Tag Archives: deluxe trains

Opera & Ballet Deluxe Rail Tours in Russia/Ukraine; Mongolia

17 Dec

We were thrilled to welcome Iain Dacre and Georgina Sprunt of GW Travel in Manchester, England, to the Society of IRT  this week. GW operates deluxe railway journeys in Russia, China and India on four of our World’s Top 25 Trains: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian, Shangri-La Express, Deccan Odyssey and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. We hosted them at one of our great locally owned restaurants, and learned what’s new for next year and 2012:

Holding IRT's recently presented Magellan Awards are, from left: Angela Walker, VP-Operations, IRT; Owen Hardy, CEO/Publisher, IRT; Eleanor Hardy, President, IRT; Georgina Sprunt, Sales Manager, N. America, GW; Iain Dacre, Managing Director, GW.

Opera & Ballet Deluxe Train Tour: Since Owen and I are big-time opera fans, this “Dr. Zhivago-style” winter-wonderland tour through Russia and the Ukraine really appeals. So many times, we travel to places when the opera is not in season, a huge disappointment. Instead, book now for a deluxe hotel-on-wheels adventure combining opera and ballet tickets (including entrance to the Bolshoi and Mariinksy Theatres) with all meals, all gratuities, all transfers, all hotels needed. Imagine trying to do this on your own; with this program, all you do is show up and enjoy!

Pricing: It had to happen. Prices for most GW tours will going up by as much as 15%, with the first increases coming in the next few months. So book now to guarantee your price for 2011 and 2012.  Does your “bucket list” include the Trans-Siberian Express, the Trans-Mongolian (see below), the Silk Road, Tibet, China or India? If so, you’d be wise to call us now. (800-478-4881 in the U.S.; 502-454-0277 elsewhere). Or email: tourdesk@irtsociety.com.  About pricing: remember all GW trips include all arrival/departure transfers, all gratuities, all meals, all drinks with lunch and dinner. This makes their trips a true vacation: you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Trans-Mongolian: If you enjoyed the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok, consider the new Trans-Mongolian itinerary: Beijing-Ulaan Baatar-Moscow. This one’s going on our bucket list. (Well, OK, in addition to the opera/ballet tour.)

So let us know what you think about these itineraries. Is opera  your thing? What about the Trans-Mongolian?

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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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