The Railway Touring Company Omdömen 

A good introduction to Southern Ireland, but the long coach journeys from/to hotels and between sites were unfortunate despite two good drivers and a well informed guide. Hotels comfortable. I know it is difficult in Ireland but more train and less coach would have been more satisfactory. Bonus points for two hotels who read our request and provided sheet and blanket instead of duvets.

The onboard team were great, good service, great food, we were kept up to date with delays, what we could do when and had a great day. The locomotive crew did a brilliant job in the heat. Would recommend this to anyone for a special day out

Excellent trip with excellent food. Kitchen staff worked very hard. We both had a very enjoyable day.

It was my first Steam trip on the Swanage Belle with the Railway Touring company. I had booked my tickets form Woking . I received my tickets through my inbox too. The train arrived on time at Woking and the journey was lovely . When I got to my seat and sat down in Standard class . I felt uncomfortable . The booking was easy to do and the staff were polite and helped me alot .One Steward came upto me and asked if I was ok . Then he went to his manager and asked if there were any seats left in First Class . So he did his best and said it was fully booked . The whole trip was good and certainly will use The railway Touring company again.

Hot with no way of adjusting the temperature, unadjustable seats in First Class (despite being manufactured as such - not heritage at all, just static) and to cap it all the steam engine failed on the return requiring the back-up diesel to push.

Another fantastic tour. Very much looking forward to the next trip.

Excellent organisation, friendly staff on board the train, and a really well-produced booklet describing the journey and what to look out for along the way

We enjoyed going on The Buxton Spa Express. It was an interesting itinerary with an attractive destination.
The meals were great and the catering staff attentive and pleasant. The stewards were also helpful.
But there was one awful omission, no chance whatsoever to actually see the engine, a Black 5. Yes there were operational difficulties with short platforms at Buxton but there was plenty of time there for the engine to draw on to another platform for us to actually look at it. Instead it went off to a siding.

A lovely trip to Buxton hauled from Leicester to Buxton and return by Black 5 no. 44871. The engine performed faultlessly and the staff as always were attentive and friendly. However the day was rather spoiled by signal hold ups at Buxton that gave us a mere hour in Buxton , not long enough to fulfill the point of the trip.
The brief stopover was again compounded by the engine getting stuck in the siding where it was being serviced due to a point failure leaving us all waiting in the station .
This was not RTC’s fault of course but due to these infrastructure failings, the day was rather spoiled.
This is the reason for the loss of a star in the review.

All the staff on the train that I met or had dealings with were very helpful, going out of their way to assist. Being disabled they were very helpful and made my day out so enjoyable.
The steam engine and crew excelled throughout the journey.
Well done Railway Touring Company.

With the Railway Touring Company you can sit back and think of Yesteryears, forgetting about the turmoil of life, placing to one side the mobile 'phone and sit back and relax.

Three Tour guides all knowledgeable and approachable - Action packed experience of Poland which is now a smart and successful country with a good rail system (beware the platforms change at the last minute) and roads too. Some of the days were rather long and the cold weather made open air carriages character building. The hotel breakfast was good and all their staff were very helpful throughout. My room incorporated a staff lift and was really part of the corridor but it was quiet although being in the corner it was overlooked by the main bedrooms - a single MAN supplement room!

Most of the organised activities were good. Bit misleading over the "steam" description as 3 of the trips were diesel hauled

A super trip we celebrated a 90th birthday in style, great food and lovely staff onboard.

All on time emaculate carriages-a real treat.

The tour, visiting tramways in several cities in the Czech Republic was simply excellent. The party of ten (and we all got on very well) was met at Heathrow and taken through all processes at the airport...and ditto on our return from Prague. We travelled by 1st class train on day trips from our Radisson Blu hotel in Prague to Pilsen, Brno and Most, with a tour of each system in our own vintage tram, including Prague, of course. We had plenty of time to do our own tram riding in each city, with any necessary tickets being provided. Our two guides were incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and great travelling companions. Many lunches and dinners were provided in interesting establishments. There really was nothing to fault, instead, only our heartfelt thanks. This was my third tour with the RTC and I look forward to more.

We had a great day!

The carriages were ex British Railways MK3s. These are not vintage but the first of modern generation - double glazed, air conditioned AND NO OPENING WINDOWS = UNABLE TO HEAR STEAM LOCOMOTIVE - poor heritage experience.
On Sussex Belle (a shorter day trip) lunch served at 15.00 which was OK IF there had been something to eat after departure at 10.45. A solitary cinnamon swirl is just not enough - at least a continental breakfast - fruit yogurt, croissant and pastry. First and last day trip with RTC.

Such an enjoyable day out on the Sussex Belle to Eastbourne. Attentive and friendly service and lovely scenery en route. Highly recommend this company.

Absolutely lovely!

I have been on 4 railway touring company tours now and each one has been absolutely fantastic. My most recent was The Sussex Belle on April 15th (2026) and I am already thoroughly looking forward to whichever tour I do next.

Keep being brilliant guys!

Enjoyed the relatively short trip to Eastbourne and Hastings on the Sussex Belle. I find the long trips hard going, having to get to the starting station very early in the morning, but a 10:45 from Victoria was easier. Could maybe have been a little longer to give more time at Eastbourne?
Helpful staff - thank you Steward Ron.
Gravy Train took care of a dietary need which was appreciated.