“The journey has its own lyrics

A duet of balanced motion

The rails and wheels in tune.”      

Richard L.Ratliff

There is something timeless about traveling by train. It slows down the pace and allows you to soak up grand stretches of scenery from the comfort of a palace on wheels. Rather than flying over vast expansive countries, you can immerse further in scenic delights that many will never see.  Luxury rail travel tours give you the opportunity to escape the mundane and exchange the cacophony of modern life for the gentle hum of the train on the tracks.

From industrious commuter trains that hug craggy cliffsides overhanging the Mediterranean to the grand dames that wind through thousands of miles of snowy white terrain, rail fans can find a journey that completely indulges their passion. Luxury Gold offers travelers the chance to add VIP Guided tours by train so you can dip your toe into the charms of some of the world’s best rail journeys. Read on to discover three of the most famous luxury rail tours that you can add onto your Luxury Gold journey.

DELVE INTO THE ROMANCE OF RUSSIA BY RAIL

Luxury Gold’s Remarkable Russia tour is truly a spectacle for the senses, but adding the Trans Siberian Express option raises this journey by degrees of magnitude.

After the decadence and historical wonders of St Petersburg and Moscow, it’s time to board to Golden Eagle for one of the greatest luxury train tours on earth. Journey deep into Russia to explore less visited cities and some of the most spectacular lake and mountainside destinations on the planet.

The Trans Siberian railway line stretches 9,288 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok, which makes it the longest single–service railway in the world. This extraordinary feat of engineering was opened in stages between 1891 and 1916, and it has become a lifeline for the communities that it passes through, providing work and links to wider Russia that could much more difficult to access via road.

Your home for the journey is a private en suite cabin with your own personal attendant to address any needs you may have, or offer advice on your stay. All your creature comforts are looked after onboard, so you can journey with the utmost ease. The elegant dining car is a welcoming place for all meals and the Executive Chef offers special meals that reflect the traditional dishes of each place along the way.

First stop is the city of Kazan, situated on the longest river in Europe, the River Volga. Embark on a city tour that takes in the many wonders of historical significance, including the striking blue-domed Kremlin, once the historic citadel of Russia. The following day you’ll awaken in the capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg, where you’ll see the obelisk marking the divide between Asia and Europe as you sip Champagne with your fellow travelers.

After another night in the comfort of your hotel on wheels, Novosibirsk is the next stop, right in the heart of Russia. Here, a highlight is the Opera House in Lenin Square, one of the largest in the world and home to two ballet and opera companies.

Your journey on this remarkable route allows plenty of time for relaxation on the Golden Eagle, with diversions such as Russian lessons and engaging talks on local history and culture by expert guest speakers. Expansive windows let you appreciate the awe-inspiring views as this vast landscape sweeps by. Relax with a drink in the Bar Lounge Car with the sounds of the piano tinkling in the background.

You’ll spend the day in Irkutsk, also known as the Paris of Siberia, where you’ll visit the Volkonsky House Museum to see the lives of the failed Decembrists recreated. Spend a day chugging alongside the incredible Lake Baikal, which holds 20% of the world’s fresh water. You can take a refreshing dip, or simply capture some fantastic photos of its astounding beauty. Leave the train for a boat ride to a Baikal settlement to meet the local people and learn about the unique flora and fauna of the area at the museum and aquarium.

In Ulan Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic, you’ll be treated to a concert amid the local people, hearing songs in their language and partaking in their traditions. Explore Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia and immerse yourself in the rich culture of country with its fascinating history dating back to Genghis Khan.

Your final day onboard will be spent passing through Khabarovsk on the River Amur. Soak up the last relaxing moments of this unforgettable train ride before reaching the military port of Vladivostok, which was closed to tourists for more than 60 years. This completes your journey on the Trans Siberian Express, which will live long in your memory.

FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THE 1920’S ON THE VENICE SIMPLON ORIENT EXPRESS

Stepping onto the Venice Simplon Orient Express is like taking a leap back to a more glamorous era, where train travel was not simply a means of getting from A to B, and the most popular rail travel tours were limited to the elite.

Now, you can get a taste of the 1920s and 1930s when you add the Venice Simplon Orient Express option to your Ultimate Italy tour with Luxury Gold. This lovingly-restored train has been traveling this route since 1982 and it was the setting for a series of “Whicker’s World”, a British television show where travel journalist Alan Whicker interviewed guests and celebrities as they traveled in style. Sir Michael Palin also took this train, spending the first leg of “Around the World in 80 Days” in sleeping carriage 3544.

After a leisurely tour that takes in the magnificence of Rome, the captivating Isle of Capri and the luscious food and wine of Tuscany, your Italian affair will lead you to magical Venice, where you can bask in the allure of the city before being whisked away on the Venice Simplon Orient Express to Paris.

Join the train in late morning, gently departing Venice Santa Lucia station, saying ciao to the City of Bridges. Pass through the pretty Padua before reaching the pink-hued buildings of Verona, and then emerging slowly into exquisite Alpine scenery. Afternoon tea is served, adding an element of culinary delight to this slow afternoon onboard. Mingle with fellow travelers in the Champagne Bar, or simply enjoy the view.

Dining is an integral part of your experience on board the Venice Simplon Orient Express, but not only for the epicurean splendor. Each dining car has its own personality, inviting guests into a bygone era where dressing up for dinner was non-negotiable. Step into Cote d’Azur to see the René Lalique glass, admire the stunning marquetry of Etoile du Nord and unwind among the flamboyant furnishings of L’Oriental.

Meals are a celebration, with seasonal ingredients carefully selected from the destinations the train travels through, such as fine shellfish from the shores of Brittany and tender vegetables from Provence. Special requests and dietary needs are catered for and every morsel is a delight. The French chefs deliver gourmet excellence every time, so you can be assured of a first class meal.

If you can peel yourself away from the stories at the bar, a restful night sleep awaits in your beautiful art deco cabin. While the rooms have been updated for modern comfort, you’ll still feel the glamor of another age. Plush seating is perfect to relax and gaze out on the passing scenery while the silky damask sheets invite you to snuggle in for a few winks before waking up in France.

Breakfast is served in your cabin at a time to suit you, as this marvellous train ride glides gently into the City of Light. There’s no better way to arrive in Paris for your stay.

GRASP THE GLORY OF THE ROCKIES ON THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER

Imagine the icy peaks looming over you as you travel through national parks in a bi-level glass dome coach? Choose the Majesty of the Rockies with GoldLeaf Service to fully appreciate the grandeur of this scenery.

On Day three of your luxury guided tour through Canada, you’ll board the Rocky Mountaineer in Vancouver and leave the coastline to travel deep into British Columbia. The enormous windows provide you with sweeping views across the landscape, which changes from thriving green meadows into abundant firs that climb the mountainside.

You’ll experience exceptional service onboard from dedicated hosts alongside your Traveling Concierge. Be entertained by the stories of each landmark you pass, or spy the incredible wildlife as you sip on a refreshing drink. A delectable lunch is served in the lower lounge as the beautiful scenery unfolds outside the windows. If you fancy some fresh air, you can step onto the outdoor viewing platform to really stand amid the giant Rockies.

The first day’s highlights include Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon, a narrow tidal strait that the water rushes through, which makes for an exhilarating crossing. The steep slopes by Thompson river offer plentiful photo opportunities before you reach Kamloops, where you’ll bed down at a luxury hotel for the night.

The following morning, you’ll return to the Rocky Mountaineer for more dramatic vistas from your railway vantage point. Follow the North Thompson River through the Monashee mountains, where gold, copper and silver are mined from the foothills. Then the luxury train will wind through the Cariboo Mountains, a true wilderness with lofty serrated peaks and glacial lakes. See the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson, standing at 12,972 feet and climb over the Yellowhead Pass that straddles the Continental Divide. Another incredible feature of this area is the Pyramid Falls, which can’t be accessed from any trail, but the view from the Rocky Mountaineer is unsurpassed.

Arrive in Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for your stay at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge on the unspoiled shores of Lac Beauvert.

April 1 is known as April Fools’ Day in many countries across the world, from Japan to Brazil. It’s simply a bit of fun to most but in many places certain traditions have emerged that define it for that country. If you like a practical joke, then perhaps you’d like to take a holiday to Odessa, Ukraine, where a whole festival is held around April Fools’ Day? Otherwise, simply soak up the quirky traditions that a variety of cultures perform on or around this date.

It’s difficult to pinpoint how or where April Fools’ Day began. There are several theories, many of which seem plausible and all pointing to Europe as the place where the day took on this funny meaning.

Origins in Poetry or Fishing? 

The earliest possible known reference to April 1 and playing a prank is in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”, written in the late 14th century. In the poem, a vain hen is tricked by a fox on “syn March bigan thritty dayes and two”. Readers took this as March 32, which would mean April 1. However, scholars have argued that Chaucer states the sun is “in the signe of Taurus” for the events, which could mean it was 32 days after March.

Over one hundred years later, French poet Eloy D’Amerval referred to “poisson d’avril” in 1508, the name which the French call their April Fools’ Day and some suggest that he may be recounting the events of the day.

Concrete accounts about April Fools’ Day emerged from France and Holland around this time, indicating that it may have been a northern European tradition that spread through the Celts. The fishing season began on April 1, but if a fisherman hadn’t brought back a great catch that day, sometimes they lied about how much they had caught. If they were found out, they were the fool.

While we may not know where it originates, it is certainly celebrated in many places now. It is a time that even the national media like to prank their citizens, so before calling “fake news”, remember it’s just a bit of fun!

For the jokers among you, we’ve collected some facts and fun pranks from around the world for this April Fools’ Day.

France 

Paris-France

The French shout “poisson d’avril” for April Fools’ Day. Children draw and make paper fish at school, and people stick them to each other’s backs for fun. If you stop by any patisserie, you’ll find fish-shaped treats to tempt you.

The French media love to catch the unsuspecting public out with their own April Fools’ jokes. In 1986, Le Parisien newspaper ran a story about moving the Eiffel Tower to the site of the new Disneyland Paris. They added credibility to the story by saying that a new Olympic stadium would be built on the site that the iron masterpiece had left.

Last year, when the coronavirus pandemic had much of Europe under full lockdown, there were many news articles about nature reclaiming the streets. So, the Twitter team for the town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer had a little fun by posting some giraffes who were apparently roaming the streets of their town.

Embrace the French joie-de-vivre onLuxury Gold’s French Vogue tour. 

Italy 

Venice- Italy

Despite sharing a 515-kilometer border, the Italians and French have distinct traditions belonging to each country. However, the Italian name for April Fools’ Day is similar – Pesce d’Aprile. In Italy, the most common prank is taping a paper fish to someone’s back, the same as in France. The Italians make a game of it, where everyone in the room is asked who has seen the Pesce d’Aprile? Of course it takes some time for the person wearing the fish to realise!

There are some superb examples of the Italian media playing tricks on the public on April 1. In 1961, Milan’s “La Notte” newspaper reported that all horses would need to be fitted for signalling and brake lights for riding through the streets and surrounding countryside. Some people brought their horses to mechanics with the instructions to do so.

Join in the jokes on the Ultimate Italy tour in April next year.

Sweden 

Sweden

If you’re visiting Sweden around April 1, then you should learn one phrase “April, april dun dumma sill, jag kan lura dig vart jag vill,”. It means “April, April, you silly herring, I can fool you anywhere I want to.” Whenever the person who has been pranked realizes the jokes on them, you must say this, or the April Fool is incomplete.

In 1965 an unknown prankster delivered leaflets throughout Stockholm claiming that the water company would soon switch off the water. Households were encouraged to fill up their bathtubs and as many containers as possible to store water. The culprit of this prank was never discovered. In 2004, a Swedish newspaper reported that mobile phone owners could access 3G simply by shaking their phones – that was probably funny to watch on the day.

England 

London Guards

The one thing to remember on April Fools’ Day in England is that you must play the joke before noon, or else the joke is on you! Presumably this is to catch people out before they even realise the date.

The British media commonly take part in pranking on April Fools’ Day. In 1957, the broadcaster BBC brought in a special report about a record spaghetti crop in Switzerland, even showing Swiss workers pulling noodles from the trees.

The cutest April Fools’ joke came from Cambridgeshire police force, who introduced their drug sniffer bunny Benni to the world via Twitter.

Scotland  

Just north of the border, the Scots used to have two days for playing jokes and pranks on friends and neighbors. April 1 was called Huntigowk day, where gowk meant foolish person. The gowk would be handed a sealed message to bring to someone, that read “Dinna laugh, dinna smile, hunt the gowk another mile.”  On receiving the message, the recipient would tell the gowk to deliver another sealed message to someone else, which read the same. This would continue until the gowk realised there was no message at all and he had been tricked. April 2 was a continuation of festivities called Tailie day, where tails would be pinned on people’s backs. The “kick me” that you stick to someone’s back can be traced back to Tailie day.

Discover the great wit of British noblemen on the British Royale tour.

India

April Fools’ Day has been around for centuries in India, as a result of British influence. It has always been known as a day for light hearted joking, where children were allowed play small pranks without getting into trouble for them. These included things like replacing sugar with salt for tea or cooking, causing frustration to their parents.

More recently, the younger generations now post pranks on social media, such as making up silly news stories or trying to catch out their friends with jokes. It is not as widely celebrated as elsewhere, but many children enjoy the fun of the day.

Ukraine, especially Odessa 

If your favorite day of the year is April Fools’ Day, then it’s worth putting a trip to Odessa to coincide with April 1 on your travel list.

Since 1973, Odessa has held the festival of Humorina around April Fools’ Day. A large parade takes place in the city center with comedians, musicians and clowns putting on performances. People dress in costume to join the parade and plentiful pranks are a given. It’s a joyous event organized by comic troupe, “Masks” who used to have a popular TV show in the country.

The city’s main buildings and monuments are often dressed in funny clothing to mark the event.

Russia 

Russian’s love to have fun on April Fools’ Day. People dream up ways to trick their friends and family, from calling up their neighbors to tell them that their car is being towed (and getting the instant reward of seeing them run outside to check) to swapping their co-worker’s desk family photo for a movie still, and wondering when they’ll notice.

Learn more Russian jokes on the Remarkable Russia tour in 2022. 

Greece 

Cyclades – Greece

The Greeks believe that there is good luck to be had from pranking people on April Fools’ Day. They believe that if you successfully play a trick on someone, that it will bring you good luck for the rest of the year. Farmers believe that a couple of good pranks will bring a bountiful harvest that year, so plenty of neighborly joking occurs on April 1.

Another belief in Greece is that any rain that falls on April 1 has healing properties, so it’s the ideal time to dance in the rain.

Brazil 

Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

In Brazil, April 1 is called “o dia das mentires”, meaning “day of lies”, so white lies are commonly told, with no harm meant. It has been celebrated in the country since 1828, when a satirical paper called A Mentira announced that the emperor and founder of Brazil, Don Pedro, had died. This could have been taken quite seriously, but Brazilians that believed it weren’t angry when they discovered the truth. They like to make light of things, because they believe it’s the solution to the ills of modern life. So, take anything you hear in Brazil on April 1 with a pinch of salt, in the spirit that it’s meant.

Embrace the belief of Brazilians on the Classic South America tour with Luxury Gold.

As many borders remain closed around the world, we’re constantly dreaming about our next journey and being able to indulge in a luxury journey. For now, we’re only able to dream about our next escape and film is a magnificent way to be transported to a magical far away destination, even if only for a few hours. We asked our Luxury Gold team to share the top travel films that are inspiring their next journey: