Railway

The World's Most Luxurious Trains

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

With luxury train travel enjoying something of a revival, this is the perfect time for the ultimate book on the world's most luxurious rail journeys. Luxury Trains, edited by Eva Marin (teNeues, $59.95) features 250 photographs covering the history of deluxe train travel, and all elements of the elegant railway experience from "grandiose carriage interior and exterior details to majestic station architecture." The book is divided into sections headed Luxury Train Cruises, Modern Trains, Excellence on Board, Splendid Stations and Legendary Trains. The private rail carriage pictured on the cover (above), the Swedish Royal Train from the Swedish Railway Museum, is from the last section.

Tags: Luxury train, LuxuryTrain, Railway, Train

Rovos Rail Train Journeys in South Africa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We've briefly mentioned the Rovos Rail line of trains before but it truly is one of the world's most luxurious ways to travel. Rovos Rail runs through South Africa and is the idea of Rohan Vos, an entrepreneur who made his fortune in car spare parts . He bought up old old railway carriages and converted them to his own specifications. When railway authorities demanded large fees to travel on their rails he decided to make his pet project pay for itself. The company functions like a boutique hotel chain on wheels. Details include under-floor heating, air-conditioning, ensuite shower and toilet, real beds and electric blankets. You can also order complimentary drinks for your mini bar and your suite comes with a bathrobe and slippers, a full-size shower with branded toiletries and flowers and a fruit basket on the table. A 14-day trip from Cape Town to Dar Es Salaam costs $12, 800 for Royal accommodations.

[via AME Info]

Source

Tags: journey, railway, rovos rail, RovosRail, south africa, train, travel

Golden Eagle Luxury Russian Train

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Golden Eagle, Russia's new super-luxury tourist train, began its inaugural run from Moscow to Vladivostok on May 6th. The 5,800 mile journey will take 14 days to complete and includes stops in Kazan, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Khabarovsk among others.

The 21-carriage train offers travelers a choice of two restaurants where they can enjoy traditional Russian fare including pelmeni and black caviar as well as quality wines from around the world. The train also has a bar car, which promises to stay open until the last guest leaves.

Gold Class cabins on the Golden Eagle feature 77-square foot suites with power showers, heated floors and furniture, flat-screen televisions and air-conditioning. The Silver Class cabins are slightly smaller at 60 square feet, but offer similar amenities.

Tickets to ride the Golden Eagle cost $16,000 to $19,000, depending on class, and are sold out until November.

Source
Source

Tags: golden eagle, GoldenEagle, luxury train, LuxuryTrain, railway, Russia, russian train, RussianTrain, siberia, trans siberian express, TransSiberianExpress

Canadian Trains Top Travel Awards

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

At the recent World Travel Awards, where travel agents from around the world pick some of their top travel choices in various categories, the Royal Canadian Pacific Trains were found to offer the best luxury train experiences. The company was founded in 2000 and maintains a fleet of fully restored, 1920s-era railcars." They offer luxury tours and private bookings. The other nominees for the luxury train service award included the Blue Train (South Africa), the Eastern and Oriental Express (Asia), Pride of Africa-Rovos Rail (Africa), Palace on Wheels (India) and the Venice Simplon Orient Express (Europe).

The Canadian trains also did well in other categories. The Vancouver-Banff GoldLeaf Service provided by Rocky Mountaineer Vacations was declared to be the "world's leading travel experience by train."

Source

Tags: canadian, railway, royal canadian railway, train, trains, travel canada