This week I am going to bring you a wide selection of railway holidays and trips that I have come across recently. The first one may seem very mundane but it is one that will be of interest of many Irish travellers. The London Heathrow rail link is almost ready. The first stage, which is being called FastTrain, will link Paddington to Heathrow by rail and coach and will take 30 minutes. The next stage, which will open in the summer of 1998, will be called Heathrow Express and will take 15 minutes from Paddington to Terminal One. It will be a considerable improvement on the Piccadilly Line, where it is not uncommon to stand all the way to and from Heathrow.
First Great Rail journey of the world is the Trans Canada Adventure. Starting your journey in Toronto, this 10-night tour will include a mixture of trains and hotels and sightseeing visits.
Three days aboard the "Silver and Blue" from Toronto to Jasper, a tour of the Columbia icefields. Two nights at Lake Louise and then on to Banff. Sightseeing tour of Sulphur Mountain and then a Lake Minnewanka cruise. One night in Kamloops and one night in Vancouver. Cost from CN$2,640. Brochure from Leisurail, PO Box 113 Peterborough, PE3 8HY. (00 44 1733 335599).
If you are visiting at any stage, then the Grand Canyon Railway is a must. It departs from Williams at the 1908 depot. Step Aboard for a trip to the Grand Canyon, relax as the train meanders across 65 miles of beautiful northern Arizona countryside including pine forests, high desert plains and small canyons. Strolling musicians and Western characters combine to recreate train travel as it was at the turn of the century. Depending on the class of travel, it costs from $49.50. The trip allows about three hours at the Grand Canyon. Details from (00 1 520 773 1976) or website: www.thetrain.com.
The Orient Express conjures up black tie and cocktail dresses, glamour and glitz and loadsamoney. The world's most exotic train has added to its itinerary the Eastern & Oriental Express. Monthly from November 1997, its route will travel between Singapore Bangkok Chiang Mai. Stopping en route at Phitsanulok for an excursion to ancient Sukhotai, a 13th-century city with beautifully restored ruins and royal palaces. For more details of the journeys, telephone 00 44 171 805 5100.
Moving north from Asia, GW Travel specialises in running tours by private train in and the ????, its newest, Middle Asia The Silk Road. Travelling in luxury from Tashkent Samarkand Urgench Bukhara Leninabad Margilan Kodzhikent, the trip will allow time for sightseeing. The company also does the Trans-Siberian Express: more details from (00 44 161 928 9410), or website: www.gwtravel.co.uk.
And finally, closer to home: the Railbreaks brochure offers a selection of keenly priced trips to many towns around the country. It has particularly well-priced trips for families. Well worth a look. (01 703 1839).