Indian Pacific rail journey Sydney -> Perth

Hi,

I am a UK citizen and interested in travelling to Australia. One thing
I would like to do is travel on the Indian Pacific rail journey from
Sydney to Perth.

Has anybody travelled this journey? What do you have to say about it?

Where is the cheapest place to buy and how much?

It would probably be December or January I would be wanting to travel.
Is it wise to book early?

How long is the ticket valid from upon purchase? Can I stay at a town
on the way a night and then use the same ticket the next day (or couple
of days) or do I need to see the journey out?

Any tips / advice / warnings would be much apreciated. Thanks

Burnsy

(cross-post to rail added, for some additional insight)

On 16 Jan 2006 13:58:58 -0800, bissatch.uk wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I am a UK citizen and interested in travelling to Australia. One thing
>I would like to do is travel on the Indian Pacific rail journey from
>Sydney to Perth.
>
>Has anybody travelled this journey? What do you have to say about it?

Love the trip, definitely worth doing.

One thing though, pony up the bucks and go Gold Kangaroo (fancy speak
for First Class). Red Kangaroo (economy) is woeful, with sub-standard
food (even in Red Kangaroo Sleeper) and a slum of a lounge car.

Red Kangaroo sleeper *used* to be very good, with freshly cooked meals
in a pleasant dining car, and a nice lounge.

Now it is food which would make a dodgy service station ashamed, and a
packed to the rafters lounge car where you are fighting to get space.

Gold Kangaroo on the other hand is an absolute delight.

>Where is the cheapest place to buy and how much?
>
>It would probably be December or January I would be wanting to travel.
>Is it wise to book early?
>
>How long is the ticket valid from upon purchase? Can I stay at a town
>on the way a night and then use the same ticket the next day (or couple
>of days) or do I need to see the journey out?

If in Gold Kangaroo, you need to choose very carefully where you wish
to break your journey if you wish to reduce your costs. Since Gold
Kangaroo includes a sleeping berth and meals there are complications
if you wish to make multiple stopovers en route.

For this run, I would recommend doing Sydney-Adelaide,
Adelaide-Kalgoorlie on the Inidan-Pacific, and then Kalgoorlie-Perth
on the Prospector, thereby giving you stops in Adelaide and
Kalgoorlie.Other places along the way are easily accessible from
Adelaide if you wish to hire a car, perhaps Adelaide-Barossa
Valley-Mildura-Broken Hill-Adelaide, then picking up the I-P to
continue.

Note that the train only operates twice weekly, so if planning a
stop-over it would have to be for three or four days.

Have a great trip.
=====================

Dave

There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Thanks for the great info, the more I look into it the more I cant wait
to go. The sad things is that it isnt for another 10 months or so
before I go, I wish it was sooner.

Dave, I like what your saying only thing is that I might try and fit
Melbourne in before Adelaide. So it would go
Sydney->Melbourne->Adelaide(Hire a car and do some local touring from
Adelaide)->Kalgoorlie->Perth. Just a couple more questions :-

Do you know how long each journey is approx?

How many nights does the journey from Adelaide -> Kalgoorlie involve. I
would feel better if I knew I was paying money for a cabin and it was
being used two nights rather than one.

Have you spoken with anyone who has travelled by Daynighter seat on IP?
What did they make of it. If funds are quite low I may have to consider
it, I dont know how easy I will find it to save cash through temp work
in Sydnay / Melbourne.

Burnsy

bissa....uk

<<< Said>>>>

Have you spoken with anyone who has travelled by Daynighter seat on IP?

Do NOT bother travelling on this train in a daynighter seat, that
section is usually full of drunken yobs and abos, if you are short of
cash then Red Kangaroo is so-so and just OK, but the best advice you
have been given is to go 1st class (gold kangaroo) and you will enjoy
the trip in comfort.