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Blue Train Africa, South Africa The Blue Train
       View Full Gallery Here »  Fay says, “The 2-day journey on the renowned Blue Train between Pretoria and Cape Town is trouble-free and luxurious, fitting naturally into your touring plans for South Africa.” Members of the Club (free to join) benefit from: - discount off the published prices of any journey; - a thank-you gift for every booking; - a gift from the Train for 2013 & 2014: free pre-/post-trip hotel stay & Cape Town hop-on hop-off bus tour vouchers. ABOUT THE TRAINLuxury assumes a new dimension on The Blue Train which you will feel from the moment you step on board this newly re-furbished train, which has been synonymous with luxury and hospitality since 1946. Guests can expect personal and attentive service, a dedicated butler, sumptuous accommodation, sublime fine-dining and exquisite wines. The Blue Train offers scheduled and charter services. The scheduled route is from Pretoria to Cape Town or vice versa, and the charter routes are from either Pretoria to Durban or Pretoria to Hoedspruit. Accommodation Suites on the Blue Train Suites The suite is an elegant spacious lounge by day and a sanctuary by night with goose down duvets and pillows. Private bathrooms offer marble floor and wall tiles, marble basins with gold fittings, along with a shower/bath and under-floor heating in both the bathroom and bedroom. All the suites have a writing desk, ideally positioned next to the window, where you can enjoy the view in style whilst putting pen to paper. Also provided are air-conditioning, radio/movie channels and a link to the driver’s-eye-view camera. The GPS map on an overhead monitor means you can keep track of progress. There are two types of suites. The Luxury Suite has either twin or double bedded options with a long, deep bath for slow, luxuriant soaking – a rare treat on a train. The Luxury Suite extends the choice of radio and movie channels even further, with a private digital entertainment centre and a selection of music CDs and big-screen movies on DVD. The De Luxe Suite features twin beds with shower, or a double bed with bath tub and hand held shower. Dining CarHere the reassuring weight of Sheffield cutlery and crystal glassware on crisp white linen set the tone for the delights to follow. Choose from two dinnertime sittings, or dine in your suite. The dining car seats 42 people, with 2 sittings for lunch and dinner. Each meal is accompanied by a selection of equally tasteful background music, ranging from smooth jazz to light classical to the mellow tones of the Soweto String Quartet. Lounge Car & Club CarLinking the private suites are two wooden-panelled cars – The Blue Train’s Lounge and Club Cars are ideal for an apéritif, an interlude between meals, or an after-dinner conversation. Smoking is permitted in the Club Car. Entertainment includes cards, chess, or backgammon, or a volume from the library. In the main lounge car, high tea is served each afternoon. A video camera on the front locomotive gives a driver’s eye view of the scenery and is shown on a screen in the club car and on a TV channel in the suites. The burnished surroundings of the club car is the single public area where smoking is permitted. Conference CarThe conference car is the ideal setting for meetings, seminars, think-tanks or get-togethers with a difference. With sufficient notice, the conference car can be adapted for smaller and less formal sessions. With full business facilities, plush lounge seating and breath-taking panoramas of the passing countryside, this is an experience that no client or colleague will ever forget. CateringContinental or full English breakfast are served at your leisure. Lunch and dinner menus feature a selection of local cuisine from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters, accompanied by award-winning cultivars from the Cape winelands. Prepared from the freshest produce and ingredients, artfully presented in the finest Silver Service tradition, The Blue Train’s legendary cuisine is an irresistible tribute to culinary mastery. The Blue Train is fully equipped to accommodate vegetarian, Halaal, Kosher or other special dietary requirements, which should be specified when you make your reservation. Join us at one of two dinnertime sittings, or savour your meal in the comfort of your suite. A Continental or full English breakfast is served at your leisure.
ItineraryThe real star of this journey is the African landscape, hence only one stop on the northbound journey and one stop on the southbound journey. Matjiesfontein (Northbound journey) Founded by an immigrant Scotsman at a minor railway stop in 1884, Matjiesfontein became a fashionable oasis for the rich and privileged, renowned for a climate beneficial for chest complaints. Visited by Lord Randolph Churchill and Rudyard Kipling alike, it was also home to Olive Schreiner, one of South Africa’s first feminist writers. Kimberly (Southbound journey): Following departure from Pretoria, and after brunch and high tea, the Blue Train arrives at Kimberley Station. Guests visit the railway museum, followed by an old tram for a ride down to the Open Mine Museum and a tour of the mine. The tour includes a chance to win a diamond. Guests are taken onto an enclosed ramp on the edge of the Kimberly hole. Guests then return to the train for dinner, overnight and the remainder of the journey to Cape Town. Route & Map This is a 27-hour journey of 1,600 kilometres (994 miles) each way, through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent. Southbound, the Blue Train departs Pretoria at 08:50 and arrives Cape Town at 12:00 the following day. En route to Cape Town there is an excursion in Kimberley, where we take a step back in time to the days of the diamond rush. Northbound, the Blue Train leaves Cape Town at 08.50 and arrives Pretoria at 12.30 the next day. It stops at the historic town Matjiesfontein, where guests can visit the famous Lord Milner Hotel and the old car museum. Guests must check in at least 1 hour before departure at The Blue Train lounges in Pretoria and Cape Town.
Dates and Prices2013Pretoria to Cape Town: January 7, 14, 21, 28. February 4, 11, 18, 25. March 4, 11, 18, 25. April 8, 15, 22, 29. May 3, 15, 20, 27. June 3, 10, 17, 24. July 1, 10, 15, 22, 29. August 5, 12, 19, 26. September 2, 9, 16, 25, 30. October 7, 14, 21, 28. November 4, 11, 20, 25. December 2, 9, 16. Cape Town to Pretoria: January 9, 16, 23, 30. February 6, 13, 20, 27. March 6, 13, 20, 27. April 10, 17, 24. May 1, 6, 17, 22, 29. June 5, 12, 19, 26. July 3, 12, 17, 24, 31. August 7, 14, 21, 28. September 4, 11, 18, 27. October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. November 6, 13, 22, 27. December 4, 11, 18. Rates are per person. LOW SEASON:
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Join The Luxury Train Club:For exclusive offers, new train journeys and late availability. Travel AgentsIf you are a travel agent you can book through us too - using World Train Travel.Booking For Travel AgentsOther Services We OfferPrivate Rail Car RentalsPrivate rail cars give you the luxury of time alone with the people who matter most.Rail ChartersEscorted group train travel, with project and guest management.Baggage DeliveryHave your bags delivered to your Train. |
