- Tailor-made Private Charters on The Blue Train
The Blue Train is as much a destination as it is a means of journeying. It beckons guests to slow down, and savour the richness of the experience of journeying and, while en route, presents all the bells and whistles of a five-star establishment. While its most famous traverse is the Pretoria-Cape Town route, the train is available for Private Charters to other destinations within the country’s railway network. Private Charters present the train as a venue whose offering and experience is unparalleled, and promises to be memorable for guests. It could be for a product launch, a VIP five-hour lunch or dinner party, a wedding and much more. Private Charters are also available for major calendar events such as the Durban July, the Sun Met in Cape Town, the Joy of Jazz, Grahamstown Arts Festival, and many others.
- Fine Dining
The Blue Train has an on-board chef who prepares fresh meals in the ‘magic kitchen’, while the train is in transit. Guests can indulge in the legendary silver-service gourmet five-course meal, paired with some of South Africa’s finest wines. It’s a fusion of sensory experiences, complementing each other: each course is finely designed and curated to tease your taste-buds, accompanied by the quiet locomotion (which never exceeds 55db, thanks to the train’s air suspension technology) and the glorious South African landscape seen through the spacious windows of the dining carriage.
- The Blue Train’s 24-hour Butler Service
A butler is available to serve each guest from the time of checking in at the Pre-departure Lounges, until checking out at the final destination. The well-trained butlers, from some of South Africa’s finest hospitality schools will cater for every need on board, including a turndown service for each suite. The butlers offer porter services for luggage not needed on board, while en route – The Blue Train does not have luggage restrictions. The beck-and-call butler service also includes room service and an on-board laundry and valet service.
- Five-Star Accommodation
On The Blue Train, luxury assumes a new dimension, from the moment a guest steps into a suite: an elegant, spacious lounge by day, transformed into a sanctuary of comfort and slumber by night. The De Luxe Suite offers a choice between twin beds, with a shower, or double beds, with a bath. Luxury Suites are more spacious and offer twin or double beds with bath facilities.
All suites on board The Blue Train have a writing desk, ideally positioned next to the window, to embrace the view. Each suite is a world on its own, with an individually controlled air-conditioning system and a private entertainment centre with a choice of movie channels and radio stations.
- Elegant Lounge Facilities
The warm ambience of the elegant Lounge Car with its large windows allows for panoramic views of the passing countryside. The Blue Train features a cigar lounge known as the Club Car, decked with rich Birch solid-wood panelling and soft leather chairs from where guests can enjoy a view of star-lit skies. The ‘Gentlemen’s Lounge’, as the Club Car is affectionately known, is a perfect way to round off the evening, serving coveted handmade Cuban cigars, with fine cognacs and whiskies.
- Business ‘Unusual’ – in the Conference Car
The Blue Train’s conference facility offers a venue for up to 22 delegates. Equipped with audio visual and technical equipment for high-level business meetings or small conferences, this presents the most spectacular meeting venues for the discerning businessperson. When not used for conference facilities, the Conference Car is converted into an Observation Car/third lounge. The Observation Car – at the end of the train affords a perspective of the sweeping South African landscape. Panelled with rich Birch wood, accented with trim and a plush carpet, the carriage has the largest window panes on the train. Comfortable leather chairs are well positioned for guests to indulge in breath-taking views of South Africa’s landscapes.
