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Luxury Train Tours Around The UK
What better way to make the most of last minute holidays in Britain than to book yourself on to a luxury train as part of the trip?
There are several train journeys you can do traversing much of the UK in luxury trains. Orient Express run many trains across the land: the British Pullman, the Northern Belle and the Scotsman.
The British Pullman has a long heritage that stretches back to the glamorous ‘20s. At a time when people didn’t fly to Spain on cheap package holidays to resorts overcrowded with young people drinking too much, and cars weren’t in wide use either, the train was the way to get to your British holiday destination. Luxury trains travelled often to Bournemouth and Brighton and carriages from those trains have been painstakingly restored to give passengers who want a glimpse of that experience a chance to see what it might have been like. There are eleven individually decorated carriages that form the British Pullman and they each have a name.
It is a treat to dine on the train and they delight in gourmet five-course dinners with quality Champagne and a selection of wines. A lot of the key members of staff have been involved with the train for many years, and the head chef is no exception.
The train can go pretty much anywhere: historical sites, sporting events, great days out, you name it.
The Northern Belle doesn’t only travel around the North but goes from 62 stations around the country. It is similar in many ways to the British Pullman, having glorious veneers on the walls and fantastic mosaics on the floors in the bathrooms. There are Cornish weekends that take visitors to Padstow, the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan and St Mawes.
There are weekend breaks on the Northern Belle to St. Andrews for golfing or a trip a spa. Consider a trip to Edinburgh for Tattoo Weekend, which is not about ink on your skin, but military drumming and marching as well as spectacular fireworks. They also go to the Lake District, York and Inverness.
The trains do signature journeys that focus very much on the food as well as special Christmas journeys with entertainment and decoration plus optional carol singing and visits to Christmas markets.
Trains also go to popular British events such as Royal Ascot and the Chelsea Flower Show.
Recently the British Pullman has had the exciting addition of onboard Christmas shopping experiences added to its itineraries. The slant is that shopping on the high street in the period leading up to the big festive occasion can be stressful. Why not enjoy shopping while travelling in a luxury carriage eating gourmet food? They have Harrods, the world-famous London department store in one carriage; Brora, the luxury Scottish cashmere company; Cath Kidston, the quirky kitsch designer’s brand; Ettinger who make handcrafted leather products such as bags, photo frames and covered notebooks; and Miller Harris who create perfumes and have 20 years worth of experience as perfumers.
Sophie Collard writes sophieontrack.com about fascinating places to visit and people she’s met while on her travels. She’s travelled in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia and loves the sense of distance and changing landscapes.