At the ripe old age of 35, I am planning to travel on the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin in coach class at Easter 2016. I am deliberately doing so because coach class will meet its demise shortly thereafter.

I'm just wondering what I can do during the stops; I understand I get about 4 hours in Alice Springs and another 4 hours in Katherine. I have been to both once before; I plan on going to the Botanical Gardens in the Alice and taking a helicopter ride at Nitmiluk Gorge. I will also have one full day in Darwin the following day; thinking maybe Litchfield? Is it too early in the year?

At the ripe old age of 35, I am planning to travel on the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin in coach class at Easter 2016. I am deliberately doing so because coach class will meet its demise shortly thereafter.

I'm just wondering what I can do during the stops; I understand I get about 4 hours in Alice Springs and another 4 hours in Katherine. I have been to both once before; I plan on going to the Botanical Gardens in the Alice and taking a helicopter ride at Nitmiluk Gorge. I will also have one full day in Darwin the following day; thinking maybe Litchfield? Is it too early in the year?

You will find more helpful answers and conversations on this topic at flyertalk.com

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oceania-australia-new-zealand-south-pacific-461/

There is a surprising lack of information on The Ghan here.

I will be on the ghan, ADL to DRW, the week previous to your trip. Enjoy!

There is a surprising lack of information on The Ghan here.

I presume the high cost coupled with lack of photo stops puts it out of interest to most gunzels

We do run opinion/review news articles from time to time. You're welcome to write up a review of your experience on the train and submit it to us. It might go some way towards addressing the dearth of information on The Ghan.

The cheapest fare on the GHAN (ADE - DAR, VV) Is something like $700 ?

5 years ago It was $199

Myself I'm 32 and I'm planning to do a red class trip from Sydney to Adelaide and Alice Springs next April. I'm stopping off at the Pichi Richi railway and I'm thinking about including Darwin in my trip.

The history of the former North Australian Railway seems quite interesting.

I was thinking about looking at the old Ghan museum at Alice Springs.

Myself I'm 32 and I'm planning to do a red class trip from Sydney to Adelaide and Alice Springs next April. I'm stopping off at the Pichi Richi railway and I'm thinking about including Darwin in my trip.

The history of the former North Australian Railway seems quite interesting.

I was thinking about looking at the old Ghan museum at Alice Springs.

At the even riper age of 74, I was planning to do the I-P trip from Sydney to Perth this year but, as far as I can tell from the GSR website from here in the UK, the red class on the Ghan and I-P both end on 31st March 2016. The cheapest non-red fare after that rather puts me off so I am thinking that, if I want to do the trip at reasonable cost, I had better get on with organizing it. I did the Ghan trip from Darwin to Adelaide in the good old red days in 2009!

Do you know something about continuing red class fares that isn't on the GSR website?

PS I also explored the remains of the North Australian Railway on a car trip down the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Larrimah - very interesting.

Cheers

Martyn