441 – Beautiful Adventures by Rail With Jim Marini

Show 441

Show Notes

Rail travel has something to offer everyone; the speed of bullet trains, the scenic journey through beautiful landscapes, or the nostalgia of vintage trains. Rail travel isn't about the destination as much as it is about the journey.

A rail journey is an excellent, pre or post, add on to a river cruise or a mass-market cruise. Or, an excellent stand-alone adventure for the FIT traveler. Traveling by rail is a worry-free journey to the Scottish Highlands, the Fjords of Norway, the center of Paris, or the national parks in the United States. These are a few of the fantastic trips you can offer your clients.

The amenities on a train may offer cabins where your clients can sleep in a queen bed and have a private bathroom in the cabin. The dining cars offer meals or you can have your butler deliver meals to your cabin. You can design rail travel to fit your client's tastes and budget.

This podcast features Jim Marini, vice president of Railbookers and Amtrak vacations. Jim fills us in on some of the rail adventures and how Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations offer some of the best commissions in the business. Jim's team is there for you seven days a week and can give you immediate quotes on your first call to them. Also, you can attend weekly webinars and receive help with social media marketing and materials with your own branding. All this is through their travel agent portal.

"I always say that the clouds look the same anywhere we fly anywhere whether here in the United States or around the world so why not see more of our own backyard or the beautiful countries all over and that's what train travel gives all the listeners and the listener's clients."

Jim Marini

"In Europe alone, let alone Scotland, there are over 26,000 train stations throughout all of Europe." "Interestingly enough in Europe, most trains actually travel during the day and that's because of the high-speed network throughout Europe."

"Clients won't remember what they've spent when they have a memorable experience so for a little bit more they will get the trip of a lifetime."

Links to Items We've Discussed

Amtrak Vacations - https://www.amtrakvacations.com/: Telephone - (800) 268-7252

Railbookers -- https://www.railbookers.com/: Telephone - (888) 829-3040

Podcasts Related to This Show

Show 380 - The Alaska Railroad

Show 336 - What a Destination Fam Trip Will Do For You

The Fine Print

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. Barry, or the Show, receives no compensation from the guests on our show, or from the companies they represent unless we state otherwise during the show. We invite guests to our show because they offer something of value to the travel trade community. The Home Based Travel Agent Show is funded from the resources of Barry Kantz.

© 2022 All Rights Reserved

Show 440

Show Notes

Travel has its own set of challenges, the TSA, passports and visas, renting cars, finding a hotel, and many others. But, what if you add the challenge of traveling with a child who is on the autism spectrum? And, why is this important for the travel agent or the travel trade?


It's important because your clients may want to travel successfully, enjoyably, and give their child the awesome experience of travel.

One in 44 children falls on the autism spectrum. That means the chances are good that you have clients, or will have clients, who want to travel with these special children. In this show, we talk about serving these families.

Our guest on the show is Dawn Barclay. Dawn has written a book, "Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse. Here are some notable quotes from this show.


"By understanding how to help this community they're going to widen the ability to help all travelers and widen their client base."

"I don't think a diagnosis of any kind should keep you from being a citizen of the world and learning what life is like in other places."

"Not only is it important for the child to experience the world and for the parents to not feel like they're sentenced to a life sentence at home."

"It's important for your travel agent listeners to understand there is training that they can get to become certified autism travel professionals. "

Links to Items We've Discussed

Dawn's web page, Travelingdifferent.com

Internation Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards

Podcasts Related to This Show

Specialize Your Travel Agency by Helping Families With Autism to Travel

The Fine Print

Thank you for listening to the Home Based Travel Agent Podcast. Barry, or the Show, receives no compensation from the guests on our show, or from the companies they represent unless we state otherwise during the show. We invite guests to our show because they offer something of value to the travel trade community. The Home Based Travel Agent Show is funded from the resources of Barry Kantz.

© 2022 All Rights Reserved