Traveling the (expensive) rails with Paul Theroux

trans siberian railwayFeeling flush? Want to travel for two weeks with the famous travel writer Paul Theroux?

Well, if you have cash to burn, Exeter International is touting a 14-day train trip with Paul Theroux. Those willing to fork over the $12,795 per person fee will get to ride with Theroux up to the Arctic Circle aboard the Trans-Siberian Express.

There are, however, some pretty good reasons you might not want to go. Consider that the almost $13,000 fee is more than I spent in eleven months of roaming Europe and Asia. If price isn’t bad enough, there’s Paul Theroux to contend with as well.

Given that Theroux has rather famously, and loudly, decried that traveling solo is only way to travel, and everything else just isn’t, well, traveling, I have to agree with World Hum, which recently wondered exactly how Theroux got roped into this trip in the first place.

On the plus side, traveling by train with Theroux could potentially be the journey of the lifetime for fans — Theroux’s most popular books are about train trips. The Great Railway Bazaar remains one of my favorite travel narratives of all time.

But $13,000 is easily enough to take the Trans-Siberian Express, what’s left of the trans-Canadian line and quite a few other long train journeys as well. Going on your own may not include having Paul Theroux along for the ride, but who knows, maybe you’ll land your own train-narrative book deal in the process.

Posted by Scott Gilbertson | Comments (1)  | September 9, 2008
Category: General


One Response to “Traveling the (expensive) rails with Paul Theroux”

  1. gary Says:
    September 14th, 2008 at 11:50 am

    I saw Theroux speak at a book store in Pasadena for his Dark Star Safari book tour. He was such a gentleman. People asked really dumb questions and he answered them really nicely, really patiently. He seemed to enjoy the interaction with the crowd. He was having fun flaunting his knowlage and being funny.

    Theroux used to teach and you could tell he was a good teacher when he spoke. He lit up for the crowd, the way a good teacher will.

    So I think it would be a good trip.

    But I would need more disposable income to drop 12 grand on a trip like that.