From Pretoria to Cape Town, this is our route. Of course, traveling on the Blue Train is not cheap travel, but it’s a “special experience”. One of the most luxurious nostalgia trains, the “Blue Train”, takes us on a tour of southern Africa, which in 1998 was named the most beautiful train journey in the world by the World Travel Award. In a 25-hour drive we drive from the capital Pretoria across South Africa to Cape Town. In an exclusive ambience, reminiscent of the Orient Express, you can let the impressive landscape in the “Blue Train” leisurely pass by.

We arrive from the Kruger National Park with our car in Pretoria. The next day we want to travel back to Cape Town with the “Blue Train” from Pretoria. After our experiences on different safaris in the lodges Mala_Mala and Ngala we treat ourselves two days of relaxation in Pretoria. The hotel is already on the trip with the Blue Train. It is decorated in typical South African colonial style.

The lounge on the ground floor of the hotel is full of nostalgic memories of the Blue Train and the Rovos Rail. There are enough books to read the stories of these famous features.

The walls are decorated with oversized motifs of the trains. Old photos document the first rides of the Blue Train. Among them are their founders in various poses to see. In the nostalgic bar of the hotel you can settle down in deep club chairs and read or relax or be served.

After the tiring last days on our safaris this is also necessary. We use the stay in Pretoria to get to know the city and visit the interesting National Museum.

The next day our bags are picked up early in the morning by train staff, so we need to carry out the check-in procedure only with our hand luggage. On a red carpet, we are led by our Stewart in our train compartment, not without the previously usual champagne – greetings on us. Each compartment in the Blue Train has a private bathroom with shower or bath, telephone, television and individually controlled air conditioning. On a video channel, one can see short documentary films about the area the train is driving through, while a large screen in the club car provides a view of the rail track thanks to a camera mounted in front of the locomotive. The professionally trained and friendly staff is available around the clock. The 380m long train has 18 wagons, accommodates 84 passengers and 27 employees and reaches our destination with a top speed of 110 km / h.