The posh British train route named one of the best in the world

In the UK, many of us have come to associate train travel with stress. After years of strikes, regular delays, and many, many cancellations, it’s easy to forget that in the right circumstances, hopping on a train can actually be a thoroughly luxurious experience.

You might have seen the videos of glass-topped carriages zooming through luscious Swiss mountains, or the jaw-dropping railway journeys through rural China in Race Across the World, and concluded that that sort of experience simply can’t be replicated in the UK. Whilst we don’t quite have the scenery – although the UK’s ‘most remote’ route is said to be pretty stunning – we more than make up for it in the fancy carriages of the British Pullman, A Belmond Train.

Named the second best luxury train journey in the world by readers of the high-end travel mag Travel + Leisure, the British Pullman is more of a bucket list item than a mode of transport. Tickets start at around £590 but go up to £1500, and routes generally end in the same place that they started.

Belmond, which operates the service, painstakingly restored vintage Victorian carriages which fell out of favour in the mid-20th century, including the Pullman, to provide a classic British experience. The operator offers several routes through the countryside, generally accompanied by a Michelin-worthy meal and as much wine as your heart desires.

It’s no wonder then that Travel + Leisure readers gave the iconic locomotive a score of 86.3 out of 100, only a few points less than the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer, which was named the planet’s best train journey. You can have a look at the magazine’s full list of the most luxurious railways here.

Belmond is also due to launch a brand new three-day route through Eryri national park in Wales on the Britannic Explorer. Don’t get too excited though – a double carriage will set you back £16,000. This is pretty much as luxe as travel can be, so it’s probably worth it if you’ve got the cash.

But what is a British Pullman journey actually like? Time Out’s food and drinks editor Leonie Cooper was lucky enough to hop on last December, a trip which left ‘normal trains ruined for us forever’. You can read her full recount, including delightful loos, Wes Anderson vibes, and top-notch food, here.

More train travel with Time Out

In case you missed it, King Charles is retiring the royal train. Plus, a superfast rail link between Manchester and Liverpool could finally happen. And we rode Scotland’s poshest train – it costs the same as a week at The Ritz.