On The Royal Windsor Steam Express you will travel in style
fans of the saga Harry Potter surely you have visited the platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross Station passing through London. Trains have something mystical (or, in this case, magical) that gives them an aura of mystery and makes them an interesting addition to any fictional story.
Agatha Christie, for example, was another of the writers who took advantage of her trips in this means of transport. But the stories created by J.K. Rowling and those of the author of Murder on the Orient Express have something else in common: they seduce readers around the world by being the maximum expression of the British.
This summer, the railway romanticism and the cool of the islands come together in the Royal Windsor Steam Express , a steam train that travels to two destinations at once: to Windsor and to the past. Its itinerary connects the urban universe of central London with British royalty every Tuesday until September 3. part of the station Waterloo bound for Windsor & Eton Riverside Station, designed in the 19th century by William Tite. To get an idea, he is the author of the current Royal Exchange, one of the most spectacular buildings in the City of London.
There are many reasons to spend the hour and a half of the trip looking out the window. The train runs through the center and the northwest part of the British capital, so they can be seen from it the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. It then crosses the River Thames and passes a number of lakes and marshes on the outskirts of the city, until it reaches its destination.
The complete experience is enjoyed in the Pullman-style cabins , a decorative proposal that in the past specialized in narrow spaces, such as luxurious night trains. His aesthetic is almost like a movie and it will make you take your eyes off the landscape on more than one occasion. The cost per way is £85 onwards (compared to £35 for standard carriages) and includes a champagne brunch . It's like living in downton abbey for a day. As the Americans, who are obsessed with the series, find out, we are running out of seats until next summer.
It is often said that the important thing is the journey and not the destination, but in this case, both are. As almost everyone knows, Windsor is the place where the royals of the country get married. The most recent were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. They did it in the chapel of saint george , which is another of the area's attractions, next to the Windsor Great Park , which surrounds the buildings and the nearby Teatro Real. Together they sum up nearly a millennium of British history.
And do not forget that the castle is located in eton , the area where the most famous posh people in the UK have studied; from princes Harry and William and the actor Eddie Redmain (Fantastic beasts and where to find them) to Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond) and Tom Hiddleston (perpetual James Bond wannabe). Beside him is an interesting Museum of Natural History that the illustrious students of the center have surely visited.
Although the Royal Windsor Steam Express only travels on Tuesdays, there are three departures a day. For those interested in exploring the royal area well, there is a train that leaves at eight in the morning. The second leg is scheduled for eleven in the morning, just in time to get something to eat in the traditional pubs in the area, and the third leaves Waterloo at around two in the afternoon. All of them they are one-way trips; the return must be done on a regular line train. Through this link you can find the exact departure times, which are published a week in advance.
Too early for dinner? That's what he's for Sunset Steam Express, which leaves at six in the evening and makes a different route, in the form of a circle, through the Surrey hills of about four and a half hours. Includes a three course evening menu in the Pullman-style decorated carriage (the one that looks like Downton Abbey) for £129 per person. You also have to pay attention to the views. Especially beautiful is the one passing through the North Downs, so it is worth using Google Maps to notify you when you arrive in that area.