Contemplating the various means of overland transportation available to travelers in this first decade of the 21st century, namely airplane, automobile, train and bus, the railway train is perhaps the least likely choice. Train travel, after all, cannot compete with flying for speed, nor private cars and buses for door-to-door convenience and custom scheduling. Unfortunately, and somewhat for these reasons, passenger rail service does not always exist to the extent it possibly should. On the other hand, few would dispute that trains are more spaciously comfortable than the alternative modes.
Yet of greatest consequence to the enlightened traveler, railroads are part of the history and scenery of the lands which they serve. As opposed to modern highways that carry automobiles and buses, most railways were constructed in the 19th century when earth-moving technology was primitive. This factor, plus the restriction on grades that trains can overcome, required the railroads to build on narrow rights-of-way, following the natural topography of the landscape, often along the shores of rivers and lakes, inventively around and beneath hills and mountains. The environment that remains outside the window of a passenger train is nearly original wilderness. As the railroads built, so developed the towns, cities and industries along their routes, and so today, a journey by train generates a sense of history just by “passing through.”
Happily, different forms of passenger rail service operate all over the globe: intercity corridor, long-distance sleeper, suburban commuter, excursion and cruise trains. Personal experience has demonstrated that touring by train can be supremely satisfying, relaxing and convenient as passengers enter and leave cities by way of central stations which are usually commercial hubs and historic landmarks themselves. Especially significant for the leisure traveler is the advent of luxurious sightseeing and cruise trains. An incomplete list: GRANDLUXE RAIL JOURNEYS in the United States, the ROYAL CANADIAN PACIFIC, ROCKY MOUNTAINEER, CANADIAN and SKEENA in Canada, the SIERRA MADRE (Copper Canyon) EXPRESS and EXPRESO MAYA in Mexico, the HIRAM BINGHAM and ANDEAN EXPLORER in Peru, the BRITISH PULLMAN, NORTHERN BELLE and ROYAL SCOTSMAN in Great Britain, the VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS in Continental Europe, AL ANDALUS EXPRESS and EL TRANSCANTÁBRICO in Spain, the GOLDEN PASS & GLACIER EXPRESS lines in Switzerland, the BLUE TRAIN, UNION LIMITED, DESERT EXPRESS and ROVOS RAIL in Africa, the PALACE ON WHEELS, DECCAN ODYSSEY and ROYAL ORIENT in India, the TRANS-SIBERIAN Trains across Russia, the SHANGRI-LA EXPRESS in China, the EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS in Southeast Asia, the INDIAN-PACIFIC, GHAN and SUNLANDER in Australia. These trains, as well as expanding, high-speed intercity networks
in Europe and Japan, evidence a growing rediscovery of the attributes of rail travel.
What the rail renaissance may still be lacking is an abundance of qualified expertise to advise and assist prospective train travelers. Clearly, rail travel planning deserves to occupy its own niche in the realm of travel agency. To this end, welcome the services of Mr. Andrew Shmerler, the resident “Trainmaster Travel Authority” at Pisa Brothers, Inc. a full-service travel agency located in New York City. The rail-inclined tourist who patronizes this firm will find access to rail tour programs prominent and obscure, and customized trip planning based on a wealth of knowledge, of specific trains and routes, characteristics of rail lines, train equipment, schedules and connections, enhanced by a passion for further research as needed.
While the Internet Revolution has tempted a segment of the population to bypass traditional Travel Agents, savvy travelers continue to realize the value of counsel from a seasoned professional. The entire staff at Pisa Brothers are consultants who, beyond the scope of each agent’s particular specialty, work together to provide every client a complete package of desired travel arrangements. Since a rail “romp” may necessarily involve air travel, hotel accommodations, transfers and tours, a “Pisa Traveler” will benefit from the full resources of an agency devoted to the highest standards of personal service.