I spent a day on the luxury Pullman for £10 — a wine-fuelled trip back in time

It’s not every day you get to step on board one of the most famous luxury trains in the world.

But this summer, you can take a ride and tuck into a three-course lunch while you’re travelling — all for £10.

It’s all part of something called the Grape British Railway experience, Uber’s limited-time summer event which takes passengers on a lavish journey through the English countryside to the Highweald vineyard.

It’s boujee as hell, and, as a bit of a train nerd, I was thrilled to be invited to try it.

Arriving in the quiet town of East Grinstead, I’m collected by a vintage double-decker bus and whisked through green fields to board the Golden Arrow Pullman, an iconic all-first-class train featured in quintessential British TV series like Downton Abbey and Poirot.

Stepping into the exquisitely preserved Kingscote Station, it feels like you’ve TARDIS’d yourself back 100 years.

Vintage adverts and bespoke interiors line the walls, and a violinist serenades you on the platform.

Television gives a glimpse into how magnificent the Pullman is, but seeing it in real life is really quite extraordinary.

Even the ‘normies’ (read: people who aren’t obsessed with trains) around me were in awe of its splendour. It’s grand, it’s outrageously fancy, and it somehow feels like it knows it.  

Sipping on a glass of fizz from Highweald Wine Estate just down the road, we’re ushered towards our allocated carriage for the trip of a lifetime.

Before you’ve even stepped aboard, you’re greeted by Pullman staff (white gloves and all) who give you your seat number with a smile.

Inside the carriage, you can see why this train has such a legacy.

Think: plush red carpet that sinks a bit with each footstep you take, golden detailing around every corner of the carriage and a full silverware dining set that awaits you at your table.

Even the salt and pepper shakers made me glad I didn’t miss arm day at the gym. Once seated, another glass of Highweald wine welcomes you for the journey ahead.   

At full steam ahead, we’re on the move, and the entertainment kicks off.

The violinist reappears and plays her way through the carriages with string versions of bangers from the likes of Doja Cat and Sabrina Carpenter.

There’s also a roving magician who manages to baffle even the most cynical of guests with sleight-of-hand tricks that had whole tables laughing and clapping in disbelief. 

Shortly after, lunch is served. And what a lunch it is.

The Grape British Railway offers a full three-course dining experience, with a menu that reads like a love letter to British produce.

We’re served a curated spread of hand-carved meats, artisan cheeses, and colourful, seasonal salads – all perfectly paired with another glass (or three, if I remember correctly) of Highweald wine. 

Chugging along the line through stations of days gone by, you continue on your journey through the past.

A cigarette dispenser and the faint outline of a ‘Sussex Express’ sign are a few of the many brilliant relics I spot on our travels. 

After a pleasant jaunt along the tracks, past fields full of life and colour, we are escorted off the Pullman and back outside the station of Kingscote.

We jump (and slightly stumble) back onto the vintage double-deckers and head deeper into the countryside. Just 15 minutes later, we come to a halt at the glorious gates of Highweald Wine Estate.  

Yet another glass of fizz welcomes us to the winery where we embark on a tour of the grounds and vineyard, and learn how much blood, sweat and tears go into making the drinks we were holding so damn delicious.

The vineyard itself has a real family vibe to it, with a small team collectively making this sustainable and growing estate a world-renowned success.

It’s not just a business here; it’s a passion project, and it shows in every corner of the fields we walked across.  

Not only was I drinking my way through the vineyard, but I learnt so much too – for example, I had no idea how the English wine scene was booming, with Sussex and Kent now boasting temperatures comparable to Champagne three decades ago (one silver lining of global warming, I guess).

And, according to Wine GB, UK vineyards saw more than twice the number of visitors between 2022 and 2023.

Once you visit one like Highweald, it’s easy to see why.

Eventually, it’s time to head back, reluctantly, and slightly tipsy.

As we pull away from the vineyard and retrace our route back to East Grinstead, I flick through my camera roll and realise I hadn’t stopped smiling all day.

There’s something truly joyful about this experience, from the theatre of the train journey to the laid-back charm of the vineyard, every moment is curated with care and detail. 

The Grape British Railway feels like the perfect answer to the modern travel dilemma: how to escape the everyday without needing a passport or a week off work.

It’s luxurious but unpretentious, nostalgic but relevant, and above all, it’s memorable. And for just a tenner, it’s an absolute no-brainer that you’ll be seeing me onboard again very soon. 

Don’t forget to book your spot quickly (and get a session in at the gym before handling those glorious S+P shakers).