Following a year of double digit growth, Fred. Holidays has expanded its rail holiday portfolio into 2025 to include the UK and Ireland, enhanced Scandinavia and Italy offerings, steam trains, sleeper trains, sporting events, worldwide itineraries including Japan and one-of-a-kind, truly unique Rail & Sail holidays.
As rail holidays continue to grow in popularity, Fred. Holidays has announced that year-on-year sales of its rail programme have increased by 32%, bookings are up by 15%, the average booking value has grown by 20% and trade engagement is up by 16%. The operator has also revealed that:
- 40% of all rail holiday bookings have a value of over £4,000, while 30% have a value of over £5,000.
- Their most expensive individual rail holiday booking this year is £47,000 for two people.
- Their most popular rail holiday is Lake Garda via The Bernina Express which is already 50% up compared with last year.
- The Bernina Express is the most popular train followed closely by the Glacier Express.
- The Bernina Express and GoldenPass Line have seen the biggest increase in interest this year, with the Glacier Express and Venice Simplon-Orient-Express also up substantially.
Fred. Holidays’ range of 2025 tours features the newest addition to Europe’s luxury train collection – La Dolce Vita Orient Express – as well as simple overnight stays pre- and -post train and epic luxury Rail & Sail packages with Oceania and Explora Journeys, including an incredible Monaco Grand Prix experience. Also featured is a combination tour which includes journeys on both La Dolce Vita Orient Express and Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, where the Golden Age of Travel meets the New Age of Luxury on the same tour. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express also comes paired with Explora Journeys for an Istanbul to Venice extravaganza and with Celebrity for a Balkans cruise. Fred. Holidays has also paired Pandaw River Cruises and the prestigious Maharajas’ Express with a choice of the Brahmaputra or the Ganges for incredible worldwide River & Rail opportunities.
New for 2025:
Rail Tours
- Edinburgh via the Caledonian Sleeper – four nights including the return journey between London and Edinburgh on the Caledonian Sleeper, two nights in Edinburgh with breakfast and full-day excursion to Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe and Fort William. Prices from £799 per person.
- Dublin & Belfast by Rail and Sea – six nights including the return ferry journey between Liverpool and Dublin, three nights in Dublin with breakfast, return rail travel between Dublin and Belfast, three nights in Belfast with breakfast, Cliffs of Moher tour including Wild Atlantic Way and Galway City and Giant’s Causeway day trip. Prices from £849 per person.
- Prague by Sleeper Train – five nights including return Eurostar between London and Brussels or Amsterdam, return overnight sleeper service between Brussels or Amsterdam and Prague and three nights in Prague with breakfast. Prices from £949 per person.
- Copenhagen, Stockholm & Oslo Fly-Rail – seven nights including flight from the UK to Copenhagen, two nights in Copenhagen with breakfast, rail travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm, three nights in Stockholm with breakfast, rail travel from Stockholm to Oslo, two nights in Oslo with breakfast and flight from Oslo to the UK. Prices from £1,299 per person.
- Bella Italia: Venice, Florence, Rome & Sorrento by Rail – nine nights including flight from the UK to Venice, overnight accommodation in Venice with breakfast, Venice walking tour with visit to glass factory and gondola ride, first class rail travel from Venice to Florence, three nights in Florence with breakfast and a traditional steak dinner, Florence guided walking tour, excursion to San Gimignano, Siena and Chianti, first class rail travel from Florence to Naples, return transfer from Naples to Sorrento, three nights in Sorrento with breakfast, guided visit to Pompeii, excursion to Capri and the Amalfi Coast, first class rail travel from Naples to Rome, two nights in Rome including breakfast and a farewell dinner, walking tour of Baroque Rome, Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, Hop-On-Hop-Off bus ticket in Rome, transfers on arrival and departure, and the services of a tour manager. Prices from £2,699per person.
- Vintage Steam Trains of Switzerland – seven nights including return flights from the UK to Zurich, rail travel between Zurich and Interlaken, seven nights in Interlaken with breakfast, an eight-day Swiss Travel Pass, travel on the Furka Steam Railway from Oberwald to Realp, excursions to Brienzer Rothorn and Schynige Platte, travel on the Brunig Steam Railway and an Interlaken guest card. Prices from £2,279 per person.
- Venice Simplon-Orient-Express & La Dolce Vita Orient-Express – four nights including flight from the UK to Rome, overnight accommodation in Rome with breakfast, overnight return journey to Montalcino on La Dolce Vita Orient-Express with all meals, selected drinks and off-train excursion, rail travel from Rome to Venice, overnight accommodation in Venice with breakfast, overnight rail journey from Venice to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with all meals and wine with dinner, Eurostar from Paris to London and all overseas transfers. Departs 13th July 2025 with prices from £8,799 per person.
- Grand Tour of Japan by Rail – Fred. Holidays has partnered with Wendy Wu Tours on this 21-night tour which includes flight from the UK to Fukuoka, stays in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Matsumoto, Suwa, Tokyo, Sendai, Hakodate and Sapporo with breakfast, lunch and dinner, eight rail journeys mainly by bullet train, guided excursions including Nagasaki, overseas transfers and flight from Sapporo to the UK. Prices from £9,999 per person.
Ocean & Rail
- La Dolce Vita Orient Express & Formula 1® Monaco Grand Prix with EXPLORA II – 11 nights including return flights to Rome, two nights in Rome with breakfast, two-night return journey to Matera and Palena on La Dolce Vita Orient-Express with all meals, selected drinks and off-train excursions, seven-night full-board cruise round trip from Rome onboard EXPLORA II including seven nights in Monte Carlo with three-day Grandstand T2 access to the Formula 1® Monaco Grand Prix and overseas transfers. Departs 16th May 2025 with prices from £19,799 per person.
- La Dolce Vita Orient Express & Oceania Allura Rome to Monte Carlo – 15 nights including flight from London to Rome, three nights in Rome with breakfast, two-night return journey to Venice and Tuscany on La Dolce Vita Orient-Express with all meals, selected drinks and off-train excursions, 10-night cruise on Oceania Allura from Rome to Monte Carlo, overseas transfers and flight from Nice to London. Departs 22nd August 2025 with prices from £11,999 per person.
- EXPLORA I Istanbul to Venice & Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – 17 nights including flight from the UK to Istanbul, overnight stay in Istanbul with breakfast, 10-night full board cruise from Istanbul to Venice on EXPLORA I, five nights’ accommodation in Venice with breakfast, overnight rail journey from Venice to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with all meals and wine with dinner, Eurostar from Paris to London and all overseas transfers. Departs 7th October 2025 with prices from £10,999 per person.
- The Best of Italy, Croatia & Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – 14 nights including flight from London to Rome, two nights in Rome, 10-night full board cruise from Rome to Ravenna onboard Celebrity Constellation, rail travel from Ravenna to Venice, overnight stay in Venice, overnight rail journey from Venice to Paris on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express with all meals and wine with dinner and flight from Paris to London. Departs 16th July 2025 with prices from £5,999 per person.
River & Rail
- La Dolce Vita Orient Express & Uniworld Venice & Jewels of Veneto River Cruise – 12 nights including flight from London to Venice, a seven-night cruise round trip from Venice on Uniworld’s SS La Venezia, rail travel between Venice and Rome, three nights in Rome, two-night return journey to Maratea and Taormina on La Dolce Vita Orient-Express with all meals, selected drinks and off-train excursions, overseas transfers and flight from Rome to London. Departs 24th August 2025 with prices from £13,299 per person.
- Maharaja’s Express & Pandaw Brahmaputra River Cruise – 18 nights including return international flights, overseas transfers, seven-night Brahmaputra expedition cruise with Pandaw, one night in Guwahati with breakfast, two nights in Mumbai with breakfast, private tour of Mumbai and six nights on the Maharaja’s Express with all meals and drinks and selected excursions. Departs 5th November 2025 with prices from £12,499 per person.
- Maharaja’s Express & Pandaw Lower Ganges River Cruise – 17 nights including return international flights, overseas transfers, seven-night Lower Ganges expedition cruise with Pandaw, one night in Delhi with breakfast, one night in Kolkata with breakfast, first class rail journey between Kolkata and Farakka and six nights on the Maharaja’s Express with all meals and drinks and selected excursions. Departs 27th February 2026 with prices from £12,599 per person.
Agents still have a couple of weeks left to earn up to £1,000 per booking as part of Fred. Holidays biggest ever trade incentive. Valid until 31st October 2024 and applicable to all new Fred. Holidays package bookings made during this period, the incentive offers a range of One4All vouchers dependent on the value of the booking.
Tags: Rail Holiday Portfolio, Fred. Holidays
