When one says ‘charter’, the first thought is of planes packed with tourists. However, a Swedish tour operator has offered a charter train travel for those yearning for sunshine. The idea received an excellent response and even surprised the organizer, writes biznis.ba.
The Swedish organizer ‘Fritidsresor’ grew tired of constant accusations regarding environmental pollution. As one of the largest in the country, it was repeatedly faced with allegations that its chartered planes were polluting the air. A new idea was born that aimed to satisfy environmentally conscious tourists. Instead of planes, a train was chartered for tourists. For a trial, they offered a journey from Swedish Malmö to Verona in Italy. ‘We offered this trip at the end of March and within 24 hours, almost all available seats were sold. Initially, there were 80 seats for four different departures. Although the start was modest, this summer we offered a total of 850 seats for the trip to Verona – and all were quickly sold,’ says Marie Malmros from Fritidsresor.
And this despite the fact that passengers receive transportation for 520 euros that greatly differs from air travel: the train departs in the evening from Malmö and after three transfers, arrives in Verona only the next evening. A week is spent in an Italian resort on Lake Garda, from where Venice or Milan is not far away. The first passengers returned to Sweden and shared their evidently favorable experiences with friends and acquaintances, as interest continues to grow enormously. ‘Next year we want to expand the concept. Besides Lake Garda, we will offer other destinations, and we are also considering themed trips. For example, routes focusing on art or gastronomy that would again go to Southern Europe,’ says Marie Malmros.
