A Western Cape Tour Of Exciting Train Rides
Who will ever forget the first time they boarded a train and took a ride through rushing scenery and arrived at new destinations in something very different to a car? The sheer speed and power of the massive carriages and never having to stop until the destination is reached make train rides the great fun they are. Since most people on the planet are regular users of a car, the fun of train travel is unfamiliar to most. Regular transport trains for commuting on a daily basis to work, school, etc. can be crowded, but along the coast of the Western Cape, leading down to the Eastern Cape, train rides and services in the interests of tourists are fun. These train rides form part of an experience, instead of being a means to get somewhere. The rides journey through beautiful scenery and are a great way to see the sites of the Cape. A perfect way to take these train rides to explore the surrounding areas is to partake in a self driven tour and visit these exciting rides.

A typical tour of the sort would start in Cape Town, the Mother City of South Africa. The town has a lot of accommodation available ranging from five star hotels to comfortable backpackers. Trains are available for day trips through the Boland and wine country, one of the prime attractions of the Cape. The area has some of the finest wine establishments in the world and South African wines are widely considered to be of a very high quality. Cape Town also offers malls, a theme park, beautiful beaches, theatres, a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and many museums as the area is rich in culture and history. After two days in Cape Town, the tour heads to Stellenbosch, approximately a 40 minute drive away.

Stellenbosch is a historical town situated in the heart of the Winelands. The town thrives on its wine industry and farms as well as a world class University and breathtaking scenery. The Daisy Train is a local service running from various stations in Cape Town including Stellenbosch which travels to local towns of interest. Destinations for day trips include Vredendal, Darling and Botriver. The Daisy train is economical and fun and a great family outing. The accommodation in Stellenbosch ranges from B&B’s to hotels, to camping sites to guest farms. Other activities in Stellenbosch are of course, wine tasting, hiking, visiting the museums, playing golf, a crocodile farm, a giraffe reserve and butterfly world. After spending days three and four in Stellenbosch, the tour heads to Worcester for days five and six.

Worcester is situated in the Breede River Valley and is famous for its wine route, brandy cellars and Karroo National Botanical Gardens. The accommodation in Worcester is available as B&B’s, hotels, self catering, resorts and guest farms. The train rides available in Worcester are short day tours, long day tours and an overnight tour on the Hexpass Express, running on a railway which was abandoned and then remodelled for at train to take visitors through the beautiful scenery and historic sites. A tour guide accompanies visitors on the journey and explains the important historical facts of the area.

After spending two days and nights in Worcester, the tour heads for George. George is the ‘Capital City’ of the world famous Garden Route. This is an incredibly lush and beautifully vegetated area with the Outeniqua Mountains as a backdrop. George offers B&B’s, game lodges, hotels, guesthouses, backpackers, camping and self catering as accommodation. The train journeys from George travel through the Outeniqua Mountains. There are two train services which operate in the area, both available for day trips. The first is the Outeniqua Power Van which takes a gentle trip through the mountains, going through the various tunnels and scenic areas. The second is the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, a steam train running between George and Mossel Bay, a 52km journey on the country’s only scheduled steam train. There is also a transport museum at the start of the Journey in George. After spending day seven in George on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe or the Powervan, the tour heads back to Cape Town.

After returning to Cape Town, the final two days of the tour can be spent exploring the city once more. The local railway runs a train service between Cape Town and Simon’s Town which is a beautiful journey. There is also the option of taking one of the luxury trains departing from the station which travel across the country, one even travels to Cairo. After two more days in Cape Town the tour is over and instead of a trip spent sitting mostly in a car, most of the trip has been on luxurious trains exploring the beautiful surroundings of the Western Cape.