Blue Train

The Blue Train is South Africas ultimate luxury train travel

The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about it. Kings and presidents have travelled on this magnificent moving five-star hotel. Its very name has become synonymous with the ultimate in luxury and personal service.

The routes of The Blue Train - both scheduled and chartered - take guests through some of the most breathtaking countryside to be found anywhere in the world. As the ever-changing scenery flashes past the windows, guests can savour exquisite meals freshly prepared on board by top chefs. The meals on the Blue Train are complimented by the best wines South Africa has to offer.

The suites on The Blue Train live up to its reputation for magnificence and splendour. The finest bed linen, marble tiles and gold fittings in the bathrooms and sheer opulence all ensure that guests will never forget the time they spend on The Blue Train.

When you choose to travel on The Blue Train, you choose to travel in a world of grace, elegance and romance.

The Blue Train Routes

Pretoria - Cape Town - Pretoria

The route between Pretoria and Cape Town is a 27-hour journey of 1 600 kilometres (994 miles), through some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.

On the southbound trip, the train departs from Pretoria mid-morning and arrive in Cape Town just after lunch the following day. En route the train stops at the famous diamond town of Kimberley where guests can explore the Diamond Museum and the Big Hole, the biggest man-made hole in the world.

On the northbound journey, the train leaves Cape Town just before noon and arrives in Pretoria in time for high tea the following day. It stops at the historic town Matjiesfontein, where guests can visit the famous Lord Milner Hotel and the old car museum.

Pretoria - Durban route

The Durban route takes guests from Pretoria to Zimbali Lodge in Durban. The package includes two nights accommodation on The Blue Train and two nights at Zimbali Lodge. Zimbali Lodge, home to a spectacular 18-hole golf course, is the golfers ideal retreat. It boasts indigenous trees, natural streams and ponds which create a dramatic and beautiful setting.

Guests who are not interested in golf are treated to leisurely days being pampered with health spa treatments. On the last day, guests are transferred to Durban Station where the train departs for Pretoria.

The Blue Train Bakubung Game Lodge Bonanza

This route takes guests from Pretoria to Bakubung Game Lodge for an unforgettable two night stay, with daily game drives accompanied by qualified rangers and trackers.

About The Blue Train

In ensuring that your experience is as reliable and sound as it is luxurious, safety and technical excellence are of paramount importance on The Blue Train.

All the suites, and every public area, are fitted with constantly monitored smoke detection systems. Two highly qualified technicians are always on board, and the trains are thoroughly serviced at the Pretoria depot after every return trip.

The Blue Trains suspension, braking, lighting and under-floor heating systems have been designed and customised with our guests comfort as the primary consideration, allowing them to savour the experience of a smooth, pleasurable ride.

Every modern convenience, including a telephone service and a choice of digital entertainment channels, serves to make the journey all the more memorable.

For the comfort of guests, each suite has individual temperature controls which range from 18 to 24°C (65 to 77°F). These systems are water-cooled and each suite has its own fresh air intake.

During cold periods, all systems are provided with heating cycles from the air-conditioning units, as well as under-floor heating. Heating systems have been fitted under the marble tiles of most of the bathrooms.

Each suite has its own bathroom with either a shower or bath. There are two luxury coaches which both have three suites with bathrooms fitted with tubs. The other nine De Luxe coaches have four suites per coach. One of the four suites has a bathroom with a bath, while the other three have showers.

The beds have been custom-designed for The Blue Train. A butler pulls them out, already made, from a space in the suite wall, converting the lounge into a comfortable bedroom. White cotton sheets and down duvets are the standard linen throughout the train. Ten of the suites feature double beds on the first train, while there are nine on the second.

The luxury suites have hi-fi, audio CD and VHS video systems.

Guests on The Blue Train receive special branded gifts at the end of the journey.

The dining car provides seating for 42 people. There are two sittings for lunch and dinner. Lunch is smart-casual, dinner is jacket and tie for the men and elegant wear for the ladies, while breakfast is casual.

Each of The Blue Trains has two lounges: the main lounge car in which high tea is served each afternoon, and the club car where guests can relax over a post-prandial cognac. The club car is the only public area available for smoking.

On each journey, a team of highly qualified and specially trained hospitality staff run The Blue Train. These include, train manager, rooms division supervisor, restaurant supervisor, executive chef, sous chef, butlers, waiters/barmen as well as kitchen staff.