Blue Train Cape Town - Pretoria

At the front of the train, just behind the engine room, is the Club Car, a wood-panelled carriage with plush furnishings and the atmosphere of a vintage high society cocktail bar. The middle section of the train houses a beautifully designed Lounge Car, where traditional English afternoon High Tea is served beneath huge windows to make the most of the landscape rolling past. Brunch and lavish five-course dinner banquets are served in the elegant silver-service Dining Car.

The beautiful sleeper carriages are equipped with air conditioning, underfloor heating, and opulent marble and gold-fitted bathrooms. Each has a digital interactive entertainment system, and wi-fi access. By day, the compartments are configured as comfortable private lounges; in the evening, they're transformed by your butler into a subtly lit bedroom with fine linens and goose-down duvets on twin or double beds, depending on your choice of suite. Room service is available around the clock via the direct-dial telephone.

Once you're ushered aboard and settled in, you're free to explore the carriages, enjoy a drink, and perhaps browse for mementos in the boutique. The train stops at Matjiesfontein in the late afternoon for a short visit, before resuming the onward leg towards Pretoria. The hospitality cars are open throughout the journey. Railway enthusiasts are welcome to chat to the onboard technicians, and there’s a direct camera link from the drivers’ perspective on the video channel in the suites.