The Blue Train
The Blue Train in its charisma and majesty combines five-star accommodation As time meandered from the 19th Century towards the dawn of the new era, a dream was born. A dream of harnessing steam technology to link Africa’s vast south to north, around the awe-inspiring mountain ranges that dot the continent, through the apparently arid desert landscapes, over untamed savannah grasslands teeming with wildlife. From the Cape all the way to Cairo… all of this on parallel lines of tempered steel.
It is from this dream that The Blue Train was born. Cairo was never to be, but the dreamers persevered and The Blue Train now traverses South Africa and its breath-taking scenery in a manner that befits the mystique that has grown around it.
Kings and presidents have indulged on this magnificent, moving five-star “hotel-on-wheels”. From love-struck honeymooners, to adulated celebrities. And even ordinary folk who fantasize about a life of spectacular luxury, a life that has seemed tantalizingly out of reach. Until now…
Routes
The route between Pretoria and Cape Town is a 31-hour journey of 1 600 kilometres (994 miles), through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.
The Blue Train also travels to South Africa’s Limpopo Province, which is home to the Kruger National Park, one of the world’s finest game parks, and home to Africa’s Big Five. These one-way 19-hour journeys take place on selected months of the year, and offer guests an opportunity of some fantastic new “rail safari” combination packages with the many private safari lodges found in the Greater Kruger and Sabi Sands areas.
The De Luxe Suite will forever alter your definition of what style and class entail. From your elegant and relaxing lounge during the day, it transforms into a subtly-lit bedroom of indulgence during the night, bedecked with goose-down and 100 per cent percale-cotton bedding, from your individually-controlled air-conditioning system, under-floor heating, opulent marble and gold-fitted bathroom, its scented bath salts and plush monogrammed towels, to the electronic entertainment options on offer.
And then, of course, all this accompanied by the ever-changing vistas of the countryside…
The De Luxe coaches each have four suites that measure 4 by 2 metres. One of these contains a double bed and a ¾ size bath tub with handheld shower, while the others have twin beds with showers.
The Luxury Suite will enchant you from the moment your personal butler ushers you aboard. It extends the offering from a De Luxe suite even further; by an extra metre of your domain, with twin or double bedded suites which offer you long and luxurious bath tubs and a private digital interactive entertainment system, with an inviting selection of music CDs and big-screen movies on Blue-Ray DVD.
Luxury coaches have three Luxury Suites that each measure 5,13 by 2 metres and give you the option of twin beds or a double bed.
Your De Luxe or Luxury suites are your home-away-from-home lounges. Need to send an important email halfway across the world or make that urgent phone call? Relax in knowing that all suites are fitted with WI-FI service that is complimentary to all our guests. Use the telephone system in each suite to dial your butler, at no extra charge, for an apéritif or even call family and friends across the Atlantic and relay your Blue Train experience at a minimal fee.
An act of alchemy transforms your sitting area into a restful night-time sanctuary. Goose down duvets and pillows and 100 percent percale cotton bedding envelop you as you drift off after a soothing, scented soak or shower in your marble and gold-appointed bathroom, lulled by the rhythm of the whispering wheels.
As The Blue Train’s tracks roll inevitably into the distance, so life’s course brings with it joys that must be celebrated. Graduations, engagements, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries and milestone birthdays. All of these deserve a memorable venue, a special ambience, a reminder that you’re going places.
The Blue Train can be chartered for such occasions. Just for you, it can meander along its standard routes, or on custom-made trips and cross-border excursions that last from a few hours to several nights. It’s your sojourn, it’s your train.
When not booked for use during a trip, the Conference Car is converted into an Observation Car that reflects and complements the amenities offered in the Lounge cars.
For those with more stern agendas, The Blue Train has the facilities to service business-oriented journeys. The fully-equipped Conference Car can comfortably seat 22 delegates boardroom-style or accommodate smaller work areas combined with Observation Car amenities.
Compliments of The Blue Train