The 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle, once part of the iconic Orient Express group, will be heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh this month and next to give passengers a luxurious Christmas trip
Champagne aficionados are in for a treat next month with the opportunity to indulge in a lavish seven-course Christmas lunch while speeding along at 70mph on one of the globe’s most luxurious trains.
The Northern Belle, reminiscent of the 1930s Pullman carriages and once part of the legendary Orient Express fleet, is set to grace the UK this month and the next, offering an experience that echoes the golden age of train travel, complete with a red carpet welcome for its passengers.
You can celebrate Christmas in style with the train leaving from one of multiple UK centres starting from late November. The train will take passengers on journeys from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Bristol and more, meaning no matter where you are in the country you can get your taste of luxury and view of the UK countryside.
Onboard entertainment will be provided by the train’s resident musicians, and a touch of enchantment will be woven by a magician who will perform his sleight of hand as he moves between the carriages, reports Glasgow Live.
While securing a seat on this exclusive journey comes with a hefty price tag of £395, it includes both champagne and wine, not to mention a gourmet seven-course meal featuring delicacies like caviar blinis and, naturally, a selection of fine cheeses.
A spokesperson for the Northern Belle commented on the opulent escapade, saying: “You’d be Christmas crackers to miss it, so it may still be worth checking for late cancellations.”
They added: “We like to think the Northern Belle harks back to the golden days of rail travel an era when nothing was too good for the pampered passengers.
“We even lay a red carpet across the station platform before they board and are handed their first glass of champagne.”
The Northern Belle has consistently been named one of the globe’s premier trains, featuring carriages that were once part of the illustrious Royal Train – one of which is even whispered to house the preferred seat of the late Queen Mother.
The venerable Bill Nighy lauded the train’s class, referring to it as “the Grand Dame of luxury travel” during its appearance on Channel 5s ‘The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys’.
Come revel in the splendour of the Northern Belle’s Christmas Special, setting off from Glasgow at 11:40 am and departing Edinburgh by 12:55 pm, with numerous outings lined up for November and December full details can be discovered here.
Anticipation builds as the train plans its return to the two cities for lunch and afternoon tea excursions in July, followed by scenic voyages past Loch Lomond en route to Oban in August.