The Blue Train route runs between Pretoria and Cape Town and is a 27-hour journey of 994 miles (1,600km), through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent. The luxurious Blue Train takes travellers across the fascinating landscape that stretches between Pretoria and Cape Town with service that includes great food and spacious accommodation. The Blue Train has been operating since 1939 and derives its name from its blue locomotives, railroad cars, and leather seats. The origin of the Blue Train dates back to 1923 when the Union Limited and the Union Express linked Johannesburg with the mail ships departing from Cape Town for England. In days gone by when your Union Castle liner docked at Cape Town, you might have taken the Blue Train to Johannesburg, South Africa's economic powerhouse figuratively and literally built on gold. The new Blue Train is the most luxurious train in the world and the best way to travel. The three month long British Royal Family tour of South Africa in 1947 saw the ordering of eight ivory-painted air-conditioned saloons from Britain, three of which were built to Blue Train sleeping car standards, while the remaining five were special saloons for use by the Royal Family and Field Marshal Jan Smuts, the South African Prime Minister. It is little wonder these distinguished passengers chose the Blue Train. What can beat that feeling of going to sleep with a Karoo moon in the sky outside, and waking up to a pot of fresh coffee, surrounded by Cape vineyards as the Blue Train makes her stately way into the mother city?
The Blue Train suites live up to their reputation for magnificence and splendour. The Blue train takes you to a timeless world of elegant living, combining the romance of travel by rail with the luxury of a grand hotel. Much of the allure of the Blue Train lies in its past and it can easily lay claim to being one of the top 3 luxury trains in the world. Interiors of elegance, grace, comfort and style have been created by a leading interior architectural design company meaning the Blue Train will rival many a five star hotel. Service on the Blue Train incluces luxury suites, butlers attending your every whim and an a la carte South African menu. Taking just over two days, the Blue Train glides from Pretoria to Cape Town or vice versa.
A meal on the blue train is an experience in itself, with the menus featuring a selection of local cuisine – from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters – accompanied by award-winning cultivars from the Cape Winelands. An extra Blue Train touch are the menu cards which are royal blue with a gold cord; a colour representation of the region through which the guests are travelling. The familiar “B” insignia of the Blue Train can be found on its finest bone china, cut crystal and classic silver cutlery. A sophisticated, opulent atmosphere, gourmet menu and the finest South African wines make dining on the new Blue Train a magnificent experience. It is a showcase for South African wines which have been selected to compliment each course on the menu after meticulous consultation with top South African wine experts.
Blue Train guests are requested to check-in 1 hour prior to departure at the Blue Train lounges in Pretoria and Cape Town. As a passenger on the Blue Train, you have the Blue Train management team at your service to ensure you have a memorable experience on the journey. Romance and elegance combined with the needs and desires of a modern world are combined in your private Blue Train suite. By day your private Blue Train suite is a luxury lounge. Your private suite is converted into a luxury bedroom at night by your Blue Train butler. The suites on the Blue Train live up to its reputation for magnificence and splendour.
Today the Blue Train is aimed at tourists but it still links Pretoria and Cape Town once or twice a week. Blue Train guests are offered an out of the ordinary journey in luxurious comfort and style that they could reminisice over for years. The mystique, the aura of luxury and history attached to one of the world’s most famous trains is part of the attraction for first timers and repeat guests. The boutique on the Blue Train is a treasure trove of gems and minerals as rich as Africa itself. Blue Train guests receive special branded gifts at the end of the their journey. The sherry glass engraved with the Blue Train logo is a memento for guests to keep. A lifetimes dream for many is a trip on the famous Blue Train of South Africa.
Explorer Travel are specialists in tailor made travel to South Africa. You can call Explorer Travel on 0208 816 8789 or visit their website (http://www.big5.explorertravel.co.uk/BlueTrainCapeTown.htm)
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