THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
A Dream Train
Over the last month, we have looked at train trips for a day. And longer train trips that get you from point A to B.
What about a train trip where the trip is more than just transportation? It’s more of a train-cruise. Like a ship, the train stops for you to have adventures before moving on.
They are multi-night excursions involving the joy of train travel and experiencing the stops along the way. Did you ever dream of taking one?
North America Train-cruise.
Unfortunately, there is no train-cruise in the United States at present. However, there is one just over the border in Canada.
The Rocky Mountaineer combines the Canadian Rockies with the Grande hotels initially built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The train travels through the rocky mountains during the daytime, stopping at the “train” hotels in the evening for accommodations.
The train has two levels of service — a less expensive one level car with picture windows. And a premium bi-level car with a panoramic lounge upstairs and a dining room on the lower level. Your hotel room category reflects the class you book on the train.
Train-only programs range from two to six days in length. Train programs with additional touring by bus or rental car start at six days and go up to thirteen. You can even stick an Alaska cruise on to the beginning or end of your train-cruise tour. The train runs between April and October.
Other Canadian Options
For those wanting to sleep on the train, VIA Rail Canada offers regular train service from Vancouver to Halifax. They also run trains to Churchill on Hudson Bay, famous for Polar Bears and Beluga Whales. The overnight trains have several levels of service. East-west trains run year-round. Others are seasonal.
If money is no object, you can charter your private train-cruise. The Royal Canadian Pacific is a luxury train that will hold you and 29 of your friends. Departing out of Calgary, you can arrange just about any itinerary you want. Sightseeing, golfing even fly-fishing. Your imagination (and budget) are the limits. The train includes a dining car and lounge cars in addition to the sleeping cars.
South America Train-Cruise
Peru
Belmond is a name you will see several times before I stop talking about trains. They do them well.
The Belmond Andean Explorer: Luxury Sleeper Train is a luxury train that began service in South America in 2017. Its main program is a three-day/two-night program from Cusco Peru to Arequipa Peru.
Off-train excursions include visiting Lake Titicaca, an Incan archeological site, and cave paintings over 8,000 years old. It is the only sleeper train in South America. They offer one-night programs as well. The only drawback of the train is the altitude. Cusco sits more than 11,000 feet above sea level.
Lake Titicaca is over 12,500 feet up. All the coca tea and oxygen-enhanced air did not help me get over the altitude sickness completely. The train runs year-round.
The H.B. is not an overnight train; you can make the round trip in a day. But, it deserves comment. It was Belmond’s first train in South America.
It departs Cusco every morning to make the descent to Machu Picchu. But Macchu Picchu is on the top of a mountain; surely I mean ascent. Macchu Picchu is at an elevation of just over 7,900 feet.
The Hiram Bingham makes its way through the Sacred Valley to the base of Machu Picchu. From here, buses weave back and forth up to the summit.
During the 3.5-hour trip from Cusco, guests enjoy a gourmet brunch in one of two 42-seat dining cars. On the return, they serve dinner. This trip makes a once-in-a-life journey to Machu Picchu even better. The train runs year-round.
Supersize It.
For a real over-the-top experience, overnight at Machu Picchu. Well, not inside the park, but just outside at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, which was once the camp for the archeologists. Rooms are on the small side but location, location, location. Enjoy the last hours the site is open when most of the day-trippers have left. Enjoy sunrise the next morning before anyone else arrives.
Equador
Tren-Equidor offers scenic luxury programs between Quito (9,300 feet) and Guayaquil (sea-level) Equador. The train consists of themed-passenger cars, a bar, two observation coaches, and an open terrace. The train will take you from town to town while side trips will be by bus.
You will sleep in hotels and haciendas at night and your meals, included, will be off the train. There are two classes of hotel accommodations. The engineering behind the route is still amazing.
The company offers several other day trips to see parts of Equador not accessible by car. The train runs year-round.
Australia Train-Cruise
The Indian Pacific stretches from the Pacific Ocean at Sydney to the Indian Ocean at Perth. The 2700+ mile trip takes three nights and four days to cross the continent. See the Blue Mountains, stop in Barossa for wine tasting and visit the silver town of Broken Hill along the way.
It crosses the almost 300-miles of the Nullarbor Plain, the most extended section of straight track in the world. Meals and beverages are part of your ticket, and there is even dinner under the stars, weather permitting. The train runs year-round.
Prefer to go north and south? The Ghan does just that making the trip from Adelaide up to Darwin on the north coast. The three days, two-night excursion makes stops in Katherine, where you can cruise the jaw-dropping Nitmiluk Gorge. You will experience an outback sunrise near Marla. And the train stops in Alice Springs.
Here you can add a one to three-night program to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ayers Rock. Or add a night on the train and see the opal town of Cooper Pedy. This itinerary operates March – October.
Starting in December of 2019 is a new expedition, the Great Southern. This three-night program will take you from Brisbane to Adelaide. Stops include the Hunter Valley Wine Region and the majestic 12-Apostles.
There is also a daytime transit between Adelaide and Melbourne. The Overland has been operating for over 130 years. The train runs year-round.
Asia Train-Cruise
Asia is famous for its hospitality, and you will undoubtedly find it on luxury trains.
Thailand
Belmond operates The Eastern & Oriental Express. Its most popular route if between Bangkok and Singapore which takes three nights.
Besides breath-taking scenery from the train, there are off-train cultural tours at River Kwai and Kuala Kangsar. They also offer trips to Kuala Lumpur, shorter itineraries, and longer ones including at night at The Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
Japan
Famous for its high-speed bullet trains, Japan also has a luxury train, the Kyushu Seven Stars. The train circles Japan’s southwest island of Kyushu on a three-night itinerary. There are five sleeping cars, a lounge car, and a dining car to accommodate the 28 passengers. One night guests stay at a ryokan.
There are several off-train experiences. A little different than other train-cruises, they raffle off the tickets. For two weeks in the spring, you can put in a request for fall/winter trips. They do the same in the fall for the next spring/summer trips.
Honorable mention goes to the Sweet Train. It is also on the island of Kyushu. It is a lunch trip complete with four sweets. You dine in luxury as the beautiful scenery goes by. This departure usually sells out months in advance.
China
Although it would not pass as a luxury train, the Shangri-La Express is the most modern train currently in China.
What it lacks in deluxe it makes up for in destinations. It follows the Spice Route through China from Bejing to the western border.
Throughout the year it also takes extended trips along the route to Moscow, Tibet, and Persia. The company running the train is Golden Eagle. The train runs year-round on different itineraries.
India
Golden Eagle also runs the Deccan Odyssey which is a luxurious train. It offers comfortable private cabins, lounges, and a spa car. The train does several roundtrip Mumbai programs, as well as occasional fall and winter trips to/from Delhi.
The Maharajas’ Express is a custom-built train and probably the most luxurious in India. The cabins have picture windows and en-suite bathrooms. There are 22 rail cars catering to a maximum of 84 guests.
The itineraries are for the most part, out of Delhi lasting seven nights. This excursion is a great way to visit several of India’s 37 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are stops in Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, and of course Agra and its Taj Mahal.
Africa Train-Cruise
The Blue Train is a luxury train where people “dress” (i.e., coat and tie for gentlemen) for dinner. The train runs between Pretoria and Cape Town on a two-night schedule. On day two, you stop for a visit to the Open Mine Museum in Kimberley. There are nineteen cars for 82 guests. Occasionally, they do an overnight from Pretoria to Kruger National Park. The train runs year-round.
Rovos Rail operates the Pride of Africa between Pretoria and Cape Town as well. Also, they make a three-night run to Victoria Falls several times a month. They also travel to Durban at least once a month for game drives.
The Pride of Africa can accommodate 72 guests. The train includes two dining rooms, two lounge cars and an observation car on the back. Guests also dress for dinner on this train. The fare consists of off-train excursions and most beverages, including wine with the evening meal. The train runs year-round.
Is That All the Train-Cruises?
In a future blog, I will cover the once-in-a-life train excursions in Europe.
But for today, we hit upon some great train experiences on five different continents. That should keep you busy dreaming for a while.
The great thing about trains is you can get up and walk around, eat and sleep. So can the person who usually gets stuck with driving.
Make new friends in the lounge, read a book in your cabin or watch the world go by outside the window. What a course for adventure. Come aboard, they’re expecting you.
Would you consider taking any of the trains above? Please comment on which ones in the section below.
For more information on the trains, click any of the Orange Links above.
“See Andros Greece” Continued on Page T3 “Taste Torino Italy” Continued on T4
There are so many choices when it comes to Train Travel. This article provides a nice introduction to the options available. The Eastern and Oriental Express train seems to have the mystique of a grand old train with the height of luxury. Add at stay at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and you have me hooked. I also like the Rovos Rail out of Cape Town. What a way to go on safari and see South Africa. Now I have one more item on my life list. The beautiful photos capture my imagination.
I love traveling with you every Sunday morning!