The Right Track

THE RIGHT TRACK

The world’s finest railway journeys, for flight-free holidays

OUR GUIDE TO TRAIN TRAVEL

ITALY - SOUTH AFRICA

JAPAN - INDIA - PERU

Communications

Artistic

Contributors:

Copy

Production

Cover shot by Paloma Saint-Leger

Director: Nathalie Belloir

Directors: Olivier Romano and Faustine Poidevin-Gros

Editors: Tom Barber and Ella Mawson

Raphaelle Elkrief, Philibert Humm, Olivier Joly, Kate Maxwell and Marion Osmont

Editor: Kate Robinson

Coordinator: Isabelle Sire

Photo Manager: Marie Champenois

Picture Research: Daria Nikitina

EDITOR’S LETTER

Two hundred years ago, the world’s first passenger train – pulled by George Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 – lurched into motion, hauling not just carriages but a new era of possibility. Ever since, trains have been something to celebrate; arguably one of the greatest inventions in history: a low cost, low impact and safe mass transit system that delivers you from city centre to city centre. I have my own happy memories of childhood sleepers to Scotland and some truly epic train journeys, such as Xian to Chengdu in China, back when the route took 16 hours through 304 tunnels and across 1,001 bridges. Put simply, whether you are slicing through a landscape at 300mph or chugging slowly up switchbacks in a mountain pass, there are few more civilised ways to travel. At Original Travel, we will always suggest taking a train over a plane; and while the journey might take longer, if there’s decent Wi-Fi onboard you can quite legitimately claim to be WFT (Working From Train). Even better, in some countries, walking through a train can feel like a neat snapshot of a country’s identity; from third class, which can sometimes resemble a mobile street market, complete with livestock and cooking implements, to the refined surroundings of first class, where liveried staff hover attentively. A nation’s stations are another window into its soul, no more so than in the clamour of an Indian terminus, one of the must-experience moments of any trip to the sub-continent. So, step onboard. Next stop: a celebration of all things train travel.

TOM BARBER, Co-Founder of Original Travel

OUR SERVICES Original Travel

LOCAL HEROES

The Concierge in your destination(s) can fulfil any request, from the simplest to the strangest, be it booking a last-minute activity or sourcing the perfect souvenir. Super-responsive and chosen for their initiative, these local heroes are just a text or call away.

LEAVE WITH EASE

If/when you do fly, we’ll always pre-book your airline seats, check you in and process your boarding passes, and can even arrange an airport transfer. Anything and everything to make flying a breeze.

ZERO CARBON

Travelling by train means you’re already helping reduce carbon emissions, but we also absorb 100% of the carbon footprint generated by our clients’ flights, train and car journeys through our financing of large reforestation projects around the world.

DIVE IN!

We think diving is one of the great travel experiences, and Original Diving – our dedicated dive division – can tailor-make snorkelling and diving holidays around the world, including beginner courses.

LIKE A LOCAL

Take an informal stroll (tailored to your personal interests) with a local resident who’ll share insights into the destination’s culture and society, giving you a genuine understanding of local life. An enriching and original experience.

AIRPORT FAST-TRACK

Our UK airport departure Meet and Greet service is included as standard with every booking. You’ll be met in the departures hall by a member of our team, who will help fast-track you through check-in and whisk you through security. We also offer this service on your return, upon request.

WELCOME

Whether it’s an early morning arrival or a late departure, we can arrange for you to check-in/out of your accommodation at a time that’s convenient to you. We can also arrange a room for the day on certain stopovers.

APPY DAYS

Our handy app gives you access to your day-by-day itinerary and documents; important contact information (including our local Concierge) and a Dossier (next slide) of destination intel, visible on a GPS map within the app.

Always stay connected, even in far-flung locations – ideal for those long train journeys. For certain destinations, a mini Wi-Fi router or an eSIM is provided, which you can then connect to with up to five devices (1 GB/day included).

COVERED

Travel insurance is imperative. Unfortunately, not all travel insurance policies are created equal, so our insurance partners provide a number of different travel policies, including single and multi-trip travel insurance.

DETAILED DOSSIERS

Available on the Original Travel app and in your documents, our detailed Dossier of recommended restaurants, shops, museums and more (all tested by the team) is constantly updated and will be your trusted travel companion.

24/7 ASSISTANCE

Our consultants and Concierges are on call 24/7, no matter the time zone, to assist you in finding a solution to any logistical, administrative, medical or mechanical snags that may arise.

RESERVED

We are constantly revisiting our favourite destinations and trying out new restaurants. We’ll always recommend the best places in town and can make sure they are pre-reserved long before you even travel.

Where available, lounge access is provided for international flights departing from UK airports, even if you’re flying in economy class. Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks in the comfort of the lounge before your flight.

These are just some of our exclusive Original Services, all of which help us stand out from the crowd. To learn more, speak to one of our expert consultants.

+44 (0) 20 3974 6717

originaltravel.co.uk

RAIL ACROSS THE WORLD

A roundup of the planet’s most beautiful rail routes

The Orient Express, Rocky Mountaineer, British Pullman –these names, etched into the lore of luxury rail travel, have inspired legions of books and films. With lovingly restored carriages and reimagined interiors, these trains are reviving a deeply romantic style of slow travel. Ready to revisit a bygone era? Your journey begins here.

EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS

MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE

Once linking Thailand and Malaysia, the Eastern & Oriental Express now runs along the historic Jungle Railway – a route that crisscrossed the Malaysian peninsula in the early 20th century. Departing from Singapore, the train’s two routes whisk passengers to some of the country’s finest spots: old-growth rainforests, the pristine beaches of Langkawi, and Penang’s timeless charm. The tropical surroundings are mirrored onboard, from the rich woodwork to the delicate floral prints, and the cuisine is top notch – a Malaysian restaurant on rails headed up by Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang. There’s even a Dior spa; but the true highlight is the observation car, where windows open onto vast rice fields and lush jungle.

CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR

UNITED STATES

In its own way, this train captures the vast spirit of America. Spanning 2,500 miles from east to west, this remarkable rail route passes through seven states – Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. Over two nights and three days, you’ll gaze out across iconic American vistas: Chicago’s skyline, the sweeping plains of the Midwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada and, finally, San Francisco Bay. The cabins are basic, but the cinematic scenery more than makes up for it.

© Alex Kittoe/ Kintzing

VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS

The legend began with the Orient Express. First launched in 1883, it was the first luxury train to cross Central Europe, connecting Paris with Istanbul, and it quickly became a cultural icon in books and film. Today, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express continues that legacy, channelling the grandeur of the Roaring 20s within its 17 vintage carriages. While the Art Deco spirit and blue-and-gold carriages have been faithfully preserved, modern touches bring fresh life – like The Observatory, a private compartment redesigned by French photographer and street artist JR to capture the train’s mysterious and stylish soul.

THE GHAN

AUSTRALIA

Named after the Afghan camel drivers who, in the 19th century, were commissioned by the British crown to explore Australia’s remote outback, The Ghan pays tribute to these bold pioneers. In 1929, the first rail line began to operate, opening up the heart of the country. Today, nearly a century later, this 3,000ft-long red and silver train glides from Adelaide to Darwin over four days. It’s a journey made for old-soul explorers seeking modern comforts, passing through the blazing Red Centre and emerging into the lush green expanse of the Top End.

© The Ghan

GOLDENPASS BELLE EPOQUE

SWITZERLAND

Not all great journeys are measured in miles. Switzerland proves that beautifully with the Montreux-Zweisimmen line in the country’s Bernese Oberland region, home of the world-famous Gstaad resort town. The two-hour journey offers a peaceful pause as you glide beneath alpine peaks, weave through deep valleys and chug past thick forests. The Belle Epoque interiors – decked out with rich wood panelling, elegant brass details and soft velvet furnishings – are a timeless tribute to the golden age of European rail. The only downside? You’ll wish the journey lasted just a little longer.

BRITISH PULLMAN

Closer to home, there’s the British Pullman. Built in the 1920s, this supremely elegant train once transported the royal family across the UK. Today, you can experience the same Golden Age glamour. Sink into a plush armchair and watch the English countryside blur by as you journey to handsome historic cities like York, Canterbury and Bath. The cherry on top? The Cygnus carriage, with its whimsical interior designed by film director and train enthusiast Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited). Pastel pink ceilings, soft green armchairs and carpets, and cloud-carved wooden panels – this world on wheels feels straight out of a dream.

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER

CANADA

Following the first rail route west, constructed during the Gold Rush era, this legendary train crosses the Canadian Rockies from Banff to Vancouver. The two- or three-day trips include overnight hotel stays, letting you stretch out between scenic segments. Expansive bay windows frame some of nature’s finest work: Lake Louise, the dramatic Stoney Creek Bridge – suspended a dizzying 300ft above a gorge – and the wild beauty of Fraser Canyon. Step into the open-air car and feel the crisp Rocky Mountain air whip by – it’s an experience that might just leave you a little breathless.

SLEEPER HIT: THE RETURN OF THE NIGHT TRAIN

Thanks to cosy carriages, cocoon-like cabins, a yearning for the nostalgic and a growing commitment to slow, eco-conscious travel, night trains are once again crisscrossing Europe, blending chic style with practical convenience.

Just a decade ago, the night train was viewed as a relic of the past, shunted into the sidings of history and replaced by carry-on suitcases, shorthaul flights and smartphone-scanned boarding passes. Once the vehicle (quite literally) for adventure and week-long journeys, sleepers had become little more than a sepia-toned memory, surviving only as a muse for scores of stories. From Agatha Christie to Alfred Hitchcock, these trains have fuelled the collective imagination with mysteries and impossible romances. The legends endure today: Chanel recreated an entire train station for their Metiers d’Art show, while Louis Vuitton are reissuing their historic train trunks. Every decade, like a railway phoenix, the sleeper rises from the flames. The 2020s are no exception, with night trains becoming a new symbol of luxury – slower, more conscious, more experiential.

THE LUXURY REVIVAL

The most flamboyant embodiment of this mythology is, of course, the Orient Express. Returning to service under Accor, which acquired the brand in 2022, this palace on

rails, designed by architect Maxime d’Angeac, aims to revive the splendour of 1960s Italy. Featuring nine itineraries through the peninsula, the train boasts sumptuous suites with intricate woodwork, a restaurant where ‘made in Italy’ cuisine is served on white tablecloths, and 17 original cars dating from the 1920s and 1930s.

Inside, Lalique lighting fixtures sit alongside exquisite marquetry, and the 600-square-foot Presidential Suites set a new benchmark in railway travel. Every detail tells a story: Bernardaud tableware, Saint-Louis glassware, Christofle silverware and even Guerlain home fragrances. In Spain, the Al Andalus resumes its journey through Andalucia, offering a six-night, seven-day adventure in 15 Belle Epoque carriages, operated by Renfe.

Closer to home, the Britannic Explorer, the latest jewel in the Belmond group’s collection, is now transporting guests through England and Wales. In its pastel-hued cabins, luxury meets lifestyle: a spa, a dining experience curated by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan – pioneer of the

©

Boby

‘Night trains are popular because they save time and are cost effective,’ says sleeper train campaigner Nicolas Forien. ‘Whenever infrastructure is in place, demand follows. The issue isn’t demand – it’s supply.’

British farm-to-fork movement – a bar inspired by Victorian apothecaries, and excursions to Cornwall’s Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens as well as wild swims in the Lake District’s serene lakes.

CHRONICLE OF A DEATH FORETOLD

Yet, not so long ago, these same rails seemed to lead nowhere. The sleeper cars of the 1980s, remnants of a bygone era, were disappearing due to lack of maintenance. ‘Governments were not funding their rehabilitation,’ laments Nicolas Forien, spokesperson for the ‘Back on Track’ sleeper train advocacy collective.

Low-cost airlines emerged as formidable rivals, replacing short routes with the promise of cheap and rapid travel. French geographer Antoine Fremont explains that ‘low-cost airlines connected Europe with point-to-point links between new destinations, making air travel affordable for a huge portion of the population.’ The decline of night trains seemed inevitable.

In the early 1970s, the UK boasted an extensive network of night train services, with multiple routes from London to Scotland and at least 15 sleeper trains departing from London termini each evening. By the 2010s, however, this had dwindled significantly, leaving only the Caledonian Sleeper (serving Scotland) and the Night Riviera (connecting London Paddington to Penzance).

IMAGINATION AND ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS

‘From literature to cinema, the night train fires the imagination’ says Fremont. ‘But today, it’s also about whether there is a real European strategy to support its return within a broader decarbonisation plan.’ Are passengers prepared to embrace this shift? The numbers suggest so: the occupancy rates of UK sleeper services have surged.

The Paris to Vienna route resumed in 2021, followed by Paris to Berlin, and passenger numbers have since doubled. But nostalgia isn’t the sole driver – ecological awareness plays a significant role.

A movement born in Sweden, flygskam (flight shame) has reshaped travel choices. According to the NGO Transport & Environment, a night train journey produces 28 times less carbon emissions than a flight covering the same distance.

A PROMISING FUTURE

Today’s night trains are redefining the nocturnal journey. Austrian operator OBB, a pioneer of this revival with its Nightjet services, now offers private cabins with ensuite showers, restaurant cars serving locavore menus, and communal lounge areas designed for socialising. The experience has evolved beyond the outdated InterCity Sleeper-era aesthetics, embracing grander interiors and mod cons.

‘Now there’s a real operational challenge,’ insists Fremont. ‘Which trains, which networks, how to ensure passenger comfort in stations.’ Forien adds, ‘Night trains are popular because they save time and are cost effective. Whenever infrastructure is in place, demand follows. The issue isn’t demand – it’s supply.’

In a world rediscovering the virtues of slowness, the sleeper trains present a compelling alternative. New projects are emerging across Europe, propelled by political will to decarbonise travel. The European ‘Back on Track’ network envisions a continent linked by night rail, where passengers can fall asleep in Paris and wake up in Madrid or Stockholm. A sustainable promise that, as so often in this field, finds inspiration in the golden ages of the past. •

TRAIN TRAVEL: A HISTORY

From the first journey to the completion of the Channel Tunnel

Train travel has come a long way in the last two centuries and remains one of the more positive expressions of humankind’s restless ingenuity. These are some of the key moments. Coming down the line? Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) train routes, currently under development in Japan, China and the US, and – thanks to zero friction – slated to cut journey times in half.

The world’s first public passenger railway journey ran from Stockton to Darlington on 27th September 1825. Hauled by George Stephenson’s ‘Locomotion No. 1’, it marked the dawn of modern rail travel and kickstarted a transportation revolution that reshaped the 19th-century world.

Completed in 1916, the TransSiberian Railway spans nearly 6,000 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok. The world’s longest railway stitched together vast Russian territories, enabling trade, migration and military movement across continents, and remains an iconic journey across Eurasia.

On 10th May 1869, the ‘Golden Spike’ joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads at Promontory Summit, Utah. America’s first transcontinental railway connected the east and west coasts, slashing travel time from months to days and transforming commerce, migration and national identity.

Japan’s first Shinkansen, or ‘bullet train’, launched in 1964, connecting Tokyo and Osaka at unprecedented speeds. Sleek, efficient and reliable, it revolutionised high-speed rail travel and became a national symbol of modernity, opening just in time for the Tokyo Olympics.

Launched in 1883, the luxurious Orient Express linked Paris to Istanbul, offering glamour and intrigue, and raising the bar for long-distance travel. Renowned for its opulence and mystery, The Orient Express inspired a cascade of novels, films and legends, becoming a symbol of romantic rail travel.

Opened in 1994, the Channel Tunnel created the first fixed rail link between Britain and mainland Europe, stretching 31 miles under the English Channel. In the process, it allowed Original Travel to become the first British luxury tour operator to launch a tailor-made train travel portfolio.

© Lucy Laucht

THE LONG RAIL NORTH

Journalist Olivier Joly covers eight countries, 18 legs and 2,400 miles in two weeks. For those who long to embrace the art of slow travel, this epic rail route – stretching from Bulgaria to Norway and from the Black Sea to the Arctic Circle –is a true odyssey that honours both the human spirit and the natural world.

‘Twenty-two hours to reach Vienna?

Why not go to New York instead?’

The salesman at the Bucharest train station, who I have just bought three litres of water from, has maintained his sense of humour despite the sweltering summer heat. In an era of intercontinental flights and high-speed trains, how can I make him understand that I am actually looking forward to the 18-leg journey that awaits me on this remarkable rail route? How do I explain that a slow journey is what I want; a desire for an intimate experience? I long to be rocked by the rhythm of the rails, to have the time to read, to think, to dream, to reconnect.

Departing from Varna, Bulgaria (a seaside town at the southeastern tip of Europe), my plan was to reach Narvik in Norway (the northernmost station on the continent) in under two weeks. The 2,400-mile rail route traces an almost perfect diagonal from the Black Sea to the Arctic Circle, passing through eight countries along the way. Day and night, through cities and countryside, I would have the rare opportunity to slow down, immerse myself in the changing landscapes and connect with fellow travellers. It promised to be a journey full of contrasts and surprises, unfolding through everyday encounters and ever-changing terrain –a refreshing change after years of crisscrossing the globe by plane as a reporter.

It is 4.55am when the first train pulls out of Varna. Once a favoured summer spot for Soviet apparatchiks, the city now attracts tourists with its affordable prices and sandy beaches. The railway line itself dates to the days of the Ottoman Empire. The carriages are old-school, timeworn and creaky, but surprisingly comfortable. In the only illuminated carriage, fellow passengers share small glimpses of their lives. A woman called Natalia proudly shows a photo of her kitten. Soavi, a cheerful young man, is travelling home to his village. The exchanges are warm.

Our gaze is drawn to the semi-open windows, where forests and fields flick past, bathed in a honeyed morning light. After a quick passport check at the border, we arrive in Bucharest, Romania’s vibrant capital.

Next comes the longest stretch of the journey – Bucharest to Vienna via Budapest. The train carriages, purchased over half a century ago from East Germany, may not look like much, but the four-person compartments are surprisingly comfortable and come with crisp white bed linen. My neighbour – Mircea, a computer programmer –is travelling with two large suitcases, preparing to spend a year in The Hague, in the Netherlands. He pokes fun at the train’s sluggish pace, but admits he enjoys having the time to take in the scenery. Our first stop of note is the ornate railway station of Sinaia, nicknamed the ‘Pearl of the Carpathians’ and home to Romania’s one-time royal residence. As we continue, the train winds through the craggy peaks of the Bucegi Mountains, then descends into Transylvania’s lush undulating plateaus. The landscapes are truly majestic.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

Moving at a leisurely 24mph, we have ample time to observe life beyond the tracks – deer grazing in the fields, storks perched on fence posts, elegant wooden churches, trundling horses and carts and eerie abandoned stations. It’s a view that feels truly foreign and unfamiliar, a glimpse of a bygone Europe.

And then, as if the curtain has been lifted on a new act, Vienna Central Station appears, pulling us abruptly back to the present. Sleek and spacious, the station underwent a major renovation in the early 2010s, reflecting Austria’s ambition to be at the heart of Europe’s rail network. The country’s national company, OBB, acquired Nightjets – the Deutsche Bahn sleeper trains –and passengers can now journey through the night to

VARNA SOFIA

Lay/ Kintzing

In Budapest, unwind in the Gellert thermal baths.

‘Inside the six-berth compartment, infused with a nostalgic 1980s atmosphere, space is plentiful. The night is restful, and waking up to an entirely new city in the early morning light is a quiet thrill.’

Paris, Berlin, Prague, Venice, Hamburg and (recently) Amsterdam. Just beyond the station, an ultramodern business district has taken shape, complete with swanky design hotels and hip rooftop bars.

From this sleek rail terminal, it’s still possible to board a train on one of Europe’s oldest networks, bound for the elegant villages of the Viennese Alps. Built in 1854, the Semmering Railway winds its way through the high mountains, crossing an impressive 100 bridges and 16 viaducts and passing through 14 tunnels – a marvel of 19th-century engineering which was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status (the first railway line to earn a spot on the list). In its early days, the route served the Habsburg Empire’s first major tourist region, whisking travellers away to alpine retreats. Even today, 170 years later, the line remains in continuous use, and thanks to eight viewing platforms dotted along the route, visitors can watch the trains make their timeless journey through the mountains.

On the night train between Vienna and Hamburg, I experience the mini-cabins – compact yet thoughtfully designed spaces inspired by Japanese capsule hotels. Each cabin accommodates a single passenger and is accessed via a smart card. Inside, there are designated compartments for storing small luggage (larger suitcases are securely padlocked in the next carriage), electrical and USB sockets, and a cleverly constructed bulkhead which can be partially opened between two adjacent cabins, offering flexibility for those travelling together. These tiny rooms have gained popularity among business travellers, allowing them to hop seamlessly from one meeting to the next.

And for the everyday traveller, they offer an efficient and charming alternative to traditional train compartments. There’s even space to bring a bike.

Hamburg proves to be one of the highlights of this journey. Near its central train station, the Hanseatic city is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Along the banks of the Elbe River, the ambitious HafenCity district has emerged, with renovated warehouses now housing trendy bars, hybrid hotels, sunny terraces and eco houses. For the best views, make your way to the top floor of the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s handsome concert hall, where you can enjoy sweeping vistas of this cosmopolitan, forward-thinking city on the water.

A LONG JOURNEY NORTH

A night train operated by the Swedish company Snalltaget takes me towards Stockholm via the coastal city of Malmo. The only hiccup of the journey? A minor signalling defect at Hamburg station. Inside the six-berth compartment, infused with a nostalgic 1980s atmosphere, space is plentiful, with only a few passengers sharing the cabin. The night is restful, and waking up to an entirely new city in the early morning light is a quiet thrill.

Like Hamburg, Stockholm is a maritime city. From the train station, a 15-minute walk leads straight to the docks, where you can hop on a ferry for a scenic ride through a national park or past charming island estates – the kind that could easily serve as a backdrop for a Scandinavian thriller. Sweden is the country that invented the concept of flygskam –the shame of flying – and its counterpoint, tagskryt – the pride

of taking the train. The country’s commitment to rail travel is evident everywhere, including in Stockholm’s brand-new Transport Museum (Sparvagsmuseet), where children learn about the benefits of public transport from an early age.

What followed was a long journey deep into the Arctic Circle. On this final night train, the boundaries between dusk and dawn blur. The redpainted farmhouses of the Swedish countryside gradually give way to the taiga – vast expanses of fir trees, birches, lakes and the occasional isolated hut. The landscape repeats itself, seemingly infinite. Among the passengers, I meet Christophe, a Swiss traveller in his sixties heading north for a Swedish dance course. Later, I cross paths with Hampus and Anna, a young couple who have travelled the entire length of Sweden by train, en route to a holiday in Norway’s Lofoten Islands.

And then there’s Karl, a musicology researcher who is travelling in a private cabin, complete with a toilet and a shower – a luxury on this long northern route. I meet him in the bar car while perusing the onboard menu, which features a selection of local specialities: cottage cheese with lingonberries, reindeer sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and more.

When we arrive in Boden, we’re two hours behind schedule and yet the next train is waiting patiently. Remarkably, I haven’t missed a single connection on this trip. Before embarking on the final stretch, I stop over for a day in Abisko, the tiny village known as the gateway to Swedish Lapland. A paradise for hikers, the park marks the starting point of Kungsleden, the legendary 280-mile trek through the tundra. Even on a day-long walk, the essence of this wilderness reveals itself – mist-draped peaks, ancient rocks, rushing rivers, distant birds. With a bit of luck, the silhouette of an elk might even appear in the distance.

But the true climax of this trip is yet to come. From Abisko, the train ascends towards the Norwegian border, climbing through remote highlands where the track drifts away from the road. Here, it becomes the only means of transport for isolated cabins where Scandinavians retreat to reconnect with nature in its purest form.

Then, the descent begins – a breathtaking plunge from the mountains to Norway’s Narvik fjord, punctuated by brief stops in forgotten stations. This is the Swedish Malmbanan railway, known as Ofotbanen on the Norwegian side, an engineering marvel built for the mining industry. Originally designed to export iron ore, the trains now

carry travellers through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the Artic.

When I finally arrive at the terminus, standing at the edge of the Norwegian Sea and thinking back to the Black Sea, I can proudly claim to have crossed the continent entirely by train. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Fly from London to Varna, Bulgaria, to begin the 18-stage railway route. The return flight departs from Stockholm, Sweden, to the UK.

BEST TIME TO GO: The journey is possible year-round, though the ideal season is from spring to autumn, as winter weather conditions can be unpredictable.

DURATION: 13 nights, including nine nights in hotels and four aboard sleeper trains.

EXPERIENCES: In the main cities (Bucharest, Vienna, Hamburg, Stockholm), Original Travel can arrange tours of select neighbourhoods accompanied by a local resident. Additional private tours and experiences are available on request.

BUDGET: From £3,500 per person for the entire trip, covering first-class train tickets, return flights, accommodation, transfers and guided visits with a private driver-guide.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR EUROPE SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

AUSTRIA, HUNGARY & ROMANIA

TRACKS TO TRANSYLVANIA

Head from urban legend London to legendary Transylvania. First, pop to Brussels, then board the Nightjet sleeper to Vienna. Enjoy lunch in the Austrian capital before connecting to Budapest in time for another sleeper, the Ister. The next morning, disembark in Brasov, the gateway to wild and wonderful Transylvania.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR EUROPE SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

PRAGUE, VIENNA & BUDAPEST

A TRAIN TRIPTYCH

Three iconic Central European cities set the stage for this history-infused journey. Wind back the clock as you admire Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau architecture; discover top sites and secret haunts on private tours; find serenity while soaking in thermal baths; and enjoy a night at the opera.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR EUROPE SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz (1938)

A tense train ride through pre-WW2 Germany that follows a Jewish businessman on the run through a nation descending into chaos.

Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West (1941)

The post-war fracturing of Eastern Europe foreshadowed by conversations on Yugoslav trains.

Closely Guarded Trains by Bohumil Hrabal (1984)

A whimsical tale set in a small Bohemian train station, full of mischief and charm.

From the Baltic to the Balkans by Stuart McMillan (2021)

A lifelong traveller documents his solo adventure across Eastern Europe by train.

LONDON > BERLIN CONNECTING CAPITALS

Thanks to a new high-speed rail route between France and Germany, it now takes just ten hours to travel from London, via Paris, to Berlin, where a dynamic cultural scene awaits. Uncover the city’s street art masterpieces, pedal through the parks and stroll the streets with a local.

FROM VIENNA TO THE NORTH SEA

A CULTURAL ODYSSEY

Europe is a cultural treasure trove, and you’ll be lifting the lid as you travel by train from the Danube’s riverbanks to the shores of the Wadden Sea. Set off from Vienna, then venture to Prague, Berlin, the island of Sylt and finally Hamburg, where centuries of Hanseatic tradition collide with contemporary innovation.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR EUROPE SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

TRAINDREAMING

ALAIN DE BOTTON

‘Journeys are the midwives of thought. Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than moving planes, ships or trains. There is an almost quaint correlation between what is before our eyes and the thoughts we are able to have in our heads: large thoughts at times requiring large views, and new thoughts, new places. Introspective reflections that might otherwise be liable to stall are helped along by the flow of the landscape. The mind may be reluctant to think properly when thinking is all it is supposed to do; the task can be as paralysing as having to tell a joke or mimic an accent on demand. Thinking improves when parts of the mind are given other tasks – charged with listening to music, for example, or following a line of trees. The music or the view distracts for a time that nervous, censorious, practical part of the mind which is inclined to shut down when it notices something difficult emerging in consciousness, and which runs scared of memories, longings and introspective or original ideas, preferring instead the administrative and the impersonal.

Of all modes of transport, the train is perhaps the best aid to thought. The views have none of the potential monotony of those on a ship or a plane, moving quickly enough for us not to get exasperated but slowly enough to allow us to identify objects. They offer us brief, inspiring glimpses into private domains, letting us see a woman at the precise moment when she takes a cup from a shelf in her kitchen, then carrying us on to a patio where a man is sleeping and then to a park where a child is catching a ball thrown by a figure we cannot see.

On a journey across flat country, I think with a rare lack of inhibition about the death of my father, about an essay I am writing on Stendhal and about a mistrust that has arisen between two friends. Every time my mind goes blank, having hit on a difficult idea, the flow of consciousness is assisted by the possibility of looking out of the window, locking on to an object and following it for a few seconds, until a new coil of thought is ready to form and can unravel without pressure.

At the end of hours of train-dreaming, we may feel we have been returned to ourselves – that is, brought back into contact with emotions and ideas of importance to us. It is not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true selves. The furniture insists that we cannot change because it does not; the domestic setting keeps us tethered to the person we are in ordinary life, who may not be who we essentially are.’

Excerpt from The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton, 2002. Reprinted by permission of Peters Fraser & Dunlop, and available from all good bookshops.

RAILWAYS AND RAVIOLI

For a country that can sometimes feel (with love) charmingly chaotic, Italy’s rail network is a smooth-running revelation. The boot-shaped nation is crisscrossed by train tracks, making travel from north to south (or should that be shin to toe?) a breeze, and a good value one at that. Andiamo!

Few trains are as legendary or glamorous as the Orient Express, which is unveiling a new collection of Italian itineraries. But this is far from the only way to travel (well) by train in Italy, where a fleet of modern rolling stock stands ready to whisk you away to the country’s dreamiest destinations – Lombardy, Lazio, Sicily, Tuscany, EmiliaRomagna. From fashion-forward Milan to the cerulean seas off Syracuse; from Antiquity to the Renaissance; Baroque to Neoclassical. From your seat, bunk or the shaded terrace of a trattoria, there’s plenty to see.

PRIMA FERMATA: MILANO CENTRALE

The capital of Lombardy is also the capital of couture and design. Need proof? Pay a visit to the Quadrilatero della Moda, the city’s famous four-street shopping district where luxury boutiques line elegant cobbled streets. When your feet (or your credit card) need a break, step inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping gallery and one of Milan’s loveliest landmarks. Gaze up at the neoclassical dome and duck into one of the bustling bars for a much-needed negroni (shopping is thirsty work, after all).

After dark, the city continues to seduce. Begin your evening with a classic osso buco (braised veal shanks) for dinner or an evening at the legendary La Scala opera house, which first opened its doors in 1778. Then soak up the city’s nocturnal atmosphere as you stroll along the Navigli, a network of historic canals with a charming bohemian atmosphere (think buzzy bars, vintage boutiques and trendy art galleries). Speaking of galleries, one of our favourites is the Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera art gallery), where you can admire the works of Caravaggio and Raphael before heading to the Duomo for romantic rooftop views across the city.

ALL RAILS LEAD TO ROME

From Milan, you can go almost anywhere: Genoa, Turin, Padua, Venice. But don’t they say all roads lead to Rome? After a three-hour train journey, you’ll set foot in Termini station.

‘The Eternal City’ needs no introduction. Draped across seven hills, the storied capital is steeped in ancient history. Some of its most famous landmarks date back to Antiquity –from the Roman Forum to the Colosseum to Palatine Hill, where emperors once built their palaces. But Rome is more than its ancient past. The city evolved through the Middle Ages, flourished in the Baroque era (check out the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria and the popular Piazza Navona), and embraced Renaissance grandeur (visit the illustrious Villa Medici to see its fabulous frescoes and meticulously maintained gardens). It is cosmopolitan and powerful in the Vatican, yet creative and contemporary at the Centrale Montemartini and the Maxxi museum. Rome is a city made from marble, gold and water – its 2,000 fountains alone could inspire endless walks. With the lingering taste of local speciality cacio e pepe pasta on your tongue, prepare to embark on the longest leg of the trip.

CLOSE YOUR EYES IN ROME, OPEN THEM IN PALERMO

The night train to Sicily pulls off a minor miracle: it crosses the Strait of Messina while passengers sleep, loading the carriages onto a ferry without waking a soul. Close your eyes in Rome and open them in Palermo.

Sunny and vibrant, the Sicilian capital is experiencing a renaissance. Its timeworn facades tell the story of a city shaped by centuries of influence – Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, Norman and Italian. Baroque churches

The night train to Sicily pulls off a minor miracle: it crosses the Strait of Messina while passengers sleep, loading the carriages onto a ferry without waking a soul.

Close your eyes in Rome, open them in Palermo.

stand beside Arab-Norman architecture, catacombs lie beneath grand palaces, and the Palatine Chapel dazzles with its soaring arches and magnificent mosaics.

This rich blend of cultures comes to life along the elegant corsi (boulevards), in shady squares and winding alleyways, and in the lively markets where stalls are laden with colourful fruits, fresh vegetables and huge tubs of plump olives. Weave through the crowds, pausing to savour panelle (Sicilian chickpea fritters) and frittula (crispy cuts of veal), before continuing your journey – for this leg, you’ll be switching rails for roads.

Arrivederci Palermo, buongiorno road-trip! Behind the wheel, the Sicilian hinterland unfolds, dotted with ancient abbeys, theatres and citadels. First stop: Agrigento. From its hilltop perch, the Sicilian city gazes across the Valley of the Temples, an extraordinary archaeological site. In the well-preserved Doric temples, the Greek gods and goddesses – Zeus, Athena, Heracles, Hera and Hephaestus – still reign from their ancient pedestals. Here, almond trees grow alongside Doric temples, necropoles and the ruins of Akragas, a once-powerful Greek city.

Heading south-east, make a detour to the cities of Ragusa and Modica. In 1693, an earthquake caused widespread destruction, but out of the ashes rose some of the finest examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture. The same is true for Noto, a city shaped not only by the quake but also by the local tradition of building on elevated ground. The reconstruction of the city gave birth to a striking architectural style – late Baroque – which features ornate frescoes, vaulted cupolas and elaborate decoration. Explore the historic centre, home to a dozen palaces and 20 churches; amble along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele (the city’s oldest and most important thoroughfare) and pause in pretty piazze, where you can sip a refreshing granita (a part slushie, part sorbet Sicilian pudding) or indulge in a crunchy cannolo – the challenge is to stop after just one.

About 25 miles to the north, the food takes on a more coastal character. Set foot in Sicily’s one-time Greek capital, Syracuse, whose name alone conjures up myths and legends. Long ago, the ancient city was confined to the island of Ortygia, but it has since expanded to the mainland. And what a city it is. The Temple of Apollo stands in ruins now, while the cathedral still sports its ancient columns. The majestic Greek theatre perches regally on Temenite Hill and the imposing Castello Maniace is a testament to 13thcentury military architecture. While Syracuse is celebrated as an open-air museum, there’s more to the city than its ancient monuments. Stroll along Cala Rossa beach, watch boats bob in the harbour and explore the pretty streets of the centre. At Stazione di Siracusa, bid the city a fond farewell as you board your night train. By morning, you’ll be back in Rome where another train awaits, ready to whisk you off to Florence.

IN THE SHADOW OF TUSCANY’S BELL TOWERS

Elegant and timeless, the ‘City of the Lily’ stretches languidly along the Arno. Terracotta rooftops ripple across the skyline, punctuated by the unmistakable dome of Santa Maria del Fiore and the stately square tower of Palazzo Vecchio. Welcome to Tuscany, a region renowned for its romantic cities and fabulous flavours. An artisanal gelato pairs perfectly with a church visit, while a glass of Chianti and a plate of pasta with shaved white truffle is the perfect indulgence after touring the Palazzo Pitti, a one-time residence of the Medici. You can’t go wrong with a picnic of schiacciata (cousin of focaccia) and prosciutto in the Boboli Gardens, and a hearty bowl of minestrone is sure to bring you back down to terra firma after admiring the otherworldly works of Botticelli, da Vinci and Michelangelo. Life is undeniably sweet here, in the shade of the city’s bell towers, but all too soon it’s time to leave. Savour a final glass of Campari before boarding your next train bound for Bologna.

Bologna’s skyline is studded with domes and medieval towers, some hundreds of feet tall.

Life is undeniably sweet in Florence, in the shade of the city’s bell towers, but all too soon it’s time to leave. Savour a final glass of Campari before boarding your next train bound for Bologna.

This is another city well-versed in epicurean delights –and we’re not just talking about mortadella and tortellini

As you amble along the portici, the historic arcaded streets of the medieval centre, you’ll pass charming brick houses, palaces and towers. Standing before San Petronio, the Gothic basilica in Piazza Maggiore, it’s impossible not to be bowled over by the city’s eclectic architectural style. It’s also impossible to leave Emilia-Romagna without thoroughly indulging in its food. After all, this is the place that gave the world ragu alla Bolognese (just don’t order it with spaghetti).

All too soon, the final train journey approaches. Ciao, Verona! While the city beloved by Shakespeare continues to ride the Romeo and Juliet wave, Verona certainly doesn’t need anyone’s endorsement to shine. Of course, you can visit the house of the star-crossed lovers, but why not take a stroll along the east bank of the Adige river? Here, you’ll find the enchanting Giardinio Giusti, a garden that has been growing on the hillside since the 15th century and is an enchanting example of Renaissance landscape design, blending art, history and nature. And then there’s the immense arena dating back to the first century which has hosted scores of summer performances; the duomo; the Ponte Scaligero, a medieval bridge which spans the Adige and leads to the

Castelvecchio fortress; the Piazza delle Erbe (the city’s oldest square) which is home to the Torre dei Lamberti (the city’s oldest tower); and the Case Mazzanti, houses whose ancient frescoes explain why travellers from long ago nicknamed Verona urbs picta, the ‘painted city’. In such a beautiful setting, you may find yourself mourning the end of your rail adventure, but don’t despair; Italy’s not going anywhere. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Depending on where you begin, you can reach Milan by train or by plane, before riding the rails through the idyllic Italian countryside to explore the country’s boot from calf to toe. The same goes for your return journey home from Verona.

BEST TIME TO GO: All year round. Ideally in spring or autumn, for pleasant temperatures without the crowds.

DURATION: 25 days, including 22 nights in hotels and two aboard sleeper trains. In the main cities (Milan, Rome, Palermo, Florence), we can arrange for you to explore local neighbourhoods in the footsteps of a local; book exclusive activities and private tours; and reserve tables at the best restaurants in town.

BUDGET: From £7,500 per person for the entire trip, including train and ferry tickets, accommodation, transfers, car rental and activities.

©

3 Fun Facts 1 Italy has one of the largest rail networks in Europe, with over 9,900 miles of tracks.

2

The Cinque Terre line is one of the country’s most scenic, offering stellar sea views.

FROM ZURICH TO MILAN

THROUGH THE ALPS

Travelling from the Swiss cantons to Lombardy by train is the natural choice. Easy and reliable, it allows you to cross the Alps –in the true sense of the phrase – with a front-row seat of the picturesque panoramas. Lakes, bridges, Baroque churches and mountain peaks punctuate the journey to the Piazza del Duomo and La Scala. Bellissimo!

CONTACT ONE OF OUR ITALY SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

3

You can ride the rails direct to Sicily, thanks to a train-ferry at Villa San Giovanni.

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

Zone by Mathias Enard (2010)

A fragmented, stream-of-consciousness-style novel set on a night train from Milan to Rome.

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by Tim Parks (2014)

In this witty travelogue, British writer Tim Parks captures the quirks of Italian railways.

Changing Track by Michel Butor (2017)

A businessman travels from Paris to Rome by train to surprise his mistress.

NORTHERN ITALY

SLICKER CITIES

Though often overshadowed by the cities of the south, Milan, Bologna, Padua and Turin are brimming with attractions: cultural (palazzi, villas, cathedrals, churches), artistic (masterpieces galore) and, of course, gourmet.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR ITALY SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

FROM FLORENCE TO ROME

A FAMILY FORAY

Italy with the bambini is a no-brainer. In Florence, feast on history, architecture and gelato. Then board a train bound for Rome.

Embark on an architectural treasure hunt, experience the magnificent match-day madness at the Stadio Olimpico, enjoy a park picnic at the Villa Borghese and more.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR ITALY SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

LA DOLCE VITA

La Dolce Vita Orient Express: the name alone marries together two of the most romantic phrases in travel. Launched in spring 2025, the new train’s interiors (think geometric patterns and layered textures) pay homage to the brilliance of Italian master architects and the bold creativity of spatialist artists, all reimagined by the architects at Dimorestudio. The Dolce Vita Orient Express train takes passengers on one of nine enchanting routes across Italy – from Rome to Venice, Sicily, Portofino or Matera. As the train trundles through Tuscany, Piedmont and along the Sicilian coast, its 12 cabins and 19 suites – all decked out with warm tones, rich fabrics and smoked mirrors – offer a new take on the country’s timeless landscapes. Sip a spritz in the lounge bar, savour a delicious dinner prepared by Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, then drift off to the train’s soothing sway. And by journey’s end? You might just find yourself tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain.

Ask your Italy consultant for details on the itineraries and departure dates of La Dolce Vita Orient Express.

EUROPE BY TRAIN

With a raft of new routes and the resurgence of sleeper services across the continent, train travel to some of Europe’s finest destinations is now very much an option.

CATANIA OR LECCE

Italy

2 DAYS Take the Eurostar to Paris, then a sevenhour TGV to Milan for a night in Italy’s fashion capital. Then, take the Frecciarossa high-speed train via Rome and Naples to Messina, where the train boards the ferry across to Sicily. Or, from Milan, take the Frecciarossa down Italy’s east coast to the Baroque beauty of Lecce, in Puglia.

ISTANBUL

Turkey

5 DAYS

Eurostar to Brussels, where the Nightjet sleeper leaves for Vienna, arriving the next morning. Then onwards to Budapest to connect with another sleeper, the Ister, to Bucharest before hopping on another sleeper, this time the Bosfor, departing late morning. Journey down through Bulgaria and overnight on to Istanbul for breakfast.

AMSTERDAM

Netherlands 4 HOURS

Aside from Paris and Brussels, this is the easiest of all these routes, with direct Eurostar service from London several times a day to one of the finest Big Short Break destinations of them all, and a city that has re-discovered its mojo in a major way.

ANDALUCIA

Spain

2 DAYS If you have the need for speed, this route is for you. Eurostar to Paris, then rapid TGV to Barcelona for a night in the Catalan capital. Then take an AVE (Spain’s highspeed trains) via Madrid to Andalucia. Head on to Algeciras and catch a ferry to Tangier, in Morocco, the next morning.

SPLIT

Croatia

2 DAYS

Eurostar to Paris and double-decker TGV on to Stuttgart (via Munich), arriving in time for the Lisinski sleeper train.

Disembark in lovely Ljubljana (Slovenia) in time for breakfast, or stay on until Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Enjoy lunch before a beautiful ride through vineyard-clad valleys and along the coast to Split, come evening.

OSLO (& THE FJORDS)

Norway 3 DAYS To Hamburg as above, before changing course to Copenhagen for the night. Then train to Gothenburg across the Oresund bridge ( The Bridge of Nordic noir fame). Access the stunning Bohuslan archipelago from here, or forge north to Oslo and on to Bergen –and even Trondheim –through some of Europe’s most dramatic scenery.

LISBON

Portugal

3 DAYS We call this the ‘gastrainomy’ route. Take the Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV to Bordeaux and the Basque Country and stay overnight in San Sebastian for arguably Europe’s best food. The next day, take the train via Madrid to the underrated Galician gem of Vigo. On the final morning, it’s on to Porto and then Lisbon.

ALPS

SWISS

Switzerland

1 DAY Skiers take note: this route is surprisingly easy, with an early Eurostar to Paris and four-hour TGV on to Zurich. You’re then in the safe hands of the ruthlessly efficient Swiss train service and should be in whichever ski resort you choose in time for fondue.

STOCKHOLM (& LAPLAND)

Sweden

3 DAYS

Eurostar to Brussels for moules/frites/bed. Then the seven-hour ICE (Germany’s highspeed trains) to Hamburg. Enjoy supper before the new Euronight sleeper train to Stockholm, arriving mid-morning the next day. A sleeper service from the capital ensures you’ll wake up in Lapland ready for dog-sledding and the Northern Lights.

RIDING THE ROVOS RAILS

In the space of four decades, Rovos Rail has established itself as one of the most refined rail experiences on the planet, combining Victorian-era elegance with epic routes through some of Southern Africa’s most spectacular landscapes.

SOUTH AFRICA

Meryl Streep’s Botticelli-like features, Robert Redford’s rugged charm, John Barry’s cinematic soundtrack: Sydney Pollack’s Oscar-winning film Out of Africa brought the romance of train travel and 1930s Africa to life. Inspired by a memoir of the same name by the Danish writer Karen Blixen, the 1985 film rekindled a sense of nostalgia for grand rail journeys.

The same year Pollack’s film was released – 2,500 miles to the south of Kenya, on the outskirts of Pretoria –a South African with a passion for engineering embarked on an audacious adventure to restore vintage locomotives. Rohan Vos was initially driven by a dream to offer his loved ones an alternative way to travel; he soon realised that to fulfil his vision he’d have to extend the invitation beyond his inner circle, and so began a new chapter in luxury rail travel.

Forty years – and a few twists and turns – later, Rovos Rail has established itself as one of the world’s finest railway companies, with a dozen routes crisscrossing sub-equatorial Africa. The longest of these stretches from Cape Town to the coastal city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania – a 15-day, 3,400-mile odyssey through the sun-scorched savannahs of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

It hasn’t been all plain sailing for Rovos, with everything from financial pressures and electricity shortages to dilapidated railway infrastructure and the coronavirus pandemic threatening to derail the project. But nothing could dent the determination of Rohan Vos. Now in his eighties, he continues to steer Rovos Rail, assisted by his daughter.

Two historic routes have been central to the company’s success. The first: a three-night, four-day jaunt from Cape Town to Pretoria through the lush Cape Winelands and arid Great Karoo. The second: a journey from the stately city of Pretoria to the thundering Victoria Falls, which forms a spectacular natural border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

CAPE TOWN: WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

Cool, captivating Cape Town is the cradle of South Africa’s colonial history. The city has an unbeatable blend of natural spendour – from the towering Table Mountain to the alabaster beaches of Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno – and urban culture. And in gentrifying neighbourhoods like Woodstock, Cape Town’s creative flair shines through, with disused warehouses transformed into hybrid spaces for contemporary art, design and fashion.

Venturing beyond Cape Town behind the wheel of a convertible, enjoy the seriously scenic drive around Chapman’s Peak, the road seemingly suspended above the Atlantic, to the wild and windswept Cape of Good Hope. Leaving Cape Town for good is never easy. However, the prospect of a Victorian-era African journey to Pretoria softens the sorrow of parting company. Take a seat in the station’s immaculate lounge, complete with classic Chesterfield armchairs, and look out across the tracks dedicated to Rovos’ legendary ‘Pride of Africa’ line. Don’t make yourself too comfortable though, the next chapter of your adventure is about to begin.

Inside the restored carriages, an atmosphere of timeless elegance unfurls: mahogany and walnut panelling, brass chandeliers, thick velvet curtains, solid wood tables and armchairs upholstered in leather or Liberty fabrics.

Cape Town, overlooked by the mighty Table Mountain.

The wood-panelled compartments are the perfect snug spot for a leisurely breakfast.

Settle into your compartment, which will be your moving home for the next few nights. Perhaps you’ve opted for one of the cosy 75-square-foot cocoons fitted out with a sofa bed and a shower? Or maybe the indulgent Royal Suite, complete with a Victorian rolltop bath. As the train slowly shudders to life, bid a fond farewell to Cape Town and turn your attention to the tracks ahead.

AN EYE FOR DETAIL

Through the large windows, the suburbs of the city gradually give way to golden grasslands where impalas graze, barely glancing up as the train glides past at 37mph. Soon, the landscapes begin to shift. As the first vineyards of Stellenbosch appear – a legacy of the Huguenots, French Protestants who emigrated here in the late 17th century – a gong sounds, inviting you (and the 30 or so other passengers) to make your way to the dining car.

Take a seat, surrounded by warm wood panelling, and peruse the menu – a celebration of South African cuisine with grilled lobster and braised lamb served alongside

signature local wines. Outside, the vineyards themselves roll past the window, along with elegant Cape Dutch-style houses which complement the refined ambiance of life on board.

After pudding, make your way to the open-air observation compartment at the rear of the train for a moment of quiet reflection. Gaze out across the sweeping savannah and savour the gentle caress of the breeze and the earthy scents of the bush. Here, the Rovos’ attention to detail comes to the fore, with protective glasses provided for passengers eager to take in the landscapes beyond the carriage.

For three days, a soothing rhythm settles in, while the landscapes radically transform. After the first stop in Matjiesfontein, a village seemingly unaltered since the 19th century, the lush greenery gives way to the ochre expanse of the Great Karoo. This ancient desert (over 200 million years old) briefly bursts to life in spring with wildflowers carpeting the arid ground. Further along, a stop in Kimberley offers a glimpse into the Big Hole,

Suspended over the Zambezi River, the Victoria Falls Bridge connects Zambia and Zimbabwe.

© Paloma Saint Léger

one of the world’s largest mines, which plunges to a depth of 700ft. This was once one of the most important diamond mines in the country, but it closed in 1914 and today is partially submerged. Gaze down at the vibrant jade waters filling the cavern, but don't hang around; the real treasure lies elsewhere.

Slowly, the day fades, the sun’s golden glow setting the great plains of the Highveld ablaze. As the train clicketyclacks by, herds of zebras and antelopes stir and a flock of flamingos takes flight, their reflections shimmering across the surface of Kamfers Dam. The final night onboard is the sweetest, the body by now well versed in the train’s gentle rocking and trundling soundtrack.

By morning, the rugged bush gradually gives way to the neat suburbs of Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital. As if to soften your return to the 21st century, the journey’s final stop is not a bustling public station, but Capital Park, a private railway hub owned by Rovos Rail. Here, among the construction and maintenance workshops, lies a 100,000-square-foot museum that tells the story of South Africa’s rail legacy.

VICTORIA FALLS: TERMINUS

In 1905, access to Victoria Falls – the wondrous waterfall between Zimbabwe and Zambia – was made far easier thanks to the expansion of the railway network. The falls were discovered by the Western world half a century earlier, when the Scottish explorer David Livingstone was surveying the region in search of navigable routes for trade and missionary work. At one mile wide and 350ft high, they are a true natural wonder, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1989 and serving as a crown jewel on the Rovos Rail route. Launched in 1993, on the eve of the country’s first democratic elections, the link from Cape Town put Rohan Vos’ company on the right track with a three-night, four-day journey from Pretoria.

As the lights of the Pretorian suburbs fade in the train’s wake, heavy grey clouds gather on the horizon, signalling the first rains that will feed the parched, cracked earth of the Limpopo. The tracks lead north, following the Mogalakwena River, which early Boer settlers named ‘Nylstroom River’, mistakenly believing it flowed all the way to the Nile. It was a forgivable error. Though the waterway lacks the grandeur of Egypt’s mighty river, the bed of the Mogalakwena would soon reveal its own treasure – one of the region’s first gold deposits, forever shaping the history of the land.

Between Messina and Beitbridge, the khaki and cream carriages slip quietly across the border into Zimbabwe. In the country’s west, Matabeleland showcases Africa’s

natural splendours: crimson savannahs, towering candle cacti, tawny-coloured baboons and clusters of thatchedroof huts.

From the window of the bar car, sip tea and keep an eye out for glimpses of wildlife. The lack of phone signal in this remote region grants passengers a rare luxury – to simply let the mind wander. But it’s not all drinks and daydreaming. Disembark for a visit to Matobo National Park, a rugged landscape which is home to elusive wildlife, the tomb of Cecil Rhodes – a central, and controversial, figure in British colonial Africa – and most notably, the ancient rock art of the San people, the region’s first inhabitants.

During the night, lulled by the train’s meditative rhythm, you might find yourself watching the shifting shadows beyond your bed without knowing whether they are giant acacias or graceful elephants. By morning, in Hwange National Park, the views are clearer and afford glimpses of wildebeests, lions, leopards, zebras and giraffes through the vegetation which grows denser with every mile.

Finally, on the fourth morning, beneath the sweltering sun, the train rolls into Victoria Falls Station. With a slight unsteadiness, as if stepping off a boat, passengers disembark to make their way to the banks of the Zambezi River. Ahead lies a true spectacle. It begins with the narrow, rushing torrents of Devil’s Cataract, then expands to the thundering Main Falls, a deafening curtain of water. Finally, in the distance, Rainbow Falls appears – one of the highest waterfalls on Earth. A perpetual mist cools the air, with millions of water particles suspended in the sunlight. It’s a view that could have been plucked from a dream. Yet even as your journey comes to an end, it’s a dream that will forever live on in memory. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Depart from London to Cape Town or Johannesburg, depending on your point of departure.

BEST TIME TO GO: Rovos Rail operates year-round, but September and October are particularly good for wildlife watching, with stable weather conditions across the country.

DURATION: Rovos Rail offers ten different routes from Cape Town or Pretoria, ranging from three to 15 nights. The classic journeys from Cape Town to Pretoria and from Pretoria to Victoria Falls each take four days, three nights.

BUDGET: From £6,800 per person for a ten-day trip, which includes flights to Cape Town, a stopover in Johannesburg, travel on board the Rovos, return flights, accommodation, transfers and visits.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR AFRICA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

3 Fun Facts

1

The Royal Livingstone Express takes you past Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River.

2

South Africa has the continent's most extensive railway, with over 12,000 miles of tracks.

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

The Prey by Deon Meyer (2021)

A sharp, fast-paced thriller that begins with a murder aboard the Rovos Rail in South Africa, leading to a gripping chase and an investigation that uncovers political plots and international espionage.

Night Train to Marrakech by Vicky Baudin (2023)

3

The Blue Train, between Pretoria and Cape Town, is one of the world’s most luxurious rides.

From medinas to souqs, gardens to dynastic landmarks – mosques, madrasas, palaces and riads – Morocco’s imperial cities showcase a rich tapestry of history and an enduring love of beauty. You’ll see it all in slow-travel style as you journey first class between Fez, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech.

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THE FIGURE

1854

On 12th July 1854, Africa’s first railway line was inaugurated in Egypt. Commissioned under Khedive Abbas I (1813-1854), the line initially linked Alexandria to Kafr el Zayat before extending to Cairo in 1856.

EGYPT ALONG THE NILE

AND BY NIGHT TRAIN

In 1960s Morocco, a woman boards a train to Marrakech, in search of the grandmother who gave her father up for adoption.

When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2024)

At Abuja train station, a painter glimpses visions of his past lives, leading to an epic journey across Nigeria to rediscover fragments of his forgotten identities.

Your adventure begins in Cairo. See the city from the water on a serene felucca ride before spending a night aboard a houseboat in the leafy Zamalek district. Then, dive into Egypt’s ancient past with tours of Saqqara, Giza, Philae, Karnak and more. Between visits, experience the magic of travelling to Luxor aboard a night train.

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CAIRO

LUXOR

ASWAN

SATYAGRAHA HOUSE

THE RESIDENCE-MUSEUM

Home of Mohandas Gandhi in the early 20th century, the name Satyagraha comes from the Sanskrit words satya (truth) and agraha (firmness). This white, thatchedroof house sits quietly in Johannesburg’s Orchards neighbourhood – an area whose calm echoes Satyagraha’s soulful energy, recalling the non-violent resistance that defines Gandhi’s legacy. The property was built in 1907 by German architect Hermann Kallenbach, Gandhi’s close friend, and over the years it has been carefully restored and expanded. A contemporary wing houses a few simple, serene rooms – the perfect base for travellers in search of a reflective, spiritual stay. Meanwhile, the main house serves as a museum, preserving photos, artefacts and letters that speak to the property’s remarkable history. During your stay, savour nourishing vegetarian dishes, take part in meditation sessions and soak up the serene atmosphere that defines this unique retreat. satyagrahahouse.com

CONTACT ONE OF OUR SOUTH AFRICA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

© Matthieu Paley

STEPPES BY STEP

Travel along the ancient Silk Route, through the limitless landscapes of latterday Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, following in the trails of the caravans from centuries past – but swapping camels and caravanserais for sleeper trains and stations.

Any mention of the Silk Route sets most minds in motion. Faces and places crowd in, escaping the pages of history books and travel journals. Genghis Khan, Marco Polo, Tamerlane, conquerors and adventurers jostle for the limelight. The imagination conjures up camel trains laden with coral, furs and cinnamon, and in the string of caravanserais dotted along the route, a transient population of explorers, spies and, above all, merchants. Choosing to travel by train through the wide-open spaces of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan also means taking the time to physically experience the immensity of the Central Asian steppes. The journey is an exercise in displacement; in the everchanging scenery unspooling past the window, in daydreams where you put yourself in the felt slippers of ancient travellers catching a first glimpse of the minarets of Khiva, their blue tiles glinting across the desert like a lighthouse across an ocean at night.

The train first crosses the empty immensity of Kazakhstan – the largest of the so-called Stans and a country with one of the lowest population densities in the world: a mere 19 inhabitants per square mile. Next, in Kyrgyzstan, the train travels through landscapes graced with mountains, thousands of lakes, hundreds of rivers and dozens of glaciers. Here you can also discover a nomadic

culture, seemingly untouched across the centuries, in one of the least well-known countries in the world. Finally, the route cuts across the great Uzbek steppe to those most evocative of cities: Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara.

The journey begins in Almaty, the former Kazakh capital and a city that emerges like a mirage from the desert. The dark wood Central State Museum and Orthodox Ascension Cathedral, and the monument in 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park, tell the cultural story of the Kazakh nomads, Christianity and communism –a microcosm of Central Asia.

CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS AND THE ‘KYRGYZ SEA’ Almaty-2 station, late afternoon. The train leaves the platform at twilight, initially passing through vast grassy valleys before the sun sets behind distant peaks. By early morning you’re in Kyrgyzstan. Sit back and soak it all in as hostesses serve tea on tables adorned with white starched tablecloths, a throwback to another era. Wide-open steppes stretch as far as the eye can see, punctuated here and there by huts in the middle of nowhere, and flanked by trailers –Kyrgyz cafes. In the distance, snow-capped peaks frame the view, and soon the train climbs to Cholpon Ata, perched at an altitude of 5,200ft on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul lake. This vast inland sea is surrounded by the celestial peaks of the Tian Shan (literally ‘heavenly mountain’ in Mandarin)

Luca Zordan/Galllery Stock

massif, and never freezes (another lesson in linguistics: in Kyrgyz, issyk means ‘hot’ and kul means ‘lake’). During the Soviet era, this was a holiday resort for communist party apparatchiks from across the socialist republics, who would relax on the shores of what was nicknamed the Kyrgyz Sea. You can still indulge in sulphurous water baths today.

After another overnight train, Bishkek appears at the window, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Here too, Soviet heritage is inscribed in the architecture. Traditional stalls offer plov – the local staple of stewed pilau rice, mutton, yellow carrots and mint leaves – and old samovars provide hot water at all hours.

FROM VIBRANT TASHKENT TO SAMARKAND

Lulled by the rolling of the train, passengers fall asleep in Kyrgyzstan and wake up in Uzbekistan. In Tashkent, wide avenues filled with whizzing Chevrolets bisect a grid of concrete buildings. In Chorsu Bazaar, the central market and the vibrant heart of the city, you’ll

hear haggling in Uzbek, Armenian, Tajik and Russian, and find everything from plastic ‘Made in China’ bowls and Iranian pistachios to Indian peppers and fermented cheeses. It’s an ideal introduction to the country.

The train resumes its journey, and soon snow-capped peaks give way to lush green hills. Horses frolic in pastures, and the green becomes ever greener as the line descends into the fabled Fergana Valley. The train passes abundant orchards where the trees groan under the weight of apricots, peaches and mulberries. Stop in Kokand, where the Jami (Friday) Mosque is painted with red and blue flowers, and then in Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Tamerlane. From here, the train climbs again back towards the Tian Shan. The route winds through narrow gorges past villages clinging to the hillsides and alpine pastures where you can sometimes still see Przewalski’s horses, considered the last truly wild horse species. The Kamchik Pass is negotiated by a series of tunnels and viaducts through

© Mathieu

Paley

The train leaves Almaty at twilight, initially passing through vast grassy valleys before the sun sets behind distant peaks. By early morning you’re in Kyrgyzstan. Sit back and soak it all in as hostesses serve tea on tables adorned with white starched tablecloths, a throwback to another era.

valleys carpeted with wildflowers. Out the far side of the mountains, the train descends to the vast steppes of central Uzbekistan. This hypnotic landscape, occasionally punctuated by an isolated village, passes by uninterrupted all the way to Samarkand.

The beauty of the so-called ‘Eternal City’ is striking. In a city as old as Rome or Athens, grand domes and tiled facades shimmer in the heat, while modest mud-brick homes stand quietly, unchanged for millennia. Samarkand has seen Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Tamerlane pass through. Genghis Khan, reigning over an empire that stretched from Moscow to Delhi, made Samarkand the jewel in his capacious crown.

Three immense madrassas dominate as many sides of Registan Square. The mosaics, earthenware and turquoise scrolls on view here are awe-inspiring. Sadly, the massive maze of alleyways in the old city has largely been flattened, but there are still bustling bazaars, covered passages and narrow alleys to explore, the dark and winding arteries smelling of leather and tea. Enjoy a restorative pit stop from the hustle and haggle in the courtyard of a madrasa, or in a chaikhana, a tea house with a terrace shaded by grapeladen trellises.

Leaving Samarkand, the railway cuts through green fields and villages. Farmers plough the land, children herd flocks of sheep. By the side of the road, women sell pomegranate juice in plastic bottles. Little by little, and under immense skies, the crops give way to the unlimited landscape of the steppe once more. Scrubland makes up the majority of the route but sometimes unexpected oases, complete with palm trees, appear like mirages.

KHIVA & BUKHARA: BIBLICAL BEAUTIES

Khiva is an ochre and blue desert citadel hunkering within adobe walls. The city is said to have been founded by Shem, son of Noah. Miracles of near-biblical proportions do indeed abound in Khiva, in the form of Baroque palaces and summer mosques, harems, madrasas, caravanserais and intricately carved wooden doors. Everywhere, flamboyant buildings compete for attention in what is effectively an open-air museum. The truncated minaret of Kalta Minor is the emblem of the city. MuhammadAmin, who ruled the khanate from 1845 to 1855, aimed for immortality by constructing the tallest minaret in the Islamic world. Work began in 1851 but was curtailed by his death. The unfinished base, some 95ft tall and 46ft across, is enormous enough, but the plan had been for a minaret 400ft tall.

Arguably the sweetest of Uzbekistan’s Silk Route cities, Bukhara is a vast labyrinth of bluedomed mosques, courtyards paved with mosaics, and ancient adobe houses with stone domes, all pressed up against each other.

The landscape between Khiva and Bukhara is bare and arid.

On the left, the black sands of the Kyzyl-Kum desert; on the right, the Amu Darya River and its cotton fields sliding by in the morning blue. The landscape is punctuated at regular intervals by ancient cisterns, sardoba, which provided fresh water for Silk Route travellers and their camels after each day's walk. Then Bukhara, the city of poets and mystics, appears. Arguably the sweetest of the country’s cities, Bukhara is a vast labyrinth of blue-domed mosques, mosaic-paved courtyards and ancient adobe houses with stone domes, all pressed up against each other. From arabesques to minarets and madrasas, any visitor should aim to be deliberately lost in the whirlwind of bazaars and caravanserais, and among the covered passages of the Jewish quarter. Through an open door you might catch a glimpse of a flower-filled patio, a courtyard teeming with children or a pergola dripping with grapes. In the centre of the old town lies a large pool surrounded by tea houses. Lie back on one of the generous timber daybeds, strewn with cushions, and sip black tea served with roasted

pumpkin seeds. Next door, Bukhara’s old men play dominoes in the shade of mulberry trees, much as they have done for centuries. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Fly to Almaty (Kazakhstan) and return from Tashkent (Uzbekistan). After an overnight stay, visit the city, then board the train, where a comfortable cabin awaits – complete with two sofa beds and an en suite loo.

BEST TIME TO GO: Spring and autumn, when the Stans are neither too hot nor too cold.

DURATION: The total duration of the suggested trip is 16 days, but the itinerary can be tailored to make more time to visit each city. Both Samarkand and Bukhara are allotted three days.

BUDGET: From £11,800 per person for 16 days, including return flights, train travel, accommodation and private tailor-made tours with Englishspeaking guides.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR ASIA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

© Carol Sachs

3 Fun Facts 1

The TransSiberian Railway is the world’s longest rail line, spanning over 5,700 miles.

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux (1975)

2

The Qinghai to Tibet line reaches an altitude of 16,400ft through the Tanggula Pass.

3

In 1929, the Orient Express was famously stuck in snow for several days, inspiring Agatha Christie’s novel.

American novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux embarks on a legendary train journey from London to Asia and back, taking storied routes like the Orient Express, the Khyber Pass Railway and the Trans-Siberian.

Shantaram

by Gregory David Roberts (2003)

Roberts’ semi-autobiographical saga, set in India, features several memorable train journeys. The book’s vivid depictions of India’s chaos, warmth and humanity mirror the sensory overload of travelling on its trains.

The Railway by Hamid Ismailov (Vintage, 2007)

In a small fictional town in Uzbekistan, the arrival of the train upends local life. A vibrant chronicle of intersecting fates, told with exuberant originality.

Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal (Archipelago, 2023)

A young conscript fleeing the Russian army and a French woman briefly cross tracks when they share a compartment on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

CHINA

A RAILWAY NETWORK EVOLVING AT HIGH SPEED

Boasting the world’s largest rail network, China is well-equipped to meet the demands of its vast territory, and its high-speed trains (HSR) offer a nifty alternative to flying. Case in point: the Beijing-Shanghai route which takes just over four hours (compared to six by plane, including transfers). When it comes to the most iconic rail route, it’s a no brainer: the Silk Road Railway offers an epic 24-hour journey that crosses the country from east to west.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR CHINA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

vokzal

Vokzal is the Russian for train station. In the 19th century, Russian dignitaries visited Britain to study its pioneering railway system. One of the places they visited was Vauxhalla prominent London station. The story goes that the Russian visitors saw signs saying ‘Vauxhall’ and, mistaking the name of the location for a generic term for a train station, took it back to Russia (and later the Soviet republics) as vokzal.

PARIS-ISTANBUL

On 5th June 1883, the first Orient Express departed from the Gare de l’Est in Paris, bound for Constantinople, a journey that has since become legendary. Retrace this iconic route, making stops to explore major cities in Austria, Hungary and Romania.

© Carol Sachs, Rawpixel Ltd.

TRANS-SIBERIAN

DAYS

The longest railway line in the world, the Trans-Siberian crosses the plains and steppes of two continents, stretching a staggering 5,700 miles in total. In an era when it could take as much as two years to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok on a horse, Tsar Alexander III dreamed of a railway line crossing his entire empire. The completed route became the spine of modern Russia, devouring forests, rivers, marshes and human lives in the process. During the 25 years of construction, cities sprang up and grew along its route, transforming tiny towns into conurbations of hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. Travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway today means spending seven days on the rails non-stop, straddling seven time zones without ever changing rooms. It’s an experience in prodigious slowness, a muffled drowsiness, a loss of bearings as you cross the vast taiga. ‘Everything slides away,’ explains French writer Olivier Rolin. ‘You tell yourself that you’re happy here, far from home, temporarily free of all ties, and that’s why you’re travelling.’ The train becomes a microcosm of the outside world, where encounters are as enriching as the landscapes. Days on board are lived to the fullest: the train imposes its own rhythm, slow and hypnotic, where living in the moment is the only option. By the time the journey ends, in Vladivostok, you will have reached the edge of the Pacific and also, quite possibly, of yourself.

MOSCOW TO VLADIVOSTOK: A LIFETIME IN SEVEN

TAKE THE SEOUL TRAIN

Make the connection between two countries and two capitals on a train journey from Seoul to Tokyo (with a ferry in the middle).

The ‘Land of the Morning Calm’ feels anything but calm in Seoul’s Myeongdong district. Under a tangle of neon signs, street vendors prepare tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and gimbap (snacks freshly rolled in seaweed), and the narrow alleys crackle with energy. Interspersed with stalls serving sweet-smelling hotteok (Korean pancakes) are others peddling cosmetics promising eternal youth, an obsession in a country that until recently counted newborns as one-year-olds, factoring in time spent in the womb.

In this race against time, Seoul sets the pace, but the capital hasn’t entirely distanced itself from the past. The old palaces of the Joseon Dynasty remain, as does the traditional district of Bukchon and its hanoks – traditional Korean houses with curved roofs which can be visited like open-air museums. In Insadong, the wood-engraved teahouses and calligraphy and antique ceramics workshops tell the story of an ancestral Korea, while in Ssamziegil craftsmanship is fused with contemporary design. Elsewhere, in the Hongdae and Sinchon districts, the youth of Seoul have turned pop-up cafes, pop-up stores and K-pop into arguably the hottest cultural brand in the world right now.

THE KTX: A HIGH-SPEED KOREA

Seoul’s central station, with its soaring glass arches, sees nearly 300,000 passengers pass through every day.

Built in 1925, it marks the starting point of a journey aboard the KTX (Korea Train Express), the country’s bullet train service. A true technological flagship, this high-speed train embodies Korean efficiency. When the train takes off, Seoul vanishes in an instant, skyscrapers giving way to the green valleys and wet rice fields of Chungcheong-do. Propelled at 185mph, the white and blue arrow pierces the forested mountains of Gyeongsang and slices through paddyfilled plains punctuated by houses with colourful roofs. Several set pieces appear through the window: a farmer working his field, a pagoda resplendent on a soft green hill.

Let the smooth motion of the train lull you to sleep before a hostess discreetly passes by carrying a platter of local snacks: nori chips, red bean rolls, sweet Jeju mandarins. After only two hours the KTX glides into Gyeongju –the former capital of Silla, the dominant realm of the Three Kingdoms before unification in the year 668 AD. The city’s Bulguksa Temple and Cheomseongdae Observatory are reminders of this glorious past. The train then resumes its route, hugging the landscape’s contours until it hits the coastline in Busan. The smell of salt and grilled fish emanates from the Jagalchi market, and the sea appears, vast and shimmering.

At this point you swap the KTX for a ferry, the maritime link between South Korea and Japan. Travellers with time

Rooftops, pop-up cafes, K-pop... Seoul’s youth are moving with the times.

From Gyeongju, the train hugs the landscape’s contours until it hits the coastline in Busan. The smell of salt and grilled fish emanates from the Jagalchi market, and the sea appears, vast and shimmering.

on their hands can make an overnight crossing, but there is also a hydrofoil that connects Busan and Fukuoka, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, in less than four hours.

On board, the atmosphere is relaxed, almost meditative. Passengers parade on deck, trying to catch a glimpse of the island of Tsushima, draped in a silvery morning mist in the Sea of Japan. Some read, others chat over carefully curated bento boxes. Finally, the coast of Kyushu, the southernmost of the four main islands of the Japanese archipelago, begins to take shape on the horizon. The ferry docks at the Hakata wharf in Fukuoka, and a Japanese immigration officer stamps your passport with an image of Mount Fuji and a sakura, the iconic cherry tree.

WELCOME TO JAPAN

Beneath the city walls, couples and families stroll under flowering trees in Maizuru Park. The lake in Ohori Park is the city’s second lung, and the hidden Kushida shrine is a reminder of Japan’s sacred links to Shintoism. The five crimson storeys of the Tocho-ji pagoda soar towards the sky, while on the second floor of the shrine, the largest wooden Buddha in the country surveys the city. Stroll through Canal City Hakata, a lively shopping mall, before sitting down at one of the yatai, street food stalls that appear like fireflies at night.

By the light of lanterns, slurp down a Hakata ramen (the local broth made from pork and thin noodles) and savour the moment.

Hakata station is one of Japan’s most important cargo hubs, home to the country’s largest shopping centre. It sees some 43 million passengers pass through each year and around 200 trains leave its platforms every day for Tokyo and Osaka alone. The station is also the starting point for the Seven Stars, Japan’s luxurious palace on wheels and a physical embodiment of omotenashi (the art of hospitality), which trundles for four days through the prefectures of Oita and Kagoshima.

To continue toward Tokyo, take another railway icon: the Shinkansen. The world’s first high-speed train service, Japan’s bullet trains now zip along a network that spans nearly the entire Japanese archipelago and continues to expand. Passengers can leave Tokyo and be in most of the country’s main prefectures in less than three hours. Fukuoka is an exception and requires an additional two hours of travel, but some might argue this keeps tourists at bay. On board the bullet train, everything is thought through down to the smallest detail. As ordered rice fields and the bamboo forests fly by, enjoy an ekiben, a bento box of grilled fish, marinated vegetables and subtly seasoned rice.

KYOTO: A JAPANESE TIME CAPSULE

The train starts to slow down as it enters the suburbs of Kyoto, where temples with curved roofs rise among the other buildings. Beneath the glass and steel atrium, designed by architect Hiroshi Hara, the central train station is an avantgarde counterpoint to the venerable thousand-year-old city, once Japan’s capital. Pass through this vibrant hive and head to Kyoto’s northern Ohara district for a taste of true tranquillity.

Stroll through the mossy gardens of the Sanzen-in temple –dotted with statuettes of Jizo, the patron and protector of children and travellers – then head to the banks of the Kibune River for lunch by the water. This is a spot for all seasons; a shaded haven in summer, beautiful in autumn when the momiji (maples) turn a crimson red, magical too in winter when snow coats the roofs of the Kifune shrine, dedicated to the water deity. This serene mountain valley offers the perfect setting for a first dip into Japan’s onsen (thermal bath) culture.

Come evening, stroll among the wooden houses of Pontocho Alley, home to ceramic and shibori (indigo dyeing)

workshops and framed by the Kamo River. In the lanternlit alleys, two geisha pass by, glued to the screens of their smartphones. A vision of Japan in microcosm: tradition and modernity blending seamlessly.

TERMINUS: TOKYO

The last leg of the journey sees the Shinkansen pull into the Japanese capital; you can expect an immediate sense of deja-vu as you emerge from the metro at Shinjuku station into the Korean-influenced district of Shin-Okubo. Okubo-dori street is entirely devoted to K-pop, K-beauty and K-food, the perfect demonstration that hallyu – the global spread of Korean culture – has well and truly reached the Japanese archipelago. The two countries have, for centuries, engaged in cultural, religious and architectural exchange, and Tokyo’s youth have quickly made this district their new K-haunt.

To experience this megalopolis in action, head to Shibuya and the famous pedestrian crossing where hundreds of people cross in a hypnotic choreography. For another perspective on this astonishing anthill, take the lift to the terrace of the 750ft-tall Shibuya Sky. Then, in the eccentric

© Dameli

Zhantas/Unsplash

Ceramic workshop in one of the wooden houses along Pontocho Alley in Kyoto.

© Lucy Laucht

On board the bullet train, everything is thought through down to the smallest detail. As ordered rice fields and the bamboo forests fly by, enjoy an ekiben, a bento box of grilled fish, marinated vegetables and subtly seasoned rice.

district of Harajuku, check out the Lolitas and cosplayers straight from the pages of a manga comic. Tokyo deserves its reputation as a futuristic and pop capital thanks to the immersive exhibitions on the artificial island of Toyosu; places such as the Kadokawa Culture Museum, a granite UFO containing a library of 50,000 books dedicated to popular culture, or the Mori Art Museum, a temple of design and contemporary art that sits in the Roppongi Hills. The Japanese capital is also catnip for fans of kawaii (cute, adorable things) – from the shelves of the Pokemon Centre to the dioramas of the Ghibli Museum. But at the same time there’s that duality again: Tokyo also remains the guardian of an ancestral culture, magnified by the shrines that punctuate the city (such as Meiji-jingu) and the old districts, such as Yanaka. Traditional Japanese culture is also on show in the many dedicated museums. Finally, head to the alleyways of Golden Gai, where the tiny bars exude a sense of intimacy – a welcome contrast in such a sprawling city. Stepping inside, the carriage-like interiors might just awaken another dash of deja vu as you reflect on your epic journey. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Depart from London to Seoul, and return from Tokyo. BEST TIME TO GO: The journey is possible all year round, but spring (between the end of March and mid-April) is particularly pleasant, offering lovely temperatures and cherry blossom, while autumn is all about crimson woodlands.

DURATION: None of the individual legs is longer than three-and-a-half hours. The same goes for the ferry crossing. To best appreciate the different destinations on the itinerary, we recommend devoting two or three days to each one.

BUDGET: From £4,850 per person for 18 days, including flights, accommodations, train rides, transfers and private tours.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR ASIA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

Riverola

3 Fun Facts

1

Some Korean trains have reversible seats, so groups or families can face each other.

2

Japan’s trains are famously punctual, with apologies offered for delays of just 20 seconds.

3

In Japan, all platform staff bow when Shinkansen bullet trains leave the station.

TOKYO TO MOUNT KOYA

SPIRITUAL JAPAN

Explore Tokyo with an expat guide, visiting secret gardens and hidden temples. Then, soak in the healing waters of Bessho Onsen in Nagano Prefecture before heading to Kyoto and on to Mount Koya, the heart of Shingon Buddhism where you can stay in a temple hostel and enjoy succulent shojin vegetarian cuisine. Travelling by train completes the picture on this deeply spiritual journey.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR JAPAN SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

TOKYO

BESSHO ONSEN KYOTO

TOKYO TO KYOTO

A RAIL OF TWO CITIES

Tokyo pulses with energy, from the vibrant Kabukicho district to the alleyways of Golden Gai. From here, the Shinkansen bullet train whisks you away to the Izu Peninsula, where you can tour the traditional village of Shuzenji and soak away your troubles in an onsen (hot spring pool) before heading on to the ancient capital.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR JAPAN SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

LUXURY SLEEPER

SEVEN STARS IN KYUSHU

Demonstrating Japanese aesthetics and hospitality, the Nanatsuboshi (the ‘Seven Stars’, referring to the Great Bear constellation), is a lavish sleeper service offering two- and four-day journeys. There are 14 suites, each adorned with traditional woodwork and Kumiko lattices; a dining car serving gourmet seasonal fare and an elegant tearoom. The only catch? The train is so in demand that reservations are granted in a lottery draw. For the lucky few, it’s an extraordinary journey in every sense.

TOKYO, THE ALPS AND BEYOND ESSENTIAL JAPAN

This two-week journey is ideal for immersing yourself in Japan’s diverse landscapes: the hustle and bustle of Tokyo; the peaceful, old-world elegance of Kanazawa; the bucolic beauty of Furukawa; the ancient wonders of Kyoto and the magic of Miyajima Island. The key to this train trip? Your Japan Rail Pass, which we’ll arrange for you.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR JAPAN SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

TOKYO

SHUZENJI

KYOTO

Despite the language barrier, travelling by train in Japan is surprisingly easy. Except for one thing: choosing your ekiben . These takeaway meals, a portmanteau of the Japanese words eki (station) and bento (lunch box), have been an integral part of rail travel in the archipelago since the network’s inception in the late 19th century. Even the smallest station will have a kiosk or, in contemporary Japanese fashion, a vending machine.

Ekiben*

More often than not, your ekiben will showcase regional specialities. On any given train journey in Japan, you might enjoy moo taro, made with beef from the Mie region (served in a cow-shaped box that plays a melody when you open it), or hipparidako meshi , a speciality from Hyogo Prefecture consisting of octopus and shitake mushrooms, served in a ceramic pot. The pleasure of ekiben is multi-sensory, and in Tokyo Station you can choose from hundreds of different recipes. Just make sure you’re not so busy browsing that you miss your train.

© Matthieu Paley

RAJASTHAN BY RAIL: A FAMILY ADVENTURE

Writer Kate Maxwell embarks on a family rail adventure through the storied landscapes of Rajasthan.

It was 5.30am, a week before Diwali, and a crescent moon hung horizontally above Jaipur railway station. It looked, my son said, ‘like a smile’. People in suits and bright saris rolled wheelie bags along the platform, stray dogs slept through the deafening departure announcements and the growl of locomotive engines. The air smelled of dust and chai. My husband, our children, aged nine and eight, and I were here to board the fourth and final train of our tour of Rajasthan, the five-hour Jaipur to Jodhpur Express. Two weeks on the beach in Greece is our usual holiday schtick, so travelling around India was a major step up. I’d approached the trip with some trepidation, worried we’d get ill – an Indian friend even suggested we take Imodium prophylactically – and that the multiple destinations and sensory overload would be too much for our kids. It was, at first. Negotiating Kolkata’s steamy, marigold-strung

Mullick Ghat flower market ten days earlier, my daughter clutched my hand so hard I developed a bruise. But now, she and her younger brother strolled confidently ahead with their red and yellow backpacks.

We’d come to India to visit Shuktara, a Kolkata-based charity my husband is involved with, and had decided to explore Rajasthan while we were there. When I heard that Original Travel was launching a new tour of the region by rail, using the sorts of local trains millions of Indians take every day, I was keen to try it. As well as booking our train seats (having read Monisha Rajesh’s Around India in 80 Trains, I knew this was no mean feat) in air-conditioned carriages, and providing drivers and guides, Original Travel’s Delhi Concierge would always be on the other end of a WhatsApp. If we were going to leave our sandcastlebuilding comfort zone, this was the way to do it.

DELHI AGRA

SAWAI MADHOPUR JAIPUR

From Delhi station to Agra: 120 miles in one-and-a-half hours.

As the train left Jaipur and the sky turned a hazy pink, the city gave way to farmland dotted with haystacks that looked, we thought, like the straw houses from ‘The Three Little Pigs.’

The rail journeys, it turned out, were high points of the holiday, not just for the hubbub of the stations and the views, but also because of the people we met. As the train left Jaipur and the sky turned a hazy pink, the city gave way to farmland dotted with haystacks that looked, we thought, like the straw houses from ‘The Three Little Pigs.’ A samosa seller began his rounds and a couple across the aisle giggled through YouTube videos as the vast, milky Sambhar Salt Lake hove into sight. Later, I struck up conversation with a man on his way home for Diwali. ‘My brother likes crackers,’ he told me, when I asked him if he’d be lighting fireworks. ‘I prefer beer.’

Our train trip began in Delhi, where we boarded the Gatiman Express for Agra, en route to the Taj Mahal. I found the sight of the white marble mausoleum at dawn, when it glowed like a pink pearl, spellbinding. But again, animals were the biggest draw for the junior members of the party, my son grabbing my phone to snap two Egyptian vultures perching on a minaret. Our hotel, Six Senses Fort Barwara, on the edge of the Aravalli Range, was an exquisite conversion of a 14th-century fort built by the Chauhan Rajput clan, and our jumping-off point for Ranthambore National Park, where we went

in search of tigers. The closest my children had been to a safari was Whipsnade Zoo, and they were agog at the mongooses, sambar and spotted deers, and peacocks we saw on our afternoon drive. An hour in, our 4x4 stopped, and our guide, Jyotirmoy, pointed out tiger tracks. A series of loud barks followed: warning calls from a sambar deer. We clung on, pulses soaring, as the vehicle shot off at high speed. The tiger eluded us, but no one minded: being on a mission, binoculars clamped to our eyes, the rolling green-and-ochre landscape darkening as the light faded, was enough of a thrill.

In fact, our favourite part of the day came when we left the serene park in our open-top 4x4 and entered a maelstrom of daily life on the outskirts of Sawai Madhopur. Motorbikes hooted and swerved around marauding warthogs, goats and families of monkeys; children waved from balconies strung with neon Diwali lights as the smells of evening meals being cooked drifted by. From Sawai Madhopur, the closest station to Ranthambore, it was a two-hour train ride to Jaipur. That evening, on our hotel’s terrace, we were stunned to see over 100 kites sashaying high above the Old City’s rooftops, practice for Jaipur’s centuries-old kite festival.

Built in the early 19th century, Samode Haveli became a hotel in the 1980s, and members of the aristocratic Samode family still live there: staff walk their dachshunds under a 200-year-old banyan tree. The following day, we were driven to the village of Bagru, where the 400-year-old craft of block printing is going strong. We were shown bubbling vats of natural dyes and the pomegranate flowers used to fix the colours, before being invited to have a go. My daughter loved it, stamping her fabric so vigorously with the leaf blocks she’d chosen that I was surprised we weren’t printed head to toe by the time we left. Back at home, she used her new skill in a school art project, carving potatoes instead of wood.

My son is less interested in crafting but obsessed with cricket – no gender stereotypes here – and Original Travel had arranged for him to have a game with boys from Blue Heaven School, outside Jaipur. While he picked up spin-bowling tips from Nardeep Rajawat, school director and former cricket pro, I chatted to his teenage teammates about their career plans. Most were would-be entrepreneurs; true Modi citizens, keen, they told me, to capitalise on India’s raw materials and infrastructure. India’s GDP grew by about 7 per cent

in 2024, a trajectory it was easy to imagine continuing as we chatted.

But as the economy has grown, wealth and income inequalities have widened, and we saw plenty of evidence of that during our trip, too. Before coming to India, my husband and I debated whether we should be exposing our children to the country’s appalling poverty. ‘India’s got riches,’ my daughter observed, ‘but they’re not shared out.’ If nothing else, I hope our trip made them realise how lucky they are with their cosy London lives, food in the fridge and drinkable water in the taps.

Exploring Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh fort was a hit with the children. This feat of Rajput engineering hovers 400ft above the Thar desert and had the best arsenal of any fort we’d visited. It turns out that signs for ‘Arms & Weapons’ are catnip to eight- and nine-year-olds. We then drove three hours to our last stop. Sujan Jawai is a spectacularly beautiful camp with just ten tents, each with a terrace, bathtub and marble shower, in a wilderness area known for its leopards. These stealthy predators are notoriously hard to spot, and after the tiger no-show we were prepared to be disappointed. Our intrepid zoologist-

In the heart of Jaipur, the Palace of the Winds turns heads with its fabulous lace-like facade, built to resemble Krishna’s crown.

© Lucy Laucht

ranger, Siddarth (opening gambit: ‘Sorry I’m late, I was rescuing a 12ft-long rock python’), refused to be drawn on our chances either.

But within five minutes of leaving the camp, we found Baliraja, a dominant male leopard, beneath a tree. It was an emotional moment: we were so close we could see his chest rise and fall. ‘He winked at me,’ said my daughter. The property has a community-focused approach to conservation: 90 per cent of the camp’s staff, including its red-turbaned Rabari guards, come from local villages, and it sponsors ten nearby schools. The following morning, Sid received a call from one of the camp’s spotters, and we sped towards Jawai dam (‘This is literally like Mario Kart,’ said my son appreciatively as we roller-coastered over the granite rocks), where we found a cub, rolling on its back as if asking to be tickled. On our last dusk drive, cicadas chirping as loudly as alarm clocks, we were escorted back to Sujan by a leopard that strolled six feet in front of our vehicle. ‘He’s saying goodbye,’ said Sid.

In the end, it was the constant gearshifts I’d worried about that made our tour of Rajasthan so magical. ‘Everything’s so different,’ said my children again and again: different from yesterday, and different from home. Hopping between cacophonous, kaleidoscopic cities and

Five minutes after leaving camp, we found Baliraja, a dominant male leopard, beneath a tree. It was an emotional moment: we were so close we could see his chest rise and fall. ‘He winked at me,’ said my daughter.

pristine wildernesses where big cats roamed hadn’t just been electrifying, it had stretched our holiday horizons. As the kids stuck their train tickets in their journals, and I put four unopened packets of Imodium in the bathroom cupboard, I wondered if we’d ever be content with two weeks on the beach again. •

The copyright to this article is owned by Financial Times Ltd, and a longer version first appeared in the FT Weekend on 21st December 2024.

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Depart from London to Delhi.

BEST TIME TO GO: The journey is possible all year round, but the best time is from October to March, when Rajasthan’s national parks are open, and heat and humidity are not such a factor.

DURATION: The trip included one night on an overnight flight followed by two nights in Delhi, one in Agra, two in Ranthambore, three in Jaipur and two at Jawai.

BUDGET: From £4,495 per person for 12 days, including flights, accommodation, train ride, transfers and private guided tours.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR INDIA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

© Lucy Laucht

3 Fun Facts

1 Howrah Junction, in Kolkata, serves over one million passengers a day.

2

At three times the height of Big Ben, Chenab Rail Bridge is India’s tallest.

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

The Penguin Book of Railway Stories by Ruskin Bond (1994)

3

Built in 1855, India’s Fairy Queen is the world’s oldest working locomotive.

An anthology of stories that capture the essence of Indian railways, from colonial times to the modern era.

Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair (2001)

Five narratives unfold within the intimate confines of the ladies’ compartment onboard an Indian train.

Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh (2017)

Inspired by Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in 80 Days, a British-born journalist retraces her roots across India’s vast and varied railways.

Railways and The Raj by Christian Wolmar (2018)

A rich historical study of India’s railways roots. Wolmar looks back at the development of the vast Indian railways network during the 19th and early 20th centuries and how railways reshaped India during British colonial rule.

Journey Through India by Mark Probert (2021)

A humorous and heartwarming travel memoir that follows two British retirees as they backpack across India, riding its legendary railway network and forging new friendships over chai

LAOS

LUANG PRABANG TO VIENTIANE

In Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, an atmosphere of spirituality and serenity lingers, from temples bathed in saffron light to the meandering Mekong and the laidback lifestyle. Travelling by train, wind through lush jungles, vast rice paddies and the karst landscapes of Vang Vieng, before arriving in the calm of Vientiane, a fitting final stop on this meditative journey.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR LAOS SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

THE FIGURE

200,000

The number of tiffin lunch boxes delivered each day by Mumbai’s dabbawalas. Each one contains a freshly prepared meal, collected from people’s home kitchens and transported by bicycle to the train station where they are sorted and loaded onto crates, bound for offices in the city. This ingenious food delivery system has been in place since 1890 and is so slick that business schools have studied its methods.

© Lavinia Cernau, Pia Riverola

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ TERMINUS

MUMBAI’S MONUMENTAL STATION

Part palace, part temple, Mumbai’s main terminus is a cross-cultural riot of neo-Gothic and traditional Indian architectural styles. The result is a visual feast of stone domes, pointed arches, turrets, statues and bas-reliefs, stained-glass windows and carved woodwork. The station was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in the late 19th century, and it owes its grand appearance to the British architect Frederick William Stevens, who designed many of Mumbai’s finest buildings. Renamed after the great maharaja of the 17th-century Maratha Empire, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. CSMT has been the headquarters of the Indian Railways since its inception and remains Mumbai’s critical nerve centre, with three million people passing through its halls every day. A private tour is the best way to see the station, giving you access to the booking office and the balconies on the upper floors (all the better to see the star-studded ceiling), and allowing you to learn more about the history of this iconic station. The terraces outside are a perfect perch from which to observe the bustle of Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road. Inside, the spectacle continues. On the platforms, a scrum of commuters and passengers on regional trains hurry to board or disembark from carriages before they even stop. Meanwhile, the dabbawalas in their impeccable white uniforms rush to deliver tiffin lunch boxes in their hundreds of thousands.

© Julia Nimke

THE TRAIN TO MACHU PICCHU (CHU)

The majestic Inca citadel of Machu Picchu has an almost magnetic pull. Intrepid travellers can reach the city on foot along the 26-mile-long Inca Trail, while those in a hurry usually hop on a domestic flight to Cusco. However, if you have the luxury of time, nothing beats riding the rails from Arequipa aboard the Belmond Andean Explorer. Elegant sleeper cabins, gourmet Peruvian cuisine and magnificent moving views across Andean landscapes... sign us up.

LIMA AREQUIPA

PUNO (LAKE TITICACA) CUSCO

AGUAS CALIENTES (MACHU PICCHU)

At a relatively tame elevation of just 330ft, Lima, the main gateway to Peru, is much more than a mere stopover. It serves as a vibrant introduction to the country – a city where some of the world’s finest cuisine is served up, where eras and cultures coexist, and where surfers ride waves off the coast of Playa Costa Verde. In the historic centre, within the Cercado de Lima – once enclosed by the old city walls – remnants of Lima’s colonial past endure, from the stately Plaza de Armas and the Palacio de Gobierno (the president’s official residence) to the Archbishop’s Palace and the San Juan cathedral. Around these grand old dames, the city pulses with life, from the bustling alleyways of Chinatown to traditional markets brimming with custard apples and Inca berries.

Meanwhile, in the cosmopolitan barrio of Miraflores, you’ll find the Huaca Pucllana, an ancient adobe and clay pyramid dating back to around 500 AD. Remarkably, just 40 years ago, neighbourhood children still played football at its base. In the trendy Barranco district, once an upscale seaside resort for Lima’s wealthy elite, the city shows off its arty side. Don’t miss a visit to the Museo Larco, renowned for its extensive collection of pre-Columbian art, and the prestigious MAC (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo), which exhibits modern works by Peruvian and international artists. Surrounding these cultural landmarks are expansive green spaces, colourful casonas (colonial mansions) and a plethora of shops, galleries and cafes frequented by cool creative types.

This eclectic atmosphere also extends to the capital’s dynamic and Michelin-starred culinary scene. The city’s fusion cuisines – chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) and nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) – complement traditional staples, such as causa limena (a Lima-style layered potato dish), papa a la huancaina (potatoes with a spicy Huancaina

sauce) and, of course, ceviche. With your hunger satiated (and belts loosened), it’s time to hop on a quick flight south to Arequipa; the Andean Explorer awaits.

AREQUIPA: 7,660FT

Step aboard and prepare to experience the Andes in style. The cabins-cum-suites on this luxury sleeper train are everything you’d expect from the Belmond brand: spacious and elegant, with mood lighting and decor that blends colonial influences with traditional touches (think handwoven fabrics and alpaca wool textiles). Large windows blur the boundaries between inside and out and offer uninterrupted views of the country’s cinematic scenery.

As the train pulls away, Arequipa begins to fade into the distance. This astonishing ‘White City’, perched at an altitude of more than 7,600ft, is a striking fusion of indigenous and Spanish architecture. Its Baroque-style facades are carved from sillar, a white volcanic stone which adorns other famous landmarks like the 16th-century Santa Catalina monastery, one of the largest religious complexes of its time, spanning five acres.

Beyond Arequipa, the landscape is a dramatic rollercoaster of towering volcanoes and deep gorges. The mighty Misti volcano, which stands at an impressive 19,000ft, dominates the landscape. At its base, the land plunges into the Colca Canyon, the world’s second deepest at 11,150ft. Here, under the watchful eye of the great Andean condor, the Collaguas people built incredible cliffside cemeteries and terraced farmlands from as early as the seventh century.

Further still, on the other side of the Huarancante mountains, the Sumbay caves reveal traces of an even older past. Decorating the rock walls are over 500 paintings of humans, animals and geometric shapes which are estimated to be between 6,000 and 8,000 years old.

The train’s large windows blur the boundaries between inside and out, and offer uninterrupted views of the country’s cinematic scenery.

LAKE TITICACA: 12,400FT

After crossing the vast, untamed plains of the Altiplano, the train pauses at the edge of Lake Saracocha in time to catch the sun sinking behind the undulating mountain peaks. When the journey resumes towards Puno, night has set in. And what better way to mark your first evening onboard than with a tangy pisco sour? In the luxurious piano bar, bartenders conjure up cocktails while musicians play soft melodies. Sophisticated attire, a hushed ambiance and exquisitely plated dishes give the dining experience an air of elegance – an opulent contrast to the barren beauty of the highlands outside.

Come morning, wake up to an unforgettable sight: sunrise over Lake Titicaca. At 12,400ft, it’s the world’s highest navigable lake. Between sips of coffee, gaze out across the lake’s brilliant blue surface, which stretches from Peru into Bolivia. Here, between land and water, Aymara communities continue to live on floating islands. These were first built in the 13th century by the Uros people using totora, a native reed which is also used to craft colourful boats, called balsas, whose elegant shapes resemble ancient longboats. Scattered across the lake are other islands, these ones natural. Among them, Taquile stands out –a tranquil island famous for its rich textile traditions. Here, master weavers produce garments like chullos (traditional hats) and chumpis (wide belts) using intricate

patterns and natural dyes. It’s the perfect place for a languid lakeside lunch before continuing north-west.

CUSCO: 10,900FT

For your final day aboard the Andean Explorer, tuck into a breakfast with a view of the Andes before making your way to the open-air observation car at the rear of the train to drink in the ever-changing scenery. Your last stop before reaching the terminus is Raqchi, a 15th-century archaeological site spanning nearly 2,500 acres that once served as the administrative and religious centre of the Kanchi people. Here, the remains of a stone and adobe village – complete with houses, colcas (circular granaries), fountains and ceremonial spaces – stand beside the imposing Temple of Wiracocha, dedicated to the namesake deity who the Incas believed was the giver of all life. This once-magnificent structure, partially supported by columns (a rarity in the preHispanic period) hints at the extraordinary architectural ingenuity it embodied at the time. As the train nears Cusco, the landscapes begin to shift, with vast plains giving way to narrow valleys that follow the course of the Urubamba River for a stretch.

At Wanchaq station, your journey comes to an end as you disembark in the one-time capital of Tahuantinsuyu –the heart of the Incan empire. This high-altitude hub, which sits at a lofty 11,200ft above sea level,

© Julia Nimke

is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas, with a vibrant culture blending Andean traditions and Baroque aesthetics. Everything is surprising here, from the colourful potatoes sold at the San Pedro market (which come in vivid shades of purple, red, yellow and even blue); to the paintings of the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus by the Cusco school of artists; and the Qorikancha – the legendary Temple of the Sun. And just beyond the city lies the incredible fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a monumental Inca complex built across 7,500 acres. The temples and towers here date back to the 14th century, and the site remains the largest Inca construction ever built.

MACHU PICCHU: 7,900FT

Your next train awaits: the Hiram Bingham, operated by Belmond and named after the American explorer who rediscovered the Incan citadel. With its gleaming blue and gold carriages, polished wood panelling and plush upholstered armchairs, the train is a warm embrace of 1920s glamour. The gourmet dining, sophisticated cocktails and soft background music are the perfect sensory backdrop for a refined rail adventure.

As the train sets off towards Aguas Calientes (also referred to as Machu Picchu Pueblo), crops, canyons and rivers blur past like a magnificent moving painting, and from the observation car you’ll have the perfect vantage point to drink it all in. And then, the ancient citadel appears, tucked between the photogenic peaks of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. This awe-inspiring architectural site may grace many a guidebook cover, but it’s only when you see it with your own eyes that you can truly appreciate the sheer genius, vision and power of the Inca people.

From Machu Picchu Pueblo, travel once again on the Hiram Bingham, disembarking near the fortress of Ollantaytambo, deep in the Sacred Valley. Close by is a town of the same name which is renowned for its spa retreats and fantastic farm-to-fork restaurants. Pay a visit to Pisac Market –a bustling hub surrounded by terraces that have been cultivated for centuries – and mingle with locals from surrounding highland communities as you browse stalls selling handwoven textiles or fresh local produce.

In Maras, the terraces aren’t a lush green but a bright white. Here, Pachamama (Mother Earth) has created a geological anomaly: salt flats in the heart of the Andes. This astonishing landscape is made up of thousands of honeycomb-like pools fed by a natural saltwater spring whose source remains a mystery. Nearby, at the Moray archaeological site, the terraces take on another form again – concentric circles which wrap around the hillsides like ancient amphitheatres. The site is believed to have been an agricultural research station during the Inca period, with traces of soils from

different regions suggesting the Incas were experimenting with crop cultivation. Neighbouring the site is MIL Centro – a restaurant-cum-culinary laboratory, where chef Virgilio Martinez distils, studies and shares the flavours of the Andes, shining a light on the exceptional endemic ecosystems. Sit back and raise a glass; your trip through the Andes may be coming to an end, but you’ll be left with memories to last a lifetime. •

NEED TO KNOW

GETTING THERE: Fly to Lima and then Arequipa. Return from Cusco, via Lima.

BEST TIME TO GO: This trip is possible year-round, though the best conditions are between May and December.

DURATION: The journey takes 11 days, including eight nights in hotels and two nights aboard a sleeper train.

EXPERIENCES: Throughout the journey, Original Travel can arrange personalised experiences including tours with a local resident or in the company of a private English-speaking guide. Additional activities such as private tours, cultural encounters and restaurant reservations can also be arranged.

BUDGET: Prices for an entirely tailor-made trip, including plane and train tickets, accommodation, transfers and activities, are available on request.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR PERU SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

3 Fun Facts 1 Zigzags and switchbacks are common on Peruvian railways –a solution to accommodate steep gradients.

2

The Belmond Andean Explorer was South America’s first luxury sleeper train service.

RAILWAY READS

STORIES IN MOTION

The Old Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux (1988)

3

The Hiram Bingham luxury train is named after the explorer who rediscovered Machu Picchu.

Travelling from Massachusetts to Patagonia by rail, Theroux embarks on an ambitious journey across the Americas.

Trail of Feathers by Tahir Shah (2001)

On this dreamlike journey through Peru, adventurer Tahir Shan rides rickety trains, riverboats and buses in his quest to untangle the recurring theme of flying in Peruvian folklore.

Rails Over the Andes by William Bleasdale (2007) Bleasdale embarks on an expedition across the Andean Railways, navigating some of the world’s most rugged terrain by train.

CONTACT ONE OF OUR LATIN AMERICA SPECIALISTS ON +44 (0) 20 3974 6717

THE ESSENTIALS

PERURAIL & INCA RAIL

Peru is the premier destination for scenic train journeys in South America. The luxurious PeruRail Titicaca connects Cusco to Puno across the majestic Altiplano. Under vast Andean skies, its gleaming blue-and-yellow carriages glide past alpacas, storks and flamingos –views best appreciated with a pisco sour in hand and a gourmet lunch served on board. Equally unmissable is the Inca Rail, which departs from Ollantaytambo and winds its way to the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu. Make sure to check out the observation car, designed to provide panoramic views of the Sacred Valley as it unfolds beyond the tracks.

13,800

The altitude, in feet, reached by El Tren a las Nubes (‘Train to the Clouds’), one of the highest railway lines in the world. Departing from San Antonio de Los Cobres, in northwest Argentina, it climbs dramatically to cross the Viaducto La Polvorilla near the Chilean border.

THE FIGURE

© Daniel Dorsea, Ben Susi

LOCOMOTION PICTURES

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the movie centres on the disappearance of a young woman during a train journey across Europe. Celebrated as one of the greatest train movies from cinema's golden era, it remains a British film classic.

North by Northwest (1959)

Another nailed-on Hitchcock classic, and surprisingly racy for the 50s, the train scene between charming man on the run Cary Grant and mysterious femme fatale Eve Marie Saint positively crackles with sexual energy.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974 & 2017)

Agatha Christie's iconic murder mystery unfolds aboard the luxurious Orient Express. Both the original and Kenneth Branagh's 2017 adaptation capture the suspense of passengers being trapped on a snowstorm-stalled train with a murderer in their midst.

From Russia with Love (1963)

The train sequence – again, aboard the Orient Express –features arguably the best Bond fight and Bond’s best line: ‘Red wine with fish. Well, that should have told me something.’

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Wes Anderson's visually rich film follows three estranged brothers on a train journey across India aboard the titular Darjeeling Limited. Expect his signature stylised aesthetic, with vibrant colours and ornate interiors, blending Western and Indian styles.

Bullet Train (2022)

Starring Brad Pitt as a down-on-his-luck assassin and set almost entirely on a futuristic bullet train travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto, this high-octane action comedy is like a manga comic brought to the big screen.

TRACK TO THE FUTURE

Anyone who Interrailed as a teenager will recall a thrill that has never quite faded: the scribbled maps, the overnight trains, the excitement of waking up in a new country. Backpacking across Europe by rail was a rite of passage, stitched together with cheap pizza, hostel tales and spontaneous detours. But the romance of the rails endures long after the gap year ends. As adults, we may trade sleeping bags for sleeper cabins, yet, for most of us, a sense of discovery remains. Europe’s trains glide through vineyards, mountains and grand old stations, linking cultures with ease and charm. It’s still the best way to travel, with no rush and all the reward. See you onboard.

©

Lucy Laucht

By using Carbon Balanced Paper for this magazine Original Travel has balanced the equivalent of 3,060kgs of carbon dioxide. This support will enable World Land Trust to protect 6,286 sq ft of critically threatened tropical forest. Certificate number CBP031477.

Photo Credits: Regos Kornyei/Unsplash, Jackie Cole, Jérôme Galland (pg. 40); Cécile Rosenstrauch, Olivier Romano, Pia Riverola (pg. 78); Lucy Laucht, Pauline Chardin (pg. 92); Jérôme Galland, Olivia Spencer/ Kintzing (pg. 94); Photo 12/Cinema Collection/MGM (pg. 111)