Art Basel Miami already brings its own brand of sparkle, but Brightline is adding some actual bubbles to the mix. The rail service is launching a one-way, ultra-premium caviar and Champagne train that will run from December 4 through 6. (Yes, it's exactly as over-the-top as it sounds.)
This year, southbound evening trains from West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale will swap their standard snacks for something a little more "Basel after dark." The moment begins as soon as guests step into the stations where they're treated to a pour of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and boards of artisan cheese and charcuterie arranged by Chevre Miami.
Once onboard, the part pre-game, part-lounge party gets even more indulgent. Each passenger in the designated Premium coach receives a personal Golden Goat Ossetra caviar box, complete with all the classic accoutrements, along with another glass of Champagne. Macarons and other sweet treats follow. The whole experience feels like someone mashed up a tasting menu with a commuter train and somehow made it work.
"Art Basel presents the perfect canvas to debut an ultra-luxury experience that transcends transportation," said Brightline Florida CEO Patrick Goddard. "By partnering with Golden Goat Caviar and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, we’re curating a multi-sensory voyage that begins in our lounges and unfolds onboard, immersing our guests in a world of refinement, discovery and elevated indulgence."
The journey costs $189 for a one-way ticket; only guests holding a Premium seat on the qualifying departures are eligible. (This means the 5:35pm from West Palm Beach, 5:59pm from Boca and 6:17pm from Fort Lauderdale, each clearly labeled as the Caviar & Champagne Premium Experience on Brightline’s site and app.) Space is extremely limited to just one coach per evening.
Brightline says its goal is to challenge the idea of what rail travel can look like during one of Miami’s biggest cultural weeks. The train won’t whisk you directly to a fair tent or a VIP lounge (and it doesn’t include Art Basel tickets), but it does tilt the night in that direction. You step off in Miami slightly more glamorous, slightly more well-fed and just tipsy enough to feel like you arrived fashionably early.
For anyone wanting to begin their Basel run with a little decadence or simply avoid the endless I-95 crawl, this might be the most hedonistic 60-mile ride in Florida.