In pairs work out an itinerary for the train using the map
of the USA.
AMERICAN ORIENT EXPRESS
A trip on board the American Orient Express begins, as so many memorable journeys do, with a departure from one of North America’s storied cities. Cities like Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, Vancouver or Montreal. There, you board an inviting line of railway passenger cars — gleaming royal blue and gold along the quarter-mile consist. As you embark on the train, the excitement you feel is an inherent component of the American experience.
Greeted by formally-attired attendants, you enter a fleet of rail cars created at the height of luxury rail travel — the 1940s and ’50s, putting you at ease on an adventurous trip.
Each car you pass through on the American Orient Express has been restored to a new level of contemporary splendor. Tied together as a unit by the dark mahogany walls rubbed to a matte luster and adorned with delicate marquetry. Done up in varying shades of lighter wood, they are reminiscent of the early and long tradition of George Pullman, the first builder of luxury rail cars.
In no time the train begins to glide forward, bound for sites carefully selected to accentuate the natural beauty and dramatic history of North America. Whether you settle into the comfort of your room, or remain with fellow travelers in one of the lounge cars or the new dome car, it occurs to you that there is nothing like a train.
Whether racing along the shoreline of the Pacific Coast or while drifting past the sprawling fields and ranches that make up central Alberta, the train brings you closer to the destination.
The American Orient Express brings you back to a time of unhurried travel. A time when the journey was as enjoyable as the final destination. A time when dining by rail was a great way to pass the time and take in the beautiful surroundings. Join us and experience the romance of the past.
Painted in their signature blue-and-gold, the 16 American Orient Express vintage carriages were assembled from museums and private collections throughout America. Each departure carries approximately 100 passengers who are attended to by a highly trained, professional staff and crew.
While traveling aboard the American Orient Express, chances are good that you will find a bridge game in progress in one of our club cars — or you may want to just settle into a comfortable chair, relax in the piano lounge and listen to pop, jazz and old-time favorites. Is there a better way to conclude an absolutely wonderful day?
Vintage Rail Cars
The great streamliner trains — Twentieth Century Limited, Capitol Limited and the Santa Fe Super Chief — offered specialized cars to their passengers.
The cars are for your enjoyment — places to enjoy the scenery, relax over refreshments, create conversation, or read or write without concern for the time.
The Dome Car
The American Orient Express is proud to have restored two rare Grand Dome cars, one for each train set.
Day or night, the glass-enclosed dome car offers a 360° view of the world outside. Furnished with comfortable couches, chairs and tables, each car seats 72.
The domes were built by the Budd Company in the 1950s for the Great Northern Railroad. Once called “super domes,” they remain today, in the words of John H. White, Jr., former Curator of Transportation at Smithsonian Institution, “the most outstanding of the postwar cars.”
The Observation Car (New York)
Bringing up the “markers,” as trainmen might say of the last car, is the bow-tailed observation car. This car optimizes rail, with a ring of eleven extra-high windows.
Known as the Lookout Lounge, the car features an elegant round settee facing over-stuffed easy chairs and sofas.
In the center, a classic horseshoe-shaped club bar services plush swivel rockers with slender tables for writing, playing cards, or reading, with refreshments nearby.
The Lounge Car
For intimate seating on plush chairs and sofas, lively conversation, or live piano music the 1940s-era lounge car is the place to be.
Enjoy cocktails while a pianist performs songs by George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Kenny Wayne, and Cab Calloway, on the baby grand piano at the car’s center.
Sleeping Accommodations
We offer several sleeping accommodations. Here we describe our two most popular cabins, the new Deluxe Suite and the Vintage Pullman.
The Deluxe Suite was built in 2002 as an answer to the overwhelming demand from passengers and travel agents for our higher level cabin categories. These cabins offer two lower beds — converting into sofa, love seat and table during the day. The suite provides ample storage space, a wash basin with vanity, en suite water closet and private shower.
The Vintage Pullman cabin is configured to the same design of sleeping cabins in the 1940s and ’50s — hence the name. American Orient Express has modernized these cabins to meet the needs of today’s traveler.
Each car is staffed by a full-time attendant, who turns down your bed and places a copy of tomorrow’s itinerary in your cabin. Would you like coffee or tea delivered to your cabin in the morning? Just ask. We’re ready to accommodate your requests.
Dining
Passengers consistently rate fine dining on board the American Orient Express high among their favorite aspects of the journey.
The dining car atmosphere is comfortable and elegant. Each table, set for two or four with our signature china, offers a window view of the passing scenery — a natural backdrop to complement the evening’s meal. The intimate atmosphere enables our wait staff to provide the highest level of personal service in the industry.
Chef Warren McLeod carefully plans our menus to include regional specialties and recognized favorites. Warren is assisted by a team of culinary professionals who prepare each entrée daily from fresh ingredients provided by local merchants along our route.
You can expect to be served fresh seafood in coastal areas, specialty vegetables inland, and dinner in the southwest might include a sauce blended from local roasted peppers.
Dinner is a relaxed four-course affair, with several entrée choices. On the menu might be, for example, grilled Copper River sockeye salmon with orange Chablis sauce, filet mignon with roasted tomato demiglace, seared chicken breast with Madeira sauce, or roasted lamb chops with a pinot noir thyme sauce — complemented by lobster mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.
Lunch is equally creative, though lighter; and the full breakfast menu changes daily. A continental buffet is set out every day for early risers.
Afternoon tea is served in the club cars with an assortment of fresh pastries baked earlier that same day. Our pastry chef is always on the lookout for in-season fruits and berries. On our Pacific Coast route, golden raspberries are always a favorite. While passengers are on tour, our chef is visiting local markets in search of fresh ingredients that will make her torts, cakes or pies extra-special.
Dining By Rail was a film produced by the Food Network last year and highlighted regional cuisine along our Pacific Coast route. It featured famous chefs, restaurants, distilleries and vineyards along the way and we were proud that the American Orient Express was selected as the train to bring these regions together. Through recipes and menus prepared in its kitchens and presented to our guests in the well-appointed dining cars, viewers were able to visually sample fine cuisine from Washington State to Southern California. Dining on the American Orient Express is a wonderful experience on all of our routes throughout North America. Even so, based on the interest level that we have received from viewers of the Dining By Rail television program, we have decided to offer a special culinary theme itinerary on the Pacific Coast route in fall 2004. Operating in late September and early October, this itinerary will visit vineyards, fertile valleys, markets and restaurants during peak harvest season. If food is your passion, we have the right experience for you.
Bon Appetit!
Dining Car
Our dining cars are beautifully decorated with rich inlaid mahogany paneling. Gourmet meals are prepared by expert chefs and varied menus reflect the best cuisine of the regions we visit.
Route map
Board the restored American Orient Express vintage streamliner for a luxury rail journey on the country’s premier private train. Consistent quality, added value and expanded trip options distinguish our exclusive North American rail adventures.
The American Orient Express pairs comfort with wilderness, history with modem convenience, and cultural enrichment with interpretation. We are the premier company offering experiences of this kind.
Join us in 2004 for the adventure of a lifetime. This year we explore the continent’s most fascinating regions by rail — including many newly revised itineraries.
In August, our inaugural Best of the Canadian Rockies tour navigates western Canada’s breathtaking mountain territory. The cliffs, waterfalls, and pinelands offer incredible vistas of some of the world’s most photographed sites, including Lake Louise.
The Lewis and Clark Epic Journey in June features the daunting Pacific Northwest wilderness and historic tales of extreme courage. From March to May, we relish the rich heritage and magnolia-blossomed squares of the Antebellum South.
Some routes, including the Pacific Coast Explorer and the Great Transcontinental Rail Journey, penetrate areas accessible only by train. Others, such as Vermont’s Green Mountains featured in Autumn in New England & Quebec, have been recently re-opened to passenger trains for the first time in decades. We travel deep into the country and past tiny forgotten towns.
Our journeys are eclectic, diverse and planned to the last detail. We build choice into the itineraries so passengers can pursue various inter ests on the same trip.
An American Orient Express vacation is first class, with exquisite fine dining, deluxe accommodations, and our in-depth cultural enrichment programs. The train’s signature blue-and- gold rail carriages feature elegant lounge and dining cars, a dome observation car, and comfortable sleeping cabins. The interior is furnished in mahogany and brass, with rich upholstery. In itself an authentic slice of Americana, the train glides over bridges and through tunnels in comfort and style.
Your vacation is carefree and efficient. Enjoy a series of destinations, from pristine national parks to vibrant metropolitan centers, without packing and unpacking luggage, navigating unknown roads, and searching for restaurants and hotels. Your time is free, while our professionals operate the train and handle arrangements.
True to the golden age of rail, the 1940s and ’50s, life on board is relaxed. Sip a cocktail in the lounge car, read in the library, gain a tree-top perspective of the landscape from the dome car or join new friends around the piano. Or simply relax in your cabin, watch the scenery change outside your private picture window and listen to the rhythm of the rails.
Participate in everything the American Orient Express offers, or do absolutely nothing — you are free to choose. In essence, the journey is the destination aboard the American Orient Express. Just being here is enough.
Read and translate the text. Plan a similar holiday for a part of your country. Write out a plan in the form of a short article.
BY THE ROYAL ORIENT TRAIN ACROSS INDIA About The Palace-On-Wheels
The name “Palaee-on-Wheels” (P.O.W) was derived from its royal back-ground of the coaches. It undertook its inaugural trip on 26th January 1982.1n order to further increase the amenities on the train and due to over all gauge conversion in the state, a new broad gauge Palace-on-Wheels has been constructed. It has 14 Saloons which are inter connected. It bears the aesthetics matching the interiors of the royal states. The train also has a well appointed lounge, library and bar. It’s well stocked bar serves Indian liquor and variety 6f scotch, wine and cocktails. It has piped music in every saloon, and games for children. Apart from this, other services include laundry services, at Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, Foreign Exchange, Doctor on call. The lounge also has a souvenir shop “The Bazaar” where souvenirs and gift items are sold bearing the insigne of the P.O.W. Each saloon has 4 coupes (sleeping rooms) with attached bath and toilet. In every saloon, there is one saloon captain and 2 attendants to look after the personal needs of its tourists. Each saloon has a mini pantry properly equipped to provide ready tea/ coffee and snacks.
The decor of each saloon has highlighted the cultural ethos of the state, represented through the use of furniture, handicrafts, paintings and furnishings. The ceiling in the lounge is of particular interest Each coupe is different but the over all ambience of the decor of the saloons has been taken care of to pro- vide continuity. This train was fabricated at the Integral Coach Factory of Madras. In the past 18 years of operations the Palace-on-Wheels has been rated as one of the best ten luxurious rail journeys in the world. The Indian Railways and Tourism Department of the State as well as India launched this as a special heritage tourist train for providing a unique memorable experience to the tourists visiting Rajasthan.
Facilities on Board
Feel like the royalty on board the Palace-on-Wheels, a complete self sufficient train. Fully air-conditioned, the train comprises of 14 deluxe saloons, equipped with class amenities to enhance the pleasure of travelling. Each saloon is a combination of 4 twin-bedded chambers with channel music, intercom, attached toilets, running hot & cold water, shower and wall-to- wall carpeting.
The lounge car recaptures the royal style, pomp & pageantry, the quality of the era gone by. The tow dining cars — the Maharaja and the Maharani have a traditional Rajasthani ambience-serving Continental, Indian and Rajasthani cuisine.
The coaches are named after the erstwhile princely states: Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner,, Bundi, Dhaupur, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi, and Udaipur.
What’s mo' e, each saloon has personal attendants or ‘Khid- matgars’ who are at your call whenever you need anything.
Day 1 — Delhi
Dinner on Board. (19.30 hrs) Palace-on-Wheels Depart for Jaipur. (22.45 hrs)
Day 2 — Jaipur
Thursday, Anival 00.00 hrs. Departure 17.30 hrs.
The first stop of the Palace-on-Wheels is Jaipur, one of the most well planned cities of the world of its time. This capital city of Rajasthan, popularly known as the Pink City, was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1727 A.D.
To explore the city, an air-conditioned coach takes you to Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds, which is a remarkable five storied building along the main street of the old city in pink spend our with semi octagonal and delicately honey combed sandstone windows. This is followed by a visit to Amber Fort, eight kms. away, where rider on caparisoned elephants add to the ambience. Shop for Jaipur’s famous jewellery, handicrafts, carpets, blue pottery and textiles. Near Ajmeri Gate is located Rajasthali — the only Rajasthan Govt. Emporium Selling Genuine handicrafts at fixed prices. After lunch at a Palace Hotel, you are off to the City Palace, home of the erstwhile royal family. Right across the road from the palace is the Jantar Mantar, the largest observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh II. After dinner and a cultural programme at Palace Hotel, the luxury coach takes you back to the Palace-on-Wheels.
Day 3 — Jaisalmer
Friday, Arrival 06.15 hrs. Departure 23.30 hrs.
In the heart of the Thar desert lies Jaisalmer, founded by Rawal Jaisal, in 1156 A.D. Here the yellow sandstone fort is an imposing sight, towering magnificently over the city. Discover the painstakingly latticed havelis or mansions with their grand facades. The Nathmalji-ki-haveli, Patwon-ki-haveli and Salim Singh-ki-haveli are fine examples of the stone carver’s skill. Shop at Rajasthali — the only Rajasthan Govt. Emporium, for fine pattu shawls, mirror work & embroidered articles, wooden boxes, trinkets, silver jewellery and curios.
After lunch on board, go for an exciting camel ride on the sand dunes of Sam, before sipping a refreshing cup of tea. Enjoy the dinner and the cultural programmes at Jaisalmer. The Train leaves for Jodhpur at night.
Day 4 — Jodhpur
Saturday, Arrival 08. 00 hrs. Departure 15.30 hrs
Next morning the Palace-on-Wheels is in Jodhpur, a city ringed by a high stone wall with seven gates and several bastions. This second largest city of Rajasthan, founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 A.D. is known for its rock-solid Mehrangarh Fort, The grand palaces within Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sileh Khana and daulat Khana are impressive examples of architectural excellence. Near the fort complex lies Jaswant Thada, and a group of royal cenotaphs made of white marble. While in Jodhpur shop for exquisite handicrafted articles including the famous breeches, embroidered shoes, metal curio, silverware, paintings and tie and dye fabrics. After lunch at Umaid Bhawan Palace, return to the Palaee-on-Wheels. The train leaves for Sawai Madhopur.
Day 5 — Sawai Madhopur — Ranthambhor
Sunday, Arrival 04.00 hrs. Departure 11.00 hrs
Once can almost sense a life of the wilderness, as the Pal- ace-on-Wheels arrives in Sawai Madhopur, a city named after its founder Maharaja Sawai Modho Singh. After breakfast a visit is arranged to the Ranthambhor National Park, wherein are located the ruins of a 10th century fort. This wildlife sanctuary is considered the country’s best for observing and photographing the activities of the tiger. The Park, covering an area of 392 sq. km, is home to more than 300 species of birds. The tiger, hyena, ratel, jackal and fox the carnivorous population here. Sawai Madhopur is known for its exclusive toys, ethnic ornaments and costumes. Upon return to the Palace-on-Wheeis, you leave for Chittaurgarh, when one gets an opportunity to visit the Fort, and of legends, valour and chivalry. History has it that Bappa Rawal, the founder of the Sisodia dynasty, conquered Chittaur in the middle of the 8,h century from the Maurya rulers. Lunch and dinner are served on board.
Day 6 — Udaipur
Monday, Arrival 07.30 hrs. Departure 20.00 hrs.
Next morning you are in Udaipur. Lake City, Udaipur was founded by Maharana Udai Singh of Mewar, after the Sisodia dynasty was driven away by the Mughals, in 1559 A.D. Perhaps the two most beautiful sites of Udaipur are the dream-like marble palaces — the Jag Niwas (Lake Palace) and the Jag Mandir, which appear to rise from the blue waters of Lake Pichhola. After lunch at Lake Palace Hotel, visit to the City Palace is exhilarating.
.After evening tea, the luxury coach takes you back to the Pal- ace-on-Wheels thus winding up a day full of delights. The Pal- acf leaves for Bharatpur.
Day 7 — Bharatpur — Agra
Tuesday, Arrival 06.00 hrs. Departure 23.00 hrs.
Early next morning, the Palace arrives in Bharatpur the capital of Maharaja Suraj Mai. Pay a visit to the world famous bird Sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, the nesting place for thousands of Egrets, Siberian cranes, migratory water Fowl and other species of birds. After breakfast, arrive at Fatehpur Sikri Salim Chishti, a Muslim Sufi saint who blessed him with a son. After lunch move of from the Red Fort and arrive at the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. A pristine monuments of undying love. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal.
Agra is known for its splendid marble inlay work like the Pi- etra dura work on the Taj, leather goods and jewellery. After dinner on board and a good night’s seep, arrive at Delhi Cantt at 0730 hrs the next morning and let the pleasant memories of the past week linger on your mind for a long, long time.
Read and translate the text about "Die Bahn (DB)". Look at the list of words to do with rail travel. Check that you know what they mean: rail network, destination, longdistance trains, high-speed services, carriage, compartment, coat rack, luggage locker, mobile phone repeater, trolley service, rail link, couchette, reclining seat, pass, single-zone pass, multi-zone pass, joint offer. Make up a short summary.