The Golden Age of Travel by Steam
London Victoria → Southern England → London Victoria
The Golden Age of Travel by Steam aboard the Belmond British Pullman is a glorious one-day circular excursion that whisks passengers from the heart of London deep into the storied landscapes of Kent — hauled by one of Britain's most celebrated surviving steam locomotives, Merchant Navy Class No. 35028 Clan Line. From the moment the train departs London Victoria, the world slows to a more elegant pace: liveried stewards attend to every need, champagne flows, and the golden interiors of meticulously restored 1920s Pullman carriages enfold guests in Art Deco splendour.
The route threads through the Kentish countryside, past cathedral spires and hop gardens, tracing a path to Dover Priory and back — a journey rich with echoes of the original Golden Arrow boat train that once linked London to Paris. Guests are pampered throughout with a five-course luncheon prepared on board by the train's accomplished culinary team, accompanied by wines selected by the resident sommelier. This is rail travel elevated to a theatrical experience: a living, breathing tribute to the heyday of the great British railway journey.
Whether you are a devoted steam enthusiast thrilled to ride behind the legendary Clan Line, a food lover eager to savour a Michelin-inspired menu in motion, or simply someone in search of an utterly distinctive day out in Southern England, the Golden Age of Travel by Steam delivers an experience unlike any other. Contact Palace Trains to discuss availability and secure your place on this iconic journey.
- ✦Hauled by Merchant Navy Class No. 35028 Clan Line — the locomotive of the legendary Golden Arrow
- ✦Five-course silver-service luncheon with sommelier-selected wines en route
- ✦Eleven individually named Art Deco Pullman carriages with royal provenance
- ✦Sweeping views of the White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle
- ✦Passing through Canterbury — home to England's greatest Gothic cathedral
- ✦Circular route through the Kent countryside: Medway Valley, Weald, and Channel coast
- ✦A living tribute to 1920s golden-age rail travel from London Victoria
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — London Victoria to Dover Priory and Return
Morning — Departure from London Victoria (approx. 10:55–11:00)
The day begins at London Victoria Station, where guests are welcomed aboard the Belmond British Pullman by white-gloved stewards and guided to their reserved seats in one of eleven individually named, antique Pullman carriages. A champagne reception greets every passenger as the majestic Clan Line — SR Merchant Navy Class No. 35028, built in 1948 and rebuilt to its current form in 1959 — comes alive with a head of steam at the platform. There is ample time to admire the gleaming locomotive before the guard's whistle sends the train gliding southwards out of London.
Through Inner South London — Denmark Hill and Bellingham
The train passes through Denmark Hill and Bellingham, offering fleeting views of Victorian terraces and leafy south London streets as the locomotive settles into its stride. Inside the carriages, stewards begin the table service, and the five-course luncheon menu — featuring British seasonal produce and a sommelier-curated wine list — gets under way at a civilised pace befitting the era.
Into Kent — Swanley, Rochester and Rainham
Crossing into the Garden of England, the train calls through Swanley before the landscape opens into the broad vale of the Medway. Rochester — whose Norman castle keep and medieval cathedral rise dramatically above the river — is passed with a sense of history that perfectly complements the journey's spirit. The train continues through Rainham (Kent), where orchards and market gardens line the trackside, as guests savour their main course and the sommelier's wine pairings.
Canterbury East (approx. 12:56)
The train glides through Canterbury East, offering views towards the city that has been a place of Christian pilgrimage since the martyrdom of Thomas Becket in 1170. Canterbury's soaring Gothic cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is visible on the horizon, its Bell Harry Tower a landmark that has guided travellers for centuries. Stewards circulate with cheese boards and petits fours as the train presses on towards the coast.
Dover Priory (approx. 13:20 — brief stop)
The highlight of the outward leg arrives as the train pulls into Dover Priory beneath the famous chalk escarpment. Guests may catch a glimpse of Dover Castle — guardian of England's shortest sea crossing since Roman times — and, on a clear day, the luminous band of the White Cliffs stretching along the coast. Clan Line takes water during the brief stop; there is no disembarkation, so passengers remain in the comfort of their carriages, coffees and petit fours in hand, as the drama of the channel port unfolds outside the windows.
The Return — Dover to London via Headcorn, Tonbridge and Orpington (departs approx. 13:51)
Heading back to London on a different line, the return journey traverses the rich agricultural heart of mid-Kent. The train passes through Headcorn and Tonbridge, rolling through landscapes of hop gardens, oast houses and ancient Wealden woodland before climbing through Orpington and Kent House on the final approach to the capital. Coffee, tea and petits fours round off the culinary experience as Clan Line makes its triumphant return to London.
Arrival — London Victoria (approx. 16:10–16:15)
The train draws back into London Victoria, concluding a journey of approximately five hours that feels at once timeless and unforgettable. Guests disembark refreshed, well fed and well cared for — with memories of steam, silver service and the Kent countryside that will linger long after the adventure ends.
Destinations & Highlights
London Victoria — Gateway of the Golden Arrow
London Victoria Station is steeped in railway romance. It served as the London terminus of the famous Golden Arrow Pullman express — the prestige boat train connecting London and Paris via Dover — from 1929 until 1972. The station's ornate Victorian architecture sets the stage for this journey into the golden age of travel, and seeing Clan Line — the very class of locomotive that powered the Golden Arrow — at the head of the British Pullman here is a moment of genuine historical resonance.
Kent — The Garden of England
The county of Kent has been celebrated for its natural beauty and agricultural richness since at least the Tudor period. The route passes through a panorama of quintessential English countryside: the wide, flat orchards of the Medway valley, the rolling Wealden hills, and the ancient hop gardens whose oast houses dot the landscape. Kent's proximity to the English Channel made it a corridor of history — from Roman invasion to the Battle of Britain — and that layered past is palpable at every mile.
Rochester — Cathedral City on the Medway
Rochester is one of England's oldest cathedral cities, its Norman castle completed around 1127 and its cathedral dating back to 604 AD. The city was immortalised by Charles Dickens — who spent much of his childhood and later years in the area — and its compact historic core of cobbled streets and Georgian townhouses makes it one of the most characterful settlements in Kent. The castle keep, rising above the River Medway, is visible from the train and serves as a dramatic reminder of the region's medieval heritage.
Canterbury — City of Pilgrims and Cathedrals
Canterbury is perhaps the most historically significant city in England outside London. Its magnificent Gothic cathedral — officially the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Christ at Canterbury — was founded in 597 AD and houses the shrine that drew pilgrims from across medieval Europe, immortalised in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canterbury was also the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Church of England, giving the city an importance in English religious life that continues to this day.
Dover — The White Cliffs and the Channel Gateway
Dover has stood watch over England's narrowest sea crossing for more than two thousand years. Dover Castle, begun by Henry II in the 1180s, is one of the largest and most complex castles in England and sheltered secret wartime tunnels used during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. The iconic White Cliffs of Dover — formed of chalk laid down some 70 million years ago — have become a symbol of England itself, their brilliant face visible from the French coast on a clear day. For generations of travellers, the cliffs signalled homecoming; for those aboard the Golden Age of Travel by Steam, they provide one of the most moving vistas of the entire journey.