GREAT LUXURY RAIL JOURNEYS
Great Luxury Rail Journeys - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Great Luxury Rail Journeys | |||||
| By Liz Schaffer, Issue 45 – Summer 11 | |||||
| TIMEWORN CLIFFS, SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS, GOLD BATHROOM FITTINGS AND THE DRIVER’S EYE VIEW TELE-TRANSMITED TO THE TV SCREEN IN YOUR SUITE ARE ALL PART OF THE MODERN-DAY RAIL EXPERIENCE. LUXURY RAILWAYS ARE ALL ABOUT HIGH-TECH AMENITIES, INVITING CABINS, EXQUISITE DINING AND SERVICE THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND, TO NARROW DOWN THIS LAVISH FIELD LIZ SCHAFFER DESCRIBES FIVE LUXURY RAIL JOURNEYS THAT WILL PLEASE EVEN THE MOST DISCERNING TRAVELLER. | |||||
| THE INDIAN PACIFIC | |||||
| For over 40 years The Indian Pacific has completed the 4,352km, three-night journey between Perth and Sydney braving the emptiness of Australia’s vast interior. The service does not compromise on luxury, and this makes it one of the world’s great train journeys. Gold Kangaroo Class combines true-blue hospitality with a chic aesthetic and relaxing atmosphere. The lavish lounges are fantastic spots from which to relax and watch the sun set while the onboard dining comes with an adventurous native edge. Passing wheat belts, weathered mountains and postcard-perfect cities, the trip is all about the unique Australian environment. Highlights include historic Broken Hill and gold-rich Kalgoorlie. To cross the famously treeless plains of the Nullarbor, The Indian Pacific travels along the world’s longest straight stretch of railway track (478km), and shows just how otherworldly this country can be. FARES: You’ll pay around A$6,520 per person for a one-way trip from Sydney to Perth. There are also student and concession tickets available. | |||||
| gsr.com.au/site/indian_pacific.jsp | |||||
| THE ROYAL SCOTSMAN | |||||
| The best way to discover a country renowned for its romance, passion and mythic beauty is by rail. The Royal Scotsman ventures straight to the heart of the Scottish Highlands - a patchwork of pineclad mountains, expansive (monster harbouring) lochs, soaring castles and time-forgotten townships - and takes advantage of the scenery with the open-ended Observation Car’s outside viewing area. Now housing sofas, arm chairs, a bar and post-dinner entertainment, it’s difficult to believe the impressive carriage is actually a converted 1960s Pullman Kitchen Car. The Royal Scotsman’s restaurant offers seasonal menus all about locally caught fish, langoustines and scallops, Aberdeen Angus beef and wild edible flowers grown in Skye exclusively for the train. With 600 bottles of whisky and 1,000 bottles of champagne consumed during each six month season and a staff to passenger ration of 1:3, The Royal Scotsman could easily be confused with an exclusive, albeit moving, country house. FARES: The lavish Royal Tour of Britain, The Royal Scotsman’s longest journey, lasts seven nights and is around A$16,690 per person. Shorter trips like the two-night Highland Journey start from A$4,060. | |||||
| royalscotsman.com | |||||
| THE GOLDEN EAGLE TRANS SIBERIAN EXPRESS | |||||
| It takes fifteen days to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Trans Siberian Express route, which covers 9,700km (a quarter of the earth’s circumference) and crosses eight times zones. However, it was the Golden Eagle, unveiled in 2007, which gave the iconic journey an unprecedented injection of elegance. While the Golden Eagle’s Tsarworthy Silver and Gold Class Sleeping Cars are decked out with state of the art amenities, the real onboard stars are the Restaurant Cars. Here chefs combine local ingredients (think borcht and omul) with a selection of international wines to produce a unique, vodkainfused culinary experience. Kudos has to be given for having a pianist-hosting bar that remains open until the last person leaves. Whenever that may be. The view alone is reason enough to make the Trans Siberian expedition. When passing sights like Lake Baikal, a Siberian freshwater lake that’s lined with snow capped peaks and holds 20 per cent of the world’s water, or Kazan’s Kremlin Fortress, it’s difficult to imagine a more opulent experience. FARES: The 15-day journey on-board The Golden Eagle is £9,995 (around A$15,795) per person for a Gold Class twin and £13,895 (around A$22,195) for a Gold Class single cabin. New Heritage and Silver Class cabins are also available. | |||||
| gwtravel.co.uk | |||||
| THE BLUE TRAIN | |||||
| Since beginning operations in 1946 and hosting a string of kings and presidents, the company that operates The Blue Train has luxury down to a fi ne art. This South African locomotive combines fine linens, marble tiles, a sapphire exterior and hints of mahogany with diligent service and African flair. Each of The Blue Train’s coaches contains a maximum of four suites and has a butler who remains on call throughout the journey. With beds pulled ready-made out of the walls at night the suites come with a playful dose of retro charm, acting as spacious lounges during the day and secluded abodes at night. A camera mounted on the front of the train gives guests a driver’s-eye-view of the scenery ahead. The unfolding journey is shown on a TV screen in the Club Car (one of the train’s two lounges) and, if you flick to the right channel, in the suites as well. Besides offering up panoramic views, the Lounge Car - covered with original works of South African art, plush couches and fresh flowers - makes a great high tea setting. The Blue Train travels between Pretoria and Cape Town as well as Pretoria and Victoria Falls, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and Pretoria and Hoedsprist on a less frequent basis. | |||||
| FARES: A luxury two-person cabin between Cape Town and Pretoria (a 16 hour, 9,700km trip) will set you back R10,930 (about A$1,600) per person from November 16 to August 31 and R13,595 (about A$2,000) between September 1 and November 15. | |||||
| bluetrain.co.za | |||||
| ROYAL CANADIAN PACIFIC | |||||
| Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and John and Jacqueline Kennedy are all former travellers onboard the Royal Canadian Pacific so it’s no surprise the company that operates this train knows a thing or two about luxury. The self-proclaimed “five-star hotel on rails” only carries 32 passengers, so the journeys are intimate. The cabins are designed to mirror those of The Royal Scotsman and are furnished in Circassian walnut from Russia with Bird’s Eye maple inlay, brass heaters and Turkish drapes. This is all setoff by the Rocky Mountain vistas outside the cabin window. The Royal Canadian Pacific stops overnight to prevent guests missing out on scenery gazing or elk spotting. There are also off train activities on offer at some of Canada’s leading tourism destinations such as Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Banff National Park. FARES: The six-day/five-night Royal Canadian Rockies Experience comes in at CAD8,000 (about A$8,140) per person. Those with a more adventurous streak may also like the six-day Royal Fly Fishing Adventure for an additional CAD8,000 (about A$8,140) per person. | |||||
| royalcanadianpacific.com | |||||
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