The coolest trains in the world. The most luxurious and most expensive trains in the world that you can only dream about

Photo: Alexey Volkhonsky

A train with ordinary blue carriages and windows dusty from coal stops at the Volgograd railway station. One can understand that truly luxurious interiors, expensive furniture and mini-art galleries are hidden on the other side only by the coats of arms shining in the sun ..

In early October, a retro train with wealthy Russians and foreigners started from Moscow. During his two-week voyage, he will run to stations in Saratov, Astrakhan, Grozny, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Belorechensk, Adler, Abkhazia, Krasnodar, Tikhoretsk, Rostov-on-Don. After a stop in Volgograd, the first private train with CB and luxury class cars will return to the Moscow railway station.

Photo: Maria Chasovitina

Conductors in austere dark blue suits carry red rugs with golden emblems onto the platform and, smiling, shake hands with each passenger. Foreigners from America, Australia and Japan, who can afford a "golden" ticket for millions of rubles, chirp loudly and take pictures of a steam locomotive with a red star "on its chest." Noticing the cameras, an elderly man runs with a car magazine.

This is my company, - with a smile he points to a brand.

In September, the cheapest trip in Silver class cost a little over a million and two hundred thousand rubles. Rich passengers had to pay almost two and a half million rubles for the luxurious room of the Imperial. Those who like to travel alone should have prepared more substantial sums. A democratic compartment in a train with elite price tags cost a million and eight hundred thousand rubles. The price ceiling for the two-week tour is not indicated on the website.

Almost all the tourists who travel on the “Golden Eagle” train are foreigners, ”says the conductor Aleksey. - This is the elite. You understand that only they can afford such tickets. I used to be a conductor on a regular train. Of course, the job is different. I am a Russian person, but I will nevertheless say that foreigners are much more cultured. I go to and from work in a regular reserved seat carriage with ordinary passengers. And, of course, I can compare my emotions with the emotions of my colleagues who work on these trains. We don't play cards.

Getting into the carriages, from which passengers with badges run out, is more difficult than getting into the Kremlin. Only with the head of the train can even inspectors and controllers pass through the luxurious penates with expensive wooden doors.

Many times passengers asked to take them to the next station. It happened that the railroad workers were pulling: "Well, throw it over," Alexei smiles. - But we have no right. No one is allowed into the carriages without the permission of the management. Even inspectors and controllers can enter only through the staff car and only together with the chief. Because safety comes first. Our passengers must be sure that they are paying big money for a reason.

While noisy and cheerful foreigners (mostly pensioners go on two-week trips to Russia) gather on the platform, a cleaning lady in a handkerchief wrapped around her belt is vigorously wiping off the windows dusty from behind a locomotive. Clean windows, like bait, instantly attract onlookers bystanders. Who is not interested in looking at transforming sofas and luxurious corridors with paintings on the walls?

The train, which in two weeks will pass by many cities of Russia and return to Moscow, consists of different cars: there is both the Northern Lights and the famous Alexander Nevsky. Most of the "Golden Eagle" is now in Iran, - the train staff say. - Tourists can buy a ticket for a Silver class compartment with a combined bathroom, Gold and Imperial - this is the most spacious and luxurious. Each room of the large mobile home has a separate shower, toilet, split system, refrigerator and TV. If a tourist is not busy at lectures (travelers are often gathered at the tea table and told about the cities of Russia), he can turn on the disc and watch films about Siberia and Mongolia. The drive contains a lot of interesting stories.

The brand-name "Alexander Nevsky" luxury train carried the richest passengers from Moscow to St. Petersburg. For round sums in checks, tourists were offered an individual climate control system, satellite TV, Internet access points. To make travelers feel completely safe, the carriages were equipped with video cameras and burglar alarms. Luxurious penats were offered to wealthy Russians on the Northern Lights train as well. A sofa that turns into a double bed with a slight movement of the hand, a transforming table, a shower, a heated floor and an Internet flying around the luxury carriage. The prices for such cars were impressive and impressive, as are the cars themselves.

The hottest car in every sense, even at the bus stop, is the restaurant and bar. Workers hurry down the narrow corridor with salivating boxes: zebra cheesecakes, green jelly cakes, toasted croissants and chocolate ruins. Only a person who is indifferent to everything sweet can reward these treats with banal "appetizing".

In every city we unload solid trucks with food, - says the director of the restaurant Mikhail. - In our menu we focus on Russian cuisine. Today tourists were treated to pea soup served in dark bread. During the trip, they manage to taste borscht with donuts, bacon and a glass of vodka. By the way, we have special dinners where they taste vodka: cranberry, classic. We serve pickles, tomatoes, mushrooms, boiled potatoes, jellied meat for the hot drink.

Mikhail opens the carriage door, behind which is a picture from a movie about luxurious bars and restaurants: a wooden counter, miniature round tables with a white "core" and expensive chairs with wooden edging.

In the morning we invite our passengers to the buffet. They try both semolina porridge and scrambled eggs and sausage, - adds Mikhail. - For lunch and dinner, they can order something interesting: say, a herring under a fur coat or an unusual Kiev cutlet. The menu is so varied that tourists never eat the same dish twice in two weeks of travel!

10th place - Hiram Bingham

This is not even a means of transportation, but an element of an exciting excursion. The train runs in the mountains between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The trip will last only 3.5 hours, during this short time passengers will have time to enjoy the views of the picturesque mountain slopes, with terraces cut down by the Incas for growing potatoes. Local guitarists create the appropriate atmosphere. In Machu Picchu, passengers will have an excursion and tea on the ancient ruins. The way back includes a sumptuous chilli shrimp feast and other local specialties, as well as unusual cocktails.

• The cost of the trip, including all of the above, is total 588

9th place - "Colonial Express" - $ 2,210.

This express runs in southeast Asia, from Singapore to Bangkok, throughout Thailand, including the Malaysian Islands. There are only two excursions on the route, so you will have to enjoy the scenery only from the windows of the train or the observation deck, while enjoying the cocktails prepared in the bar. The restaurant car serves local cuisine. In the evening, local musicians play live for passengers. Lovers of silence can spend time in the library. The longest four-day route costs $ 2,210.

8th place - The Ghan - $ 2,688

8th place - The Ghan - $ 2,688

The Ghan train travels across the entire Australian continent. The train travels the Adelaide - Darwin route in less than three days. On the way, passengers will have two stops at Catherine Alice Springs, where you can visit the sacred sites of the Aborigines. The carriages of the train differ by class, the most convenient is Platinum Service. Here in the compartment there is a shower, a double bed. For a large company, the Prince of Wales carriage is provided. The journey will be $ 20,000. A Platinum Service ticket will cost only $ 2,688.

7th place - El Transcantabrico - $ 3,516.76

This is another sightseeing train. Its route runs through the sites of medieval pilgrims: Santiago de Compostella - Leon - San Sebastian. The tour lasts eight days. The train stops every day at important points on the route so that passengers can enjoy a walk around. Noisy discos are organized on the train at night. El Transcantabrico is more like a mobile hotel. The suite compartment has a bathroom, there is a compartment with a living room. The ticket price includes excursions, food and wine: 2,600 euros.

6th place - Pride of Africa - $ 8,900.

The most luxurious train on the African continent. The suites are incredible in size - 116 square meters! Each of them accommodates a real bed and a bathroom. Regular coupes only offer a shower. Here with local and imported wines and delicious springbok antelope meat. The last carriage has an observation deck with a bar. The Cape Town - Pretoria route lasts two days, while the Cape Town - Dar es Salaam route takes 14 days. The ticket price is $ 8,900.

5th place - Royal Scotsman - $ 10,680

This train runs on different routes, on each of them excursions await passengers, contemplation of the excellent Scottish landscapes, medieval castles and Victorian mansions. At one of the stops, a real Scottish fishing awaits passengers. Of course, you will not be able to do without playing golf. The train leaves Edinburgh, they see it off with the pathos characteristic of this country: having tasted champagne, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes, the guests enter the carriage along the red carpet. The train has an observation deck, and the dining car serves venison, salmon and pheasants. The number of train tickets is limited - only 36 compartments are available, so getting here is not so easy. The longest seven-day excursion will cost a passenger $ 10,680.

4th place - Royal Rajasthan on Wheels - $ 12,800 in a super suite.

Inside this "Palace on Wheels" everything is decorated in a luxurious oriental style. The walls of the compartment are lined with silks, the bedspreads are handmade, the decoration resembles the rooms in the palace of the rajah. The train has a spa, and two restaurant cars serve international and local cuisine. Each passenger is assigned a butler who will serve him until the end of the trip. The circular route begins in Delhi, lasts eight days, during the trip, passengers can visit excursions. The cost of travel is $ 4,720 in the standard compartment and $ 12,800 in the super-suite.

3rd place - "Tsarskoe Gold" - $ 30,555.

Express "Golden Eagle" and "Tsarskoe Gold" run on the route Moscow - Beijing, through Ulan Bator. These trains run only at night, while in the daytime passengers can afford to wander around on excursions. The standard program of visits consists of excursions to Lake Baikal, a yurt in Ulan Bator, an opera and ballet theater in Novosibirsk. The trip lasts about two weeks, so a doctor is always on the train. The restaurant car treats its guests to dishes of Russian cuisine. A gold class ticket will cost its holders 22,590 euros.

2nd place - The Venice Simplon Orient-Express - $ 31,740.

The famous "Orient Express", mentioned more than once by Agatha Christie in his work. This train is distinguished by the presence of old carriages of the last century, everything here is saturated with the atmosphere of the past, as well as the expensive decoration of the compartment. The restaurant car serves Italian and French cuisine. Routes Paris - Istanbul and London - Venice cost differently: a compartment will cost 6 420 dollars to Venice, and to Istanbul as much as 18 380 dollars, the cost of suites is corresponding: 9 860 and 31 740 dollars.

1st place Maharaja's Express - 2500 $ / day

The cost of staying on this train is from 800 to 2500 dollars per day. Coupes equipped with the latest technology amaze with their luxury and comfort. They have luxury furniture, wireless Internet, DVD, air conditioning, and even bathrooms with hot water. Maharaja's Express - the most expensive train in the world- moves along the route Kolkata-New Delhi.

Maharaja’s Express has a panoramic carriage - from here you can observe, as well as two restaurant cars, a bar with elite drinks, a souvenir and gift shop.

The Maharajah Express is a luxury train that only wealthy tourists can afford to travel. A day's journey in an "ordinary" compartment of this train costs $ 800, and for the presidential suite you need to pay almost three times more - $ 2,500. Since the tickets are very expensive, the guests of the "Maharajah Express" pay for their stay on the train, as in an ordinary hotel - by the day.
The Maharajah Express started operating on Indian Railways between Kolkata and New Delhi in 2010.
The compartments are very luxuriously furnished, each has hot and cold water, and the suites even have a bathroom. Also, in each compartment, travelers will find a TV, DVD player, wireless Internet and, of course, a good air conditioner, which allows you to individually adjust the microclimate.
So that tourists can admire the Indian landscapes, in addition to huge windows in each carriage, a special panoramic compartment is provided on the train.
The restaurant in the "Maharajah Express" has not one carriage, as in ordinary trains, but two (and this despite the fact that the train is designed for less than a hundred passengers).
In addition, there is also a special bar with an excellent selection of wines and a shop where you can buy gifts and souvenirs.
So that none of even the chosen travelers on the train could disturb the VIPs, the presidential suite is located in a separate carriage. This compartment has two whole rooms, a separate dressing room and a separate bathroom.
The theme tour in the "Maharajah Express" lasts 7-8 days.
On the Maharaja Express tour, it arrives at a new station every morning and stops for almost a full day. While parked, tourists can go sightseeing, shop and dine at restaurants.
During such a week-long trip, tourists have time to visit a dozen of the most picturesque places in India.
The maximum train capacity is only 88 passengers.

Earlier we have already talked about exclusive trains for wealthy passengers. Today - the continuation of the topic, as well as new photos and details about luxury trains around the world ...

More than one hundred years have passed since the invention of the railway, and during this time railway transport has passed a very long path of evolution. The trains that you will see in this collection are not provided as a means of transportation, but luxury hotels on wheels for the transport of people of blue blood. Let's find out what the most expensive, luxurious and simply stylish trains in the world look like.

"Glacier Express" Is a panoramic high-speed train that carries passengers across the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 2,033 meters.

The express runs through two of Switzerland's most famous ski resorts - St. Moritz and Zermatt. In seven and a half hours, he crosses 291 bridges and enters 91 tunnels.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world. Trans-Siberian Express crosses eight time zones. Passengers can get from Moscow to Vladivostok and Beijing along the highway.

The entire route, excluding stops, is covered by the train in a week. Private trains follow the same route at a slower pace.

South African train Pride of Africa many call it the most luxurious train on Earth. A ticket for it costs from $ 5000 - $ 10000 per person. The train follows the route Cape Town (South Africa) - Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). In the photo, the train stopped at Victoria Falls.

Along the way, Pride of Africa stops at various game reserves that can only be reached by train or small plane.

The famous luxury train Venice Simplon-Orient or "Orient Express" runs between London, Venice, Istanbul and many other cities. Depending on the destination, the ticket price ranges from $ 2500 to $ 9000.

The chic train consists of carriages decorated in the style of the 1920s and 1930s. Passengers can enjoy delicious French cuisine and experience the incomparable atmosphere of the Orient Express, described in the novel by Agatha Christie.

The younger brother of the legendary "Orient Express" express "The Eastern & Oriental" carries passengers throughout Southeast Asia. The fare ranges from $ 2000 to $ 9000.

This luxury train has several dining cars, a library, a souvenir boutique and bars, one of which has a large outdoor viewing terrace.

Train Belmond Royal Scotsman invites everyone to take a trip to Scotland and the Scottish Highlands, to visit ruined castles, golf courses and whiskey distilleries. The cheapest trip will cost $ 1,350 per person, the most expensive - from $ 5,000 to $ 13,000.

Passengers here spend the night in two-seater compartments. All meals are prepared directly on the train.

Alaska Railroad is the main summer attraction on which trains run from Anchorage to Fairbanks Denali Star stopping at Denali National Park. The entire journey lasts twelve hours.

This train is famous for its glass-domed carriages, thanks to which passengers contemplate the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside in succession.

Express way Blue Train, which is called a "five-star hotel on wheels", runs from Cape Town to Pretoria.

Luxurious luxury carriages from a living room during the day turn into a bedroom at night. The chef prepares specialties of oysters, ostrich and lamb.

Train Hiram Bingham follows through Peru to the Inca city - Machu Picchu.

The train's dining car menu boasts local cuisine, and the bar features live Peruvian music. The round trip will cost $ 750.

Palace on Wheels travels through the fortresses and palaces of the largest state in India - Rajasthan. The train departs from New Delhi and the entire journey lasts seven days.

Initially, the carriages of the Palace on Wheels train were intended for the personal use of the rulers of various Indian states.

Danube Express- a private train running between Prague, Budapest, Krakow and Istanbul. Previously, the train belonged to Hungarian Prime Minister Janos Kadar.

The carriages are equipped with shiny wood paneling and comfortable berths. In the sleeping car, the conductors serve tea or coffee and wine in the evenings.

The so-called Toy Train along the route New Jalpaiguri - Darjeeling at an altitude of 2200 meters.

The Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The train itself is an old steam locomotive.

Napa Valley Wine or Wine Train Is a private sightseeing train that takes tourists through the many vineyards and wineries of Napa Valley, California.

An evening trip with dinner will cost gourmets $ 189 per person.

An advanced, high-speed train "Harmony" travels to numerous major cities in China. The fastest train reaches a speed of 431 km / h.

The Flåm Railway runs through the Norwegian mountains and is a popular tourist attraction in Aurlandsfjord. It descends from a height of 865 meters above sea level to the picturesque Flåm Valley.

The railway line is one of the steepest in the world. Tourists are expected by the most beautiful landscapes of Norway, rivers, cascades of waterfalls, deep gorges, mountain farms, valleys.

"Gan" Is an Australian train that crosses the entire continent from south to north - from Adelaide to Darwin. The launch of the legendary line took place in 1929.

Passengers make a three-day journey through the Australian outback. One-way fares range from $ 900 to $ 3500.

For a seat in a 2-seater compartment and 2.8 million if you want to go in an individual compartment without a neighbor.
This is not a joke, these are real prices for the Russian Railways train on the Moscow-Beijing route, which departs only a few times a year.
On the outside it's almost a regular train, but on the inside ... sophisticated interiors, heated floors, spa, gym, personalized service and governess. In each car of that luxury train "Golden Eagle" there are only 5-6 compartments of different classes, in the very composition there are 2 dining cars, a kitchen car, a bar car and a whole car for service personnel.
The train runs on two routes: Moscow-Beijing with tickets from 22350 euros for a seat in a double-compartment to 40,000 euros for an individual compartment and monthly from Moscow to Vladivostok at more humane prices ... from 14395 euros per ticket!
And yes, let me remind you, this is Russian Railways!

2. Here is more about the cost of tickets, which is indicated on the Russian Railways website.
Don't be surprised that the prices are in Euros. They say this train is very popular with foreigners ...
This is understandable, I can hardly imagine a mass Russian who would agree to pay more than 1 million rubles for a trip from Moscow to Vladivostok by train

3. This is what the train itself looks like
This is a joint project of Russian Railways, Russian Railways Tour, English travel company GW Travel Limited, Transsiberian Express Group of Companies and NPP Zircon-Service LLC. The preparatory phase of the project lasted seven years, and the first train hit the road in March 2007. During the season, the train makes 12 flights between Moscow and Vladivostok and several flights on other routes.
The Golden Eagle train consists of 19 carriages for 120 passengers and 56 service personnel. In addition to the residential cars, the structure includes: a diesel generator car, two dining cars, a bar car, a kitchen car, a service car, and a separate car for staff. The train is completely autonomous, self-sufficient in electricity and has a monthly supply of drinking water and provisions on board. Tourists are accommodated in double compartments with a private bathroom and shower. Each carriage has 5-6 such compartments. The price of the voucher includes three standard meals a day, as well as drinks, including alcoholic beverages. Railway all inclusive.

4. It looks like an imperial-class coupe

5. And so the silver class coupe.
The gold and imperial class compartments are equipped with heated floors. The area of ​​the compartment for the silver compartment is 5 square meters, for the gold compartment - 7.

6. Each compartment, regardless of class, has its own bathroom

7. On the train, as I said, there are two dining cars, one bar car, and a storage car for luggage. It is there that suitcases, paintings, baskets, cardboard boxes go ... Right on the way of the train, you can get a haircut, take a massage course, do gymnastics, improve your well-being and appearance with the help of SPA procedures and visit a doctor. The first-aid post on the train is clearly not superfluous, given that the average passenger of the Golden Eagle is a gentleman of retirement age.

8. A total of five carriages are entirely given over to the needs of starving tourists. Two of them are restaurant halls with four-seater tables, in which all 120 passengers can freely sit. The kitchen takes up a whole carriage, located in the middle of the train between the halls. Through it you can walk along a fenced passage, the wall of which separates the work area of ​​the chefs from the tourists. All products are taken with them from Moscow, the equipment of the movable galley allows you to treat tourists with a wide variety of dishes: from fresh pastries to culinary masterpieces of fish and meat. The menu is designed in such a way that no dish will be repeated in 47 days. The only drawback is the menu common to all; alternative dishes can only be offered to vegetarians or, for example, allergy sufferers. Another carriage is used for the grocery warehouse.

Another popular spot in the train is the bar car, which is linked to one of the dining rooms. There is a piano, light and music equipment. Drinks are served to guests free of charge, only especially expensive drinks will be included in the bill. According to the bartender Mikhail, foreign tourists are most interested in Russian vodka, which is included in the price of the trip.
There are four cooks on the train, all of them trained on the Orient Swiss tourist trains.

Well, would you take this train across Russia?
If so, what is the maximum for a ticket?