Travel Designer

7. Trains

Trains look simple but are not. There are two kinds:

Point-to-point trains (e.g. Paris–Nice, Paris–Avignon, Rome–Florence)

  • Entered from the system at a preset price. The price we set is almost never the actual one, so we enter a maximum price; the Operations Manager will later set the correct price.
  • Always check where the hotel is relative to the station. If the station is very close to the hotel (a couple of minutes by car) and a transfer has been added, the client may be annoyed. They may still want the transfer — heavy luggage, for instance — but they must be informed the hotel is very close. Make this assessment every time there is a train.
  • The transfer choice shapes the itinerary text. When a point-to-point train is entered, you choose one of four transfer combinations, and that choice must be reflected in the description so there is no misunderstanding:
    1. Both transfers: hotel → station at departure, train, then station → hotel on arrival.
    2. Departure transfer only: hotel → station, train, and on arrival the client manages alone (taxi or on foot).
    3. Arrival transfer only: no transfer to the departure station (the client gets there alone), train, then station → hotel on arrival.
    4. No transfer: train only.
  • The choice usually depends on the client — transfers are expensive and a taxi is often cheaper — but sometimes the transfer is necessary. Example: Rome to Sorrento, where the train is Rome–Naples, but from Naples to Sorrento a taxi is very expensive and a private driver to the hotel is the better option.
  • Whichever of the four is chosen, the itinerary carries a clarifying text matching that choice, to avoid any misunderstanding with the client.

Panoramic trains in Switzerland

  • More complex — to be covered in full separately. The key point for now: mind the difference between buying the ticket and booking the seat. Panoramic trains have two distinct elements — the ticket must be purchased and the seat reserved. Both are required.
VIT 4 TRAVELTrains: what the designer must chooseConnections, transfers and descriptions must be consistent.HHotelDeparture stationArrival stationHHotel01Both transfersVIT transferTrainVIT transfer02Departure onlyVIT transferTrainOn their own03Arrival onlyOn their ownTrainVIT transfer04No transferOn their ownTrainOn their ownThe chosen combination must be spelled out in the itinerary text.HHotel and stationAlways check the distance.If the hotel is close,inform the client beforeproposing the transfer.€Point-to-point priceEnter a maximum price.The Operations Managerwill set the correctprice.Swiss panoramic trainsBuy the ticket andreserve the seat:both are needed.Watch the last legRome–Sorrento: the train arrives in Naples. Consider a transfer all the way to the hotel in Sorrento.