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Africa's most luxurious train runs between Cape Town and Pretoria (or vice versa) with the 5* service you'd expect from something so special

The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about it. Kings and presidents have travelled on this magnificent moving five* 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.

2012 AFRICA'S LEADING LUXURY TRAIN

As the ever-changing scenery flashes past the windows, guests can savour exquisite meals freshly prepared on board by top chefs. Our meals are complemented 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.

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 main train sation at 8:50 and arrives in Cape Town train station at 12:00 the following day.

En route to Cape Town there is a stopover and excursion in Kimberley, where we take a step back in time to the days of the diamond rush.
 

On the northbound journey, the train leaves Cape Town at 08:50 and arrives in Pretoria at 12:30, in time for high tea the following day. It stops at Matjiesfontein for an off-the-train excursion.

On arrival at Matjiesfontein guests are invited for a glass of sherry at the bar.
The Victorian buildings and original nineteenth century London lampposts impart to the traveller, the uncanny sense of entering a colonial time warp - an oasis suspended in a different age.
 

The Train

Our luxurious journeys are made possible by two Blue Train sets. The first train accommodates 74 guests in 37 suites. The second accommodates 58 guests in 29 suites and features a conference or observation car at the back of the train.

The trains travel at a speed of 90 kilometres per hour (58,2 mph). Both are 336 metres (433 yards) long and consist of 17 & 16 carriages respectively, 10 & 8 of which are for the use of the guests. The weight of each train is approximately 825 metric tons, excluding the locomotives.

They each carry 31 000 litres (6820 gallons) of water. Two diesel-powered generators - one of which is always on standby - are used to supply The Blue Train's demanding power requirements.

The kitchen car is a masterpiece of stainless-steel design. The fully air-conditioned car features walk-in cool rooms and freezers, ensuring that wines and hors d'oeuvres remain at optimum temperatures.

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