Simply days after it was revealed that the British royal household’s Royal Prepare is being decommissioned in 2027, upscale hospitality and leisure firm Belmond – a part of the LVMH portfolio – has introduced that it’s launching the Britannic Explorer, a lavish new locomotive it describes as “the primary luxurious sleeper prepare in England and Wales.” The Britannic Explorer joins Belmond’s storied fleet of opulent – bordering on majestic – sleeper trains, together with the Andean Explorer, which takes passengers on an alpine odyssey throughout Peru’s lakes and mountains, and the Royal Scotsman, with its 40 years of service and journey throughout the Scottish Highlands – and it’s making its maiden voyage this month.
Beginning July 21, the Britannic Explorer will depart from London’s Victoria Station on fastidiously curated three-night itineraries, taking take visitors to England’s southern Cornish shoreline, north by way of Cumbria to the picturesque Lake District, then into the Welsh heartland earlier than returning to the capital.
It encompasses a whole of 18 cabins – comprising 15 common suites and three grand suites – and has an aesthetic borrowed straight from the British countryside: all through the prepare you’ll discover pure supplies like wooden, stone and wool – natural components impressed by the “fantastic thing about the encompassing landscapes,” in keeping with Belmond – which are complimented by a colour palette of earthy tones, which the model says add to the Britannic Explorer’s “vibrant character.”
However whereas the Britannic Explorer is full of decidedly British particulars, the model is inviting would-be visitors to “overlook stuffy custom” – as a result of, Belmond says, its newest locomotive “embodies trendy British id” as an alternative. It describes the inside of the brand new prepare as “refined but daring” and “timeless but surprising,” with “daring materials enjoying off layered textures and hand-selected antiques.” These, the model says, create a wealthy, heat aesthetic that blends “timeless magnificence and trendy aptitude.”
To attain its imaginative and prescient, Belmond enlisted up to date designers from throughout the UK – together with Luke Edward Corridor, Mel Campion, and Brixton-based Olly Fathers – that embody the “evolving spirit” of the nation, all of whom collaborated with London-based studio Albion Nord on the prepare’s design. The result, in keeping with Belmond, is a prepare that blends “historical past, model, and character to create one thing surprising and unconventional.”
As you’d anticipate, catering on board the Britannic Explorer is as elevated as the remainder of the expertise. The prepare’s menus have been devised by famend Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, who Belmond describes as “a pioneer of Britain’s farm-to-fork motion.” Rogan’s menus will rotate seasonally, however the meals at its core will at all times showcase the perfect of Britain’s produce. Well being and wellness hasn’t been ignored both, and visitors could have entry to a devoted suite that Belmond has created with Wildsmith, which it describes as a “tranquil sanctuary for rest and restoration on board.”
Whether or not by likelihood or happenstance, Belmond’s timing is impeccable: 183 years (to the month) after Queen Victoria took her first journey on the soon-to-be-retired Royal Prepare, Belmond’s Britannic Explorer may simply provide royals and non-royals alike an opportunity to discover the nation in a means match for a king or queen. From coastal crusing in Cornwall to wood-fired saunas in Wales, the Britannic Explorer affords a novel option to expertise the UK.
The Britannic Explorer debuts July 2025 and will be booked now by way of Belmond’s web site. Costs begin at £11,000 GBP (approx. $15,000 USD) for a three-night keep in a double cabin.
