Steddenm
Member
According to the Irish Times, the Belmond Grand Hibernian has become the latest victim of Covid.
End of the line for Ireland’s luxury sleeper train
Covid-19 blamed for end of Belmond Grand Hibernian, which will move to mainland Europe
www.irishtimes.com
More on the website above.Ireland’s first luxury sleeper train, the Belmond Grand Hibernian – a sister train to the Orient Express – is to pull out of Ireland.
Belmond, the company that runs luxury hotels, trains and canal boats across the globe, says it is “too early” to reveal the train’s new base, but it expects it to remain in Europe, “where demand for immersive, slow-travel experiences of this kind is increasing”
Introduced in 2016, the Grand Hibernian offered a two-night tour from Dublin to the north Co Antrim coast for from about €2,650 per person.
It also offered a four-night tour around the Republic, taking in Killarney, Cork, Galway, and Waterford, at a cost of €5,420. A shorter, two-day version cost €3,160; six days cost €7,722.
Passengers tended to be wealthy American visitors who typically stay in Ireland longer and spend more per visit than other nationalities.
The all-inclusive prices covered visits to tourist attractions such as Titanic Experience in Belfast, falconry at Ashford Castle, the Giant’s Causeway and the Jameson distillery. Optional golf excursions were also provided.