Railway & Tramway  Enthusiast Tours

 the booking deadline for all our 2010 tours is over - from November you
 will find our 2011 tour programme here

 Here is a summary of all 2010 INTRA EXPRESS tours (to get the detailed programme,
 please click onto the picture, or the headline of any tour):

Apr. 16th-May 2nd, 2010: Italian Tramway Tour.

Even if tramway systems in Italy develop slower than in France or in Spain, four Italian cities have opened new trams since our previous great Italian tour in 1994 after all. A fifth has opened a Translohr type "tram on rubber tyres", and a sixth should have opened one more classic tramway before our tour date. As the existing systems have changed over the passed 16 years as well, we think it is time to visit Italy again. On this great rail (and ferry) tour of the whole country - including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia - we are going to see all of its old, and new tramway systems, but also many of its famous historic cities. All Italian underground railways are on our schedule, too. Concerning trolleybuses we had to make some concessions as there are simply too many of them in Italy to be visited on one tour. We nevertheless see five samples of "classic" trolleybuses (in cities that also operate trams), plus the two new Translohr systems of Mestre, and Padova. By train from Munich, € 1,980.00. 

May 16th-26th, 2010: Timber & Steam in West Virginia.

This tour is a good starter for railway enthusiasts not having visited the United States before. Within short time, and at a reasonable price it includes some of the country's most popular railway museums, and heritage steam lines as well as modern railways with long freight trains (often hauled by three or more diesel locomotives), the fascinating metropolis of New York, and the national capital city of Washington. On the other hand it also features a new highlight even for the most experienced visitors of the United States as we join the "Railfan Weekend" on the remote heritage forestry railway of Cass in West Virginia. This event offers sophisticated railway photographers, and videographers three days of action: steam specials with runpasts in spectacular mountain scenery, double-headers, parallel runs, timber trains, shed and night photography, and more. Cass is famous for its huge collection of rare standard gauge Shay, Climax, and Heisler type geared steam locomotives hardly known outside North America. Three of them perform for us, plus probably two historic diesels ex Western Maryland. By air from Frankfurt, € 1,995.00. 

Jun. 11th-20th, 2010: Romanian Narrow Gauge Steam.

With dozens of steam operated forestry railways Romania used to be a paradise for narrow gauge enthusiasts in the early 1990s. Only one forestry railway survived, connecting the small town of Viseu de Sus near the Ukrainian border with loggers camps in the remote Water Valley still without road access. Most of the timber trains are nowadays diesel hauled, but committed railway enthusiasts have not only kept the existing steam locomotives running, but also brought additional locos to Viseu de Sus from other parts of the country. No less than four operational steam locomotives of different types, and manufacturers are presently operational. Other enthusiasts have preserved, and reconstructed the closed Brad - Criscior coal railway as well as sections of the Moldovita forestry railway, and of the Turda - Abrud narrow gauge line. We tour them all on chartered steam trains performing many runpasts in beautiful, varied scenery. Additionally we have a charter tour on the unique metre gauge interurban tramway from Sibiu to the village of Rasinari, and visit two Hungarian narrow gauge lines on our way to Romania, and back. Whether you have toured the Romanian narrow gauge lines in the 1990s, or you were too late: no narrow gauge, and steam locomotive enthusiast should miss this budget-prized, and feature-packed tour. By train from Munich, € 1,150.00. 

Jul. 5th-11th, 2010: Balkan Narrow Gauge Steam.

Another short, budget-prized, and feature-packed narrow gauge steam tour takes us to Banovici in Bosnia, and to Mokra Gora in Serbia to visit the last two remnants of the former huge 760 mm gauge network of ex-Yugoslavia. The mountain line of Mokra Gora, one of the World's most scenic, and spectacular preserved railways, has finally been extended across the Bosnian border to Dobrun. Reconstruction of this section had already been finished a couple of years ago, but political disagreement had delayed the opening. The coal mine of Banovici - despite running an industrial rather than a tourist railway - is refurbishing one rare steam locomotive after the other at its own workshops. Standard gauge Skoda 0-6-0T No. 19-12 was followed by narrow gauge engine No. 55-99, a Budapest built 0-8-0T. Plinthed at the old Banovici railway station until recently, she is operational again, and available for charters. Banovici now features no less than five different classes of working steam locomotives (three on narrow gauge, and two on standard gauge). Even if this is mainly a narrow gauge tour, we do not want you to miss Kreka coal mines close to Banovici still using the World's last German class 52 Kriegsloks in regular daily operation. By train from Munich, € 1,280.00.

Jul. 31st-Aug. 7th, 2010: Standard Gauge Steam in Scandinavia.

With steam locomotives hauling stylish train compositions - wooden passenger coaches or mixed trains with historic freight wagons - through a charming scenery of forests and lakes, Scandinavian heritage railways have always been popular destinations of Intra Express tours. After our great Nordic narrow gauge tour in 2009 we now offer a completely new programme for enthusiasts of the bigger steam locomotives. An action-packed week featuring seven photo charter trains on seven preserved standard gauge railways in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden - six of them steam-hauled, one hauled by a historic diesel loco. None of these railways has previously been visited on any of our tours. By train from Hamburg, € 1,590.00.

Aug. 21st-26th, 2010: Tramways of Southeastern Poland.

The second in our series of Polish tramway tours takes us to the Southeast of the country, featuring three extensive standard gauge systems at Katowice, Krakow, and Wroclaw. Once again we have chartered several heritage trams, see a great variety of old and new types of vehicles in regular service, and visit all depots not to miss any of the interesting works cars rarely to be seen on the lines. By train from Dresden, € 595.00. 

Sep. 16th-Oct. 9th, 2010: Trams of Australia and New Zealand.

Melbourne's tramway system is now the World's biggest, featuring a varied fleet including the last more than 50-year-old class W bogie trams as well as modern Combino and Citadis low-floor-cars. Sydney and Adelaide operate modern light rail lines, while an exceptionally great number of heritage tramways, and tramway museums all over Australia and neighbouring New Zealand keeps the memory of a rich tramway history in both countries alive. On this unique tramway tour of Downunder we become acquainted with all that, as well as with culture, cities, and nature of two great countries. A two-day stopover in Hongkong helps to make the long flight tolerable, and shows us another unique tramway with old-fashioned double-decker cars, but also modern light rail, and one of the World's most effective Metro systems. By air from Frankfurt, € 3,950.00.

All our tours are designed especially for photographers and videographers,
and provide best opportunities in small groups. English speaking tour
guides are guaranteed, and as our parties are usually quite international,
many of your fellow participants will also speak English. "Land only"
prices are available on request in case you prefer to arrange your own
transportation.