Online Bookings – Now Available
If you decide you would like to book one of our steam journeys online then our secure online booking service is now available. Make sure you have your passport and credit card numbers ready with you and just go to the Bookings Page on our website and follow the prompts. You will get an instant confirmation of your journey.
If you prefer to book by mail/fax/phone or go through your local Travel Agent then no problem! You will then get confirmation within 3 working days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a selection of the most commonly asked questions we have encountered over the last 6 months:
Why haven’t these New Zealand steam journeys been offered before?
Previously the New Zealand rail infrastructure was owned and controlled by a freight company which gave priority to freight trains and did not encourage heritage passenger operations. The New Zealand government bought back the rail infrastructure in 2004 and a specific Heritage Rail Operators Agreement to use the rail network was signed meaning we can now travel on lines normally carrying just freight. The New Zealand government is keen to encourage new tourist initiatives and as our operation develops we intend to open up more lines for visitors to experience.
Is this journey aimed mainly at railfans?
No and Yes! The itinerary is designed for our visitors to experience all the best scenery and sights that New Zealand has to offer. This means that the non railfans have a fully guided tour of ALL the major attractions en route and do not have to participate in any “railfan” events at all if they don’t want to. However there are “railfan excursions” offered right through the journey where all the rail museums and preserved railway lines can be visited. This means you can choose just how much or how little of each you see as we travel through the country.
Can I get off and on along the way?
Our trains run North to South once a month in summer. This means you may be able to get off and join the next one in a month’s time if you wish. It is possible to “leapfrog” the journey you are travelling on though we do not recommend this, as you will miss so much!
Are all excursions included?
If you check out the “Excursion Points” page on the website you will see that most of the excursions are already included although you do have the option of purchasing more points if you want to. For example, if you use your points to say take a once in a lifetime scenic helicopter trip you may use up more points but it is always your choice on how to spend them. Many of our visitors will find they see everything they want to within the number of points allocated.
Will we get sick of being on a train all day?
The longest time spent on the train is 3 hours at any one time before we break for an excursion or arrive at that day’s destination. You can get up and walk around and talk to fellow travellers along the way or enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack in the buffet car. As “train” days often alternate with city excursion days you are highly unlikely to get sick of train travel.
Do we have to load our luggage on and off the train every day?
NO All luggage is taken from hotel to hotel by coach. This means you can rest and relax, as you do not have to carry your luggage on to the train at all. Take with you only what you need for the day – camera and sun block etc.
Is the airfare included?
No. Most people get better fares and more flexibility by shopping around locally so we believe that is the best option for most of our customers. Don’t forget we end our journey at either Wellington in the North Island or Queenstown in the South Island so you may need to make your own travel arrangements from there to your New Zealand departure airport.
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