The Britannic Explorer, a train where you'd never complain about being delayed, is set to come in to service in July 2025. Rosie Paterson takes a look.
‘Trains are wonderful,’ said Dame Agatha Christie, who, several times over, set her novels on modes of transport, including locomotives. ‘To travel by train,’ she continued, ‘is to see Nature and human beings, towns and churches and rivers, in fact, to see life.’
The author of 66 detective novels would surely then approve of The Britannic Explorer, dubbed ‘the UK’s first luxury sleeper train’ by the company behind it: Belmond.
If the name rings a bell, well, so it should: Belmond also own and operate the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the British Pullman and the Royal Scotsman (the chicest way, in my eyes at least, to tour the Highlands).
The Britannic train will act as an exclusive window of sorts onto some of Britain’s best-loved landscapes: Cornwall, The Lake District and Wales. This is, after all, one of the most geologically diverse nations in the world; a rich tapestry of Gothic moors and slender lakes, otherworldly glens and shimmering golden fields. One wonders, with so much to explore and marvel at, how Belmond stopped at just three journeys.
Britannic Explorer’s three Grand Suites and 15 Suites ‘couple sophistication and comfort’ and have all been built in Britain. The dusky rose pinks, moss greens and vanilla sand neutrals evoke colours typically found in British gardens and wild spaces.
Simon Rogan — celebrated as one of the pioneers of the farm-to-fork dining movement — is the visionary behind Britannic’s culinary offering. ‘For me, true luxury lies in humble ingredients, grown with care, respect for their surroundings, and harvested at their peak,’ he says. And if you want even more gastronomic delight, those taking the route through the Cotswolds can add an optional stop-off at a rather lovely place which just happens to be part of the same group: Raymond Blanc’s two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel, in Oxfordshire
The separate bar car — where botanic cocktails take centre stage — will remind train-goers of a Victorian apothecary.
The Britannic will follow in the footsteps of its sister trains when it comes to wellness (several of them have collaborated with French fashion house Dior on special spa carriages). As well as an on-board wellness suite, there’s a ‘considered’ cultural programme of daily excursions (including exclusive access to yet-to-be announced heritage gems) to help further transport you — mentally and physically — far away from reality.
If you’re sold on the journey, it’s time to start saving: a trip on the Britannic Explorer starts from £11,000 based on a double cabin, to include a 3-night itinerary, excursions, meals, wine and alcoholic beverages on board. You can find out more and book a spot at belmond.com.
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