Magical Technical Tour: German High-Speed Rail

“This September’s German high-speed rail tour includes factory tours, the main station in Berlin and the airport station in Frankfurt,” said Rick Harnish today in an email. Harnish is executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association and will lead the High Speed Germany journey September 17 – 24, 2011.

“We will ride both Siemens’ 220 mph ICE-3 and their 150 mph RailJet. We even managed to fit in a sleeper train [first-class German Rail City Night Line service Berlin-Munich].

“To top off the week, we will spend a night in Munich during Oktoberfest.  This trip is limited to 25 people, and the initial respond has been strong.  So, please call Eleanor Hardy at the Society of International Railway Travelers soon if you are interested [800-478-4881 within the U.S.; 502-454-0277 elsewhere].””

This is billed as a behind-the-scenes technical tour, but no one will mind if spouses wander away to shop, visit museums, ride trams or simply sit in cafés and watch the world go by.

Last year, we were honored to develop the journey High Speed France: An exploration of High-Speed Rail, Stations and Intermodal Transit. Participants gave the journey the highest ratings, returning to the US quite excited in their advocacy for rail. See this link to a great slide show about last year’s journey.

This year’s trip will be just as exciting.

Let us know if you want to join dynamic tour leader Rick Harnish on High Speed Germany. Don’t you wish you could hop aboard?