A journey of a lifetime for those who appreciate finer things in life.

The Blue Train is unique - it is not merely a train but combines the luxury of the world's leading hotels with the charm of train travel. Think of it as an all inclusive luxury rail cruise with an opportunity to view South Africa's spectacular landscapes and visit interesting tourist attractions along the way.

This unique luxury recreation and business experience takes you where you want to go in an endless, five-star splendour. It pauses only to pick up prestigious World Travel awards for being a cut above the rest and the Diner's Club accolade for its connoisseur selection of South African wines.

The Blue Train cuisine puts sheer good taste on a plate while butler personal attention puts you on a pedestal.

History Steeped in Tradition

Southbound, the train with its distinctive sapphire-blue carriages, was known as the 'Union Limited', and on its return journey, the 'Union Express'.

People soon began referring to them as 'those Blue Trains' and so... a legend was born. The Blue Train celebrated its 50th anniversary in February 1996. Although officially named The Blue Train in 1946, the train's enthusiasts trace its history to the 1890's and the discovery of diamonds and gold.

Before the turn of the century, advertisements, offering direct-route journeys to the gold and diamond fields of South Africa, were couched invitingly: 'England to Johannesburg in 19 days, the first 17 across the ocean on board a Union or Castle line vessel to Cape Town, the remaining 2 on a train steaming through mountains and valleys and over the South African veld to Kimberley and the Reef.'

It is not difficult to imagine what conditions must have been like on these early trains. The extremes of heat and cold, the dust, the multiplicity of insects and the smoke and coal dust from the locomotive would all have added up to an experience of tedious discomfort,' writes author David Robbins in The Blue Train (Viking).

But the accommodation and level of passenger comfort on the trains soon improved as the first years of the 20th century brought a new breed of trains which were considered to be the most luxurious anywhere in the world at the time.