This Iconic Cross-Country Train Should Be Your Next Getaway

We believe that there’s no finer way to travel long distances than by train. It’s slower than a plane, certainly, but more comfortable by a factor of several thousand—even if you’re a first-class traveller. It has all the romance of a road trip, but without having to pee on the side of the road. And it is as convenient as a cruise ship, but with constantly evolving views of the countryside rushing past.

We’ve got train envy right now, looking at the platinum service on the Indian Pacific rail journey from Sydney to Perth. It’s the twenty-first longest rail journey in the world and it cuts directly across the bottom half of Australia, through Broken Hill, Adelaide, Cook and Kalgoorlie.

Over four days and three nights, the Indian Pacific travels coast to coast and crosses deserts, towns and cities on a spectacular 4352km journey. Named for the oceans at either end of the crossing, the Indian Pacific is an iconic Australian rail journey. There are several chances to disembark and experience the highlight stops along the way, and you can choose to begin or end your journey in Adelaide, for a shorter trip.

The train is elegant and luxurious, with old-world charm and modern amenities. Booking the platinum-level accommodation is like flying first class—if your first-class seat also came with a private bathroom and incredible views of the Australian countryside.

The Platinum cabins are almost twice the size of the gold twin cabins and offer double or two twin beds and a generously sized ensuite. By day, the cabins are converted into a lounge with a table and two armchairs and ottomans.

Guests travelling in this segment will find the service is attentive and personalised and there are plenty of perks and benefits, including unlimited off-train excursions and outback experiences unlike anything you’ve done before. Large windows on both sides of the train offer an almost panoramic viewing experience and you can opt to listen to audio commentary about the journey, or switch on the music channels. The ensuite is stocked with Australian Appelles Apothecary toiletries and thoughtful extras such as a hairdryer. As a bonus, you’ll find Bollinger and Haigh’s chocolates in the room.

As a guest in the Platinum Suites, you'll also be granted exclusive access to the Platinum Club, with its quartzite tabletops, timber flooring, brass fittings, and leather banquette lounge seating, for social dining. Or you can have breakfast and refreshments served to you in the cabin, for a more personal experience. Included in your fare are continental breakfasts, two-course lunches and four-course dinners, with dietary requirements well catered to, as well as all-inclusive Australian wine, beer and spirits.

If you so wish, you can even carry three, 30kg bags per person—made easier by the private transfers included at the start and end of your journey in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

If you’re travelling from Perth to Sydney, you’ll depart mid-morning and weave through lovely Avon Valley and into Western Australia’s famous wheat belt. You’ll stop in the late evening in Kalgoorlie, a gold rush town with a fascinating history, for a few hours before departing for your night’s journey.

The next day at dawn, you’ll find yourself entering the Nullarbor Plain, a vast, bare landscape that looks almost alien, and the ghost town of Cook. This is the longest stretch of railway in the world, so just sit back and relax as the countryside rushes past.

On the third morning, you’ll arrive in Adelaide, and spend a few hours exploring this pretty, quiet city, then journey onwards across the border of NSW for a stop in Broken Hill, a fascinating town with a penchant for drag shows.

On the fourth day, you’ll wake in the beautiful Blue Mountains, and make a brief stop to appreciate the fresh mountain air and spectacular views, before disembarking for the final time in Sydney in mid-afternoon.

Is Hamilton Island on your bucket list too? Find out where to stay, here.

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