The Journal
Rails Across Continents: Palace on Wheels vs Africa's Rovos Rail
Two icons, two continents
For travellers collecting the world's great train journeys, the Palace on Wheels and South Africa's Rovos Rail both rank near the top — but they offer very different experiences.
The journeys
The Palace on Wheels runs a fixed seven-night cultural loop through Rajasthan, packed with daily forts, palaces and a tiger safari. Rovos Rail — founded in 1989 and styling itself the "Pride of Africa" — runs longer, more languid routes such as Pretoria to Cape Town or Victoria Falls, where the landscape and the train itself are the main event.
Style
Rovos leans into Edwardian-era romance with wood-panelled suites and a deliberate absence of TVs and Wi-Fi in cabins. The Palace on Wheels blends princely-India heritage with modern comforts — Wi-Fi, climate control and en-suite cabins throughout — and a far denser sightseeing programme.
Which to choose?
Choose the Palace on Wheels for a culturally rich, excursion-packed week and outstanding value; choose Rovos Rail for slow, scenic, safari-flavoured luxury across southern Africa. If India is calling, start with the itinerary.