 10 Best Train Stations in Africa Train travel is not only fast and efficient but also provides ample opportunity to admire some of Africa's greatest architecture. Though now a less used means of transport, train travel was once at the forefront of innovation, revolutionizing travel and promoting monarchs, architects and city planners to build magnificent train stations to impress passengers. The train is not the most popular nor the most efficient way to travel in Africa but its aura of faded bygone glamour makes it a must for those who are fans of slow travel. Yes, there are quicker ways to get from point A to point B but these noteworthy train journeys in Africa remind you that when you travel, it is the journey and not the destination that matters. 10. Kenya Train, Nairobi to Mombasa The newly built Chinese Standard Gauge Railway SGR between Nairobi and Mombasa opened in May 2017, reducing the journey time from an ostensive 16-24 hour journey on the old narrow gauge line of the past years. Today, the journey time from Nairobi to Mombasa or Mombasa to Nairobi takes just over four hours on the non-stop version of the Madaraka Express and about six hours on the Inter-County train which stops at eight stations along the line. A 10 hour time saving from the old Jambo Deluxe train, the train has only two classes that is economy and first class. Both classes are air conditioned. The main difference between the economy class and first class is the latter has a table seating as well as a bottle of complimentary water for each of the passengers. They also get nicer less crowded waiting rooms before boarding the train. The cabins each have large top to bottom windows with great views over the Capiti Plains and many little towns along the railway line. If you are lucky, you will see wild animals as the railway line crosses the famous Tavo National Park. Madaraka Express fare train tickets from Nairobi to Mombasa and Mombasa to Nairobi costs 700 kets for economy class and 3,000 kets for first class one way. SGR tickets must be booked and paid for in person at the station in Siyuki Mau or booked for online and paid for via Mobile Money M-Pesa. Number 9, Rovo's Rail, South Africa. This air conditioned luxury train made it on my bucket list many months ago. The train cars have solely unsweetened rooms with double or twin beds and is undoubtedly the most luxurious way to experience South Africa from Daesala in Tanzania, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Suakop Mound in Namibia or the way to Cape Town and Pretoria in South Africa. Itineraries vary from 3 to 15 days with most trips beginning or ending at Rovo's Rail's capital park station near Pretoria. The cost per itinerary ranges from $1,425 full board including alcoholic beverages per person sharing plus excursions. Number 8, Addis Ababa to Djibouti Train. The Addis Ababa Djibouti Railway is the new standard gauge railway, SGR, linking Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, to the Red Sea port of Djibouti. The Addis Ababa Djibouti Train journey is also the first fully electrified cross-border railway line in Africa. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Hailey-Mariam Desalegun on January 1, 2018 and just like Kenya's Madaraka Express SGR, 70% was financed by China's Ex-Im Bank, built by China Railway Group and China's Civil Engineering Construction and is said to be managed by Chinese staff for the next couple of years. The dream is that one day the rail line can extend all the way from Addis Ababa to Djibouti to Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and eventually all the way to the Atlantic. The 752 km 10 hour long Addis Ababa to Djibouti City Train journey has been on my bucket list from 2017 when words started going round that it would launch. I always imagine that this is how my maiden trip to Djibouti would happen but things hardly go as planned. 7. The Blue Train The Blue Train is a South African Rail experience that has been on my bucket list for the longest time and I hope to kick it out by the year 2022 at the latest. The Blue Train has been offering its guests luxury rail travel experiences since 1946 and is probably the oldest on this list. What I love most about it is that, like the Rovo's rail journeys, it offers a unique way of experiencing some of Southern Africa in one long shot. As in, it's an all-inclusive way of experiencing magnificent landscapes just like on a cruise. The standard route of the Blue Train is Pretoria Cape Town and Faisy Versa. Should you however choose to chatter, the routes are Pretoria Durban, Pretoria Kruger, Pretoria Sun City, Pretoria Blanc-Fontaine and anywhere else where there are rail networks that are compatible to the Blue Train's technology. According to the Blue Train website, there are two types of suites on the train. They're the Lux Suite, which offers you a choice between twin beds with shower or double beds with bath and luxury suites which are more spacious and offer twin or double beds with bath facilities. Each Lux Suite comes with a private entertainment center with the choice of movie channels and radio stations. Take me there already and guess what? The Blue Train package comes complete with a personal butler at your beck and call. Number 6 Da El Salam to Kapirim Poshi by train At 1,860 km at the railway line between Da El Salam, Tanzania and Kapirim Poshi Zambia was the first railway line built by the Chinese in Africa and opened in 1975. It was later given a facelift in 2016 with new cars. Unlike Kenya's Madaraka Express, the Da El Salam-Kapirim Poshi Railway Line has several car classes, first and second class sleeping cars and second and third class seating cars. There are two restaurant cars and one first class lounge car. As it also passes through the Celus Game Reserve, you will be unlucky not to spot elephants, giraffes, zebra and antelope and there is a picturesque mountain section with several bridges and tunnels. First class train tickets cost 50 USD one way. At number 5 Bulawayo to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe Train The overnight journey from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls by train is perfect for the vintage traveler who would like to experience the wood-paneled train cars from yesteryears. But I have news for those who have a soft spot for the good life. A sleeper train with refurbished traditional carriages was introduced on the Victoria Falls to Hwangi National Park Route. This deal comes complete with a three-course dinner. First class train tickets from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls costs 15 USD one way without bedding. There are two rail journeys on the Cairo to Luxor route. You can either go by the daytime air-conditioned express or the overnight sleeper train. The best way to experience the Nile Valley and the Nile Revers Feluchas is by the overnight train from Cairo to Luxor. Unfortunately, Egyptian government restrictions do not allow tourists to travel on this train. There is however a walk around. You can buy tickets on the daytime train and then defy the sanctions and take the overnight train. Simply board the train at Ramses station at Cairo, pay while already on board and hope you find a seat. Better still, buy your ticket online in advance. Tanzania Zambia Railway, Tazara The Mukaba Express and the Kilimanjaro are the two passenger trains that operate on Tazara, the bi-national railway that runs 1,860 km between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and new Kapirim Poshi in Zambia. Trains depart a couple of times per week and the journey takes two days and two nights if you ride straight through. This is a route for the entropy traveller, not those concerned about luxury or punctuality. The trains have seen better days and are rarely on time but the scenery and overall experience is spectacular. Tunisian Lesar Rouge, Tunisia Antique tourist train, whose name translates to Red Lizard, makes a daily trip up into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in southern Tunisia near Tuzer. As it winds its way from Metlaoui to Radiyev, it passes through mining country and the Selja George and makes periodic view stops. The journey takes about an hour each way. 1. Tren du désert, Mauritania In an earnest attempt to create a tourism product in a country otherwise bereaved of attractions, Mauritania created the desert train to showcase its vast mysterious interior. Here's how it works. A two-storey passenger-rail car hitches ride on the back of a two-kilometer-long mining train which applies a 650-kilometer route between Zwarit and Nohadebu. Let's spend one night on and two nights off the train at various excursion spots including the holy city of Chingueti, the Oasis of Azuguay and the rock monolith of Ben Amira. I'm sure we now know some of the best train stations in Africa. While hoping we must have learned something significant, why not give us a thumbs up by hitting our like button or better still share, subscribe and also turn on your notifications for more incoming videos. Thanks for watching and stay tuned.