TRAVEL editors in the national media have been gushing today about plans for a new luxury train called the Britannic Explorer. The Times observed it is “an experience only money can buy, and you will need a lot of it”. Journeys start at £11,000 for a three-day itinerary based on a cabin for two. The itineraries are described as a “window on modern Britain” with the coaches designed like a “boutique hotel”.
But in fact we’ve seen this train before. It ran round Ireland for a while, until Covid put the brakes on. No matter how much they are disguised, the coaches are old Mark Threes from the British Rail era.
Advice to plutocrats (and ordinary folk seeking a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience): Spend your money taking the Venice Simplon Orient Express from Paris to Venice. The carriages are the real thing – vintage vehicles from the old Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits. The original and the best.
