On October 15, a luxury train left Budapest with 70 passengers onboard for a first-time trip through the Balkans, the Bosphorus and Kurdistan with a final destination of Tehran.
Reuters reports that the Golden Eagle Company offers a two-week tour ending in the Iranian capital, with 70 passengers riding in an old refurbished luxury train. Prices range from £9,000 pounds to £25,000 for full service with a private bathroom, along with the sightseeing itinerary and a leisurely view of scenery from the train across 7,000 km.
The report adds that the tickets for the first ride were sold out within 10 days of the announcement, and tour founder Tim Littler has been quoted as saying that he is planning four more trips for the coming year.
Littler says: “There is a huge vacuum in the tourist industry for people who would like to go to Iran but want to do it in comfort and safety.”
According to Reuters, some countries have offered extra assistance to provide security. and Iran, now investing heavily in its tourism industry, has offered to put military marshals on the train.
