African Rail Travel?

[Maureen Blevins]

Anyone ever travel by rail in Africa?

[Gregory Alan Gross]

I've yet to visit Africa. From what I've been told and my own research, it seems to be largely feast or famine where African passenger trains are concerned -- either super-luxurious runs like South Africa's 5-star Blue Train or aging, decrepit rolling stock that barely holding together, with little in between. m But that's the view from a great distance. Soeone who's actually done train travel in Africa may have a different perspective.

[José Balido]

Do you mean sub-Saharan Africa, or anywhere on the continent?

I've been around Morocco on their national railway system a few times, and it's been a quite pleasant and interesting experience, with decent trains, service, etc. Never forget the ride to Marrakesh where we shared a compartment with several soldiers heading south into the former Spanish Sahara, where they were stationed in the middle of the desert in a cinderblock base with no air conditioning and 120 degree weather every day... That's one of the great advantages of train travel: unlike on an airplane, one gets to mingle much more with locals and get different perspectives on life. Like the time we rode from Tallinn to Riga with a couple of car thieves... but that's another story.