Trains in India are more than just means of transport from one place to another. In fact they take you through a journey of how the royals of the golden era lived. Major luxury trains of India take you to the period of Mughals and Rajputs while you relish the lifestyles of the kings of yore on board and listen to silent tales of glory and valor. The services provided on these trains are the best you can find anywhere. The royal and luxury trains of India are a perfect way to see India royally. These trains will sweep you away by their gracious hospitality. So step into an era of elegant traveling, embarking on a journey of your life. Listen to the stories these journeys have in store for about their past which leave you with a vision for the future. So hop on to take a luxurious ride through...
more... the exhilarating, unmatched, implausible, extraordinary, unique, inspiring land of India in royalty.
The Golden Chariot:
Surrender yourself to the charisma of mesmerizing stone architecture and exotic landscapes. The Golden Chariot is named after the famous Stone Chariot in Hampi which is also a world heritage site that travels through Karnataka where you can catch a glimpse of medieval royalty, soak in the spirit of contemporary Goa, feast on the heritage in Tamil Nadu and allow the God's own country Kerala to cast a spell on you. This classic luxury train takes you on a trip to ageless historical heritage sites, resplendent citadels, wildlife and golden beaches. The seven nights and eight days colourful journey begins on Mondays from Bangalore and navigates through Mysore, stopping over in Srirangapatna, Mysore Palace; the Nagarhole National Park (Kabini) and ongoing to the historical sites of Shravanabelagola, Belur-the 11th century crib of Hoysala design and a world heritage site, Halebidu, Hampi and later entering into the triangular heritage site of Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole, and to finish, the Golden Beaches of Goa before ending in Bangalore.The Golden Chariot has also added a Southern Splendor tour itinerary with the bliss of guests undertaking this luxury travel increasing manifolds. Whether you pick the Pride of the South itinerary or the Southern Splendor stay aboard the Golden Chariot, a week full of exciting activity as well as rejuvenation for all guests is absolutely guaranteed. Be all set to get indulged by the competent staff and take pleasure in an extravagance train's journey like never before.
Palace on Wheels:
Rated among the top ten luxury trains of the world, the Palace on Wheels happens to be one of the best ways to soak in the colours of India. The travel packages offered by the train take you on an unforgettable journey to the royal land of sand dunes and regal palaces visiting places where Royal Rajputs once lived in grandeur.Each of these saloons have cream yellow colour on its peripheral walls and bears the Coat of Arms (logo) of the erstwhile princely states. Apart from the 14 saloons, each 4 cabins have attached bath and shower, the Palace on Wheels has two restaurants cum kitchen cars offering traditional Indian, Continental and Chinese cuisine with the Chef's special variety of the day. Its well stocked bar serves Indian liquor and variety of scotch, wine and cocktails. It has piped music in every saloon, and attractive games for children. The recently introduced spa saloon offers Ayurvedic massage to refresh you for the next day's tour. Souvenirs and gift items bearing the insignia of Palace on Wheels and a coffee table book on the history the train are also available. The names of the saloons given are based on the princely states of Rajasthan- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Alwar, Bundi, Kota, Jhalawar, Dungarpur, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Bikaner, Udaipur and Kishangarh.
The Deccan Odyssey:
Travel athwart the heart of India, through the land of the valiant Marathas, voyage back in time, revive the luxury of an imperial age - all this on the Deccan Odyssey. The itinerary of this fabulous train takes you to serene beaches, magnificent citadels and majestic palaces letting you experience celestial tales that were imprinted on colossal rocks! The present capacity of the train is 80 pax The route has been fixed as Mumbai - Sindhudurg - Goa - Kolhapur - Aurangabad (Ellora) - Chandrapur (Tadoba Wildlife Sancturary) - Wardha (Sevagram)- Jalgaon(Ajanta) - Nashik and Mumbai. It is a one week itinerary that starts every Monday from Mumbai.The train has 21 coaches, out of which 12 are passenger cars accommodating 8 people per coach (10 passenger Cars, 4 coupes per coach - 2 Presidential Suite Cars, 2 coupes per coach), 1 Conference Car, 2 Dinning Cars, 2 Generator Cars with Luggage Store, 1 Staff, spare Car, 1 Spa Car, 1 Bar Car. The train has on-board facilities like T.V., Cable connection with central audio disc player, cell phones, Channel Music, Foreign exchange facilities, etc. The present capacity of the train is 80.
Fairy Queen:
The oldest working locomotive, The Fairy Queen was built in 1855 and was completely hauled in 1996 and resumed commercial operations from 1997. The Fairy Queen rolled for the first time for the erstwhile East India Company.The Fairy Queen has only two caches attached to it a specially designed air-conditioned car with fifty comfortable seats on which guests can recline and enjoy the ride from Delhi to Alwar and back. There is a well preserved pantry car for on board catering. The bonus lure on the train is the lounge in the front of the passenger coach. Its large window offering beautiful views of the Fairy Queen engine as it puffs away and steams transversely the countryside of Rajasthan on its way to Alwar. The lucky ones aboard reach the picturesque town of Alwar in Rajasthan the same day, from where the guests are taken to Sariska Tiger Reserve for an overnight stay.
