JOANNA LUMLEY & THE 'ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS' TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS

CELEBRATING ITS 100TH YEAR IN 2016

Next week (Sunday 12 July at 9pm) ITV viewers will witness the start of a three-part series following Joanna Lumley's epic adventure as she travels in the most spellbinding way imaginable from Hong Kong to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express, a Russian railway that next year marks its centenary year. Viewers who wish to follow in her Trans-Siberian wheel tracks, yet prefer to take an Absolutely Fabulous approach, can do so on board the Golden Eagle, choosing between their classic Trans-Siberian Express tour or their two NEW centenary specials. This beautiful private train is offered by Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, the world's leading operator of exclusive, long-distance luxury rail tours.

Undoubtedly the world's greatest railway journey, the Trans-Siberian Railway runs like a steel ribbon across Russia connecting east with west. Crossing eight time zones, passengers are transported through the vastness and grandeur of Russia's rarely visited interior: over the Urals, across the magnificent steppe and along the shore of Siberia's LakeBaikal, the world's largest freshwater lake. Opened in stages between 1891 and 1916, this extraordinary engineering achievement is a vital link for the many communities that live close to the line. The official length of the Trans-Siberian line between Moscow and Vladivostok is 9,288 kms, making it the longest single-service railway in the world.

As part of the Golden Eagle Luxury Trains' classic Trans-Siberian Express escorted tours, the train travels between Moscow and Vladivostok, along the branch line at Lake Baikal and heads into Mongolia and its capital, Ulaan Baatar. The whole tour takes a leisurely two weeks and covers a third of the world's circumference. Highlights of the tour include a private viewing of the Kremlin; sipping champagne with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia at Yekaterinburg; a refreshing swim in Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world; a folk performance in the Old Believers Village at Ulan Ude; and a tour of Gandan Monastery in Ulaan Baatar, home to 500 monks. Passengers are able to customise their experiences, whether joining a cooking class in Irkutsk, visiting a traditional Russian Dacha (summer house), horse riding in Mongolia's Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, or hiking at Lake Baikal. Price: from £10,595 all-inclusive, including 1 night Moscow, 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle, 1 night Vladivostok.Departures: Eastbound– 5 May and 22 Aug 2016. Westbound - 18 May, 18 June, 6 Aug, 4 Sept 2016.

100 YEARS OF TRANS-SIBERIAN RAIL IN RUSSIA

NEW CENTENARY DEPARTURES FOR 2016

As part of the 100th anniversary celebrations to commemorate the opening of the Trans-Siberian line (in Russia), Golden Eagle Luxury Trains will offer two special once-in-a-lifetime itineraries in 2016, both running between Moscow and Vladivostok.

Centenary Trans-Siberian Express – Via BAM (Baikal Amur Magistral)

The first centenary departure in June will travel through an area of untouched natural beauty in Siberia on the Baikal-Amur Magistral line, an engineering feat of immense proportions that was built across some of the world's most inhospitable terrain. From Novosibirsk the train heads east, climbing through the spectacular Sayan Mountains which stretch over 1,000 kms and on to the section known as the Road of Courage, a name which marks the many natural obstacles that were overcome during its 23 year construction. Among them are the dense Siberian forests, rapid rivers and extensive permafrost. Stopping at fascinating remote towns, where visitors are transported back in time to the days of the Soviet Union, the Golden Eagle continues through the untouched Tundra and on to Vladivostok. Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive including 1 night Moscow, 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle, 1 night Vladivostok.Eastbound departure - 5 June 2016.

Centenary Trans-Siberian Express – Siberian Discovery

This second new tour will visit some of the lesser-known Siberian places and communities that together form this iconic route. Among them are Nerchinsk and Sretensk, two towns where communities have survived far from the beaten track of the main Trans-Siberian line. They offer a rare opportunity to see how families exist and livelihoods are maintained despite the isolation. Also visited is picturesque Blagoveshchensk, a distant outpost of the Russian Far East that rests beside the mighty Amur River, one of the world's longest, and Zeya River, which separates Russia from China. Price: from £9,895 all-inclusive including 1 night Moscow, 12 nights onboard the Golden Eagle, 1 night Vladivostok. Eastbound departure - 26 July 2016.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A TRAIN MAKES

During Joanna Lumley's Trans Siberian Adventure, Ms Lumley will be seen travelling from east to west, exploring the range of people, languages, landscapes, politics, customs and regions of each area, as well as the story of how the railway was built. For a more luxurious version of Ms Lumley's adventure, opt for the Golden Eagle hotel-on-wheels and enjoy evening lectures and daytime excursions with expert cultural guides. Passengers can relax in the knowledge that every need will be taken care of, from cabin attendants on hand 24 hours a day to fine dining menus and even an onboard doctor. Private en-suite cabins, some with double beds, provide a comfortable haven while the elegant Bar Lounge Car is the social hub. A variety of on-board activities is on offer, including Russian language lessons and vodka tasting sessions.

Other Golden Eagle Luxury tours that follow the Trans-Siberian railway in part include the Winter Wonderland, Trans-Mongolian Express, Silk Road, Taste of the Silk Road and Caspian Odyssey.

For further information contact Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (+44 (0)161 9289410, goldeneagleluxurytrains.com).

Twitter @GE_Luxury_Train

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

• Prices are per person, based on 2 sharing an en-suite cabin in Silver Class (Gold and Imperial also available) on the Golden Eagle, and include all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks, fully guided off-train excursions programme, porterage throughout, arrival and departure transfers, the services of a Tour Manager and all gratuities. Hotel accommodation is 5* (4* in Vladivostok). Flights are extra.
• Joanna Lumley's Trans Siberian Adventure3-part series has been made by Burning Bright Productions.