About this trip.
The spine of Australia by rail
Between Adelaide on the southern coast and Darwin on the Timor Sea lies close to 3,000 kilometres of red earth, salt pans and eucalypt scrub. The Ghan runs the whole of it. The train takes its name from the Afghan cameleers who opened the interior routes in the nineteenth century, and its line still traces roughly the same path north — through the Red Centre, past the MacDonnell Ranges, into the Top End.
It is a long-distance sleeper rather than a scenic day-train. Much of what you watch from the window is empty in the best sense: horizon in every direction, the occasional roadhouse, a dry riverbed crossed in under a minute. People come for the scale of it, and for the pleasure of being on a moving train for three days with nowhere else to be.
From Adelaide to Darwin in three days
The full Adelaide–Darwin run takes two nights and covers the continent from south to north. The train pauses at Alice Springs roughly in the middle, then again at Katherine further north, where off-train excursions head out into Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. Southbound services also call at Manguri, the siding for Coober Pedy — the opal town where a good part of the population lives underground to escape the heat.
Cabins come in two classes. Gold Service is the standard sleeper — a compact twin or single, with meals included in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car and drinks in the Outback Explorer Lounge. Platinum is larger, en-suite, and carries a quieter, more private feel. Both include the off-train excursions, though Platinum guests tend to travel in smaller groups when they step off.
Booking through Great Rail Journeys
The operator sells The Ghan as part of a longer escorted Australian holiday rather than as a bare train ticket, which suits most British travellers — getting to Adelaide or Darwin is already a long-haul undertaking, and the train itself is only one section of the trip. Expect the Ghan leg to sit inside a wider itinerary that might include Sydney, Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef, with international flights, transfers and a tour manager built in.
It suits travellers who like the romance of rail but want the practicalities handled: no hire car, no queuing at domestic terminals, no puzzling over Australian connections. The pace is genuinely unhurried — you sleep through long stretches of the Tanami, eat properly in the restaurant car, and step off into Alice Springs or Katherine for a few hours before the train moves on.
Check the current brochure for specific departure dates and the exact shape of each package, as the off-train excursions, cabin availability and included tours vary by season and by itinerary.
The shape of the trip.
What's typically in the price, what isn't.
A general guide for rail holidays of this kind. Check the operator's booking page for the final inclusions on this specific trip.
Typically included
- ✓Rail tickets on the published route, in the ticket class booked
- ✓Hotel accommodation between rail days, breakfast included
- ✓A tour manager throughout on escorted departures
- ✓Luggage handling between hotels on escorted tours
- ✓Some meals — typically breakfasts and a few set dinners; check the day-by-day
- ✓Any included excursions or entrance fees listed on the itinerary
Typically not included
- ×Flights to and from the start city
- ×Travel insurance with rail-protection cover (strongly recommended)
- ×Most lunches and some evening meals — eat at stations or in town
- ×Upgrades: first-class legs, sleeper cabin upgrades, single rooms on shared departures
- ×Drinks on board beyond anything stated in the itinerary
- ×Tips for the tour manager (customary but discretionary)
Everything you might be wondering.
Q1Do I have to change trains?
On most escorted tours, yes — the route is the point, not a single through-train. A tour manager handles the connections and your luggage. Independent itineraries come with pre-booked tickets and detailed routing, but you work the changes yourself.
Q2Are meals included?
Breakfasts at hotels are usually included. Dinners and lunches vary by tour. Many scenic day services have a dining car or trolley you can pay for on board. Check the day-by-day — escorted tours list every meal that's included.
Q3Is luggage handled?
On escorted tours your main bag is moved between hotels while you carry a day bag on the train. On independent itineraries you move your own luggage — pack a case you can lift onto a train without help.
Q4First class or second?
First class on European trains is wider seats, quieter carriages, sometimes complimentary drinks. Second class is perfectly fine and about a third cheaper. Upgrades to first are usually £50-150 per leg on longer routes.
Q5Can I travel solo?
Escorted rail tours suit solo travellers well — there's a tour manager, a set schedule, and shared hotel dinners most nights. Single-room supplements apply (typically £300-600 on a 10-day tour). A handful of departures are marked 'no single supplement' — watch the operator's calendar if you want to save.
Q6Is it slower than flying?
Yes, and that's the point. London to Zurich by train is 8 hours via Paris and the TGV, versus 2 hours in the air plus 3 hours of airport on each side. The difference is how you arrive — rested, in the middle of the city, having watched the journey.
Q7What if a train is cancelled?
Escorted tours have tour-manager contingency — the operator rebooks and absorbs the cost. Independent itineraries depend on your ticket type (flexible versus advance) and whether you have rail-protection insurance. Take it.
Q8What about cancellation?
Typically a 20-25% deposit at booking, balance due 8-10 weeks before departure. Rail tickets are a sunk cost once issued, which matters on longer trips. Travel insurance with rail cover is sensible.
Three rail holidays, side-by-side.
Other rail holidays on Mooch in the same spirit. All prices per person, from the operator.
