They almost never ran on time. Delays were endemic — excuses bordering on the comical. All of this is by way of explaining my trepidation in parting with the hard-earned to take a 25-hour train trip across South Africa.
I loved it. The journey began in Cape Town and ended 1600km later in Johannesburg. It was, as the brochures had promised, a brilliant way to get the feel of the African landscape — from the astonishing vineyards surrounding Cape Town through dramatic and glowering mountain passes and up to the Karoo, the semi-desert plain of central South Africa.
And then, tunnelling through the night past De Aar, Kimberley and into Klerksdorp at dawn. From there, it was an easy run into Johannesburg.
I looked at taking the famed Blue Train, which runs along the same route, but it was way beyond my budget. In any case, I didn't want that much luxury. The compromise was Premier Classe which, at about $315, was less than a sixth of the price I was quoted on the Blue Train. It was not luxurious but certainly very comfortable. For my money, I got a roomy sleeping compartment to myself with a table that folded away to reveal a little basin and tap. Showers and toilets were at the end of the carriage.
I also got more food than I could eat in a week. It began with breakfast in the lounge before we boarded, followed by morning tea, a three-course lunch, afternoon tea, pre-dinner nibbles, a four-course dinner, a cooked breakfast, morning tea. It was dizzying. The food was not gourmet, but it was good quality.
For about $12, I bought a bottle of excellent South African sauvignon blanc from the bar, had a glass with lunch, a glass or two with dinner, and shared the rest with a fellow traveller. The bar staff kept it cold for me between meals.
The train did not exactly zip along and there were long, unexplained pauses throughout the day and night. But, hey, it was Africa and I was on holiday. And despite my misgivings, I found the trip wonderfully relaxing.
Apart from the scenery, what made the journey was the camaraderie with fellow travellers, including a group of six Aussie retirees who fell on every meal with impressive dedication, drank plenty of wine and enjoyed themselves hugely.
The train wasn't only for tourists. In a neighbouring compartment were an Afrikaaner couple who regularly take the train home to Johannesburg after visiting their children in the Cape. Their stories of growing up in South Africa under apartheid were compelling.
There was a downside to the journey. On the first afternoon it was fiercely hot as we crossed (and paused without explanation on) the Karoo. The temperature outside was above 40C (it was early November) and the air-conditioning couldn't cope.
Some passengers found it distressing. I did too until, in search of a cooler part of the train, I happened to walk past the compartment where the cooks were working.
It was at least 10C hotter in there, yet there they were, clad in their white(ish) jackets, labouring away with smiles on their faces and seemingly without a care in the world.
It cooled down soon enough.
Sleeping on a train has an inescapable romance — especially when someone else makes your bed while you're at dinner.
The next day, as we approached Johannesburg I found myself not wanting the journey to end.
We were two hours late and I couldn't have cared less.
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Qantas offers regular flights from Sydney to Johannesburg. Cape Town is a two-hour flight from Johannesburg.
Details: Premiere Classe trains run between Cape Town and Johannesburg once a week. The trip takes 25 hours and covers 1600km.
