responsible for a Great Lakes and the deep south.
total of 391 areas, together covering 84 million Top: Grand Canyon Amtrak offers a wide range of fare-saving rail
acres – bigger than the UK and Ireland. National Park passes. The USA Rail Pass, from $389, enables
The parks range from the world-famous, such as Above: Explore’s Wild travellers to visit any destination in Amtrak’s
the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, to the lesser West family tour system. Many long-distance services have facilities
known but equally beautiful, such as stunning Main: trekking in Alaska such as sleeping cars and viewing decks.
Acadia, which covers a rugged section of the Popular Amtrak routes include the California
Maine coastline in New England. Zephyr between San Francisco and Chicago, the
Roads into parks such as the Great Smoky Crescent serving New York-New Orleans, and the
Mountains and Yosemite get very busy in summer. Seattle-Los Angeles Coast Starlight service.
Parks try to ease congestion by offering shuttle bus Apart from the high-speed Acela Express on the
services and guided tours. Accommodation in and east coast, trains in the US are slow by European
around many parks ranges from hotels and lodges standards. The Pacific Surfliner, for example, takes
to log cabins and campsites. Clients visiting during more than 2.5 hours to travel the 125 miles from
summer, at weekends and on US public holidays Los Angeles to San Diego.
should be urged to book well in advance. Many services on long-distance routes operate
The national parks of Arizona, Utah and only once or twice or day, meaning stops at cities
California are among the most popular with UK en route can be in the middle of the night. With
visitors. They include the Grand Canyon, Zion and some stations on the outskirts of cities and public
Bryce Canyon and are featured by most operators transport links to downtown areas often poor, it is
to the US. Companies such as North American worth advising clients to book taxis in advance.
Highways and Up & Away Holidays also offer Operators that have expanded their rail
lesser-known parks including Badlands in South programmes include Bon Voyage, Thomson
Dakota, Crater Lake in Oregon and North Cascades Worldwide and Travel 2. Bon Voyage has added
in Washington State. 12 “great rail journeys” to its website this year.
“Our clients generally want to include a national “Demand for rail travel in the US has increased
park or two because they are keen to see the wide three-fold in the past year,” says Bon Voyage sales
open spaces of the US, which they’ve heard so manager Karen Niven. “Rail tours are perfect
much about,” says North American Highways sales US rail routes cover for people concerned about green issues or who
manager Darren Rogers. “Now they are venturing some of the most scenic don’t want to drive. They also offer the option of
beyond the popular parks. Oregon and parts of the country travelling around the US without spending loads
Washington State are doing very well for us of time checking in at airports and going
because more people are choosing lesser- through security checks.”
known states in order to avoid the more Sample package: Bon Voyage offers a
mass-market parts of the US. one-week holiday featuring a trip on the
“Customers are opting to spend more California Zephyr, from £699pp. Includes
time in the parks so they can go walking, flights, two nights in Chicago, two nights
cycling and try other activities. They no in a two-berth cabin on the train, and
longer want to drive 500 miles a day, three nights in San Francisco – room-only
preferring shorter itineraries so they can in the hotels, rail journey includes meals.
get the most from the great outdoors.” www.bon-voyage.co.uk
25
go to www.ttglive.com
TTG Knowledge USA October 2008
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