There is a greater demand now for hopping on to lavish train cars fit for royalty to watch the world pass by. Here are our tips on how to live the luxurious life in the slow lane
Some of us may have impressions of the golden age of train travel from watching old classic movies. It was a sepia-tinted period where life’s refinements were enjoyed more leisurely. To some, reliving this bygone era is the ultimate in luxury travel as it also means that one has all the time in the world to be pampered with white gloved service, to stroll leisurely from one’s sleeper dressed to the nines for dinner and enjoy a meal with sparkling silver and tinkling glassware. For others, it’s simply the best way to see countries like England and Japan with vast, rolling landscapes and bucolic country sceneries through a window from a richly upholstered carriage and enjoying the sounds of long winding corridors chugging along the tracks. Luxury train travel has become so popular in recent years that some experiences are booked up a year in advance. We single out four of the most highly rated ones, with no promises you’ll get a place.
Seven Stars Kyushu
Besides the super speed Shinkansen, Japan Rail can also do slow and luxury very well. Since Japan Rail Kyushu unveiled the train Seven Stars Kyushu in October 2013, spaces have been consistently snapped up as soon as bookings for a new season open. Though this is partly due to the fact that there is space only for 30 in 14 suites (served by a staff of 10 excluding entertainers and chefs). Its exciting dining options and exquisite décor are also its USPs.
For example, the dessert menu is designed by Koji Shimomura of the award-winning Édition in Tokyo. The kitchen also tries to engage passengers by springing a surprise element in their meals. Menus are kept secret, and designed according to passengers’ allergies and preferences, with a strong focus on the fresh produce of Kyushu. Japanese French cuisine is also available, prepared by chefs who come onboard just to cook. There are pianists, violinists and magicians on board to entertain. The tranquil and elegant décor that the Japanese are so famous for, like paper sliding screens and wooden kumiko lattice work are showcased in the interiors by Eiji Mitooka, a renowned industrial designer who also took meticulous care with the train’s exteriors. Seven Stars plies two different routes offering a two or four-day itinerary, giving passengers a chance to experience traditional ryokans and onsens while visiting other prefectures.
Golden Eagle Tran-Siberian
In 2016, luxe train operator Golden Eagle Luxury Train (which was launched in 2007) will offer a total of six different routes in more than 13 packages, allowing one to take in the surrealistic beauty of the harshest and most remote landscapes in Russia, Central Asia and even through the Caspian Sea to Iran. The most popular packages are the Silk Road and Caspian Journey with the Imperial Suites which measure 11.1 sq metres, complete with a lounge with dressing table selling out a year in advance (a marked recovery from a slight downturn a few months ago during the immediate aftermath of the ongoing Russian crisis). There are a total of 12 carriages on the Golden Eagle with four to six cabins in each of its three classes. Staff to guest ratio is 2:1, with a doctor onboard. Activities available onboard include vodka tasting sessions and Russian language classes. Not that you are likely to be bored. Across countries, there are options to join a cooking class in Irkutsk or ride horses in Mongolia’s Gorkhi-Terelj National Park etc.
Maharaja Express
The name of the train itself – conjures images of opulence and splendor in a regal lifestyle redolent of a time when the states of India, particularly in Rajasthan, were ruled by warrior-kings from 1600s to mid 20th century, who lived resplendently. As such, one can be assured of an experience befitting royalty (visits to palaces and royal families are part of the itinerary). The train, which was launched in 2010, runs only from October to March on five itineraries, all of which will pass through Agra where the Taj Mahal is. It has 23 carriages and four classes of accommodation including a Presidential Suite, that can sleep up to a total of 84. The staff to guest ratio is 1.8:1 – you’ll find someone waiting for you with clean, damp face napkins from every outing and a staff picking up behind you wherever you are on the train. Cabins are designed to look like grand hotel rooms complete with carved wood paneling and marble-tiled floors. Passengers can get off at every stop where a welcome befitting of royalty, with red carpets and even horse carriages in full regalia, is sometimes rolled out.
El Transcantabrico
Many who have ever travelled around Spain on the high-speed train AVE have been suitably impressed by the efficiency and sparkling hardware onboard. Wait till you see the luxury train focusing on the northern part of Spain by the same operator, Renfe, a state-owned train company. Both week-long routes El Transcantabrico run through the waterways of Galicia in the northwest, through the mountain ranges of Asturias and the rolling hills of Cantabria in the northeast, either from Leon to Santiago de la Compostela a famous pilgrimage route, (with only 14 rooms), or from San Sebastian to Santiago (with 23 rooms). The world-famous cuisine of northern Spain is served, and meals prepared at well known establishments are picked up along the way. There are also options to alight in some towns for a meal. Activities such as wine tasting and dancing to keep passengers occupied are aplenty. El Transcantabrico is an original 1923 Pullman coach, an American make known for The Pioneer, the first railway carriage. The name is synonymous with luxury train travel and comes with a solid reputation for being well assembled and furnished. Though the Spanish sleeper was commissioned in 1982, it has been constantly upgraded with mod cons.