Minnie Mortimer’s Old-World Train Journey Through the English Countryside

Let's face it, traveling can be a real hassle. Even more so when traveling, with children. Yet Minnie Mortimer made both seem effortlessly chic in her recent trip through the English countryside—so much so, that Mortimer and family didn't even need to get off the train.

The fashion designer took her two children, Tutu and Johnny, on board the Belmond British Pullman Paddington Afternoon Tea journey, the same train that featured in the recent Paddington 2 film. Their train ride departed from London’s Victoria station, meandered through bucolic pastures, and returned to the capital four hours later. This trip, to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson’s oft-cited quote, was about the journey, not the destination.

And, with an ornate interior that includes crystal and silk lampshades, woven brass luggage racks, and plush velvet seating, as well as impeccable service, one can see why. “As soon as we left the station it was tea, hot cocoa, clotted cream, jams, scones and sandwiches,” Mortimer says. “We were all totally enchanted by the throwback style and had endless fun imaging the way things used to be.”

Also on the train, as the trip name suggests, was Paddington Bear himself, who, to her children’s delight, stopped by to read a story while they snacked on treats inspired by the classic books.

In an age where travel is often about getting from point A to point B in the quickest way possible, Mortimer tells Vogue she found a certain calmness about her luxurious, no-destination train journey. “Even the shortest plane rides often feel never ending. Train, by contrast, is relaxing and rhythmic. Above all, the view out the window can’t be beat," she says. And, best of all? “No iPads necessary.”

Minnie Mortimer’s Train Trip Through The English Countryside