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Luxury train journeys: Discover the world in a new light on a voyage through spectacular scenery

Agatha Christie once said: ‘Trains are wonderful… to travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches, and rivers, in fact, to see life.’ She was right. Here we round up some of the world’s most spectacular rides. GOING, GOING, GHAN The shiny, stainless-steel carriages of The Ghan – pictured – sweep across the immense dusty red-soil plains of Australia The 54-hour, 1,851-mile journey between Darwin and Adelaide — or vice versa — on The Ghan, is superb. Shiny, stainless-steel carriages sweep across immense dusty red-soil plains, stopping in Alice Springs, which is a springboard to see the famous sandstone monolith of Uluru. The Ghan is a shortening of The Afghan Express, the name given to Afghan camel herdsmen who crossed the Outback in the 1800s. INTO INDIA India’s Shimla service from Kalka is nicknamed the ‘toy train’, with a twisty 60-mile route through 107 tunnels There are more than 68,000 miles of rail tracks in India, making it a wonderful country to explore by train. Some of the finest rides are along narrow-gauge lines into the former hill stations of British colonial rule at Darjeeling and Shimla, both in the foothills of the Himalayas. The Shimla service from Kalka is nicknamed the ‘toy train’, with a twisty 60-mile route through 107 tunnels. NO-RUSH RUSSIA Preparing to dine in luxury on the Trans-Siberian Express. Traveling on the railway gives you an idea of the sheer enormity of Russia Crossing from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Trans-Siberian Railway, you get an idea of the sheer enormity of Russia — the ride covers 5,752 miles. The service also runs from Moscow to Beijing, either through Mongolia (4,735 miles) or Manchuria (5,623 miles). In Siberia, vast pine forests spread out, interrupted by cities with great smokestacks and villages with simple abodes. ON A SWISS ROLL Carriages on the Glacier Express (pictured) have panoramic windows so you can see all the peaks Join the Glacier Express in winter to see the snow-capped mountains of the Swiss Alps rising all around. The route covers 181 miles from Zermatt to St Moritz. Carriages have panoramic windows so you can see all the peaks. SPEED IN JAPAN Zip along coastlines and between mountains on Japan’s Shinkansen trains. Above, the bullet train passes Mount Fuji Japan’s Shinkansen (bullet) trains reach 186mph and are famous for their punctuality. Zip along coastlines and between mountains. Many tours begin in Sapporo in the north and finish in Hakata in the south. PERFECT PYRENEES Climb aboard the Little Red Train (pictured above) for a 38-mile journey between Rivesaltes and Axat Slide along the narrow-gauge tracks of the French Pyrenees aboard the Little Yellow Train, rising from an altitude of 427 meters in Villefranche de Conflent to Bolquere-Eyne, France’s highest railway station at 1,592 meters. The 39-mile route passes through 22 stations. In good weather, passengers can sit in open-sided carriages. Join the Little Red Train for a 38-mile journey between Rivesaltes and Axat, drinking in views of vineyards and chateaux. STEAM DREAM Sip champagne on the Northern Belle as it passes through the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales, with the impress Ribblehead Viaduct, pictured, one of the highlights Enjoy a ride on the Northern Belle train along the 73-mile Settle-Carlisle line. The route takes you through the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales, with highlights including the impressive Ribblehead Viaduct. Expect a Pullman dining car, champagne, and fine dining. ANDES ADVENTURE Ten-day ‘Peru by Rail’ trips with the Belmond Andean Explorer and Hiram Bingham trains Inside the five-star Belmond Andean Explorer, which is a grand sleeper train Travel between the ancient Inca capital of Cusco and Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, before continuing to the whitewashed city of Arequipa, on the five-star Belmond Andean Explorer, a sleeper train. This three-day journey takes in magnificent mountain scenery, including the El Misti volcano rising near Arequipa. From Cusco, a day trip on the Hiram Bingham train takes you to the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu. ACROSS AFRICA Enjoy an odyssey across Africa’s great plains on the ‘Coast to Coast – African Kingdoms’ tour, pictured, with the possibility to stop for safaris How about a coast-to-coast ride across Africa? Join a ‘Rovos Rail — Pride of Africa’ luxury train on the Katanga-Benguela route across Angola into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The route links up with tracks into Zambia and Tanzania on a 2,650-mile odyssey across great plains, through remote valleys, and along mighty rivers, with the possibility to stop for safaris. You’ll ride in comfortable 1950s vintage carriages, plus there’s a swanky restaurant car. ROCKY RITUAL Take to the tracks between Denver in Colorado and Moab in Utah on a new, two-day Rocky Mountaineer service. Following the swirling waters of the Colorado River, the train snakes into canyons and crosses a desert-like landscape. Some carriages have panoramic glass roofs. It goes slowly so you’ll be sure to get lots of super snaps. TOP TRAIN TRAVEL TIPS Read up about where you will be passing by — it adds to the enjoyment. Always investigate the dining carriage — you might bump into interesting people. Watch the scenery (not a smartphone screen). Enjoy a sundowner if you are traveling by sleeper train. Take a pack of cards (and/or Scrabble or your favorite game) for evenings. Dress up for dinner on luxury trains — it all adds to the Agatha Christie-ish atmosphere (minus any murders, hopefully).
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What type of hosting do you need?

There are many web hosting options available nowadays: free web hosting, shared hosting, dedicated server, and the list goes on. All these options serve the same purpose, which is hosting your content so that it can be accessed and viewed by people on the Internet. The major difference is how each is structured as well as the benefits they offer. Let’s have a closer look at each of them. Free Web Hosting What can be better than a free web hosting plan? This is a great option for someone who wants to create a homepage or small website to share with friends and family. While free web hosting has received criticism for its lack of features, security, and customer support, there are a few reliable free web hosting providers that you can trust. However, keep in mind that free web hosting is more geared for giving you a taste of having and maintaining a small, personal website. If you want to establish a powerful web presence with an online business, you will need to consider a paid hosting service that offers more control, security, and reliability. Shared Hosting As the name implies, shared hosting is an environment where you are sharing space on a web server with other users. As clients are sharing the cost of the server, this is the most affordable and popular solution for personal users and small businesses as companies to set up blogs, e-commerce, and other advanced applications. However, when hosting on a shared server, you are exposed to all the activities of your neighbors. If someone makes a huge scripting error, the entire server can suffer. If someone experiences a sudden burst in traffic, your site might run slower. If the server goes down, so does your website and ultimately, your business. Dedicated Hosting When your business takes off and requires more than the typical sharing server resources, it’s time to move up to the dedicated server. Now you’re in the big leagues with an entire server dedicated to your hosting needs. However, without any experience, succeeding with this hosting option is nearly impossible – those who require a dedicated server but don’t know a thing about server administration can get by with managed hosting. In this scenario, the hosting service provider handles all the management tasks which free you up to focus on other areas of the business. Keep in mind that a managed service requires is generally more costly. What is the Best Hosting For You? The best advice we can give about hosting is to know what you’re getting into. Free services are geared for personal sites, shared hosting is suited for small businesses and a dedicated server is designed for larger hosting needs, yet is far more expensive. By knowing what your site requires, it will be much easier to determine which is the best solution.
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Avoiding scams after a disaster

Don’t be a victim of dishonest service providers If your home was destroyed by a hurricane, wildfire or other disaster, be cautious. Unfortunately, there are dishonest service providers that prey on disaster victims. They know that people who have lost their homes and valuables may not be thinking clearly. If you have suffered this type of loss, don’t make any rash decisions. Talk to your insurance agent, who may recommend service providers in your area. Here are some basic guidelines for hiring service providers. Roofers and builders Don’t be rushed into signing a contract with any company. Instead, collect business cards and get written estimates for the proposed job. Beware of building contractors that encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs. Payments for temporary repairs are covered as part of the total settlement. If you pay a contractor a large sum for a temporary repair job, you may not have enough money for permanent repairs. In most cases, you should be able to make the temporary repairs yourself. Ask your insurance agent. And remember to keep receipts. Investigate the track record of any roofer, builder or contractor that you consider hiring. Look for professionals that have a solid reputation in your community. You can call your Better Business Bureau for help. Also, get references and never give anyone a deposit until after you have thoroughly researched their background. A common fraud scheme is for a so-called “contractor” to convince a homeowner that a large deposit must be provided before repair work can begin. Frequently, the job will be started, but not completed. Unfortunately, these con artists are never seen or heard from again. Public adjusters and attorneys Don’t make any rash decisions about hiring someone to handle your claim. Be especially wary of individuals who go door-to-door soliciting business in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Most importantly, don’t let anyone scare you into signing a contract. You don’t want to be victimized by someone who comes into town, hoping to make a fast buck. You could end up forfeiting a significant portion of your insurance dollars. Before hiring a public adjuster or an attorney, try to settle your claim directly with your insurance company. Your insurer provides an adjuster at no charge to you. Ask your insurance agent or company representative to help you with your claim and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you decide to work directly with your insurer, you still have the right to hire a third-party professional to help you. If your claim is complicated and you want to hire a public adjuster or attorney, make sure that person is qualified to handle your case. Ask your friends, relatives or business associates for the names of well-regarded professionals in your community. Also, call your state insurance department regarding a public adjuster, and your state or county bar association about a prospective attorney. Understand that you will have to pay a public adjuster 15 percent and an attorney as much as 30 percent of your total claim settlement.
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How to choose the right type of life insurance

Choosing the right type of life insurance can be confusing, but it’s also an important decision. Here are some guidelines that can help you narrow down your best life insurance options. Consider term life insurance if… You need life insurance for a specific period of time. Term life insurance enables you to match the length of the term policy to the length of the need. For example, if you have young children and want to ensure that there will be funds to pay for their college education, you might buy 20-year term life insurance. Or if you want the insurance to repay a debt that will be paid off in a specified time period, buy a term policy for that period. You need a large amount of life insurance, but have a limited budget. In general, this type of insurance pays only if you die during the term of the policy, so the rate per thousand of death benefit is lower than for permanent forms of life insurance. If you are still alive at the end of the term, coverage stops unless the policy is renewed or a new one bought. Unlike permanent insurance, you will not typically build equity in the form of cash savings. If you think your financial needs may change, you may also want to look into “convertible” term policies. These allow you to convert to permanent insurance without a medical examination in exchange for higher premiums. Keep in mind that premiums are lowest when you are young and increase upon renewal as you age. Some term insurance policies can be renewed when the policy ends, but the premium will generally increase. Some policies require a medical examination at renewal to qualify for the lowest rates. Consider permanent life insurance if… You need life insurance for as long as you live. A permanent policy pays a death benefit whether you die tomorrow or live to be over 100. You want to accumulate a savings element that will grow on a tax-deferred basis and could be a source of borrowed funds for a variety of purposes. The savings element can be used to pay premiums to keep the life insurance in force if you can’t pay them otherwise, or it can be used for any other purpose you choose. You can borrow these funds even if your credit is shaky. The death benefit is collateral for the loan, and if you die before it’s repaid, the insurance company collects what is due the company before determining what’s goes to your beneficiary. Keep in mind that premiums for permanent policies are generally higher than for term insurance. However, the premium in a permanent policy remains the same no matter how old you are, while term can go up substantially every time you renew it. There are a number of different types of permanent insurance policies, such as whole (ordinary) life, universal life, variable life, and variable/universal life. For more details, see our articles on the specific types of policies.
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How do I file a life insurance claim?

To begin the claims process: Get several copies of the death certificate. Call your insurance agent. He or she can help you fill out the necessary forms and act as an intermediary with the insurance company. (Don’t keep life insurance policies in your safe deposit box. In most states, safe deposit boxes are sealed temporarily upon the death of the owner, which can delay the settlement. ) If you don’t have an insurance agent, or don’t know who the deceased’s agent was, contact the company directly. Submit a certified copy of the death certificate from the funeral director with the policy claim. Once the claim is submitted, a settlement should be issued to you shortly. Once a life insurance claim is submitted, you must determine how the proceeds will be distributed. These are some of the options available: Lump sum—You receive the entire death benefit in a single amount. Specific income provision—The company pays you both principal and interest on a predetermined schedule. Life income option—You receive a guaranteed income for life. The amount of income depends on the death benefit, your gender and your age at the time of the insured’s death. Interest income option—The company holds the proceeds and pays you interest on them. The death benefit remains intact and goes to a secondary beneficiary upon your death.
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