For those of you who have rushed through Europe in a Eurail blur, train travel hardly seems like a lost art. Yet there are those special trains that transport the traveler back in time to the majesty and splendor of rail travel’s grand era. For those of you who agree with Edna St. Vincent Millay and would take a train regardless of where it was going, we have a selection of great trips for you to choose from.
Premier Selections offers 20 different train travel possibilities on five different continents. The Venice Simplon Orient Express invokes exotic mysteries, Southern Africa’s colonial past is revived on Rovos Rail or Australia’s wildlife is abundantly on view in it’s native environment on the Great South Pacific Express. Explore all this and more in this month’s Pick of the Month.
One of the most scenic and breathtaking trips Premier Selection offers is right in our own backyard. The Rocky Mountaineer offers a spectacular two-day trip covering the 700 miles between Vancouver and Calgary. Get a taste of what this trip offers in our article, "Great Trains of the World."
"All Aboard for the World's Longest Train Ride" article chronicles the experience of riding the Trans-Siberian Express. Named for the tracks it travels, this trip offers a window to a world that is usually not seen by the everyday traveler. This seven-day wonder covers seven time zones and spans two continents, covering geography that ranges from spectacular to foreboding and desolate. Armchair travelers can sit back and let Siberia come to them with this month’s article from T.E.I. Tours and Travel.
Colonial India comes alive with Exotic Journeys. Palace on Wheels and Royal Orient trips. Relive the grandeur of India’s opulent past aboard the historic carriages of the old Palace on Wheels. Dating back nearly 150 years, this train carried diplomats and Indian royalty in comfort and splendor, and is now operating as The Royal Orient. A newly built Palace on Wheels retains the classic luxuries and has included contemporary amenities for a first-class trip back in time.
True rail enthusiasts will love the unique tours created by Rail Travel Center. By taking advantage of scheduled rail service and sidetracking into less visited areas, its trips combine the best a destination has to offer with the relaxed pace of the rails. Trips include rides on a variety of railroads. Be it on narrow-gauge track, local historical trains or the first-class Royal Canadian Pacific. there are trips to tempt everyone’s taste. The Springtime in the Alps tour is a perennial favorite, as is the Sierra Madre Express through Mexico’s Copper Canyon. In addition, Rail Travel Center creates new itineraries every year for its returning guests.
For diehard rail fans, Trains Unlimited Tours offers specially crafted trips geared especially for them. A retired conductor leads all trips, and some itineraries are suitable for the general traveler. Offering extensive trips in Central and South America, as well as China, Canada, Mexico and the US, Trains Unlimited Tours makes sure that each train is chartered specifically for its journey, allowing the latitude to create an unique trip every time.
