With six luxury trains, India is one of the best places to experience stylish rail travel. India’s luxury trains are a precious gift from a bygone era to all railway enthusiasts.

A beautiful gleaming carriage straight out of ancient India, just step into it and discover a larger than life world inside. Experience the opulent interiors with antique furniture, a brightly lit ceiling and a turbaned guard welcoming you. You can now forget everything about the rest of the world and taste pure luxury as you chug along through some of the country’s best scenery.

Journeys aboard Indian luxury trains let you truly witness the rich cultural heritage and experience the luxurious lifestyle once enjoyed by the Kings and Queens of India. The extravagant living of the many rulers of the country especially in areas such as Rajasthan and the Deccan is almost legendary. There’s probably no better way to experience all this than by taking a regal ride on a luxury train. Six special trains, each a living monument and a palatial hotel in itself chug through the most frequented tourist destinations of India. These are much more than simple rail journeys; these are lifetime sojourns that offer tourists the opportunity to travel in the pomp and style of the Maharajas of yore while exploring colourful India.

A myriad of vibrant experiences unfold while traversing a unique combination of scenery and cities. Encompassing each genre of tourism including culture, heritage, architecture, adventure and history is the newest of the luxury trains in India (http://www.themaharajasexpressindia.com) The Maharajas’ Express. Conceived by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the train, during its five exclusive journeys, visit magnificent World Heritage Sites like Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh; the dramatic forts and exquisite palaces in Jaipur; the wild terrains of Ranthambore National Park and age-old holy sites like Varanasi among others.

Since the inception of (http://www.palaceonwheels.co.uk) Palace on Wheels in 1982, the well heeled traveller has got a wonderful new haunt in India. Over the years, the response to this novel way of travelling was so encouraging that the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) came up with a new train, the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, early in 2009. Both these trains take their guests through the whispering sands of desert, the intriguing sagas of forts and palaces, and the adventurous escapades to the wilds; while they witness the luxuries on the train in a truly royal fashion.

To give tourists a royal taste of Maharashtra, the state’s tourism department came up with Deccan Odyssey while the Karnataka State Tourism conceived the (http://www.golden-chariot.com) Golden Chariot.

While a journey on the Deccan Odyssey takes you on a mesmerizing voyage through the Maratha heartland in a contemporary marvel on wheels, which visits Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Goa, Kolhapur, Daulatabad, Chandrapur, Ajanta Caves and Nasik; the Golden Chariot is a luxuriously appointed train that takes you to Karnataka and its neighbouring states through a land of architectural marvels, heritage monuments, wildlife sanctuaries, coffee plantations, divine temples, pristine beaches, roaring waterfalls, calming hills and treats you to adventure activities, magnificent art forms, sacred festivals and traditional cuisines. Each train, a masterpiece in its own right has, in its own way, gifted something special to tourism in India.

Another avatar of Deccan Odyssey, Indian Maharajas, routes across Central-North India through Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The train covers Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, major tourist attractions in Rajasthan and Agra as well. Maharajas’ Express is the first one offering pan-Indian trips and five exclusive itineraries.

These railway voyages share many similarities - travelling by luxury train, having an extensive sightseeing programme, exploring the culture and customs of India, savouring the best of the cuisines, exploring many mystical, ancient and awe-inspiring sites and enjoying every moment of the journey. However, the trains, tours and destinations are quite different. The choice is up to you but, whichever you chose, travel aboard these trains will be the journey of a lifetime and a luxurious glimpse into a bygone age.

For more details visit the following websites:

The Maharajas’ Express - http://www.themaharajasexpressindia.com

The Palace on Wheels - http://www.palaceonwheels.co.uk

The Golden Chariot - http://www.golden-chariot.com