With intricate interiors, antique furniture, classical menus, and beautiful sights, the Belmond British Pullman train sets the standard for high-class English travel.  

Each car on the train was inspired by the original 1920s Belmond compartments, and the Cygnus carriage was designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson. The carriage features lush green upholstery, warm wood panelling with swan details, and an art-deco feel. Not a fiend for green? Perhaps the Gwen carriage, with its red and yellow floral armchairs, will suit you more.  

Feeling blue? The Phoenix carriage’s navy palette was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Each carriage is its own work of art, a moving gallery darting through the fields of southern England.   

They offer day trips from Victoria Station to sites like Blenheim Palace, historic Oxford, and the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, among many others. On the way to and from each port of call, passengers are treated to seasonal fine dining for brunch and dinner while watching the countryside streak past the window. Sip on a Bellini, eat a pastry or two, and then step off to explore your chosen destination.  

Once your tour (or meal) is done, and you’ve explored the scenery and had your fill for the day, hop aboard for a four-course dinner on the way back to London. I’ve only had the pleasure of riding it once, when my uncle invited me to join him and my aunt on his birthday trip to historic Bath, but it was an experience I will never forget.  

The train has a sort of bewitching quality, a beauty which makes the journey seem all the more special. It’s as expensive as you might expect for the experience I’ve described, but it truly is the most magical train in the United Kingdom.   

Photo credit: Eleanor Brooke