Few can resist the romance and opulence of a luxury train travel experience. It’s one of the world’s greatest travel experiences, with dozens of celebrities lining up to board the finest luxury trains. From Pharrell to the Beckhams, we look at five celebrities who have experienced the legendary luxury of train travel… And how you can walk in their footsteps on your next luxury train journey.
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1. David and Victoria Beckham
@victoriabeckham
What better way to celebrate a 23rd wedding anniversary than a romantic train journey? David and Victoria Beckham pulled out all the stops for their anniversary, taking the overnight Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train from Paris to Venice. Victoria’s parents and siblings joined them for the extravagant trip and shared some snaps of them enjoying the luxury of train travel.
@victoriabeckham
The illustrious Orient Express puts on sumptuous, four-course dinners, where passengers must dress in formal evening wear. Victoria wore a stunning black cocktail dress, while David wore a white dinner jacket for the occasion, fitting perfectly with the vintage glamour of the Orient Express.
Want to holiday like the stars? You can experience the luxury of train travel on our Ultimate Italy luxury guided tour, by taking the overnight trip from Venice to Paris on the lavish Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
RELATED CONTENT: Dine, Sleep, Do: How to spend a blissful 24 hours in Venice
2. Maria Sharapova
@mariasharapova
We’ve all dreamed of travelling on the regal Royal Scotsman – and Maria Sharapova made it a reality. The retired tennis superstar enjoyed the luxury of train travel in the Scottish Highlands, boarding the Belmond’s Royal Scotsman on the beautiful West Highland Line. Maria shared some snaps of the gorgeous views from the train and her excitement on Instagram:
“I’ve been dreaming about this trip for so long!! Seeing Scotland through the cabin’s windows while drinking breakfast tea (with milk!!), and reading a children’s trilogy (The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman) and no wifi! Dreaaam.”
@mariasharapova
Want to step back in time on your own romantic train journey? You can board The Royal Scotsman on our British Royale luxury guided tour and travel from Edinburgh to London in first-class style through the stunning English countryside.
RELATED CONTENT: 7 of the world’s most luxurious train journeys
3. Kate Moss
@davidgardner
Kate Moss is next in line on a long list of celebrities (including Angelina Jolie and John Travolta) who have revelled in a luxury train travel experience on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. She boarded the opulent train for an overnight trip from London to Venice, to celebrate hairdresser James Brown’s 50th birthday. She was joined by actress Sadie Frost, model Rosemary Ferguson, and football agent (and David Beckham’s best mate) Dave Gardner.
@sadielizafrost
Kate documented 30 hours of pure indulgence, including lavish cabins decked in polished wood and vintage upholstery. The gourmet four-course meals are served in regal dining carriages laid with fine china, sparkling crystal, and silverware… And Kate arrived in a timeless style to match the charm of the train. She wore a satin dress and a feathered boa draped across her shoulder, the picture of 1920s glamour.
RELATED CONTENT: A real life Orient Express mystery has just been solved, thanks to YouTube
4. Pharrell Williams
@vsoetrain
Pharrell Williams is another celebrity fan of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express luxury train journey. The musician spent a few days in the stunning Italian city of Venice to celebrate the wedding of LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault’s son. While he was there, a group of celebrity friends joined him for a lavish lunch on board the VSOE train. They were served by none other than Jean Imbert, the Michelin star chef behind the exceptional dining experience on board the VSOE train.
RELATED CONTENT: Meet the Michelin star chef putting his stamp on the Orient-Express menu
5. Nelson Mandela, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Naomi Campbell, and more…
@thebluetrainsa
There are few trains that have attracted as much star power as The Blue Train in South Africa. This luxury train travels between Pretoria and Cape Town and has hosted some big celebrities including Nelson Mandela, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Naomi Campbell, Mia Farrow, Earl & Lady Spencer, Danny Glover, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Imran Khan, Leo Sayer, Sir Peter Ustinov, and many more.
Nelson Mandela and Naomi Campbell once came to the re-launching of the train on a one-night round trip from Pretoria to Cape Town. On arrival, they auctioned off the clothes Nelson Mandela wore at Robben Island Prison, with the proceeds going to his foundation. Kylie Minogue also did the locomotion in luxury on the South African leg of her Aphrodite World Tour in 2011, riding the iconic train from Pretoria to Cape Town.
GET INSPIRED BY: Spectacular South Africa
Have you experienced the timeless luxury of train travel? What is your favourite train travel experience? Let us know in the comments below…
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