Luxury Trains

Luxury trains are special trains designed specifically to offer an elegant train ride, and evoke a strong sense of association as in history, heritage and decadence of a leisurely ride. Luxury trains operate in several countries and offer a luxurious and comfortable traveling option to luxury travelers. Whereas some luxury trains like the Orient Express promote tourism in major destinations of an entire continent other trains take guests on a long leisure ride, cutting across state borders but limited to one specific country.

Nowadays there is an increase in the trend of luxury train travel around the world. Luxury train travel proponents assert that it has several advantages over travel on airplanes. Whereas during air travel the monotony of the journey is occasionally broken by the view of clouds through the plane's window, a winding luxury ride on board the trains provides ample opportunity to the guests to witness the local environment, social and economic conditions, and myriad colours of the places they are traveling to. There are a number of reasons for the growing popularity of the luxury trains over air travel, which includes ample space, restaurants and bars, spacious and comfortable sleeping and seating area and even wash/bath rooms. Since the time of introduction of Pioneer in 1864 by American industrialist George Mortimer Pullman, luxury train travel has come a long way.

In the past, train travel was quite an uncomfortable experience. Without sleeping and dining cars, long distance traveling used to be a harrowing experience. Things changed when Pioneer was introduced by Pullman in 1864. In 1867, "Hotel Cars" were introduced. Pioneer was the first railway carriage to introduce dining cars and sleeping cars in train leading to more comfort during travelling, especially on long distance journeys. Pullman Car Company was founded in 1880 and was one of the leading luxury passenger railroad car providers.

Another person credited with the beginning of luxury train travel was Georges Nagelmackers, founder of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. Inspired by the Pullman trains during his America visit, Nagelmackers returned to Europe and built a fleet of over 30 luxury trains which offered luxury train travel across several destinations in Europe. He is credited with the beginning of the age of luxury trains and grand hotels.

Since the dawn of the age of luxury trains, the most famous and revered luxury train is perhaps the legendary Orient Express, immortalized by Agatha Christie in her book “Murder on the Orient Express.” Orient Express was the first luxury train in Europe. It embarked on its maiden journey on 5 June 1883 from Paris' Gare de l'Est across Europe. Today the Orient Express not only provides luxury train travel across Europe but several destinations around the globe. Besides Orient Express, a number of private operators as well as joint ventures between government parties and private tour operators are providing luxury train travel options in several countries.

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Wikipedia