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British Travel Awards Winners 2023

Kelly Osborne • Nov 29, 2023

Railway Touring Company Scoops Top Travel Award

We are pleased to announce that we were named as ‘Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays’ at the British Travel Awards on November 28. It is the third year in a row that we have won this prestigious award.

 

Established in 1997, we provide rail-themed holidays in the UK, Europe and worldwide, as well as organising over 80 main-line steam day trips each year.

 

Voted for by the travelling consumer, the British Travel Awards are an annual event. Travellers are asked to vote on customer service, product offering and the best holidays across various categories.

 

Commenting on this year’s win, our MD Kelly Osborne said, “It’s a tremendous accolade for the team who work so hard to research, plan and lead unique holidays combining great rail journeys and interesting destinations. What makes this win so pleasing is that it a result of our holiday clients voting for us - we can’t thank them enough.”

 

British Travel Awards director of events and partnerships, Lorraine Barnes Burton, said, “This year saw more than one and a half million votes cast to determine the winners and competition was fierce. The Railway Touring Company is therefore to be sincerely congratulated on the achievement of winning the Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays Award. Ultimately it is the travelling public who decide the winners by voting for the travel companies they consider the best in the business. The British Travel Awards is the largest awards programme in the UK and to win is truly an achievement.”

 

It has been quite a year for us here at The Railway Touring Company. The National Railway Museum selected us as its partner to run main-line steam excursions to mark famous locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman’s Centenary.

 

2024 will see us taking travellers on escorted holidays around Scotland, the Lakes, Ireland and other scenic parts of the British Isles and further afield to countries including Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and Sri Lanka, on holidays featuring great railway journeys.

 

A full schedule of our 2023 and 2024 steam days out can be found on the website.


News and Updates

Flying Scotsman in Scotland

by Rachel Jackson • 12 Oct, 2023
Flying Scotsman completes Centenary tours in Scotland

Silver Travel Awards Nominee

by Rachel Jackson • 04 Aug, 2023
Silver Travel Awards Nominee

British Travel Awards 2023

by Rachel Jackson • 19 Jun, 2023
Exciting News - we need your help!

St Blazey turntable back in action for Flying Scotsman

19 May, 2023
The Railway Touring Company would like to say a Big Thank You to MPower Kernow and all involved in refurbishing the St Blazey turntable in time for our Royal Duchy on April 30, 2023, which was hauled by 60103.

Winners at British Travel Awards 2021-22

by Rachel Jackson • 30 Nov, 2022
Further success for The Railway Touring Company at The British Travel Awards - thank you for the votes.

Flying Scotsman Centenary

by Rachel Jackson • 14 Oct, 2022
Daytrips hauled by Flying Scotsman launched for 2023

Beautiful Gorlitz, Germany

by Allison Sanders • 02 Feb, 2021
Görlitz, Germany Located right along the River Neisse and the Polish frontier, Görlitz is the easternmost city in Germany. It also boasts an exceptionally well preserved old town with soaring spires, red rooftops, cobblestone streets and spacious squares. Having been spared much damage during World War II and radiating a ton of Gilded Age charm, Görlitz has become a very popular filming location for major Hollywood movies as well as television productions. These circumstances have given rise to the popular nickname "Görliwood" and indeed such well known films as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" with Ralph Fiennes, "The Reader" with Kate Winslet or "Monuments Men" with George Clooney were all filmed on location in Görlitz, using the city's beautiful architecture as the perfect backdrop. Indeed the city is frequently used to stand in for larger European cities for period pieces, including the depiction of Berlin at the turn of the 20th century. Here are just some clips and glimpses of these famous films, including scenes from "Görliwood":

Beautiful Austria

by Allison Sanders • 12 Jan, 2021
Salzburg and Salzkammergut As the land of Mozart, the Sound of Music and marzipan chocolate balls, Salzburg is a world famous destination and a truly charming medieval city with an impressive hilltop fortress, framed by Alpine peaks. cobblestone alleys, soaring spires and spacious squares actually give Salzburg's old town much flair and sophistication. Just as delightful as the city is the nearby hinterland and the Austrian lakes district known as the Salzkammergut. This pastoral area takes its name from the centuries-old tradition of salt mining and is dotted by over a dozen small yet spectacular lakes. The Wolfgangsee, Hallstättersee and Zeller See are probably the best known bodies of water here, not least because they are home to such famous mountain villages as Zell am See, Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang. The lakes also form a delightful contrast to the steep mountain peaks or green panoramic hills that surround them. Indeed the famous Schafbergbahn rack railway is located in St. Wolfgang, one of Austria's three mountain railways with steam traction and ancient rack tank locomotives dating from the late 19th Century. See for yourself and get a visual impression of both the cityscape and countryside in Salzburg and Salzkammergut:

Good Old Orkney

by Allison Sanders • 27 Nov, 2020
Home to some of the most famous archaeological remains in the UK, such as Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness, Orkney is steeped in ancient history and endowed with an idyllic, green landscape. These isles offer a wonderful combination of Scottish heritage, maritime flair, rural farming and northern spirit. As the site of two Whisky distilleries, Scapa Flow and St. Magnus Cathedral, the Orkney capital Kirkwall is a cute fishing village graced with cultural attractions and pleasant stone architecture. Have a look for yourself at the landscape of Orkney and gain a measure of inspiration from these moving images:

Amazing Arran

by Allison Sanders • 13 Nov, 2020
Located southwest of Glasgow, off the coast of Ayrshire, the Isle of Arran has often been described as 'Scotland in Miniature'. On the north side of the island, wild landscapes and dramatic mountain peaks shape the imagery, mimicking the Highlands, while the south is marked by gentle meadows, lush greenery and sandy beaches. All around the island, Celtic ambiance and archaeological landmarks such as standing stones can be found. Warm Scottish hospitality is complemented by rich local tastes, including the famed Arran Malt distillery near Lochranza. For visual impressions of Arran, here are some attractive images, including aerial footage: 
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