Amtrak to Premier Classe in RSA

Recently, during June 2010, I traveled extensively on Amtrak to Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and finally down the coast to West Palm Beach. There is a lot to be said for train travel in the United Sates, both good and bad, but it is nevertheless a great way to travel when you have time. I can think of many positives of train travel including;
1. No road rage to deal with.
2. No rude airport security and long lines or procedures to cope with.
3. There is ample space for stretching and walking.
4. You have more time to work or think in a fairly relaxing environment.

South Africa is a relatively well known country, especially after the world cup, and my individual efforts in rural Michigan. Our great tourist train services are not that well known, and it is the reason for the article.

A 26 hour overnight journey in the US is not very comfortable when compared to a similar distance between Johannesburg and Cape Town - 2 major destinations in South Africa.

The cost in the US for this type of journey is about $205 for a seat in coach where you share germs with a whole lot of strangers. Make sure you stock up on lots of Vitamin C to boost the immune system before you do this! I learnt by default as we are not accustomed to coach class train travel in South Africa. There is none of that on the major routes in South Africa. All trains have sleeper cars and they cost a tad more than coach on Amtrak. Currently a 26 hour journey in 4 star luxury, with 3 meals, and a comfortable sleeper compartment cost $40 more!

I would say, without hesitation that South African train travel is a fantastic deal by far! Amtrak has a lot of catching up to do in terms of tourist trains. I also understand why it gets a bad rap from the US public. Their image can do with a bit of polishing and their train staff can take some lessons from our Premier Classe , Blue Train or Rovos Rail.

I will encourage all to add 2 days to your trip in South Africa to experience the beauty of train travel. It is one of the best ways to see our beautiful country, and one of the two days required is wasted at airports anyway. The airlines are high on profit margin and low on personal comfort, so why not give trains a chance? The world is running on steroids at the moment with all the frenetic pace causing a lot of illness and grief.

Chill a bit and take the train; you will be so much better for the experience!

New Fusion