Taking place from 11 to 18 October, the trip was led by Grant Robertson, Rail Europe’s Regional Manager for Australia and New Zealand, and followed a route through Bristol, Bath, Lille, Arras and Amiens, before wrapping up at Disneyland Paris.
The program gave agents a first-hand look at how rail can connect some of Europe’s best-known destinations with places and experiences that don’t always make it onto a traditional itinerary.
The UK leg took in Bristol, with visits to its aerospace attractions, Wake The Tiger and a boat trip, plus a day in Bath to explore the Roman Baths and Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein.
From London, the group traveled by Eurostar to Lille, where the itinerary moved on to northern France’s food, culture and First World War history. Visits included the Australian Memorial at Fromelles, Bullecourt, the Wellington Tunnels in Arras and several remembrance sites in the Somme, including Thiepval and Pozières.
There was also time to discover Amiens’ Hortillonnages floating gardens before the trip ended at Disneyland Paris, with experiences including World of Frozen, Ratatouille and Avengers Campus.
The agents were travelling on Great Western Railway, Eurostar and SNCF services throughout the trip, experiencing the connections they can recommend to their own clients.
Taking part were Alexandra Reyes (Helloworld Travel Marion), Roman Chipizubov (Frontier Travel), Lani Symons Vaughan (MTA Travel), Kellie Waterfield (Chirn Park Travel), Michelle Walsh (Cruise & Rail Travel), Jason Cole (Extra Mile Travel) and Shane Earnshaw (Destinations by Shane).
The famil was organised in collaboration with Atout France Australia, with land arrangements provided by Visit West, Hauts-de-France Tourisme and Disneyland Paris, coordinated by Atout France.
