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India’s Maharajas’ Express Joins World’s Top 25 Trains List

29 Nov
The Maharajas' Express

©The Society of International Railway Travelers Photo by Angela Walker

The Society of International Railway Travelers® is pleased to christen the newest member of its World’s Top 25 Trains list, The Maharajas’ Express. The Society announced the 2011 list for release Nov. 30.

The Indian luxury train began service in March and boasts 19 cars (excluding staff and generator cars). The train’s four itineraries begin and end in Delhi or Mumbai and include visits to such iconic locales as Agra, Varanasi, Jaipur and Jodhpur.

The Maharajas‘ Express brings to four the number of Indian trains on the Society’s list of World’s Top 25 Trains, a remarkable feat, said Society CEO Owen C. Hardy. “India has proven time and again its incredible commitment to rail — not just luxury service but service for the everyday person. Congratulations to the builders, owners and operators of the Maharajas’ Express.”

Other trains in India on the World’s Top 25 List, returning this year, are the Deccan Odyssey luxury train, which offers touring from as far afield as Mumbai to New Jalpaiguri; the Palace on Wheels, a first-class touring train in royal Rajasthan, and the tiny Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in W. Bengal, which runs up to the hill station of Darjeeling, and whose remarkable engineering and history earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.

Meanwhile, Angela Walker, Vice President for Operations for The Society of IRT, recently returned from India and issued a glowing report about the Maharajas’ Express. Find her report here.

The trains on the Society’s World’s Top 25 Trains list come from all over the world, and just about every continent.  The Society welcomes comments on our list. It is based on extensive first-hand experience on trains the world over by owners, staff, writers and members, who evaluate them extensively upon their return from travel. “These trains are the best of the best,” said Hardy. “We salute them for providing amazing and adventurous experiences for those lucky enough to take them.”

The World’s Top 25 Trains-2011

(Note:  Trains are listed by region and are not ranked within the list.  * signifies luxury train; + means the train provides a luxury service option on board.)

Africa

Pride of Africa*

Blue Train*

Asia

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Deccan Odyssey*

Eastern & Oriental Express*

Maharajas’ Express*

Palace on Wheels

Shangri-La Express

Europe

Bernina Express

British Pullman*

Danube Express

El Transcantabrico*

Flam Railway

Glacier Express

Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

Royal Scotsman*

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express*

North America

Royal Canadian Pacific*

The Canadian

Rocky Mountaineer

South America

Andean Explorer

Hiram Bingham*

Australia

Ghan+

Indian Pacific+

Sunlander+

The Society of International Railway Travelers® is an award-winning publishing company and full-service travel agency and tour operator based in the U.S. and serving clients from around the world. To order a complimentary emailed PDF of the IRT Society’s Best-Loved Railway Journeys 2010, register on the company web site:http://www.irtsociety.com/.  To order the printed version, please contact the company for payment details. The Society specializes in luxury, deluxe and railfan journeys around the world.

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The Maharajas’ Express: Live like Indian Royalty

29 Nov

The Maharajas’ Express calls itself “India’s most luxurious train.” Last month I traveled to India to see if the train indeed lives up to its claim. Almost immediately upon boarding the beautiful, new maroon coaches of the Maharajas’ Express, I knew it would. The luxury was obvious, and I knew it would quickly be added to World’s Top 25 Trains list issued by The Society of International Railway Travelers.®

The train was custom-built and began operating in March 2010, so I was keen on exploring every inch. I boarded at the Rajah Club and scurried around to peek into each of the four cabin types—from the smallest Deluxe Suites (at 110 square feet, still quite roomy for train cabins) to the Presidential Suite, which takes up an entire train car and comprises an unbelievable 5 rooms (two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large sitting room). I was impressed with the large windows, beautiful furnishings, storage space, bathrooms with glass-door shower, fluffy towels and full amenities (all-natural soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotions).

But it was the dining cars that excited me most. The Rang Mahal (Color Palace) and Mayur Mahal (Peacock Palace) are the two lovely restaurant cars. Both seat 42 passengers and offer the same multi-course menu with the choice of either Indian or continental cuisine, as well as a vegetarian option. The place settings alone provide the royal feeling – gold-trimmed plates and utensils, all emblazoned with the elegant crowned “M.”

It is easy to see how the Mayur Mahal (“Peacock Palace”) dining car got its name, decorated beautifully in green, blue and gold. The chairs and window shades (which won’t be pulled until night) feature peacock feather designs, all accentuated by the silver mirror-style ceiling. Meanwhile, the Rang Mahal is bright and cheery in pink and cream, with an elegantly hand-painted floral-design ceiling.

The food is good, and the staff is great. Some of my favorite dining touches – a new freshly squeezed fruit juice each morning; made-to-order espresso drinks; and a lengthy list of “mocktails,” nonalcoholic fruit juices which were so refreshing after a few hours of touring in the heat. There is also an on-board sommelier readily available at dinner to recommend wines, liqueurs or other after-dinner drinks.

Throughout my “Royal India” tour, the off-train excursions enhanced the “maharaja” feeling—including sipping champagne while watching the sun set on the Taj Mahal; a camel cart ride to a remote sand dune for “sundowner” barbecue and drinks; an exhibition elephant polo match, with option to join in; high tea at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara; dinner in the royal courtyard of Jodhpur’s Meherangarh Fort, with dancers and musicians, ending with fireworks. In fact, merely exiting the train is exciting, with local dancers, musicians, or animals — camels in Bikaner, for example — greeting us at each stop.

A few special touches on this train: the water filtration system makes all food safe and the water drinkable (although I did not drink the water, I did use it for brushing my teeth); wi-fi is available in all cars (this was intermittent on my journey, but could be used to send the occasional e-mail); and there is a variety of touring options. Suite and Presidential Suite passengers get private car and guide at each stop, but there is the option for any passenger to do this along the way (at additional cost for Deluxe and Junior Suite guests). There are also options to visit spas in many locations and golf in either Jaipur or Vadodara.

All in all, it is difficult not to feel like royalty after taking the Maharajas’ Express. It is only difficult to drag yourself away from the comfort of the train and the care of the wonderful staff.  We are delighted to welcome this new train to the Society’s distinguished list of The World’s Top 25 Trains.

All photos ©The Society of International Railway Travelers by Angela Walker.  Ms. Walker is the VP for Operations for The Society of International Railway Travelers® and has reviewed trains all over the world, including the Royal Scotsman, Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Royal Canadian Pacific, Rocky Mountaineer, Deccan Odyssey, Hiram Bingham and Andean Explorer and the Shangri-La Express.

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Sun Setting on the Sunlander

11 Nov

Queensland Rail’s Brisbane-Cairns “Sunlander”

It is so, so discouraging one day to get a fantastic report on a train and just about two days later, to get a report that the powers that be are planning to shut it down.

The report we received was from world traveler Dr. Vincent DiNapoli. He loved all of the extras, the service, the warmth, the old-fashioned happy surprises that happen on a lovely top-class train. And he found all of this in Queenslander Class on the Sunlander, which runs 1,045 miles several times a week between Brisbane and Cairns. He just took this train this summer, along with all the other major routes in Australia. And Queenslander Class on the Sunlander was his favorite. (He took Gold Kangaroo Class — not the new luxury class Platinum, on the Ghan and Indian Pacific.)  We quoted him here.

Then we got the news that Queensland Rail will be running this train only through 2013, when it will be replaced with a faster tilt-train. We are sure the rail-travel lovers of the world won’t be as happy with this, and it’s such a shame. I hate to be a naysayer, but what good does it do to save a few hours on such a scenic route? Speed is not what people want on a vacation train. Beauty, scenery, camaraderie: there’s  the ticket.

So word to the wise: Ride the Sunlander in Queenslander Class while you can. You might have until the end of 2013.

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The Royal Scotsman’s Grand Tour-One Man’s Impression

5 Nov

IRT Society members dine aboard the Royal Scotsman, 2005.

Eleanor and I joined 17 IRT Society members in 2005 for an incredible week on the Royal Scotsman. As I’ve said elsewhere, the train ranks as one of the top three in our “life-list” of luxury trains collected over our 27-year career in this business.

But…we have not done the “Grand Tour of Great Britain.” And we’re envious of those who have.

Based on the reports we’re getting, this week-long jaunt  through Scotland, Wales and England looks fantastic. Looks to me like the Orient-Express company wants to make this tour an iconic “must-do,” much like the annual Paris-Istanbul run of their much acclaimed Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

IRT Society traveler Sam Hall did the trip this year and told me: “It’s one of the best trips I ever had. The staff was superb. And I was really impressed with the itinerary.”

Meanwhile, here’s how one of the Royal Scotsman staff, Train Host John Gritten, described the 2010 Grand Tour:

“This unique tour was without question the most memorable of my five years as Host with The Royal Scotsman. It was the train’s first ever journey around Scotland, England and Wales and the 33 guests, from nine countries, enjoyed many exclusive experiences throughout the seven-night trip. Many of the guests mentioned that unannounced ‘surprises,’ such as the Male Voice Choir at Gwydir Castle and Raymond Blanc’s personal welcome at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, were highlights of the journey. We are already thinking up new and unexpected special events for next year’s tour.”

Over the next few days, I’ll post Mr. Gritten’s day-by-day commentary of the 2010 Grand Tour, with appropriate links.

The Big Prize

11 Sep

One of the IRT Society's award-winning poster/postcards.

I’m heading to Spain with The Society of International Railway Travelers® soon, and I confess I am excited about it. But what seems more pressing at the moment is finishing up my work at the International Railway Travelers headquarters — making sure all of our travelers are totally set — not just travelers going to Spain, but our High Speed France travelers, too. We are having the busiest September of the history of the Society of IRT, and it’s a bit overwhelming.

But what is so excruciatingly exciting, which we will celebrate in Spain, is that we just got the news that The Society of International Railway Travelers® has earned FOUR Magellan Awards from Travel Weekly, the travel industry “bible.” We earned three Gold Awards for our website, our magazine The International Railway Traveler® and our new postcard and poster series of the World’s Top 25 Trains. Owen has been using these like mad to announce journeys on these fine trains. Check out Travel Weekly’s Magellan Awards here.

So today I salute every person involved in these incredible productions, from the amazing creative and editing team of IRT Publisher Owen Hardy to VP for Operations Angela Walker, who celebrates 10 years of working at IRT this year to our designer Steve Sebree who is such a great guy and such a talented artist, too. All are from Louisville, KY. We also salute our web designer, Nick Prebezac of Washington State. We also thank our members and travelers, who have submitted to us so many absolutely wonderful photographs.

But I have to say, the biggest thrill of all are the wonderful comments we get from you, our travelers, after your vacations. You really appreciate what we do, and that’s the biggest prize of all. That’s all for now. I have to pack!

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Varna, Bulgaria

1 Sep

The annual Paris-Istanbul tour of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express reached Varna, Bulgaria Tuesday. From the sound of the press reports, the 12 IRT Society members aboard are basking in the glamor of this once-a-year extravaganza. Arriving today in Istanbul, the Orient-Express departs Friday, Sept. 3 on its final “land voyage” of the season. It is scheduled to arrive in Venice Sept. 9, where it will undergo routine maintenance until the beginning of next year’s season.

The annual Paris-Istanbul tour typically sells out a year in advance. Limited space is available on next year’s trip, which runs Sept. 2-7, as well as on next year’s Istanbul-Venice tour, which runs Sept. 9-14. For more information or to book, call (800) 478-4881 or email me at ohardy@irtsociety.com.

VSOE in Varna, Bulgaria

On the platform: staff from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Varna, Bulgaria

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IRT Welcomes Rovos Rail Representative

18 Jun

Men: longing for luxury on Rovos Rail’s “Pride of Africa,” but cringing at the thought of dragging a coat and tie half-way across the world to wear in the fancy diner?

IRT Staff and David Patrick Front Row (Left to Right): David Patrick, Owen Hardy Back Row: Margaret Langner, Eleanor Hardy, Angela Walker

No worries, says Rovos Rail marketing director David Patrick. They’ll gladly loan you one. They have a wide range of sizes. And there’s no extra charge. Just let them know ahead of time.

This was just one of several revelations made known during David’s recent visit to IRT headquarters in Louisville, KY. Others are:

• In-cabin minibar: Fill out the menu, and your bar will be filled with all your favorite drinks and snacks, David says. The staff restocks your goodies each day of your journey.  Instead of a hotel mini-bar, which has the implication of an extra charge, this is a “personal bar,” and everything is included in your tour price.

• All-inclusive fare: Everything except gratuities and gift shop purchases is included. That means: all your excursions, lectures, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and, of course, everything in the minibar.

• Room Service: Run out of champagne? Need a snack? Simply attach the white Room Service tag outside your door or use your cabin phone to call, and the staff will get you anything you need.

• David’s favorite Rovos Rail journey: Surprise! It’s not Pretoria-Cape Town, the train’s most popular. It’s the special three-day safari between Pretoria and Durban departing during Africa’s summer months. “It includes a visit to a Big Five game reserve, which is fantastic,” David said. “We saw all five:” lion, African elephant, Cape Buffalo, leopard and Black Rhino. He also gives high marks to the once-a-year, nine-day “African Collage” tour, the only one which covers the “Garden Route” from George into Cape Town, at times skirting the Indian Ocean.

• Gratuities: The age-old question: how much to leave for a tip? “When asked,” David says, “we suggest 15 to 20 U.S. dollars per guest per day; maybe slightly less for the longer trips.”

Photo by Nels Freeman

• Beds: it’s crucial to let us know upon booking any mobility challenges you have and even your height. That way, we order the room most suited for you. Order far in advance for one of the limited number of cabins whose beds are configured in an L-shape. They’re easier to access than the usual king-size bed in the deluxe cabin.  Also, if you love a view, there is one exclusive cabin per car whose bed faces the window.

• Observation Car: For many IRT travelers,the outdoor platform is party central. Responding to popular demand, Rovos has enlarged the space to accommodate 12 sitting passengers—with their drinks.

• Rohan Vos: The brains and muscle behind the entire operation, Mr. Vos (Rohan, if you will) seems to be every returning traveler’s best friend. His secret? He works like a demon, knows every aspect of his operation and does his best to personally greet all Rovos Rail passengers, whether they’re boarding in Pretoria, Cape Town or elsewhere.

Photo by Nels Freeman

Meeting at Louisville’s classic Brown Hotel, IRT staff and David continued the discussion over dinner at the hotel’s English Grill that night. David had an early plane to catch the next morning, so there was no time for Kentucky sightseeing. Maybe next time!

Society owners Owen & Eleanor Hardy host one of Rovos Rail’s most ambitious trips, the July 2-15, 2011 Cape Town, S. Africa to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania trip. For information about this or any Rovos Rail trip, email us or call our office at (800) 478-4881. Or visit our website.

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Palace on Wheels to Offer Spa Services and Free Wi-Fi

30 Apr

India’s luxury train, Palace on Wheels, will start a Wi-Fi Internet facility on board as well as a spa, Economic Times of India recently reported.

According to Pradeep Bohra, the general manager of Palace on Wheels, these services will become available in August. “There will be extra charges for the spa while Wi-Fi will be free,”Bohra told Economic Times of India.

The Palace on Wheels is rated as one of the IRT Society’s Top 25 Trains.  It departs for Rajasthan and Agra for nine months out of the year. It remains closed May through July. The train runs a seven night and eight day tour leaving every Wednesday. For more information on the Palace on Wheels visit the IRT website http://www.irtsociety.com/trainDetail.php?id=13.

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