We travelled on the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide having three full day stopovers at Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy. All had amazing day trip available to suit all ages and capabilities. The Ghan itself was a wonderful experience with first class accomodation and meals. Staff were so friendly and helpful. We travelled platinum class and after speaking with others I believe for the extra cost we had an amazing trip. We would recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in the outback of Australia in style. I would go again just for the experience.

We travelled on Gold service from Darwin to Adelaide 15 to 17 March. We can understand the frustrations experienced by those who suffered from the flooding problems the previous week, but our experience on the whole was very good. Our cabin was cosy, but everything worked, the beds were comfortable in the circumstances and we managed to get reasonable sleep on both nights. The “bathroom” was larger than we’d expected & showering was fine. A problem with our carriages water supply due to someone leaving their shower running was sorted within a few hours. The food was very good on the whole - only 2 not so great meals out of the 12 served to us. Serving everyone in a short period across 4 sittings was obviously a challenge, but the staff were brilliant, albeit somewhat stressed. We were rushed at all meals, to churn the table for the following sitting. The two course lunch on the 1st day took 40 minutes from being seated to leaving! Would recommend trying to get the 1st (6.30) or 2nd (7.15) sitting for dinner as the final sitting was at 8.30, a little late after a long day. The off train experiences were OK but nothing special. We did the Nitmiluk Gorge tour which was the best, but unfortunately due to river levels we were restricted to the 1st gorge & the scenery was impressive but the same for the best part of 2 hours. The guide on the boat was very good though. We also did the Alice Explorer tour, starting with the Telegraph Station. This was interesting but we didn’t need an hour to see everything. The RFDS in Alice Springs was our next stop and was rushed, allowing us only 50 minutes there before we got back on the coach to return to the train. The film show took up 25 minutes of this time. Scenery was disappointing, so you needed to spend a lot of time in the lounge drinking alcohol and coffee etc, talking to fellow passengers. Because the 250+ passengers are split into groups of carriages on the train, you will see the same people over & over again when in the lounge & dining car. Wi-Fi was available for about half the journey in the lounge if you wanted it. Overall we enjoyed the trip & would say that the staff made it special with their efficiency and friendliness throughout. But for us it wasn’t a once in a lifetime experience compared to the Orient Express or the Rocky Mountaineer.

Excellent trip on the train from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The cabins in the gold section are very compact, similar to French motorail. The bar and restaurant cars were however enjoyable and comfortable with the trip, where the train stopped at Coober Pedy, absolutely fascinating and very well organised. Overall a great experience, the size of the cabin made it feel slightly less than a luxury experience.

I am glad i done it, but would never do it again. The good bits were firstly the staff on the train, absolutely excellent in every way. Also the food and drink was of a very high standard. Now the not so good bits, firstly 5 carriages for 1 lounge car and dining car, way to many people in one place at a time, overcrowded noisey and uncomfortable. The cabins are ridiculously small and again very noisey especially if you are near to lounge car when everyone is walking and talking past your cabin to return to there's Do not expect much sleep because of the noise and motion of the train. Overall not the best of experiences for me especially when you factor in the price.

From access to egress, this was one of our main highlights of our Australian journey. We stayed in the gold section and the food and service were second to none. Special thanks to Sammy and Zara who went the extra mile. They were fantastic!😊🔆

What can one say! Absolute brilliant trip, service was impeccable, food was astounding and the view and day trips were brilliant. We will be booking again! Every detail was accounted for, information, turndown of beds with chocolates. Food and beverages 5 star! The day trios were well organised with transport to and from. Water available at all stops (it was hot).

An amazingly unique way to see Australia, travelling Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs. The berths were a little retro and space was a little tight but the experience of train travel, food and staff was fantastic. A wonderful way to see the amazing diversity of the Australian landscape - we also did off train options - fun riding camels in Alice (extra expense) and took in the breathtaking scenery of Nitmiluk Gorge while in Katherine. This is a sizeable investment but does afford a truely unique experience.

This was an excellent experience from the minute we arrived at Adelaide to when sadly our journey ended in Alice Springs. The food was superb and range of drinks very good. We enjoyed spending time in the dining car and lounge. The cabin although compact has everything you need. The staff are attentive and helpful. Would definitely recommend getting up to see the sunrise, you get off the train and while watching the sunrise staff provide you with tea/coffee and yummy breakfast rolls/ croissants.

The Ghan expedition trip was marvellous with 3 nights and 4 days aboard the train. The off train experiences were well organised, interesting and fun. The staff were very attentive and happy. The Nitmiluk gorge cruise was interesting with amazing scenery. The dinner at the old telegraph station in Alice Springs was really well organised and lots of fun with different things to see and do as well as a great BBQ dinner. They provided you with ponchos for when it got cold. They were yours to keep. The food on the Ghan was delicious.

We rode on the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide, Gold class. We didn't see the value in paying for Platinum. In this direction you spend a day in Coober Pedy, whereas you don't in the other direction. The train is 'quaint', noisy at night, and naturally shakes a little. The lounge car is relatively small for the amount of people travelling, but the wine flowed freely. On the upside, this trip allowed us to spend time in Darwin, where I learnt Australia was bombed over 60 times - from Broome around to Cairns, over 20 months! It is well worth spending 5 days in Darwin to learn more about our history. We also spent 6 days in Alice Springs, and I would definitely recommend this addition. Find a tour that includes Uluru, Kings Canyon, Stanley Chasm and Field of Light, as a minimum. And finally arrived in Adelaide for 5 days of exploring wineries, Maggie Beers' farm, etc. If you are considering a ride on the Ghan, expect disturbed sleep at night, but it is a small price to pay for the benefits of all the experiences that you find on a trip like this, well worth it.