This was published 8 years ago
Combined cruising and rail journeys: All hail the rail and sail trail
str8railcruise Belmond Eastern & Oriental ExpressCredit: Belmond
Taking lengthy rail and sea journeys was a glamorous affair (for privileged passengers) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Scenes from Murder on the Orient Express spring to mind and the words "ocean liner" conjure up images of lavishly appointed steamships carrying elegantly attired passengers across the globe.
Today, holidays that combine cruising and rail travel are enjoying their time in the sun once more – with leisurely river cruising being added to the mix.
BUBBLES AND BAUBLES
str8railcruise Belmond Eastern & Oriental ExpressCredit: Belmond
APT is introducing rail journeys aboard the privately-chartered Golden Eagle Danube Express that connect with the line's Magnificent Europe river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Next year's 10-night Champagne Express route loops back through Europe to Paris and the 12-night Jewels of Persia itinerary travels east from Budapest to Tehran, with a day and night's stop in Istanbul en route. The Golden Eagle Danube Express has two categories of sleeping cabins, restaurant cars (one or two, depending on the number of passengers) and a bar-lounge car.
You will need three or four weeks for these comprehensive itineraries, but for railway buffs who can't stretch to travelling for that length of time, APT's 15-day Magnificent Europe cruises also include a journey from Passau to Linz on board the fabulous Majestic Imperator train. This is a faithful recreation of the train used by Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife at the height of the Austro-Hungarian empire, complete with ornate carriages, white-gloved service and singing waiters. See aptouring.com.au.
COAST TO CREST
Belmond's Orcaella river ship cruises in Myanmar.Credit: Belmond
The famous Rocky Mountaineer rail company has been operating train journeys in the spectacular Canadian Rockies for 25 years. It teams up with Holland America Line to offer more than 50 rail-sail itineraries that take in Alaska by sea and the mountains by train. For example, its newest route, the 13-day Coastal Passage, combines a three-day Rocky Mountaineer trip from Banff to Vancouver; a separate day by train to Seattle via the coast; and a seven-night Alaska round-trip cruise from Seattle. See rockymountaineer.com.
NORTH TO ALASKA
Princess Cruises offers numerous packages that combine Alaska cruises with rail trips to the heart of the 2.4-million-hectare Denali National Park, where you stay at the Princess Denali Wilderness Lodge, near the park's entrance. Princess Tours' Ultra Dome rail cars travel daily from mid-May to mid-September between Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks; specially designed carriages afford panoramic views, guest seating in the dome and an open-air observation platform. The Direct to the Wilderness rail service whisks passengers from the cruise terminal in Whittier to the lodge in Denali. See princess.com.
Queen Adelaide dining car on board The Ghan.
AFRICA TO THE ORIENT
Heading to the southern hemisphere for equally magnificent scenery and wildlife, APT's 21-day African Adventure with Rovos Rail holiday packages up a 1600-kilometre railway journey aboard the vintage Rovos Rail train from Pretoria to Cape Town, a three-night safari cruise on the Chobe River aboard the Zambezi Queen in Botswana, with 11 exciting days of land touring, flights and visits to game reserves and wildlife parks in between.
Belmond, operator of such famous trains as the Venice Simplon Orient-Express in Europe and the Royal Scotsman and Northern Belle in Britain, also runs the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express in South-east Asia. Several times a year Eastern & Oriental Express trips link up with the company's river cruises in Myanmar on board the company's equally palatial river vessels Orcaella and The Road to Mandalay.
A sample itinerary would be to board the train at Bangkok for the three-night/four day trip to Singapore, stay in Singapore for a couple of days, then fly to Yangon to board one of the river ships for a two, three, four, seven or 10-night cruise on the Irrawaddy River. The train features a colonial-style wood-panelled observation car for sightseeing by day, and cocktails and entertainment after dark, a saloon with library, bar car, two dining cars and four categories of cabins. Belmond can tailor rail, sail and hotel packages to suit. See belmond.com.
THE WIDE BROWN LAND
Back on home turf – and ocean – rail-sail holidays are attracting unprecedented interest. Adalaide-based company Holidays of Australia offers dozens of packages that combine railway journeys on The Ghan and Indian Pacific with ocean cruises from Darwin, Sydney, Fremantle and more. A popular option is the 10-day Top End Wonders trip, which includes two nights aboard The Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin, stopping at Marla, Alice Springs and Katherine, followed by a seven-night cruise on Sea Princess from Darwin to Fremantle that calls at Broome and Geraldton.
New for 2016 is the 16-night Outback and Orient itinerary, which combines two nights on the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin, four nights in Darwin with a full-day Kakadu National Park tour and sunset harbour cruise, and a seven-night cruise from Darwin to Singapore on board Voyager of the Seas. A three-night stay in Singapore includes a city tour and breakfast at the Singapore Zoo. See holidaysofaustralia.com.au.
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