All Aboard!

The Golden Eagle's Lounge

The Golden Eagle-Trans Siberian Express would have made Marco Polo’s life a lot easier. And I imagine he would have really been grateful to retire to the opulent bar car after a lavish dinner and discuss the day’s events with other adventurous spirits. Today, we can travel on this legendary train to exotic locales like Samarkand, to see the mausoleum of the mighty Tamerlane; and 2,014-year-old Bukhara, to tour the enchantingly named Palace of the Moon and Stars.

A Golden Eagle Gold Class Cabin

 

The Golden Chariot

Another fascinating destination whose great distances can be covered easily by train is India. Your Golden Chariot awaits to whisk you in coaches fit for a maharajah across the southern states of Karnataka and Goa. Discover sublime temples, ancient kingdoms and the famous carved caves at Badami. Relax on Goa’s celebrated beaches and conclude in cosmopolitan Mumbai.

 

A Golden Chariot Cabin

 

The Royal Scotsman

Scotland is perhaps less exotic but certainly not less compelling. Be “piped” aboard the Edwardian-style Royal Scotsman and settle in with a cup of tea or a wee dram as you travel into the heart of the scenic Scottish Highlands. Pass lochs and waterfalls, rugged castles and rolling hills, picturesque villages and pine-clad mountains reflected in mirror-like lochs.

A Royal Scotsman Cabin

Oh, how to decide?

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A Scot Reviews The Royal Scotsman

Scotsman Ian Keown reports on a ceilidh, Culloden and Cawdor, “congenial and cultivated fellow passengers,” magical landscapes, cuisine of high caliber and an encounter with a “soignée lady” aboard “one of the world’s most luxurious touring trains,” The Royal Scotsman.

“For American visitors, of course, the train is a godsend, eliminating the stress of driving on the left….And let’s face it, you can’t savor 35 of Scotland’s grandest malts when you’re driving.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

The Royal Scotsman: Through the Highlands on a Rolling House Party

Ditch the Tour Bus

When you’re traveling with a group you can sometimes feel like a bull in a herd of cattle. Everyone on the bus! Everyone off the bus! Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

Of course there are terrains that call for small bus travel. But since you’re not going to be regaling your friends and family with tales of riding a bus, we’re offering a few more creative means of transportation.  We think a hot air balloon ride over the spectacular landscape of Cappadocia might just be worth a postcard home. And a trek over the dunes of the Gobi Desert astride a Bactrian camel in Dunhuang or a zig-zagging ride through the narrow alleyways of Delhi in a cycle-rickshaw past colorful bazaars, temples and India’s ever-vibrant street life would lead to plenty of fodder for many cocktail parties to come!

Trainophiles will want to follow the Silk Road on the opulent Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, travel through southern India on the elegant Golden Chariot or head to the Highlands on the Edwardian-style Royal Scotsman.

How about making a grand entrance into the Venetian Lagoon aboard the three-masted sailing yacht Sea Cloud II? Or circumventing the crowds by sailing right into Venlo for Floriade, the renowned exhibition of flowers and plants that takes place only once every 10 years in the Netherlands?

Land-based programs also often offer a chance to get out on the water for a different perspective. Admire the fabled skyline of Istanbul, dotted with graceful minarets and splendid palaces, on a private Bosphorus cruise. Or get great shots of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge on a private yacht traveling past the iconic sights of Sydney’s spectacular harbor.

You will never be tempted to “moo” again.

Highland Dress Aboard A Highland Train

How’s this for a souvenir of a trip to the Scottish Highlands – a kilt or other tartan apparel handmade for you by the Queen of England’s own kilt-maker.

This is a new service offered by the Royal Scotsman, a luxurious Edwardian-style train that travels by the pristine lochs, rugged castles, cascading waterfalls and rolling hills of Scotland’s scenic Highlands.

Before boarding the train, an expert tailor from Kinloch Anderson will fit you for the tartan outfit of your choosing – a kilt, argyle-cut jacket and/or tartan trousers or waistcoat (vest) for men and “Highland Fling” long skirt or A-line “tea” skirt for women – and deliver them to your home address within 8-10 weeks. Of course, you can’t be caught on this Orient-Express-run train without your Scottish formalwear, so Kinloch Anderson will lend you a set of Highland Dress for formal evenings on the train.

Once your kilt is fitted, relax and enjoy the train’s gourmet dining, unlimited fine wines and wee drams and the convivial atmosphere of celebrating with friends. Along the way, wander through charming villages, tour historic castles and discover exquisite botanical gardens.  Come join the fun!