Janine Kelso tests out luxury train travel in India, from the glamorous Palace on Wheels to the quaint and lesiurely Toy Train
Rail travel is not fast in India: think old-fashioned locomotives rather than Japanese bullet trains.
But what it lacks in speed it makes up for in size. India has a staggering 37,000 miles of track and 7,085 stations, so taking a rail journey offers a laid-back and romantic way of seeing the country’s dramatic vistas.
What’s more, there are plenty of luxury trains to cater for well-heeled travellers. Here’s a taste of what’s on offer.
Palace on Wheels
Travel like royalty on the lavishly decorated Palace on Wheels as it makes its way through Rajasthan, taking its guests back to a bygone era of maharajas. Stopping to visit the region’s palaces and forts, the train is all ornamental ceilings and swish saloons, twinned with top-rate service and fine dining.
Hailed as one of the world’s top rail journeys, the train departs Delhi every Wednesday, visiting the cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, before a final stop in Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Book your seat at least six months in advance.
Sample product:Tropical Locations offers a 10-day journey aboard the Palace on Wheels for £2,598 per person until March 31 2009, including flights, full-board accommodation and guided sightseeing with private driver (0845 277 3344).
Deccan Odyssey
Launched in 2004 with room for 96 passengers, the five-star Deccan Odyssey runs a seven-day tour of Maharashtra, in west India, including daily excursions to forts, palaces and beaches.
The train has 13 air-conditioned carriages, each with four twin cabins. Every bedroom has a CD and MP3 player and an en suite bathroom, and each carriage has a sitting area with a library and TV plus a butler who serves drinks and snacks. There’s also a beauty salon and spa on board.
The train doesn’t operate during the monsoon season (May to September).
Sample product:Kirker Holidays offers an 11-day India tour, including seven nights on the Deccan Odyssey for £2,445 per person until December, including flights, accommodation, all meals and excursions (020 7593 2288).
Golden Chariot
India’s newest luxury train offers seven-night round-trip tours that begin and end in Bangalore, taking in the beaches of Goa and the stunning landscape of Karnataka including Mysore, the Imperial City of Palaces, Nagarhole National Park and Belur.
Accommodating 90 passengers, every double and twin air-conditioned cabin on the Golden Chariot has silk sheets, DVD player, plasma TV and en suite bathroom. There’s even a gym so passengers can appreciate the scenery while burning off meals eaten in the train’s two restaurants.
If you prefer a more relaxing ride, make a beeline for one of the train’s massage rooms for a traditional herbal treatment.
Sample product: Cox and Kings offers a 10-night Golden Chariot itinerary combining seven nights’ full-board on the train with three nights’ bed and breakfast in Bangalore, for £2,795 per person in April 2009, including flights, transfers and all excursions (020 7873 5000).
Toy Train
Toy TrainSmall but perfectly formed British-built Toy Train puffs its way from North Bengal to Darjeeling Hills, passing terraced fields, small villages and houses on stilts.
Over 100 years old, the train’s top speed is 20mph, but the leisurely pace means passengers can appreciate the landscape. Since it started running in 1880, the train line has transported heads of state, kings and queens.
The train stops at the hill stations of Shimla, Darjeeling, Ooty and Matheran.
Sample product: Explore offers a 16-day Kolkata to Amritsar tour for £1,695 per person, departing February 7 2009, featuring a trip on the Toy Train to the hill station of Shimla, as well as the Taj Mahal and historical sites of Calcutta, including flights, transportation, 13 nights’ bed and breakfast and one night on a sleeper train (0844 499 0901).
