OUR STORY

Uncommon Journeys was formed in 1990 to offer programs that evoked the heyday of travel by streamliner train and Ocean liner. Almost immediately the company became a top producer for Cunard Line Limited, Holland America Line, Venice Simplon Orient Express and Canadian Pacific Hotels. The company benefitted greatly from owning and operating what were two of the most acclaimed private rail cars in North America at the time, the legendary ‘Los Angeles’ and the ‘Houston’ both acquired from Southern Pacific Railroad in 1990. For a decade these two cars carried a who’s who of celebrities, film stars, industrial magnates, aristocrats and when Abercrombie & Kent, the fabled British tour company best known for African safaris needed a North American rail component, these two cars were the two that were chosen. Our splendid ‘Great Western Limited’ private train service today with fine dining and service has as its antecedent the ‘Los Angeles’ and ‘Houston’.

The company soon acquired a reputation for exceptional land programs, fine dining with iconic venues like 21, Lawry’s the Prime Rib, Trader Vic’s and Brennan’s in New Orleans to name just a few. Similarly, famed hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, the Palmer House, the Stanford Court in San Francisco and the Ritz in London made for experiences that were well above the norm.

While a lot has changed in thirty years, much has not. Our staff is wonderfully knowledgeable about all of the various ships and trains we offer, the accommodation choices available, the amenities and the overall experience. Most of our hotel stays are two or three nights long with intelligently planned and comprehensive sightseeing included. Fine dining remains a keynote as does a relaxed pace with plenty of free time.

In light of recent events, most of our signature programs in the Western United States by special classic streamliner train are limited to no more than 24 guests with plenty of ‘social distancing’ as are buses we utilize. Additional measures are undertaken, depending on the date of the tour including temperature testing daily and rigorous cleaning protocols both aboard ships and trains and ‘ashore’.