London has so many activities and entertainment options, why not begin your holiday in style by arriving in London a day or more in advance of the start of your tour? The theatres, museums, parks and shops are all waiting to be explored!

We appreciate that many of our customers travel from a variety of places in the UK to London, some more distant than others. As our tours generally commence at Heathrow (or St Pancras for selected tours) during the morning of the first day, it is often more convenient to make your way to London the previous day, so you are fresh and rested before joining your tour. Let us make it easy for you by booking rail tickets to London and an overnight hotel near Heathrow or St Pancras.

Travelling to London & the Heathrow Express
Overnight stays in London and at Heathrow
Stopover hotels in Paris and Cologne
Extending your Worldwide holiday

TRAVELLING TO LONDON & THE HEATHROW EXPRESS

As rail specialists, we can book UK rail tickets from your local station to London to join your holiday. Return Standard Class off-peak prices are shown opposite, based on your county of departure (or region in Scotland). Prices for First Class travel are also available - please ask us for a quotation.

We can also book the Heathrow Express service, which runs between Paddington and Heathrow, at a return price from £31 per person Standard Class and from £49 per person First Class. This may well be easier than driving to Heathrow and can also be better value than parking in the long-term car park (though some airport hotels include parking).

Prices are per person valid until April 2008, but subject to change without notice.

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OVERNIGHT STAYS IN LONDON AND AT HEATHROW

We are also able to book a hotel at Heathrow airport or in central London, for the night before (or after) your holiday. Prices shown are per room (single or twin) per night and are on a Room Only basis. Details of two of these hotels are below; other hotels in London are also available - please call us for details.

Melia White House Hotel, London

The Melia White House was originally built in 1936 as apartments and has an unusual star shape with 5 wings very much in the art-deco style. It is 4-star hotel which boasts 582 rooms including and a chic marble lobby with black granite reception desk and Rococo styling. The Melia White House is situated next to the green acres of Regent's Park and on the northern edge of Central London. Its fantastic location means that Regents Park, London Zoo, Madame Tussauds, Oxford Street and the shopping and theatre districts are within 10 minutes walk.

Prices from £141 per room per night, B&B, based on a weekend rate subject to availability and booking conditions.

Holiday Inn, London Heathrow

The hotel is perfectly located, within minutes of the main London Heathrow Airport terminals and is easily accessed from the M25, M40 and M4 motorways. The hotel is built in three intimate pavilions and boasts 230 bedrooms to meet the needs of today's guests - high speed internet access in all rooms, WIFI access in public areas, a dedicated business centre, mini gym, airport hoppabus, shop and on-site car parking.

Weekend prices from £75 per room without parking; £125 per room with 21 days parking 
Weekday prices from £118 per room without parking; £169 per room with 21 days parking

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STOPOVER HOTELS IN PARIS AND COLOGNE

As many of our holidays involve an overnight stay in Paris or Cologne, why not spend an extra night in one of these attractive cities on the return leg of the journey? Your return journey must be routed through the city in which you wish to stay. Rooms are on a bed and breakfast basis and are subject to availability - please make your request at the time of booking.

Mercure Terminus Nord, Paris

The Terminus Nord (3-star) is a hotel full of character. It has stood directly facing the Gare du Nord station since 1865 and has an exceptional location within romantic Paris. The hotel is decorated in typical Parisian style with a wonderful lobby that summarises the style of the hotel, boasting an Art Nouveau stained glass window and an impressive glass roofed atrium. All rooms are well equipped with a safe, hairdryer, satellite and pay TV as well as direct dial telephone and modem connections. All public rooms within the hotel, including the bar, are very attractively decorated and reflect the hotel's very high standard, offering a typically "Parisian" feel.

The Four Points Hotel, Cologne

The Four Points Hotel is a 4-star hotel in the city centre. It is located near the main station, within walking distance of the pedestrian zone and the Cathedral. The Four Points Hotel delivers the service and comfort you need at the end of your holiday with Great Rail Journeys. Room facilities are comprehensive and include, coffee maker; mini bar; television with cable; air-conditioning; direct dial telephone; private bathroom; radio; alarm clock and in-room movies. The Hotel benefits from its own bar, lounge and restaurant with an enviable local reputation. In addition, the services that the hotel can provide include a valet and laundry service.

The Euro Garden Hotel, Cologne

The hotel enjoys an excellent location with easy access to the old part of the city and the famous Cathedral. The train station is only 100 metres away. Rooms at The Euro Garden Hotel are all very tastefully decorated with fresh colours and along with the bathrooms they are furnished with all the equipment that a guest may need - air-conditioning; Cable/satellite TV; hairdryer; in-room safe; iron and ironing board; minibar; pay-per-view movies; private ensuite bathroom; radio; and telephone. As you would expect the service is of a high standard and the staff are happy to arrange anything which the guests may request. There a cocktail bar, concierge service, laundry facilities, room service and finally a sauna.

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EXTENDING YOUR WORLDWIDE HOLIDAY

Our holidays offer you a group experience; however, if you would like to extend your time abroad we are very happy to book either an earlier departure date or a later return date. Please note that we can only offer extensions at either the start or the end of our time together, rather than mid-tour.

You may have friends or relations at our arrival city or departure city, or you may wish to extend your stay in our first or last hotel and take in even more of the sights and scenes. As a final suggestion, you may wish to combine two or more tours to fully immerse yourself in the destination - this proves popular especially on our America and Canada programmes, where our tours in either the East or the West can be combined with a Coast to Coast tour.

Of special note should be the flight arrangements on our Australia & The Ghan tour. Our flights offer the flexibility to depart earlier than the brochured departure date and enjoy time in Singapore before joining the tour in Cairns. On the return leg, this option is also available, but in addition, you can request to return via either Bangkok or Hong Kong. Simply let us know your requirements.

We should point out that the prices quoted in this brochure are based on special airfares, offered to us by the airlines for group travel. These represent a reduction on the normal IATA fares which entitle passengers to greater flexibility. In making a change to the flight aspect of your holiday, there will be a charge for the difference in cost between our special fares and the normal IATA fare, plus a £40 per person flight variation fee. As always, changes to flights are subject to availability and ticketing restrictions, so please discuss your requirements with us - we are here to help.

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