Once in a lifetime rail journeys
By Adam Zarboni
Claude Monet may be famous for his impressionist paintings of water lilies, but he also captured the romantic ideal of the train in many of his paintings. Although it was a relatively new conveyance at the time, he created many timeless, yet somehow ancient feeling images of the steam driven monoliths. His brush strokes filled a canvas with powerful images of the movement and the strangely organic grace of the train. In snow, the train emerges like a specter onto a frozen plain. In full spring, it rushes past at the crest of a hill, slipping away before many can steal a second glance. Under a sweltering July sun, it roars into a station, all metal and hissing steam.
Looking at a Monet it is as if the train was always meant to be, and the only natural way to travel. When most of us think of travel by coach, our minds race back to this romantic and idealistic image. We suddenly realize what many of us have lost in modern travel; the journey. We look to the destination, and only bear the getting there.
There has been a movement early in this newborn millennium – praising the slow, savoring the flavour of days as they fleetingly pass, and holding onto moments and memories with a relaxed but firm grip.
For those who want to taste this life, and see a land — a place — like Monet saw it; a canvas in motion, the world as art – there is really only one way to get there... The train.
The Royal-Canadian Pacific VANCOUVER - CALGARY, CANADA
The Royal Canadian Pacific draws its inspiration from the past, and travels a route that even had National Geographic Traveller calling it one of the “Tours of a Lifetime”. Though they do offer limited public tours, many of their clients book private charters, meeting their every need on whatever route they choose.
“It’s the history and the landscape that draws people; being in Western Canada we have some of the most spectacular scenery in the world,” says Mark Ramsay, Director of the Royal Canadian Pacific. The Royal Canadian goes through some of the most majestic parts of the Canadian Rockies. Another benefit is, of course, being able to board your hotel room, and not have to worry about packing and unpacking as you enjoy 650 miles of amazing landscapes!
The 1953 diesel train pulls 10 cars; seven are for guests, the other two are for service and power. All the elegantly furnished cars were built between 1916 and 1931 for Canadian Pacific. Within this palace on wheels, there are 19 state rooms, and accommodation for 32 guests. The private rooms come in three different styles, double, twin (or two singles), or single bed. All guest rooms have their own en suite.
All journeys start and end in Calgary, Alberta. “Our fly-fishing trip fills up incredibly fast,” Ramsay says. On this trip they also offer guided tours to some of the best fishing spots on the planet.
For 2010, The Royal Canadian will be adding an additional trip from Calgary to Vancouver, lasting five days and four nights. The current Rocky Mountain trip lasts six days and seven nights. Travel to and from the train on its many stops is provided, and service is all-inclusive.
For more information on booking the Royal Canadian Pacific, go to:
www.royalcanadianpacific.com
Trans-Siberian Express Moscow — Vladivostok, Russia
Starting in Moscow, lasting 15 days and crossing eight time zones across the largest country in the world, the Trans-Siberian Express might just be one of the greatest – and longest —rail journeys ever.
London-based GW Travel offers the first luxury private train, made up of 21 carriages. Its trains contain some of the finest accommodation available in luxury train travel today, offering a high level of comfort; particularly important in the cabins, described as a ‘hotel room’ on wheels.
Boarding the luxurious Golden-Eagle Trans-Siberian Express in Moscow, home to golden onion domes, the Kremlin, and ornate St. Basil’s Cathedral, this voyage takes you eastwards with stops in Yekaterinburg (founded in 1723 by Peter the Great) and Irkutsk, referred to as the “Paris of Siberia”.
Other sights to take in include the snow capped peaks of the Ural Mountains, the open steppes of Asia, and Lake Baikal, one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the world.
It also stops in the Mongolian capital of Ulaan Baatar where you visit the statue of Ghengis Khan and the National Museum before reaching the final destination of
Vladivostok, Russia.
www.gwtravel.co.uk
The Blue Train Cape Town – Pretoria, South Africa
The route between Pretoria and Cape Town is through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.
En route to Cape Town, there is a stopover and excursion in Kimberley, where riders can take a step back in time to the days of the diamond rush. It arrives in Pretoria at 12:30, in time for high tea the following day.
On arrival at Matjiesfontein, guests are invited for a glass of sherry at the bar.
The Victorian buildings and original nineteenth century London lampposts impart to the traveller the uncanny sense of entering a colonial time warp – an oasis suspended in a different age.
A luxurious journey includes a conference or observation car at the back of the train. The beds have been custom-designed, a butler pulls them out, already made, from a space in the suite wall, converting the lounge into a comfortable bedroom. Cotton sheets and down duvets are the standard linen throughout the train.
www.bluetrainsouthafrica.com