There’s just something about Ireland. Maybe it’s all the greens or the unfathomable age of the land, but something about the country just draws them in…
One of the best parts of Ireland is often one that people never see: the countryside. Dublin and Belfast are wonderful cities, however, the Emerald Island is a place where you will certainly feel like you have “gone away”. What is the best way to experience these green pastures? I would like to introduce to you the brand new Belmond Grand Hibernian.
There was a time when trains where the fastest way to get around, but crossing Europe or the USA still took several days or even weeks. Thus, trains very quickly became elaborate, opulent hotels on wheels, whisking an ever-rotating passenger list to grand and exotic locales. It took on such a mystique that some of the best whodunits, like “Murder on the Orient Express” and “The Lady Vanishes,” took place entirely on trains, whose levels of luxury was as much a part of the cast as the characters.
The Belmond Grand Hibernian is no different. Passengers get a body-blow of sweeping Celtic vistas even as they enjoy top-shelf Irish hospitality. Each cabin is named for an Irish county, whose solid-color tartans inspire the color scheme: red for Leitrim, blue for Waterford, etc. Far from tightly packed, the cabins are open, airy, and suggestive of a Georgian sitting room. Best of all, the windows (and the sumptuous observation car) let the full glory of Ireland to come streaming in.
And while on this modern and luxury train, one would blame you for opting to enjoy the Grand Hibernian’s charms around the clock, the beguiling emerald beauty of Ireland could prompt even the most die-hard of agoraphobics out of their cars. The three journeys offered are a tour-de-force of Irish must-dos: “Realm of Giants” (three days, Dublin to Belfast) clings to the eastern coast of the Emerald island, and includes the dockyard of the Titanic and the eerie geoscape of the Giant’s Causeway. “Legends and Loughs” (five days, Dublin to Westport) swings south and west to the whiskey distilleries of Cork and Blarney Castle before heading north along the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, and mystical vastness of Connemara. The big daddy is the seven-day “Grand Tour of Ireland,” an around-the-island, the-name-says-it-all expedition into the Irish psyche by combining the first two trips, with a little Guinness thrown in for color.
It is Ireland, after all.
For more information go to belmond.com/grand-hibernian-train. Steele Luxury Travel loves Belmond and we are here to assist you with your booking your fantastic journey along the Belmond Grand Hibernian. Contact us at 646-688-2274.