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The Jose Cuervo Express Is World’s Only Tequila Train, Luxury Travel Done Right

Traveling by train is, at best, a nostalgic experience and, at worst, a time-consuming and frustrating one. There still is a charm to traveling by train, if you can look past its slow crawl, its many stops and the relative lack of private space.
Jose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done right 19 photos
Photo: Facebook / Jose Cuervo Express
Jose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done rightJose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done right
That said, there is one train in the world that should be on any traveler’s must-see list. August is Travel Month here at autoevolution and, since we’re looking at some of the most extraordinary, unexpected and downright strange (but all awesome nonetheless) means of traveling, we couldn’t have let the occasion slip and not mention the Tequila Train. Or the Jose Cuervo Express, as is the official name.

So make a mental note of it if you’re ever in Mexico, and allow yourself to be immersed into the old lifestyle, the process of producing tequila, and the experience of imbibing in it to your heart’s content. Because, this time, you’re not doing the driving.

The Jose Cuervo Express is a train operated by Jose Cuervo, a name that has become, along the years, synonymous with tequila. It travels from Guadalajara to the community of Tequila and then back again, and the experience combines traveling by train, on foot and by bus. The train itself is old but incredibly luxurious – think of it as of a time capsule –, with rich wood paneling, plush sofas and oversize panoramic windows that allow you to take in the amazing scenery.

Jose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done right
Photo: Facebook / Jose Cuervo Express
The train has seven cars and a capacity of 395 passengers, with the latter largely diminished by current restrictions imposed by the international health crisis. But the good news is that, after more than a year of staying in storage, the Express is back on the road again, offering rides to tourists eager to become a tad more familiar with the tradition of tequila making. And drinking. As of earlier this year, it even includes a deluxe car, Elite, which comes with its own bar and a couple of lounges, where the finest and rarest Jose Cuervo tequila is served.

The Express offers four types of experience: Express (just a fancy name for basic), Premium Plus, Diamond and Elite, with Elite being the newest. Prices range from $122 to $166, and each package includes a two-hour trip on board the train, with samplings of tequila cocktails, Mexican snacks and a virtual tour of the production facility in Tequila, also known as Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town). Prior to the health crisis, the virtual tour was an actual tour of the facility (Jose Cuervo’s La Rojeña in Tequila), which included further sampling of the world-famous spirits.

The Elite package also includes several custom cocktails and a wide choice of Reserva de la Familia tequila, rum, whiskey and vodka. This, the more luxurious finishes and the smaller passenger capacity are the only things that set this experience apart from the other three. They all include onboard entertainment (a game of bingo), regional snacks, a tasting with a master tequilier, and surprise gift bags.

The experience includes an incursion on the agave fields to see how it’s harvested, live Mariachi music and traditional toast with premium tequila, and time to have lunch in Tequila and maybe even do some sightseeing. Assuming you can still walk.

Jose Cuervo Express aka Tequila Train is train travel done right
Photo: Facebook / Jose Cuervo Express
The Express leaves every other Saturday, with a sunrise and sunset schedule. “Sunrise” means you leave Guadalajara early in the morning, so you’ll be drunk or, at the very least, considerably tipsy by the time you leave the train after a couple of hours. If you choose the “sunset” option, you leave by bus in the morning from Casa Cuervo and finish the journey at dusk, on board the train, which, some could argue, is a more appropriate time to be indulging in this much tequila.

Since the Jose Cuervo Express has been around for years, you’ll often read that it’s an all-you-can-drink tequila train. That is technically accurate, since access to the bar isn’t limited in any way with any of the four packages, but you will want to pace yourself, considering you’ve got a full 11 hours ahead of you. Then again, if you’re going to be on the road for 11 hours, you might as well enjoy yourself from the moment you set foot onboard.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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