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Italia! Lake front cafés, cliff top villages and cucina Italiana. Discover the best of Italy on a rail adventure.
Summer / Autumn 2014
DEPARTURES A FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO SOUTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL EUROPE’S BEST GARDENS MAKING TRACKS THROUGH THE BALKANS PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME YOUR HOLIDAY QUESTIONS ANSWERED
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Your route calls at... Welcome aboard...
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elcome to the first issue of our new bi-annual Railbookers magazine! All Aboard is packed full of inspiring holiday ideas, useful information and exciting travelogues written by some of the journalists who have travelled with us in the last year. Peter Morrell gives us a guided tour of the exciting cultural renovations that have been happening in Amsterdam including the Rijksmuseum and the beautiful Concertgebouw. Award winning writer Adrian Phillips takes us on a journey through the Balkans to the Croatian coast. We get hot tips on city sights from the concierge at the prestigious Adlon Kempinski Berlin and beyond Europe, our own Product Manager, Dominic, tells us why the Maharajas’ Express is the best way to see India. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine. Let us know what you think at allaboard@railbookers.co.nz
Emily Emily Morrison EDITOR
All Aboard
Summer / Autumm 2014
Design & Artwork by Matthew Murphy
1st stop | P4 South of France The postimpressionists’ Provence and the Côte d’Azur.
2nd stop | P5 Amsterdam
Peter Morrell takes us through the cultural highlights.
3rd stop | P6 New Zealand Land of sheep, glowworms and hobbits.
8th stop | P14 Paris Sandra Harris Ramini stars in her own Parisian romcom.
9th stop | P17 Dublin Guinness, craic and blarney from the Irish capital.
A rail adventure with Adrian Phillips.
7th stop | P13 Top 5 Gardens
The Man in Seat 61 gives us the inside track.
5th stop | P11 The Orient-Express Unforgettable journeys through Europe and beyond.
6th stop | P12 Kempinski Concierge Guide
Floral glory from around Europe.
11th stop | P22 Barcelona at High Speed
10th stop | P18 Italy
4th stop | P8 The Balkans
Top travel tips on Berlin from a true expert.
12th stop | P24 Spain & Portugal
A mouth watering journey by Christine Salins.
The best destination for history, culture and food?
15th stop | P31 Ask the Expert
16th stop | P33 Waiting Room
13th stop | P26 Trans-Siberian Express
Our Travel Centre Manager answers your questions.
Puzzles.
14th stop | P28 Rocky Mountaineer 17th stop | P34 My Favourite Rail Journey
Dominic takes the luxury route through India.
Next Issue
Rapid rivers, dramatic canyons and majestic peaks.
Peter Lynch hops aboard the Tsar’s Gold.
Destination | South of France
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An A rt L ove r ’s D re am Azure skies, bowed green pines, turquoise sea, ochre soil and yellow sunflowers: See the vibrant palettes of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso in the landscapes of Southern France.
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he Midi fires the senses: makes your hand more agile, your eye sharper, your brain clearer” wrote Vincent van Gogh, who went through his most intensive and extraordinary period of work during his stay in the Roman city of Arles, painting more than 200 canvases in 15 months. Van Gogh and Gauguin are associated with Arles, Cézanne with Aix en Provence, where he was born and where he eventually returned after a formative period of work in Paris. Paul Signac and Henri Matisse are linked to Saint Tropez and Nice. Matisse moved to the South of France after World War I and remained there until he died in Nice in 1954. He famously designed the interior and stained glass windows of the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence.
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You can still wander into a painting at the Café Van Gogh in Arles, instantly recognisable as the subject of the famous painting, Café Terrace at Night.
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Alternatively, visit Pablo Picasso’s former studio, now a museum of his work at the Palais Grimaldi or Paul Cézanne’s house, preserved exactly as he left it with his hat still on its peg and an empty wine glass on the table.
Images 01 Espace Van Gogh, Arles 02 Côte d’Azur 03 Provençal landscape
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Destination | Amsterdam
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Ci t y of Ar ts & C ulture A
msterdam is the ideal city to visit if you want culture to be the major focus of your short break. The moment that you arrive by train you are in the middle of an architectural treasure, the Centraal station, itself a NeoRenaissance wonder. In 2013, the world class Rijksmuseum re-opened its doors after 10 years of renovation. Completely re-curated, the only painting re-hung in its original position is Rembrandt’s The Night Watch. Before getting to this masterpiece you take a chronological tour through 800 years of Dutch art. There are 80 galleries exhibiting more than 8000 paintings, sculptures and artefacts shown at their best with specially designed lighting. Opposite the Rijksmuseum on Museum Square is the Concertgebouw, the city’s home of classical music, currently celebrating its 125th anniversary and a complete refurbishment. It is reckoned to have the best acoustics in the world and having heard Beethoven’s powerful Third Symphony, the Eroica there, I would agree. 03 Across the road is the Stedelijk Museum. Railbookers
Peter Morrell reviews the recent cultural renovations and refurbishments in the Dutch capital and suggests some old favourites to visit
Re-opened in late 2012 with an ultra modern extension known by locals as the ‘Bathtub’, the museum houses a superb collection of modern and contemporary art. Next door is the Van Gogh Museum, again renovated during 2013, it is the place to see Sunflowers and to learn more about the artist and the evolution of his work.
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Stroll across the River Amstel and you will come to the elegant Hermitage Museum. As the name suggests, this art gallery exhibits works drawn from its parent in St Petersburg, Russia. It gives you the opportunity to see treasures from one of the
world’s greatest collections. Just around the corner is Rembrandt’s House. Beautifully preserved, the rooms and exhibits tell his life story. Amazingly, the mortgage repayments on this property bankrupted him. Moving to modern times, a free ferry from behind Centraal Station takes you across the River Ij to the spectacular new EYE Film Institute. Here you will find everything related to cinematography and after your visit, why not take a coffee on the al fresco terrace with its unparalleled views of Amsterdam’s skyline? Amsterdam is a must visit city for culture lovers, with its museums, art galleries, attractive canals and architecture. And when you take a break from the culture, there are a host of bars, cafés and restaurants to relax in. Peter Morrell writes about food, travel and culture and is managing editor of the websites AboutMyGeneration and The Cultural Voyager. In 2013 he was given the award ‘Journalist of the Year’ by the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions in the UK.
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Destination | New Zealand
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Destination | New Zealand Where else would you see erupting geysers, caves lit with glow worms, hobbit holes, streams running with flecks of gold and beautiful wharenui (Maori meeting houses)?
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Images 01 Lupins on the shore of the Rees River, Glenorchy (opposite) 02 Auckland Harbour 03 Milford Sound
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famous travel journalist was recently quoted wondering why anyone would travel 10,000 miles around the globe to New Zealand when the Scottish Highlands offer similar landscapes and just as many sheep. Having recently visited Scotland I can see the similarity. The Highlands are wild, remote, stunning; and it can’t be denied that New Zealand is a long, long way away.
In fact, it was this remoteness that made it one of the last countries in the world to be settled by humans, sometime during the late 13th century. New Zealand is 900 miles south of Australia and 600 miles away from the Polynesian Islands of Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia. Its isolation also led to a unique evolution of flora and fauna, most notably hundreds of species of indigenous birds. Split into two islands and lapped by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Tasman Sea on the other, New Zealand can’t really be
compared to any other country in the world. Where else can you spend the morning skiing and then relax on the beach in the afternoon? Where else would you see erupting geysers, caves lit with glow worms, hobbit holes, streams running with flecks of gold and beautiful wharenui (Maori meeting houses)? Taking a drive along the Ten Mile Beach, watching the brilliantly bright stars of the southern hemisphere from the shores of Lake Tekapo, swimming with dolphins in the Bay of Islands, or enjoying a languid lunch after a substantial wineries tour in Marlborough; these are just some of the experiences you won’t have anywhere else. It’s true that in genuine Glaswegian style, you may enjoy some fish and chips wrapped in paper at the end of the day, but believe me, New Zealand’s fish and chips are uniquely delicious. I have been spoilt for life. By Emily Morrison
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Destination | The Balkans
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e chatted hard, the taxi man, as he drove us from the station to our Belgrade hotel. “I have never left Serbia. I learn English from magazines – I practice, practice.” I watched the back of his head while he practiced now, a swirl of grey hair bouncing with every gesture as he careered from one broken story to the next. Finally he paused to look at us in the mirror. “You married? I been married 27 years; I very old – first was God, then I born.” Monika and I were indeed married, although we’d been man and wife for a rather shorter time – just two days in fact. Bridesmaids had raised shapely eyebrows 8
at our decision to honeymoon on a train trip through the Balkans rather than on a beach in Barbados. But everybody knows romance rides the railway: hadn’t they seen Brief Encounter? And so we’d boarded at Budapest with a bag of pastries and a Railbookers itinerary taking us through the former Yugoslavia, and settled back alongside a rolling ribbon of red tractors and rural steeples. You couldn’t call Belgrade a pretty city – its buildings have a greyness that lingers even when the sun comes out – but there was no shortage of colour nonetheless as we joined our Serbian guide, Srdan Ristic, for a tour of the capital. Street performers juggled on the old town’s
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pedestrian thoroughfare, Knez Mihailova, while restaurants with quirky names like “My Hat” and “Two Deer” buzzed with customers on Skadarska Street. Belgrade’s nightlife had been voted the best on earth, Srdan informed us. “You can get a four-course meal at 6am!” It was good to know. We left the centre and climbed up to Belgrade Fortress, spread among chestnut trees on its high bluff above the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. This is where young lovers stroll. However, the name of the surrounding Kalemegdan Park (from Turkish slang for “battlefield”) points to a pricklier past. On average, Belgrade has experienced Railbookers
Destination | The Balkans conflict every 35 years and the walls of the fort have seen their share of action. Next day, our three-carriage train for the nine-hour international journey to Sarajevo left at 8.15am. A steady stream of students trickled to the corridor outside our compartment to drop the windows and ignore the no-smoking signs. Outside crows flew above neverending cornfields and a man scanned furrows with what looked like a metal detector.
European history. Between 1992 and 1996, 11,000 people died as Slobodan Miloševic tried to cow the population and assimilate the country into a Greater Serbia. Follow one of the steep roads from the centre and you’ll look down on a cheerful
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“Sarajevo: the Jerusalem of Europe!” “Sarajevo: the city of contrasts!” We’d rolled our eyes at the brochures’ puffs but on arrival late that afternoon we had to admit there was clout behind the clichés. Alleys of the Turkish quarter, the Ottoman centre between the 15th and 19th centuries, tapped to the tune of coppersmiths’ hammers. Little shops were hung with hand-woven carpets. Locals sucked strong coffee through lumps of sugar in the courtyard of a former caravanserai. And yet a short walk brought us to the broad steps of the Catholic cathedral and the grand shapes of neo-classical apartments. It was as if we’d crossed from Marrakech to Vienna in the space of three minutes. Bosnia’s capital is stimulating and romantic, its heart conjoined twins of distinct cultural flavours. But brooding in the background, camped at the edges of the city, are the silent hills that hid Serb tanks during the longest siege in modern
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canvas of terracotta roofs and turquoisedomed mosques, on cemeteries with headstones like rows of skewered chalk – and on a pitifully vulnerable city. The “Tunnel of Hope” was the citizens’ only lifeline during those 1,400 days of siege. Dug with makeshift tools by the Bosnian army, it opened beneath an unremarkable house in the tatty suburb of Butmir, snaked under the runway of the UN-controlled airport and emerged in the kitchen of another unremarkable house in Dobrinja. Today the Kolar family runs a memorial museum from their Butmir home, carefully
preserving a short stretch of the tunnel that led from their garage. As we ducked to enter, I hit my forehead on a timber beam; it was gloomy and damp and uncomfortably cramped. Thousands passed through this waterlogged passage, creeping for nearly a kilometre with bended backs and heavy packs. Bullets and petrol were carried inches from oil lamps strung along the walls, while all around the shells fell. The wooden props and underfoot planking might have come straight from the trenches of the First World War, yet this was a tunnel used just 20 years ago. Afterwards we watched grainy footage of grandma Kolar feeding cups of water to skinny soldiers climbing blinking from the darkness. I rubbed my forehead and glanced across at Monika; her face was streaked with tears. The next stage took us from the capital of Bosnia to the capital of Herzegovina. The 125km route south-west through the Dinaric Alps from Sarajevo to Mostar is said to be one of the prettiest rail journeys in Europe. But a strike by train workers meant we had to cover the distance by road. It wound through hamlets set in forest as thick as moss and past sheep turning on spits at roadside ovens. The Neretva River opened into an emerald-coloured lake, and then we reached a notch in the mountains and passed through the gateway to Herzegovina. Mostar is synonymous with the Stari Most – the bridge at its core. The town’s very name comes from the word mostari or “bridge keepers”. When we arrived, the modern-day keepers seemed to be a pair of
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Destination | The Balkans chunky locals in bulging Speedos. A crowd formed as the keepers lifted themselves onto the side of the bridge, paused to pick their spots on the surface below and then plunged into the river with a silvery splash. They swam lazily to the bank, luxuriating in the tourists’ applause. It’s a dangerous sport – each year bones are broken when divers collide with rubble lurking on the river bed. The Stari Most – 24m high and 30m long – seems to defy the laws of physics, tapering towards the middle like a pinched rainbow as it arcs across the Neretva. For over 400 years the Ottoman bridge was the hub around which Mostar gathered. Images of its graceful shape caught in the web of a brutal conflict filled television sets across the globe. The bridge proved more resilient than it looked, surviving the impact of 63
“Sarajevo: the Jerusalem of Europe!” “Sarajevo: the city of contrasts!” We’d rolled our eyes at the brochures’ puffs but on arrival late that afternoon we had to admit there was clout behind the clichés tank shells, but when the 64th hit and the arch came crashing down the news tore a hole in a nation’s soul. The Bosnian Croats coveted Mostar as the capital of their longed-for autonomous zone. For 11 months in 1993 they pounded the Muslim stronghold on the eastern bank. But the bridge rose again, and its re-opening in 2004 symbolised a renewed link between the two halves of an ethnically divided town. Tensions remain, but as we visited the Cejvan Cehaj Mosque with its prayer niche painted with garlands, as we browsed stalls in twisting streets and listened to church bells playing ‘Ave Maria’, we struggled to reconcile the Mostar of today with the images broadcast in 1993. From Mostar, the railway leads down as far as Ploce in Croatia, where we hopped in a car for a final left turn along the Adriatic shore to the old Yugoslavia’s greatest glory: Dubrovnik. It is big and bold, wrapped inside fat walls overlooking the sea. We walked the fortifications around an orange cascade of rooftops and ducked into the cool cloisters of
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a Franciscan monastery. A boat took us to the nearby island of Lokrum, a nature reserve with strutting peacocks and a quiet cove where we saw a man snorkelling naked with his buttocks in the air. Dubrovnik fits the classic honeymoon mould. But we’d found romance too in the other stage posts on our Balkan journey: not frilly, chocolate-box prettiness but the hardier stuff of Shakespeare, tales of spirit forged in adversity’s fire. As we spooned desserts seated by the harbour on the last evening of our trip, we chatted with an elderly man at an adjoining table. “I lived here through the terrible war,” he said with sadness. Squadrons of swifts swooped in a frenzy of acrobatic dogfights around us before wheeling away out of sight. Our companion watched them go and smiled. “But we move on.” Adrian Phillips is an award winning freelance journalist and also Publishing Director at Bradt Guides.
Bradt Travel Guides is offering All Aboard readers a 50% discount on its guides to Budapest, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia. Please visit www.bradtguides.com and add code RB50 at checkout. The offer includes free UK p&p and is valid until 30th June 2014.
Images 01 Stari Most, Mostar 02 Kalemegdan Fortress, Belgrade 03 Sarajevo 04 Dubrovnik Harbour from the sea 05 Dubrovnik Old Town
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Destination | The Orient Express RAIL
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Images 01 Afternoon tea on the British Pullman 02 Cabin interior, Venice Simplon-Orient-Express 03 Eastern & Oriental Express
T
he Orient-Express has long been synonymous with glamour, sophistication and impeccable service. Now, you can experience this elegant mode of travel aboard a selection of privately run, lovingly restored trains in the UK, continental Europe and Asia. Get a beginner’s guide to the different journeys and trains here.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
Running between London, Paris, Innsbruck, Venice, Vienna, Prague and once a year, Istanbul , the Venice Simplon-OrientExpress offers 1920s elegance and style with its original wagon-lits, restaurant and Pullman carriages.
British Pullman and Northern Belle
If you want a daytrip with a difference, travel Railbookers
aboard the historic British Pullman or sumptuous Northern Belle to destinations including Canterbury, Alnwick Castle and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. You can also just take a scenic loop with lunch.
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Eastern & Oriental Express
The Eastern & Oriental Express carries passengers between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, past lush rainforests and jungle, rice paddy fields and golden temples. Experience exquisite service, fine dining and great excursions, all included in your holiday. 03
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Destination | Kempinski Concierge Guide 02 Images 01 Junior Suite Brandenburg Gate 02 Adlon Kempinski indoor pool 03 Bode Museum, Berlin
Insider ’s guide
Q: Where is best to try the local beer? A: During summer we would recommend 01
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We asked the concierge team at the Adlon Kempinski Berlin to give us some insider information on the city. Here’s what they told us Q: What would be the one unmissable attraction for a first visit to Berlin?
A: Berlin offers a multitude of exciting
attractions and, in addition to city centre destinations, we would recommend a visit to the different neighbourhoods of Berlin. For instance, Kreuzberg or the former Jewish quarter at Hackesche Höfe with its beautiful courtyards.
Q: If you want to find out more about the city’s history, where is best to go?
A: The best place for tourists interested
in history is the German History Museum. It is a fantastic museum for young and old and offers a variety of artifacts and documents of German history. The Museum Island is also a very interesting area for 12
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German history and is located close to the German History Museum. Tourists who are interested in Germany after WWII and the time during the Berlin Wall should definitely visit Checkpoint Charlie.
Q: What is the definitive dining experience in Berlin?
A: One restaurant we recommend to all
of our guests is the Sra Bua by Tim Raue. The restaurant belongs to the Hotel Adlon Kempinski and within the first year of opening it was awarded “New Opening of the Year” by Schlemmer Atlas. The restaurant offers Thai-Japanese cuisine with a selection of excellent curries. If you are interested in a lively place, then we would recommend Grill Royal, which offers seafood and dishes from the barbecue.
a visit to one of Berlin’s biergardens, for instance, Prater or Café am Neuen See. Alternatively, the Hofbräuhaus and Augustiner, which are tourist magnets, represent traditional German cuisine and offer German beer in the famous litre beer jug.
Q: Is there anything special about 2014 in Berlin?
A: Berlin is such a vivid city, events happen all year round. In January we have the “Berlin Fashion Week”, in February the “Berlinale” film festival, and in autumn the “Festival of Lights”, to name a few.
Q: I’ve been many times before, is there a secret gem I may have missed?
A: If you happen to be in Berlin on a Sunday
and would like to experience a new local tradition you could visit Mauerpark, which is in Prenzlauer Berg. Mauerpark is a large park and on Sundays locals hold a flea market there. Additionally, many musicians gather here to perform for fun and everyone has the opportunity to perform a song on a large stage during the popular karaoke sessions. Information supplied by the Head Concierge, Adlon Kempinski Berlin.
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Destination | Top 5 Gardens of Europe
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Keukenhof, Holland
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Erupting into a sea of glorious colour each spring, the Keukenhof Bulb Garden near Lisse in Holland covers an area of 79 acres, making it the largest flower garden in the world. Don’t miss the annual Flower Parade at the beginning of May. Closest train stations: Haarlem, Leiden and Amsterdam
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Alhambra & Generalife, Spain
With their stunning backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the gardens of the Alhambra Palace complex are some of the most famous and beautiful in the world. The sound of fountains and cascades mingled with the scent of blossom and warm breezes provide a fabulous feast for the senses. Closest train station: Granada
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Sissinghurst, UK
One of the most famous gardens in England, Sissinghurst Castle Gardens were the creation of poet and writer, Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson. The garden is designed as a series of ‘rooms’, each with a different character or colour and each separated by brick walls and clipped hedges. Closest train station: Staplehurst Railbookers
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Versailles, France
Representing one of the finest examples of jardin à la française, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Gardens at Versailles cover 1,975 acres of land around the famous palace, most of it cultivated in a typical French garden style with geometric shapes, elaborate parterres and glorious fountains. Closest train station: Versailles
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Boboli Gardens, Italy
The Boboli Gardens were laid out for Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de Medici in the mid 16th century. They feature mythical grottos, expansive fountains, a grand collection of Classical and Renaissance statues and sweeping views over the umber roof tops of Florence. Closest train station: Florence Santa Maria Novella 13
Destination | I Love Paris
j ’adore Paris
I Love Par i s Do you remember the movie Sabrina when Audrey Hepburn told Humphrey Bogart that the best time to visit Paris was in the rain? Or if that’s too old school for you, what about Owen Wilson telling Lea Seydoux the same thing in Midnight in Paris? If your train squishes into the Gare du Nord, your wheels splattering errant raindrops everywhere, please don’t complain. Paris in the rain; Paris with its windscreen wipers on; Paris belted into its trench-coat, splashing through the puddles is romance personified.
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And here am I, travelling by train, speeding through that miracle of engineering that is the Channel Tunnel, bringing pure
It’s chic Paris without being snooty, especially twice a week when the market is in full swing nostalgia and twenty-first century wizardry together in perfect harmony and it’s raining. Which is perfect. As lesser beings huddle under their umbrellas we can take the bateau mouche
and consider ourselves privileged to be the only ones mad enough to take a boat trip in the wet. Leave those others, shivering over their coffee in a café and marvel at the trees, outlined by the shimmer of suspended raindrops, tracing elegant patterns in the sky. But, take care; a little caution is required, especially around French taxicabs. Spraying a puddle over an unwary tourist is a favourite game with Parisian taxi-drivers. My own very favourite Paris lives on the Left Bank or Rive Gauche if you prefer. I first stayed in the Hotel des Deux Continents in the Rue Jacob about 40 years ago. It’s still there, with iconic views
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Destination | I Love Paris over the rooftops of Paris. My two local cafés were the Café de Flore and Café les Deux Magots, both achingly famous in their heyday of the 30s through to the 50s when everyone from Hemingway to Scott Fitzgerald, André Gide to William Faulkner all gathered to drink coffee, smoke their heads off (people did in those days) and talk about Art with a capital A. I like to think that if I sit in there long enough some of their genius will rub off on me. Sadly, the waiters don’t give me enough time to soak up that much atmosphere. I’m using up a perfectly good table! Another favourite spot is the Latin Quarter in the fifth arrondissement. It’s quirky, stylish and about 10 minutes by Metro from everywhere, including the Louvre. I’m not sure I’ll come across artists I’ve actually heard of these days, but I could well stumble upon Woody Allen. He shot much of Midnight in Paris just near here. A recent discovery of mine, since I fell in love with Roger Federer is the Village d’Auteuil. It’s the family friendly southern part of the 16th arrondissement and within walking distance of not only the Bois de Boulogne but the Roland Garros Tennis Courts Railbookers
which host the French Open. For those who are not totally dedicated to Roger and his fellow gladiators the Village d’Auteuil is also five metro stations from the Trocadero/Eiffel Tower, eight from the Champs-Élysées and eleven from Odeon and Saint-Germain des Prés. It’s chic Paris without being snooty, especially twice a week when the market is in full swing. Then there’s the Shakespeare and Co. bookshop at Rue de la Bûcherie, where back in the 50s and 60s you could have bumped into Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg or William Burroughs. Wander a bit further to Rue des Grands Augustins and breathe the same air as Pablo Picasso. If all this sounds ridiculously romantic and the script of some French rom-com then so be it. I don’t know which genius decided that Saint Valentine’s Day should be in damp, grey February, but if there is one city that can still guarantee romance in the rain it’s this one. Ah Paris, where only the river’s sane... Sandra Harris Ramini is a writer, journalist, blogger and broadcaster who has written for Elite Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler among many other publications.
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Frankfurt am Main – The multifaceted metropolis
n Historical sightseeing attractions n A vibrant nightlife n Traditional apple wine taverns and Michelin-starred restaurants n International sporting events and festivals n Outstanding art exhibitions n One of Europe’s largest shopping promenades n Green parks, gardens and river banks to relax There are plenty of good reasons for visiting Frankfurt! Contact: Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board Phone: +49 (0) 69/21 23 88 00 info@infofrankfurt.de www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
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Destination | Dublin & Blarney Castle
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nly in Dublin could a pub crawl encapsulate a city. My Friday night in Dublin finds me, a few pints in, on a high bar stool in a pub off Grafton street, entertained hugely by a professional actor-cometour guide quoting Joyce and Wilde and preparing to lead us on the ‘Dublin Literary Pub Crawl’. For those who like their culture with a side of Guinness, or their Guinness with a side of culture, the beautiful architecture, rich literary heritage and good old fashioned craic that Dublin is famous for all seem to come together in just one evening. Temple Bar, the cultural quarter, is filled with artists, poets, performers and, of course, tourists and the city has a real hum to it. You get more than a pint for your €7, you’re guaranteed a smile and a story. People from all over the world come to Dublin to see if it lives up to its own reputation and I don’t meet anybody who isn’t beaming from ear to ear. The morning after feels like the calm after a storm and I’m able to rediscover
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everything in daylight. Aside from the time-tested tourist favourites of museums and brewery tours, my best moments in Dublin were spent wandering the huge number of gardens scattered across the city and beyond.
lower you towards the famous Blarney Stone, there are now sturdy railings and a smiling photographer, but the same reward awaits anybody who’ll risk a slight headrush to get up close and personal with the ancient rock: the gift of the gab. Do I feel any different after being ‘gifted with eloquence and persuasiveness’ (this is the stone’s ‘official’ claim), honestly it’s hard to tell. Perhaps it is not a good sign that the views from the top of the castle leave me absolutely speechless. The buzzing Dublin feels a thousand miles away and my home in London a different world entirely. Not bad, considering I’m just across the Irish Sea. By Sarah Turner, Travel Consultant at Railbookers.
Indeed, the famous Blarney Castle is within easy distance of the city. Where in the past there might have been a strong Irishman to grab you by the ankles and
02 Images 01 Blarney Castle 02 Connell Bridge, Dublin
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Destination | Italy
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Take the train to Italy and discover UNESCO World Heritage listed monuments, coastline and unique cultural attractions.
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Destination | Italy
“Italy offers a smorgasbord of breathtaking landscapes, from the majesty of the Venice’s Grand Canal to the tranquility of Lake Maggiore”
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or sheer beauty, Italy’s cities are hard to beat. For art and history, they are unrivalled. It’s not just the scale of Rome, the splendour of Venice or the Renaissance style of Florence that make the country so special. It’s the spectacular stretches of coastline, the view of Milan from the top of its Gothic Duomo and a glass of prosecco at a lakeside restaurant.
There are 49 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy, more than any other country in the world, which is not surprising considering that there have been people living here for around 40,000 years. This heritage has left Italy with a fabulous, rich and unrivalled casket of wonders for the visitor to discover. The historic centre of capital city Rome and the Holy See (including the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls) are both on the list as are the centres of 20
Images 01 Venice Grand Canal 02 Lake Como 03 The Amalfi Coast 04 Rome Colosseum
Florence, Naples, Siena and Verona among others. Italy is clearly the obvious choice of destination if you’re looking for an overview of the history of Western Civilization. For architecture there is also the world famous assembly around the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa, including the Leaning Tower or the colourful palazzos along Venice’s Grand Canal. For art, where better than the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, featuring Da Vinci’s amazing fresco of The Last Supper?
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Italy also has a smorgasbord of breathtaking landscapes, from the majesty of the Venice’s Grand Canal to the tranquility of Lake Maggiore and the confection of peach, lemon and butterscotch houses hugging the cliffs along the Amalfi Coast. And we haven’t even mentioned the food yet…
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Railbookers
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The
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The
Spectacular SWITZERLAND T
he rolling hills dotted with wooden chalets, snowy peaks, dramatic waterfalls and mountain fringed lakes of Switzerland are all accessible by train. Climb aboard the famous Glacier Express and watch glacial rivers give way to pine forested slopes and snow bound peaks, see fields of wild flowers along the Golden Pass or catch a train up to ‘the top of Europe’ at the continent’s highest station near the peak of the Jungfrau Mountain.
Book now with Railbookers:
E: info@railbookers.co.nz T: 0800 000 554 www.railbookers.co.nz
Destination | Barcelona at High Speed
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B a rce loo n na the new to Pa r i s di re ct TGV. . .
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n only its second day of operation, Spanish TV news crews hovered round the passengers joining the 09:20 TGV to Paris at Barcelona Sants station. Down on Platform 5, the train itself stood ready to leave, a 199mph double-decker highspeed train set to reach Paris in 6h30, almost halving the time of the overnight sleeper.
After announcements in Spanish, French and English, “Attention au depart!”, the doors slid shut and TGV 9702 set off for the French capital. A first class upper deck seat is the place to be for the best views, something Railbookers knows well. There are toilets and luggage racks both upstairs and down, power sockets at every seat and the first class armchairs recline at the flick of a switch. It’s a clear, crisp December day. Approaching Girona, the magnificent snow-capped Mt Canigou is clearly visible on the left and remains so all the way
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to Perpignan. At 9,137 feet, it’s one of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees, and something of a national symbol for
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Catalans. Once across the border into France, the countless vineyards start, a sight to make you thirsty for a glass o’ red from the bar car. Just after Perpignan, the train passes by the Fort de Salses, a 15th century Catalan fort captured by the French in 1642 and held by the French ever since. It’s an impressive structure which bridges the gap between medieval castles and later defensive forts.
Images 01 Park Güell, Barcelona
Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, travels from Barcelona to Paris at high speed
The train now passes numerous étangs or lakes, some with flocks of flamingos standing one-legged in the shallows. For several miles it skirts the deserted beaches and marshlands of the Mediterranean coast, the water sparkling in the winter sun. Slowing slightly to pass non-stop through Béziers station, the TGV crosses the River Orb, with superb views of Béziers’ 13th century hilltop cathedral on the left. Montpellier comes next, then Nimes, and the train now accelerates onto the SudEst high-speed line for a long dash north along the scenic Rhône Valley. The train bypasses Lyon and keeps up the brisk pace all the way to the Paris suburbs, finally slowing past innumerable rail yards into the historic Gare de Lyon. All the way from Barcelona and we’re three minutes early... Mark Smith runs the popular website www.seat61.com, named after his favourite seat on the Eurostar.
Railbookers
Destination | Barcelona at High Speed
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Destination | Spain & Portugal
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Ta p a s Churros
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Christine Salins tantalises our culinary senses by recounting her journey through Spain and Portugal
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magical winter’s day at Pedregalejo, a fishing village on the outskirts of Málaga, had us off to a good start. The sun shone on an azure sea and as we sat at a beachfront restaurant, El Cabra, we watched a fisherman grilling sardines for us over olive wood coals.
To our surprise, Málaga was not just a beach resort over-run by holidaymakers but had plenty to offer including historical attractions, quirky shops and great little cafés and bars. At El Pimpi, overlooking the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre, we sampled a selection of Iberian hams. At a very crowded Los Gatos we nibbled
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on cuttlefish, red peppers and plump anchovies, while at D’gustar the tapas took on a more creative twist: tuna on courgette with caramelised apples and sweet tomato; fried baby Navarra beans with foie gras; and toast topped with chorizo and a drizzle of honey, oil and balsamic vinegar. Málaga offered the first of many excellent hotel breakfasts included in our Railbookers package. The NH Hotel served a gargantuan spread of fresh fruit and fruit juices, jellies, at least half a dozen types of tea and coffee, salads, cold meats, ham and cheese, breads and pastries, tortilla, crushed tomatoes with olive oil, and eggs cooked to order.
Breakfast at our hotel in Cordoba was also a treat. The historic and very charming Las Casas de la Juderia served rice pudding and various custards, tempting pastries including chocolate pane and brownies, scrambled eggs and bacon, lots of cold meats, and fresh fruit including blood oranges and deliciously sweet pineapple. Olive trees dominated the landscape as the train whizzed its way to Granada, where the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to visit the Alhambra was followed by beer and tapas at the trendy downtown Los Diamantes café. The tapas were better, however, at La Vinoteca, a bar across the road from our Granada hotel where we had toasts with various toppings: foie gras and
Railbookers
Destination | Spain & Portugal roasted pear; caramelised onions and blue cheese; tuna belly, tomatoes and olives. What joy! The most beautiful hotel we stayed in was Las Casas de la Juderia in Seville, where our suite had a private tower with views of the old Jewish quarter. Comprised of centuries-old villas connected by courtyards and terraces, the hotel is surrounded by dozens of cafés and restaurants. Wandering through the narrow streets of Seville, we ducked into cafés and bars for tapas and refreshments, and bought glacé fruit and pastries from La Campana, a bakery in a gorgeous old building adorned with cherubs and gilt. It has operated since 1885 and is renowned for its custard cake, a local speciality. From Seville, we took a bus to Faro in Portugal, where we connected with the train to Lisbon. For ambience in the Portuguese capital, it’s hard to go past Cervejaria Trindade, the city’s oldest beer hall, located in what was once a monastery refectory. Transformed into a brewery in the 1830s, it is lined with fabulous 19th century tiles, though the food doesn’t quite live up to the splendid setting. Choosing to dine at 100 Maneiras in Lisbon, however, was a stroke of good
fortune. We let the chef surprise us with a degustation menu of eight dishes and enjoyed a stupendous meal that was beautifully matched with wines chosen by the sommelier. Highlights included dried codfish pegged out on a mini washing line; scallop carpaccio with mashed cauliflower and spinach, truffle and hazelnut salad; and pigeon stuffed with mushrooms, chestnuts and ras el hanout. The warm and dignified ambience of Lisbon’s Hotel Britania was apparent from the moment we stepped inside the door. From 5pm to 9pm every day, the hotel puts on a delightful afternoon tea of cakes, pastries and exquisite Portuguese tarts. And it’s all on the house! It also offers a complimentary welcome drink of port or Ginjinha, a popular liqueur made from a sour cherry-like berry. Where else to enjoy a port tasting but in Porto? Here, we savoured fine chocolates with luscious port, dined at restaurants lining the spectacular Douro River and discovered the Majestic Café which is …. well, majestic. We felt compelled to try the café’s Francesinha, a calorie-laden “sandwich” made with ham, beef and melted cheese. From Porto, we took a bus to Salamanca in Spain, where the fine dining El Alquimista restaurant served regional-inspired dishes
with finesse: chickpea hummus with tomato vinaigrette, and roasted monkfish with garlic foam, among the highlights. We knew Spaniards ate late but didn’t appreciate how late until we arrived at the restaurant at nearly 9pm and found we were the first diners there. The last guests filed in after 11pm. Little wonder it was quiet in Salamanca the next morning when we left on the last leg of our train journey to Madrid. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder in the Spanish capital on a Saturday night, but it was worth battling the crowds to visit the Mercado de San Miguel which, remarkably, stays open till 2am. Rather than being a source of fresh produce, this market mostly sells prepared food, as well as wine, beer, sweets and pastries. Each stall offers a different speciality, whether it be anchovies on croutons, olives with a range of stuffings, paella or churros dipped in chocolate. We’d skipped a meal on our final day, such was our desire to see as much of the city as we could, but with the choices on offer at the Mercado, there was no way we were going to go hungry. Christine Salins is an Australian-based travel writer and award-winning blogger who can be found online at Food Wine Travel: A World Of Taste (www.foodwinetravel.com.au).
NDS MME RECO S R E our BOOK and T d RAIL gal Gr , Madrid an u t r o and P Barcelona in a p S in to e tra Take th . n o Lisb
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Destination | Trans Siberian Express
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Images 01 Tsar’s Gold train 02 St. Basil’s Cathedral Red Square, Moscow 03 Listvyanka, Lake Baikal 04 Ger tent, Mongolian steppe
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Peter Lynch takes the world’s longest train journey
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he Trans-Siberian is the world’s most famous mammoth rail trip and it’s usually near the top on most people’s travel bucket lists. And rightly so, it’s as exotic as any rail trip could be – European Russia – Siberia – Mongolia – China; taking in global icons like the Ural Mountains, Lake Baikal, the Gobi desert and the Great Wall of China.
There are a number of routes and ways of travelling the Trans-Sib but the most interesting has to be the 01 route through Mongolia. Non-stop it would take five days but even if you didn’t suffer from cabin fever, what a waste to miss so many unique offtrain sights and experiences. The ideal way to travel such a vast distance 26
(Moscow to Beijing is 4,735 miles) is aboard a private train such as the Tsar’s Gold, which takes a leisurely 12 days from Moscow to Beijing including overnight stops in Irkutsk and Ulan
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Express
Bator. There’s no sharing with strangers, private cabins are standard, some with spacious en-suite facilities and others with shared bathrooms. All stop-off tours plus Moscow and Beijing hotels are included along with three course menus and free-flowing vodka in the dining car. But perhaps the best features of a private train are that cabin stewards deal with the sometimes obstreperous border officials and it’s home for the full trip, so no packing up baggage and carting it around at Railbookers
Destination | Trans Siberian Express every stop-off – the train waits for you. Beyond Moscow’s suburbs the taiga begins – a seemingly endless sea of larch, pine, birch and fir, stretching to every horizon - trackless forest you could never find your way through. We stopped at Kazan, a thousand year old Tatar city, founded by soldiers riding with Genghis Khan. Then on to the Ural Mountains where Europe meets Asia and Siberia begins. Yekaterinburg was the
banishment and punishment but its capital Irkutsk is a great surprise - a large, elegant and sophisticated city, and beautifully warm in September. The staggering Lake Baikal is wider than the English Channel and holds 20% of the planet’s fresh water. Skirting the southern tip of the lake, the train squeezed through towering cliffs of limestone, blasted apart and burrowed through so the railway could reach eastern Siberia. Turning south towards Mongolia, the temperature dropped to a chilly 5 degrees and the change of scenery is startling. The seemingly endless forest is replaced by undulating grassland, occasional tree capped hills and traditional Mongolian Gers dotting the landscape.
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eastern edge of Peter the Great’s Russian Empire. Now it’s a boomtown for copper, gold, platinum, emeralds and rubies. Closed to foreigners until 1991, the Urals were home to Russia’s secret nuclear bases; presumably this is what Gary Powers was filming when his American U2 spy-plane was shot down over the city in 1960. Yekaterinburg is also where the last of the Romanovs were captured and killed by the Bolsheviks. Siberia has become a byword for Railbookers
Ulan Bator, the capital of what the Chinese still call Outer Mongolia (i.e. the back of beyond) is surprisingly tourist friendly. In our couple of days there we visited Terelj National Park - surprisingly Alpine with mountains, valleys, rivers, tiny villages and isolated Gers with camels, cashmere goats, yaks and hunting eagles. Within minutes of stopping on the edge of the Gobi desert, nomads arrived with camels and horses in the hope of persuading passengers to ride across a barren landscape, undulating with sandy hills and low growing saltbush-like plants.
At the Chinese border we change trains, unlike scheduled trains that have to wait several hours while their wheels
The ideal way to travel such a vast distance is aboard a private train such as the Tsar’s Gold are changed to match the Chinese track gauge. Our train officials sorted out border details so it was hassle free; guards and officials swarmed everywhere but stood to attention and saluted our departure. Our journey couldn’t have been crammed with more icons, starting with Moscow’s Kremlin, overland from Europe to Asia and ending on China’s Great Wall. Peter Lynch is an author, travel writer and hotel reviewer. He writes for the West Australian newspaper and also has his own blog at www.peter-lynch.co.uk.
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Destination | The Rocky Mountaineer
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Discover the breathtaking scenery of the Canadian Rockies with a journey aboard one of the world’s most famous trains
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he Rocky Mountaineer is one of the most famous privately run trains in the world, offering jaw-dropping scenery, fantastic on-board service and four different routes into the Canadian Rockies. When the Rocky Mountaineer first ran in 1990, it carried just over 10,000 passengers. Now there are 100,000 guests annually. The service only runs during the daytime (to make the most of the scenery) but the three routes below include overnight hotel stops.
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First Passage to the West (Vancouver to Banff and Calgary) The original Rocky Mountaineer route and possibly the most scenic, the First Passage to the West travels along the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first Trans-Canadian line which opened in 1885. Highlights along the way are Castle Mountain, Lake Louise, the Stoney Creek Bridge and the epic Thompson and Fraser river canyons. You might even spot the odd bald eagle or grizzly bear. The journey ends in Banff or in Calgary, the ‘Stampede City’.
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Destination | The Rocky Mountaineer
Journey Through the Clouds (Vancouver to Jasper) Travelling through the Yellowhead Pass high in the Rockies, this route follows the second TransContinental line, opened in 1917. Along the way, you’ll pass the white water rapids of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon, stop for a night in Kamloops and then continue past Mount Robson and the Pyramid Falls into Jasper National Park. 01
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Why Not Try
Experience the Rockies by Rail and Road with a Discovery Drive itinerary, including car hire and a journey aboard the Rocky Mountaineer?
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Alternatively, you can also combine a trip aboard the Rocky Mountaineer with an Alaskan Cruise! Start in Seattle and cruise to the Fjords and Glaciers of Alaska before your train trip.
Rainforest to Goldrush (Whistler to Quesnel and Jasper) Avoiding the trans-continental lines, this route takes you off the beaten track into the area of British Columbia that grew up around the goldrush of the 1860s. The line skirts Anderson Lake and the Fraser River canyon before crossing the Caribou Plateau to Quesnel. After a night here, you’ll cross the Cottonwood Bridge and enter the Rocky Mountain Trench en route to Jasper National Park. Images 01 View of Peyto Lake in spring 02 Mount Robson 03 Vancouver 04 Athabasca Falls 05 Hiking trails at the Rocky Mountain National Park
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Events 2014 There is always something going on in Rhineland-Palatinate! With more than 1,000 cultural, wine, beer, and local festivals happening each year, everyone can find something to suit their own personal taste.
Rhine in Flames
A diverse region waits to be discovered
RHINELAND-PALATINATE
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omantic river valleys, picturesque vineyards, wood-timbered houses, historical towns and castles – there is a reason why Rhineland- Palatinate received the nickname “Romantic Germany”. Located around the rivers Rhine and Moselle, this most western German federal state offers not only a journey through charming valleys or fairy-tale castles, but also a wide range of attractions. Culture lovers have an extensive choice of attractions; more than 500 castles, palaces, and ancient ruins, UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Roman buildings in Trier or the Speyer Cathedral, and numerous museums and exhibitions are waiting to be discovered. The variety of holiday activities Rhineland-Palatinate has to offer is made complete by the many traditional and regional delicacies. Within its six wine regions, Rhineland-Palatinate produces about 70 percent of all German wines, which makes it Germany’s number one wine country. Numerous hiking and biking trails offer sport enthusiasts endless possibilities for short or long-distance tours through a diverse and unique landscape. After a long day of physical and cultural activities, Rhineland-Palatinate offers a great choice of spa and wellness programs in more than twenty spa towns and thermal springs. Just lean back, relax, and regenerate for another day of discovering Romantic Germany.
Contact the Rhineland-Palatinate Tourist Board for more information:
E: info@romantic-germany.info www.romantic-germany.info
A spectacular and unique show of fireworks alongside the river Rhine takes place annually between July and September: Rhine in Flames. Numerous fireworks and more than 70 illuminated ships bathe the Rhine Valley in a magical and fascinating red colour. As a visitor, you can watch the event from the banks of the river or from one of the boats belonging to the longest river parade in Europe. Reserve yourself a spot on a ship and enjoy a nice dinner while viewing the magnificent fireworks.
Wine Festivals Wine-growing has a long tradition in Rhineland-Palatinate that is celebrated with a variety of wine festivals throughout the year. Whether it is a small village festival, the crowning of the German Wine Queen, or the Wurstmarkt in Bad Dürkheim (the world’s biggest wine festival), everything revolves around wine. With hundreds of fantastic wine festivals throughout the region, you are sure to find one taking place near you.
Christmas Markets The air is filled with flavours of cinnamon and mulled wine, timberframed buildings are festively illuminated, and numerous craftsmen offer their goods and art work. Starting at the end of November, RhinelandPalatinate’s towns and villages around the rivers Rhine and Moselle transform into small Christmas wonderlands, inviting visitors to enjoy a romantic and unforgettable holiday.
Destination | Ask the Expert
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Ask the
Q: What are the benefits of upgrading to first class?
A: In continental Europe, first
Matthew Foy
E x p er t Your holiday questions answered by our Travel Centre Manager Send your questions for Matthew to allaboard @ railbookers.co.nz
Railbookers
Q: I want to travel by train to Italy – should I take a sleeper or stop en route?
class carriages will at the very least offer more comfort (spacious seats, more legroom, etc.). They sometimes also include food served at your seat or at least an at seat meal service, payable onboard. Some first class tickets (in Germany and Spain for example) also give you access to the first class lounge where these are available, a quiet place to wait for your train, also offering complimentary drinks and snacks. The price difference can start from only a 15% increase on standard class fares, making it well worth considering.
A: If you want to get to Venice,
Q: What’s it like travelling on a
A: Well, the best way to arrive
sleeper train in Europe?
A: The sleeper attendant will
normally greet you at the carriage door, check your reservation, and direct you to your compartment. Once here, there’s plenty of room to store luggage on the rack above the window and in the big recess above the door. Accommodation in a double sleeper consists of two bunks. The top bunk is folded away until you want to go to bed. Linen is provided. Compartment doors usually have both normal locks and security locks (or chains) which can’t be opened from outside.
Florence or Rome as quickly as possible overland, then a sleeper train from Paris is definitely your fastest and usually best priced option. However, if you want to travel in comfort and make the journey part of your holiday, then stopping in Zurich, Lucerne or Lausanne along the way is always our recommendation. It’s far more comfortable and the views of the Alps are breathtaking.
Q: We want to go to Paris for our 25th wedding anniversary. What would you recommend?
in Paris is aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express! We offer a 2 night break travelling out with the Orient-Express and coming back in Standard Premier class on the Eurostar. The hotel is the Du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe, a lovely 5* hotel at the top of the Champs Élysées. If you would like something more modern, how about Le Marceau Bastille, a contemporary style hotel near the popular Marais district? You can combine a stay here with a visit to the Paradis Latin cabaret show or a romantic dinner cruise with the Bateaux Parisiens.
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Destination | Waiting Room
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Across 1. Whose embalmed body lies in a mausoleum in Red Square? 4. What was the first name of the female lead in Roman Holiday? 6. Which landmark in Brussels was built in 1958 for the Universal Exhibition? 7. What country’s football team was Tony Hawkes trying to beat at tennis in the famous travel biography? 8. What Swiss folk hero gives his name to a
Down 2. Which country has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites in the world? 3. What is the currency of the Czech Republic? 5. What is the capital of Romania? 9. Whose famous garden is at Giverny? 10. What kind of ‘planet’ did Tony Wheeler invent in 1973? 11. How is the train à grande vitesse commonly abbreviated?
famous scenic journey by rail and boat? 11. Juventus FC are based in which Italian city? 13. Which Paris station serves the French Riviera? 14. How many restaurant cars are there on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express?
12. Which river flows through Cologne, Basel and Strasbourg?
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Destination | The Maharajas’ Express
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My favourite
inic DomTheodoulou
Rai l J o urney
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he Maharajas’ Express is not just the best train in India. It is the best in the world. If you are looking to travel in style around fascinating India then this is THE way to do it. Impeccable service: Check. Luxury cabins: Check. Delicious food: Check. Exclusive excursions: Check. The Maharajas’ Express has it all.
I recently travelled on the Indian Panorama journey around the north of the country. The Indian Panorama is a round trip tour from Delhi, with stops in Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow. Boarding takes place at an exclusive train station in Delhi and from the moment you arrive you are treated like royalty. The cabins are beautifully decorated and spacious, the butler service exceptional, 34
the regional cuisine exquisite and the onboard staff incredibly helpful. This is the best way to see India, no question. All cabins feature hotel style beds as well as modern en-suite facilities.
The Maharajas’ Express is not just the best train in India. It is the best in the world I would recommend upgrading to a Junior Suite which gives you the benefit of a separate living area and large windows to take in the passing scenery. All meals and a wide range of drinks are included in the journey, as are the daily excursions. The red carpet is rolled out at every station (literally) and you really do feel like a ‘somebody’ as the local crowds gather to watch you disembark the train.
This is my favourite rail journey and is the best way to see this incredible country. The scenery changes daily and the destinations continue to amaze. I witnessed the wonder of the Taj Mahal, played elephant polo, met a Maharaja of Jaipur, went on a cruise along the Ganges River and saw wild tigers on a safari through Ranthambore National Park. All these unforgettable experiences were included in the itinerary. I have been lucky enough to travel on a number of scenic and unique train journeys over the years but I can safely say that nothing comes close to the Maharajas’ Express. By Dominic Theodoulou, Product Development Manager at Railbookers.
Railbookers
Destination | The Maharajas’ Express
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Our Recent Awards ecmod Direct Commerce Awards 2015 - Winner Railboookers are proud to have won the ecmod award for Outstanding Customer Service this year. Judged by a leading panel of experts, the award recognises the highest level of excellence and dedication to customer service within the multichannel business sector.
In All Aboard Issue 2... Magical honeymoons by rail Award winning journalist Adrian Mourby goes in search of Italy’s greatest composer in Busseto North and South: Vietnam with the Reunification Express
Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant 2015 GOLD
TRUSTED MERCHANT
2015
Testament to our commitment to customer service, Railbookers are delighted to have been accredited with Gold Trusted Merchant status by Feefo, an independent merchant review system that collates independent reviews of customers’ experiences.
The world’s five best panoramic views ...Plus lots more! British Travel Awards 2014 - Bronze Award
Railbookers are thrilled to have won an award in the British Travel Awards for the third year running. 2014 saw us win the bronze award for ‘Best Medium Holiday Company by Train’.
For more information please visit www.railbookers.co.nz or call 0800 000 554 to speak with one of our experienced consultants Prices shown are per person, based on two people travelling and sharing a room, are subject to availability, and correct as of 13/12/2013 and may vary seasonally.