When somebody mentions the words train travel to you, do you immediately think of lines of InterCity carriages in grubby railway stations being boarded by grey faced commuters? That has been one side of traveling by rail, admittedly, the commerce side - necessary, but about as much fun as a jump into cold porridge. Even so, travelling by means of rail beats automobile journeys hands down - no queues, no road rage and also a journey smooth enough to have the ability to read, work or drink a coffee devoid of spilling it.
But perhaps you have thought there’s a different side to Train Travel going on holiday via train just for the fun of it and travelling to remarkable destinations throughout the UK and Europe. Visualize romance, think of luxury, think of ease, think of excellent cuisine and top quality wine served in lavish surroundings; the trappings of a bygone ages of modishness that you simply thought had vanished forever.
Imagine the Orient Express.
Taking a trip on the Orient Express is like travelling to a new and thrilling world. Envision going to great European metropolitan areas like Venice and Prague on the historic Simplon Orient Express that still makes use of the original carriages built in the 1920s complete with magnificent Lalique Glass panels, wonderful Art Deco interiors and antique wooden burning stoves.
It seems wrong to set the Orient Express being simply a train; this is more like a five-star hotel on rails. If you take the trip from Venice to London you can still voyage passing through Prague, spending a couple of days in that amazing, historic metropolis within the luxury of its only five-star hotel. Try biking or hiking in the sweeping Bohemian countryside where you feel one may see to the tip of the earth, or have a very less active day having a drive in an open carriage ending with a picnic. At the end of the day go back to the Orient Express for a superb meal served by white- jacketed waiters whose only job is to anticipate your every need. What a life!
The romantic charisma and grandeur of the Orient Express calls for you back in time; everyone dresses for dinner, and hours of daylight tea is served each on fine china that Agatha Christie herself would have approved of. And not a murder in glimpse ?.
It has to be admitted that travelling on the Orient Express is not cheap (did you expect it to be?), however it may turn out to be better value than you first think, with prices including all meals, service and personal accommodation. Hence if you yearn for the romance and luxury of a trip on the Orient Express, prices start from around £500 for London to Paris (one day), up to £5,000 for the ultimate five night trip Paris to Istanbul. Definitely the trip of your lifetime!