Africa is not the first place that springs to mind when you are thinking about train journeys but it does offer some of the most magical routes in the world. If you spend your life standing on chilly railway platforms waiting for overcrowded commuter trains then you may not fancy yet another train ride! However there is something magical about catching a train in a foreign country. It’s a good chance to meet the locals and get chatting, the slow pace allows you to really soak up the scenery and then there is just the general romance of travelling by train across faraway lands.
In the north the most famous train journey is across the Sahara on the Iron Ore Train in Mauritania. It’s not only probably the most epic train ride in the world it’s also probably the world’s longest train at 2 kms in length! What’s best is that you can ride in the empty iron ore carriages for free if you are prepared to really rough it. Michael Palin travelled on this train for his television series called Sahara. To be honest, it really is just for the most adventurous of travellers as the shifting sands can make it a fairly hazardous trip and the facilities are basic to say the least!
In Egypt a more popular trip through the Sahara is the overnight express from Cairo to Luxor. Many travellers take this option before starting their cruise. Travelling in a comfy couchette, speeding through the night, watching the sun rise over the desert and then embarking on a Nile cruise is a pretty unbeatable combination.
Amazingly enough you can even travel right across Africa with Rovos Rail. You can travel by luxury train (with some short hops by air) across Africa taking up to a month travelling through an amazing variety of landscapes. This luxury train will carry you in world-class style and comfort from Cape Town to Cairo through the heartlands of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, the Sudan and Egypt or in reverse if you prefer the return route.
In East Africa one of the great train journeys is run by the Rift Valley Railways Company who run a service between Nairobi and Mombasa. This operates through fantastic scenery including the Rift Valley and the Tsavo National Park. You may be able to spot some game from the train if you are lucky!
Finally down in South Africa you can enjoy the old world luxury of the Blue Train. This has been called a five star hotel on wheels and famous film stars, presidents, royalty and more have all had the experience of travelling in total luxury on board. This train travels across South Africa from Pretoria to Cape Town on a twenty-seven hour journey. The train travels through a thousand miles of some of the most diverse and spectacular scenery offered by the African sub-continent.
Travelling by train allows you to soak up some stunningly epic scenery due to its relatively slow pace and at the same time it allows you to just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
