Travelling on the Golden Eagle Danube Express as a guest of Uniworld during the CLIA River Conference in Budapest was an absolute treat from start to finish, and invaluable in terms of understanding this niche but growing offering.
While we have made a number of bookings for rail holidays, and are increasingly being asked about rail, land and cruise combinations as part of Panache’s Iconic Collection, I had never been on a sleeper train, so was really excited to be part of a group of agents hand-selected to experience and understand more about the partnership between these two luxury journey providers.
We’re always looking to offer our clients something a little different, and this was a real stand out moment during the conference, a memorable alternative to the ship visits.
The organisation was brilliant throughout, and the thoughtful details really helped to showcase in a few short hours the level that Golden Eagle Luxury Trains operates at, and why it works so well in tandem with a luxury river cruise.
We were welcomed into the Royal Waiting Room at Nyugati station – an architecturally beautiful room full of history and stunning paintings – with a glass of Tattinger (or non-alcoholic Champagne) before boarding the train to the sound of a brass band. That caused a great buzz, with lots of locals stopping to watch, so we felt really special.
We were guided to our seats in the restaurant carriage, and once the train had set off, we were given a tour of the various spaces on board. I was pleasantly surprised by how roomy and well-appointed the cabins were, with everything you’d need. There are options for different customers, including solo travellers, which is an increasing proportion of our business.
In the bar carriage, Tim Littler, President and Founder of Golden Eagle Trains, then told us about the history of the company, while Chris Townson, UK MD at Uniworld, outlined plans for Uniworld moving forward and highlighted the opportunity of selling these cohesive trips as guests seek longer, immersive holidays across multiple destinations.
While canapés were served, we listened to tunes from a pianist who’d been with the company for around 40 years (the stories he must have!) and even had a bit of a sing song to a Queen classic, or two! We enjoyed watching the passing scenery – another thing that train journeys and river cruising have in common – with lots of us pausing to take photos of a beautiful lake along the way.
Back in the restaurant carriage we had a delicious three-course brunch – great food and fantastic, relaxed service which anticipated our needs in a non-stuffy way. That will definitely appeal to our clients.
As we pulled back into the station, there were more crowds waiting to see the arrival of this historic train, and staff saw us off with a friendly smile and wave.
The whole morning was brilliant, and being able to get on board and experience it firsthand makes all the difference. Of course it really helps to understand the product, but it’s also great from a marketing perspective – we’re able to take our own images and videos and put it together with our own Panache spin.
Selling any multi-destination product can be overwhelming, so for Uniworld to package this up with their luxury river cruising and take care of all the details makes our job so much easier. It means we can just get on with choosing the right holiday for the right customer, so it’s win-win for everyone.
Photography by Steve Dunlop
