Holidays with the Blue Train

S ynonymous with luxury travel and breathtaking scenery, South Africa’s famous Blue Train is a must for everyone who enjoys rail travel. The train runs through 1600 km of African landscape, starting in South Africa’s administrative capital Pretoria and finishing in the world-famous city of Cape Town.

Like its famous cousin, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Blue Train can identify its luxurious roots in the prosperous 1920s. The trains now tracing this route across the southern tip of Africa offer every modern luxury and the opulence of the carriages is matched only by the incredible scenery which glides pasts the windows.

The train’s well-appointed suites provide guests with space in which to relax during the day, and are then transformed at night into luxurious bedrooms. Guests have the opportunity to mingle in the train’s beautiful dining car and lounges, and the train’s on-board stewards provide a first-class service throughout the journey, ensuring every passenger has a truly memorable experience.

Our holidays with the Blue Train

The Blue Train
The Blue Train: Pretoria to Cape Town
The Blue Train: Pretoria to Cape Town From $3,799 per person // 8 days Ride the famous Blue Train across South Africa, starting in the nation’s capital and travelling West through beautiful scenery. Your holiday finishes in Cape Town, with four days in sight of Table Mountain and all the other sights of this wonderful city.

The Compartments

The Blue Train

Guests on the Blue Train have a choice of two types of cabin: De Luxe and Luxury.

De Luxe Suites are beautifully appointed with a wide-range of facilities to ensure guests’ comfort: air-conditioning, underfloor heating, marble and gold-fitted bathrooms, scented bath salts and thick monogrammed towels, as well as a wide range of electronic entertainment options. The beds are made up with luxurious goose-down bedding to help ensure a good night’s rest.

The Blue Train’s De Luxe coaches each have four suites. One of these suites has a double bed and a ¾ size bathtub with handheld shower, whilst the others offer very comfortable twin beds and showers.

Luxury Suites indulges guests’ need to relax even further. In addition to the amenities in a De Luxe Suite, you will also benefit from the services of a personal butler and enjoy a larger room which allows for full-size bathtubs, a private digital interactive entertainment system, and a wide selection of music CDs and big-screen movies on Blu-Ray DVD.

De Luxe Twin
Room with a View
Double bed
Deluxe Suite
Bathroom
Luxury Suite - Daytime
Luxury Suite Double At Night
De Luxe Suites
The Blue Train

De Luxe Suites have either twin or double beds, made up with goose-down and 100% cotton bedding. All suites feature individually controlled air-conditioning, under-floor heating and Wi-Fi access. Opulent marble and gold-fitted bathrooms are stocked with scented bath salts and plush monogrammed towels

The De Luxe coaches each carry four suites that measure 4 by 2 metres (13 ft x 6ft 6 in). One of these contains a double bed and a ¾ size bath tub with handheld shower, while the others have twin beds with showers.

 

Luxury Suites
The Blue Train

Luxury Suites 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 (17 ft x 6ft 6 in) and give you the option of twin beds or a double bed.

 

 

The pleasure of dining

The Blue Train
The pleasure of dining
The Blue Train

The restaurant cars on the Blue Train combine fine dining with a truly exceptional service. Varied and evolving menus using fresh, local ingredients – including Karoo lamb, ostrich, and Knysna oysters – are prepared by expert chefs and you will enjoy your dinner in opulent surroundings with African scenery rolling past your window.

Underscoring the Dining Car’s atmosphere is a delightful selection of tasteful background music, ranging from smooth jazz to light classical to the mellow tones of the Soweto String Quartet.

If you require Kosher or Halal meals, or gluten-free vegan options, simply make your needs known at the time of reserving your holiday. You will also need to reserve your ideal dinner sitting time. The Dining Car comfortably accommodates 42 guests in a single sitting and, in the event of having more guests on the train, meals are served in two sittings to ensure all guests experience utter luxury.

Relaxing Lounges
The Blue Train

The Blue Train offers two handsome lounges, where you can relax and meet other guests. The wood-panelled Club Car is an ideal place in which to enjoy a Cuban cigar, a digestif, and perhaps a game of backgammon or cards after dinner.

Guests can also frequent the beautiful Lounge Car which is well-suited to enjoying the views of the constantly changing countryside. The Lounge Car offers guests the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon High Tea and in the evening, it is a wonderful space to have another glass of award-winning South African wine, or perhaps to sample some Port after dinner.

Dress code
Dress code
The Blue Train

Smart-casual dress is appropriate for lunch on the Blue Train, but dinner is more formal with gentlemen wearing a jacket and tie and ladies elegant eveningwear.

Tailor Make Your Holiday

The Blue Train

Any of our holidays with the Blue Train can be extended with extra nights in Pretoria and/ or Cape Town. If you take the journey from Cape Town to Pretoria, it’s also possible to end your holiday on a high with a visit to Kruger National Park and a few nights in a safari lodge.

If you would rather book your own flights, that’s fine too. Just let us know your requirements.

Gallery

The Blue Train