Loch Ness key to Highland itinerary


Great Rail Journeys is offering clients the chance to explore Scotland by rail and canal with its Scottish Islands & Lochs Cruise. The eight-day holiday takes


GTOs set sail with French Brothers


Delegates at a recent group travel forum took a Thames River cruise at Windsor with French Brothers River Cruises. The group travel organisers (GTOs)


were attending the Group Travel Forum South event at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey. Arranged by group travel specialists Steve Reed Tourism, Hampshire, the annual event aims to create new group bookings, and attracted delegates from Somerset, Yorkshire and Devon. Steve Reed, managing director


of Steve Reed Tourism, said: “It was great to see so many tourism businesses – from all over the UK – talking group bookings with GTOs and coach and tour operators.” Based on the Thames at Windsor,


Runnymede and Maidenhead, French Brothers offers a variety of boats and services. New for 2018 is a Windsor


Combined Bus & Boat Trip, which includes a 40-minute river cruise and road tour with an Original Tour sightseeing bus. frenchbrothers.co.uk stevereedtourism.co.uk


holidaymakers along the western coastline of Scotland and the Caledonian Canal, and includes a five-night cruise on MV Lord of the Glens to Loch Ness. Julian Appleyard, commercial


director at Great Rail Journeys, said: “Not many people think about a cruise in Scotland, but it is a beautiful country to see by ship.


“In my mind this is the best


way to see Loch Ness, which is included in this cruise. “The ship passes the dramatic


App offers commentary on MBNA Thames Clippers


The Lord of the Glens ship by Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness.


ruins of Urquhart Castle and it is a unique way to see the loch’s incredible beauty from a different angle.” The holiday departs on


October 15 and costs from £2,430 per person. greatrail.com


Self-catering agency adds Lake District charter


A Lake District self-catering agency is offering its clients a new sailing experience for 2018 when they book their holidays at one of its properties.


Heart of the Lakes customers can


opt for a Lake Windermere yacht trip, with the agency’s associate company, Lake District Sailing. Called Grey Pearl, the yacht has


space for six passengers and two crew members.


Chris Jackson, partner of Heart of the Lakes, said: “We believe it is a fantastic addition to what we already offer our customers and guarantee it will be the highlight of


many holidays to come in the Lake District.” The three-hour charter is


exclusively available to Heart of the Lakes clients, and costs from £300 per charter. heartofthelakes.co.uk


City Cruises York expands fleet to meet growing demand


City Cruises York has added a new vessel, The Witheycombe, to its River Ouse sightseeing fleet to cater for growing numbers. City Cruises acquired the York


operation in May 2017, and more than 145,000 guests have been welcomed on board. With visitors to York expected to top seven million in 2018, City Cruises predicts its York business will have increased by 7% in its first year of trading. A new schedule of daytime


travelgbi.com


dining experiences has been launched onboard sister ship Captain James Cook, and lunch and afternoon tea cruises will be hosted every weekend, Tuesday and


Wednesday, as well as daily during the summer school holidays. ◗ Meanwhile, in London, City Cruises has teamed with Time Out for a season of ‘Movies on the River. The season kicks off with Romeo + Juliet on June 13 and The Shape of Water on June 14. Other titles will include Jaws, Dunkirk, Baby Driver, The Greatest Showman, Grease, Mean Girls and Ghostbusters. citycruisesyork.com timeout.com/movieboat


Broads firms promote sailing trips together


Companies that offer yachts for hire on the Norfolk Broads have formed a marketing partnership to promote sailing holidays in the Broads National Park. Called Broads Sailing, the consortium of five operators has a new website for its joint marketing activity and is partnering with Waterways Holidays to offer a dedicated online booking service. Andy Hamilton, chairman of


Broads Sailing, said: “Fifty years ago, there were more than 40 boatyards offering hundreds of cabin yachts for hire. These have now mostly been replaced by motor cruisers, but there are still five operators offering this uniquely Norfolk experience.” broadssailing.com


June 2018 | TravelGBI 25


Passengers travelling with MBNA Thames Clippers can listen to real- time commentary about London’s sights with a free onboard app. The river boat service travels


between some of the capital’s top attractions including Maritime Greenwich, the Tower of London, Tate Modern and the London Eye. Children can also download the ‘Learning the Ropes’ activity guide from the MBNA Thames Clippers website with a word search and river-related maths questions. mbnathamesclippers.com


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