Grab a Swiss Pass, make the train your home

More and more Indians are flocking to Europe to enjoy rail journeys.

KOLKATA: These super-fast, sleek animals of gleaming steel and glass may have stopped those chugging steam beauties of yesteryears in their tracks. But the Indian tourist’s love affair with rail travel, especially when holidaying in Europe, is still strong.

In fact, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing markets for Rail Europe’s international segment. It is also the second-largest market for Swiss Passes, after Japan. A Swiss Pass allows you unlimited travel by train, bus and boat throughout Switzerland.

Overall, the number of Indian tourists opting for rail travel within Europe is rising by 15% per annum. At Rail Europe, a company of which French National Railroads (SNCF) and Swiss Federal Railroads are the majority shareholders, Indian tourists have been contributing 28-30% growth year-on-year over the past few years, 80% of whom are free individual travellers (FIT).

No wonder, group tour operators like SOTC, TCI, Thomas Cook and several others always include a train element in their itinerary to try and create a differential.

There are several options, but according to Gopi Iyengar, head, south Asia, Rail Europe, Eurostar, the channel train between London and Paris is the most popular among Indians. There are other trains too, like the TGV, which runs within France and connects with Switzerland or even the Swiss passes that offer breathtaking view of the Alps, snaking their quaint ways through the Swiss countryside.

“Rail travel is meant for the Indian with a new mindset — who watches National Geographic, Discovery and other related channels and has more exposure to the world. It is mainly the FIT - the backpacker on a budget - for whom this mode of travel appeals,” Frederick Divecha, senior vice-president, SOTC, told DNA Money. SOTC has seen a 60% jump in such travellers, though Divecha qualifies, “It is on a small base,” he added.