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 GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys' Antebellum South
March and April
This relaxed journey takes you through the mansions, gardens and battlefields of the South. From Spanish moss in Savannah, to horse-drawn carriages in Charleston, and Civil War sites and the home of Thomas Jefferson, you’ll experience the region’s enchanting culture. Travel in spring, the best time to visit this area, when it should be in full bloom. Karl Zimmermann will host March 30-April 5 departure.
Book by December 15 and receive an autographed copy of Karl Zimmermann's book, The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style
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 GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys' National Parks of the West
May, June, July
Join this magnificent journey through the beautiful National Parks—Grand
Tetons, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon—aboard the private GrandLuxe
Express. In addition to the scenic parks, you'll explore
Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sedona and Santa Fe, all the while enjoying
delicious meals paired with fine wines. Tour runs between Albuquerque, NM and Jackson, Wyoming.
Book by December 15 and receive an autographed copy of Karl Zimmermann's book, The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style
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 GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys' Great Northwestern National Parks
July; August; September
Retrace this 19th-century rail route through untamed wilderness—inhabited
by elk, eagles and grizzlies. Includes Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National Parks. Karl Zimmermann will host August 6-14 departure. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys formerly American Orient Express.
Book by December 15 and receive an autographed copy of Karl Zimmermann's book, The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style
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 GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys' Rockies, Sierras & Napa
October; November
Travel through the Rockies, Sierras, and Northern California’s fertile
vineyards on this exciting new itinerary. Beginning in Oakland, our train
travels north into the breathtaking Napa Valley, stopping for a day's visit
to one of the many wineries. Then continue east to Lake Tahoe, one of the
world's most beautiful lakes. Watch Nevada and Utah pass by before arriving
in Colorado, taking in Arches & Canyonlands National Parks along the
way. Karl Zimmermann hosts Oct. 29-Nov. 4 departure.
Book by December 15 and receive an autographed copy of Karl Zimmermann's book, The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style
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 GrandLuxe
Rail Journeys' Western and Pacific Coast Treasures
February, April, July
GrandLuxe Express takes you to Santa Fe’s adobe architecture, the Grand Canyon, Santa Barbara, the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco, Napa Valley’s vineyards and the Seattle area’s lush greenery and deep blue waters. A treat for all: the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
We predict this will be a favorite new itinerary because of extended time luxuriating on the train.
Book by December 15 and receive an autographed copy of Karl Zimmermann's book, The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style
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 Royal
Canadian Pacific
July 14-19; August 21-26; September 16-21
The Royal Canadian Pacific is the most luxurious way to explore western Canada. The ever-changing snow-caped Rocky Mountains provide a backdrop unlike any five-star hotel. Sir Winston Churchill, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth once enjoyed the cars that make up this elegant train. The all-luxury train (all compartments have full en-suite bathroom) accommodates only 32 guests and overnights on quiet sidings.
SPECIAL 2008 Trans-Canadian Pacific Cross-Country Excursion (Vancouver-Montreal): June 13-28
Experience the splendor of Canada from the uniquely intimate vantage point of the Royal Canadian Pacific. Starting from the seaside beauty of Vancouver, to the blule-sky sweep of the prairies, to the cultural richness of Montreal, this grand excursion is a rolling visual travelogue of Canada's historic and natural wonders.
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 Canadian
Rocky Mountain Steam Express
Sept. 27-Oct. 3 (Westbound); Oct. 4-10 (Eastbound)
Travel between Vancouver and Calgary through the Rocky Mountains. Our
train will be comprised of ex-California Zephyr cars with glass-domed
viewing and will be pulled by the Canadian Pacific Railway's heritage
steam engine 2816 Empress. Book early to ensure dome car seating!
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 The Danube Express > NEW TRAIN!
May, June, September, October
The Danube Expresss is a new, private train based in Budapest.
The train ’s four itineraries focus on Central Europe, although the train ventures as far as Istanbul.
A typical air-conditioned, eight-car Danube Express train will be an intimate experience with just 54 maximum passengers.
The Polish Explorer (Budapest-Warsaw)
Central Europe by Private Train (Budapest-Berlin)
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 Venice
Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Istanbul
Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2008; Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 2009
This once-a-year, week-long luxury trek recreates the original Orient Express Paris-Istanbul route, traveling through seven countries like a period Broadway musical on wheels, with palpable excitement at every stop. A celebration of beauty and history, this antique train is like a living, breathing grande dame. With restored, 1920s-vintage cars, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) is the world’s most authentic luxury train, complete with coal-heated sleeping cars and windows that open to fresh air (but no air-conditioning). Agatha Christie would approve of the VSOE’s carefully reconstructed marquetry, Lalique crystal, room furnishings, dishes, tableware and uniforms. The food and service throughout is five star.
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 Venice
Simplon-Orient-Express: Venice-Krakow-Paris
July 11-17, 2008
Travel across the Alps from dreamy Venice to the architectural gem of Krakow. Take in musical Vienna and end in the romantic city of Paris, with plenty of time to explore at your leisure on this new itinerary.
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 The
Royal Scotsman
Various dates
Scotland, with its gorgeous coast, rugged hills, open sky, its history and
culture—it's the perfect destination for a luxury train trip. And
The Royal Scotsman delivers. Visit romantic castles, historic distilleries
and enjoy some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. The sheer luxury of
the train itself is overwhelming, with its spacious cabins and lovely dining
rooms, open-air observation platform and impeccable staff. The food and
wine are famous around the world for their tasty perfection. |
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 The
Northern Belle Grand Tour
September
Following a circular route from London, this all-inclusive 7-day journey
passes through the spectacular countryside of England, Scotland and Wales.
Interspersed are visits to stately homes and castles, ancient cities and
monuments. While on board, guests enjoy a lively atmosphere of fine dining,
exquisite views and conversation among new friends. Overnight stays
in flagship hotels in Edinburgh and Chester. |
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 Swiss Steam Safari: A Celebraton of Steam through the Bernese Oberland
July 6-14
If you love steam trains, transportation networks, wildflowers, mountains and sparkling lakes, this is the trip for you! Includes chartered steam specials, trams, narrow-gauge rack railways, the Glacier Express and Eurostar. |
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 Classic Trains of Switzerland
July 6-14, 2008 or Sept. 14-22, 2008
Join us on this popular tour. This nine-day trip takes you through some truly stunning scenery and mountains, and allows you to experience the Swiss transport network—a vast network of trains, boats and buses which all connect with such clockwork precision, it’s quite literally, transport paradise!
This trip offers the very best in comfort as mostly we travel first class, with the exception of our ‘steam’ trains, as they don’t provide first class coaches, but we’re certain that once you’ve breathed in the fresh mountain air through the open ended balcony coaches, you’ll be too busy enjoying the spectacular scenery to notice. |
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 Austrian Steam Safari
August 6-16, 2008
Join us on an 11-day tour of Austria. We explore this lovely country including staying three nights in Innsbruck and two nights in Vienna, one of the world’s most romantic cities. In addition to exploring these famous cities, we travel on Austria’s modern rail system and visit narrow-gauge railways and enjoy two lake cruises. |
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 Steam Through Rural France
August 16-25, 2008
This tour allows us to appreciate the scenery and easy way of life in southern France using very fast trains to get there. Our tour takes in the beautiful Chemins de Fer de la Provence railway that runs from Nice to Digne, through the Alpes Maritime. This area is off the tourist track with quiet, unspoilt villages dating back to the Middle Ages. A ride along the Vivarais line, France’s premier preserved railway, is also included. Together with several steam hauled trains from Toulouse, this makes for a lovely holiday. |
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 Tatra Mountains Steam Express
June 13-23, 2008
An exclusive steam-hauled railtour on a circular route through Slovakia and Poland. June is a very pleasant time to visit the Tatra Mountains as there is usually little rain and plenty of sunshine. We start and finish in Budapest and visit several fine cities including Bratislava and Krakow. We will see pretty towns, villages and countryside as well as the beautiful Tatra Mountains from the luxury of the vintage Royal Hungarian Express, specially chartered for our group. The train has been superbly restored and consists of two day coaches, a baggage coach, and Wagon Lits dining and piano coaches.
During the tour we will be hauled by ten beautifully restored steam locomotives. These locomotives are magnificent, many would dwarf even the largest British steam engines, and will be a treat for those with an interest in steam locomotives. |
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 El Transcantabrico
March-October
Poking along 800 miles of incredible scenery across the northern coast of Spain at 40 mph, the meter-gauge El Transcantábrico skirts coastline, meanders among mountains, follows rivers and runs along deep canyons. The routine includes onboard breakfast and day touring by motorcoach to restaurants and sites not reachable by train. All nights are spent on the train, stationary at quiet sidings. |
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 The Black Sea Express
August 27-September 6, 2008
Travel by steam train through the most scenic parts of Bulgaria and small portions of Serbia. Starting in Belgrade we take in the historic town of Nis before continuing to Sofia, the narrow-gauge line to Bansko and then head through the mountains to the Romanian border spending three nights by the Danube. Last we head for Varna to spend a night at this major Black Sea resort. |
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Russia |
 Trans-Siberian
Express by Private Train
February, May, June, August, September
Don’t miss this private train journey on one of the world’s
longest and most famous routes: Russia’s Trans-Siberian Express. Travel
Vladivostok to Moscow—a 5,500-mile legendary trip—stopping in
remote Siberian towns along the way. Includes a tour of Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.
**SPECIAL 25th ANNIVERSARY JOURNEY: June 13-27, 2008 |
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 Naadam Festival (Mongolia)
July 1-13; July 10-22
Naadam is the biggest festival in Mongolia, held every year in July. Be among the few Westerners to experience this spectacular event. Participants compete in archery, wrestling and horse racing. Children in the horse racing range from five to 12 years old, some having been in the saddle since the age of one. Arrive Ulaan Baatar along the famed Trans-Siberian route from Moscow, with eight nights on board the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express.
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 Shangri-La
Express to Tibet
May, September, October
Be among the first to arrive Lhasa, Tibet, by train!
In 2006, China completed a 713-mile rail line from Golmud to Lhasa,
capital of Tibet. Join us on one of these exciting itineraries, discovering China by train, and exploring the magical Lhasa:
Hong Kong-Lhasa, 13 days
Beijing-Lhasa, 11 days -- NO single supplement on May departure!
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 Silk
Road by Private Train
April, October, November
What better way to experience this vast continent? This grand journey
travels from Beijing to Moscow via the famous Silk Road. Using two great
private trains, the Shangri-La Express and Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, we
will explore the route of Marco Polo along this 6,250-mile adventure.
Intriguing off-train stops include the Great Wall of China, The Forbidden
City, Tiananmen Square, the Terracotta Army in the ancient capital of
Xi'An, the Gobi Desert, Urumchi, Tashkent (capital of Uzbekistan), Samarkand,
Bukhara, Kara Kum desert, Khiva, Volgograd and Moscow.
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 The Palace on Wheels
September-April
Rajasthan, reputed “land of the Maharajas,” is a sprawling, relatively inaccessible northwest Indian state. Palace on Wheels is the perfect way to see the desolate deserts, hills marked with fort walls, legendary pavilions—even a shimmering white palace set in the middle of a serene lake. The train travels mostly by day; nights are spent at quiet sidings. Please note: It is highly advisable to book this train one year ahead.
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 Eastern & Oriental Express
Available year round
Twenty departures of this itinerary are scheduled for 2008. Other itineraries available. Please inquire.
Linking Singapore and Bangkok, this E&O “Two Tigers” tour provides a short but satisfying introduction to four great cultures, as revealed by the glittering Thai temples of Bangkok and Singapore’s exciting mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay architecture and cuisine. The mid-journey visit to the famed bridge over the River Kwai is an added bonus.
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Africa |
 Cape Town to Dar es Salaam by Pride of Africa
June 28-July 11; July 14-27, 2008
Perhaps Rovos Rail’s answer to the Orient-Express’ Paris-Istanbul gala, this 14-day epic journey travels through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. From Kimberley’s diamonds to the Kruger Park Game area, from the very British Victoria Falls Hotel to Africa’s Great Rift Valley, every day seems to outdo the previous one. As a grand finale, the train passes through the Selous Game Reserve, the largest on the Continent.
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 Cape to Cairo by Private Train, Jet and Ship
Consider one of the most dramatic journeys you could ever take: Cape to Cairo. This is the epic journey Cecil Rhodes dreamed of but never realized. Now you can live out his dream.
Enjoy the luxury of Rovos Rail combined with private, business-class-only air travel and a luxurious Nile cruise. The route is Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt or vice versa. Luxury train—probably the most luxurious in the world––is your method of travel between Cape Town and Dar es Salaam. Luxury jet takes you to Zanzibar, the Serengeti and Khartoum. Luxury Nile cruiser takes you from Aswan to Luxor.
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 Zambezi Steam Express
April 13-27, 2008
Enjoy the luxury of Rovos Rail with a railfan focus: steam-hauled 1,500 miles across southern Africa; runbys with a variety of steam traction as well as big-game viewing, top service and meals.
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Australia/New Zealand |
 Australia's Sunlander
Available year-round
Australia is a rail traveler’s dream. Scenic railways abound. The Indian Pacific and The Ghan, both transcontinental, are famous. But it’s the Sunlander that IRT members have found the most satisfying in recent years. We have developed a six-day independent itinerary from Cairns to Brisbane including the Sunlander.
Also available: 19-day Down Under Rail Extravaganza Tour
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 The New Zealand Steam Explorer
October 9-30, 2008
Enjoy a visit to New Zealand and watch the scenery of this beautiful country from the comfort of trains.
We will join in the centenary celebrations for the North Island Main Trunk line at the end of the tour. Our train will be steam hauled throughout using the locomotives of the main line trust fleet and other locomotives on preserved lines.
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South
America |
 Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca aboard the Hiram Bingham and Andean Explorer
Available year round
When The Society of International Railway Travelers embarked on our first tour to South America in 2007, little did we now it would be one of our most fabulous. The food, music, art, museums and people of Peru enchanted us. The first-class trains showed off Peru's dramatic natural beauty at its best. Discover historic Lima, magical Cusco and travel on the lovely Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu with an overnight at the exclusive Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel right at the ruins. Contact us to arrange your customized itinerary.
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 Steam Over the Roof of the World
Sept. 14-27, 2008
Join us on a wonderful trip to Columbia, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Visit Bogotá, Guayaquil and Quito; travel on many steam trains in Columbia and Ecuador including most of the way from Guayaquil to Quito by train, high in the Andes. Optional extension: a luxury cruise on the MV Santa Cruz to experience the wildlife and scenery of the fabulous Galapagos Islands, an unbelievable experience.
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 The Old Patagonian Express (Argentina & Chile)
Nov. 14-Dec. 1, 2008
Beginning in the exciting city of Buenos Aires, this tour takes in both Argentina and Chile. The highlight of the tour is the Old Patagonian Express, now operating the full length from Ingeniero Jacobacci through the wilderness to Esquel, deep in Patagonia. The famous Lake Crossing takes us through the Andes from Argentina into Chile, cruising across bewitching lakes, past giant mountains, high waterfalls, active volcanoes and magnificent glaciers. In Chile, we travel on a special steam charter from Valdivia to Temuco, eventually arriving in the beautiful city of Santiago. Also, spend a wonderful day sampling the local wine on the ‘Wine Train’.
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