All aboard for the latest edition of Travel Weekly’s famous Road & Rail wrap! Ok, maybe not ‘famous’ but at least of C grade celebrity status.

All aboard a great rail journey with Travelmarvel 

Offer your clients a truly unique experience by booking them on a Great Rail Journey with Travelmarvel. Book now to take advantage of Earlybird savings and Fly Free deals across a broad range of destinations.

The newly released 2019 Great Rail Journeys brochure showcases around 30 incredible rail adventures across four continents. Many of the European and Asian rail holidays can be combined with a range of premium river cruises and are eligible for Travelmarvel’s Fly Free offer.

Great Rail Journeys’ most popular tour is the nine-day Edinburgh, the Highlands and Islands, which includes rail travel aboard the iconic Jacobite Steam Train also known as The Harry Potter Express. Prices start at $3,295 per person including an Earlybird discount of $1,000 per couple and Early Payment Discount. This adventure departs from Edinburgh, with multiple departure dates from April through to October.

Secure your clients a highly sought-after place at the 2020 production of the Christ Passion Play held once every 10 years in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau. The 10-day rail holiday departs London and will include train travel through the scenic Bavarian Alps and visits to historical and picturesque castles. Prices begin at $6,595 per person including an Earlybird discount of $1,000 per couple and Early Payment Discount. It is advised to book early as places are filling fast.

Rail Plus Takes Agents Closer to Winning Famils, Tix to Evita, Melbourne Cup and More with Module 99!

To help agents earn an additional 160 points and thus get closer to winning more prizes and famils spots on the Rail Expert 2018 program, Rail Plus has introduced Module 99.

With invites to a series of exclusive events including the screening of Evita in Sydney and the Melbourne Cup, as well as several famils in Australia, North America and Europe up for grabs, agents only need a minimum of 400 points and good sales figures to qualify for the pick.

All that is required from the agents in Module 99 is to tick off the following six steps:

1. Attend any Rail Plus sponsored events (20 points)
2. Join the Rail Plus Facebook group for agents (10 points)
3. Subscribe to the general Rail Plus newsletter (50 points)
4. Subscribe to Rail Plus’ new weekly rail specials newsletter (30 points)
5. Participate in any of the featured contests (30 points)
6. Attend at least one webinar (30 points)

Rail Expert is a training program aimed to better equip agents will the necessary information on train travel, where the reward system is based on scores, modules completed, the time frame in which they are completed and sales performance.

The current 12 modules on Rail Expert will earn agents a total of 240 points, while the Swiss Travel Super Star Pass program can see agents scoring 100 points. With the additional 160 points from Module 99, agents can collect a total of 500 points to give them that extra advantage in getting picked for the prizes.

Agents who haven’t yet signed up will need to create an account on Rail Expert or follow the guidelines on this enrolment guide.

Budget Australia drives away with Canstar Blue 2018 ‘Most Satisfied Customers’ award

Budget Car Rental Australia has received the prestigious award for Canstar Blue 2018 “Most Satisfied Customers” ahead of competitors in the car rental industry.

In addition to winning the top spot, Budget was rated five stars for value for money and vehicle availability. As an industry leader in vehicle rental for the value-conscious traveller, Budget was the only car rental company to receive a five-star rating for cost and fee transparency.

Based on independent research and customer satisfaction ratings, Canstar Blue is a consumer review and comparison website dedicated to helping Australians make better-informed purchase decisions. Focused on product and service excellence, it strives to represent the real voice for consumers.

With Australians spoilt for choice in the car hire industry, key drivers in overall satisfaction amongst consumers according to Canstar Blue’s rental car survey are Customer service (40%), transparency of cost and fees (24%) and value for money (14%).

Drive & Play in Canada & the USA!

Throughout July and August, DriveAway are focussing on travel to the USA & Canada, releasing huge exclusive deals for car & motorhome hire.

Each year we see travellers looking to travel to North America more and more. 2017 was no exception, with an increase of up to 50% in enquiries for destinations like Montreal and Calgary. We also see another interesting booking trend in Anaheim increasing by 86% – perhaps the theme parks are calling all travellers?

Honolulu in Hawaii was another standout destination, with an increase of 73%. “Driving around Honolulu was an amazingly fun experience. The streets on the main island of Oahu were very easy to navigate, especially after driving through the hectic roads of Los Angeles. It’s an adventure I would do all over again, particularly in a RED Mustang”, says DriveAway’s Trade Marketing Executive, Natasha Wahab who is currently travelling the islands.

The time to book your clients North America trip is NOW. Offering savings up to 15% off car hire, up to 20% off motorhomes, FREE one ways, FREE mileage plus more throughout July and August 2018. Give your clients the ultimate experience driving through famous road trip destinations including Route 66, Yosemite to Yellowstone and the Canadian Rockies. Car hire prices start from AU$48 per day in Los Angeles & Anaheim, AU$70 per day in Honolulu and AU$55 a day in Vancouver for 7 days.