The golden age of rail travel is experiencing a renaissance. Beautiful, deft and functional, these are the world’s best luxury train journeys.
There is something distinctly charming about travelling by rail. Perhaps it’s the spontaneity of mingling with fellow bon vivants while watching contoured valleys unfurl beneath an apricot sky, or the dreamy sensation of falling asleep to the train’s gentle lull. With around-the-clock hospitality, exceptional dining and cabins as elegant as any presidential suite, these are some of the best luxury train journeys in the world.
Quieter and more carbon-conscious than cars and planes, trains are the epitome of green travel. But they’re more than just a link between point A and point B. Rather than jetting hastily between cities, post-pandemic travellers are shifting their attention towards leisure, culture and authenticity. And luxury train journeys fit the bill on all three counts. Keep reading to discover the most elegant trains in the industry.
World’s best luxury train journeys
Rovos Rail, South Africa
Rovos’ luxury train journeys traverse South Africa’s alluring Northern Cape down to the game reserves of the Namib Desert. Thirty-six beautifully rebuilt suites welcome guests with buttoned upholstery, emerald carpet and gold-trimmed bellflower lamps, capturing the enduring grace of a bygone era. The royal bathroom is bordered by vintage checkerboard tiling and dark wood frames, complete with a grand clawfoot bathtub. After sipping from embossed whiskey tumblers in the club lounge, passengers may witness wild antelope frisking through grassy pastures from the deftly designed indoor-outdoor viewing platform at the train’s rear end.
Orient Express La Dolce Vita, Italy
The highly anticipated Orient Express La Dolce Vita train will whisk guests away on Italian escapades from the shores of Palermo to Rome’s historical UNESCO sites. The 11-car sleeper is an ode to the quality craftsmanship and sharp tailoring of Italian design. Decorated by Dimorestudio, the interiors feature curved edges, reflective surfaces and warm earthy hues, creating atmospheric spaces that fuse contemporary understatement with Golden Age grandeur, all while nodding to the creativity of the 1960s and ’70s.
The Royal Scotsman, Scotland
Paying tribute to the delicate tones and textures of Scottish heritage since 1985, the Royal Scotsman welcomes two new Edwardian suites in 2024, designed by Tristan Auer. A palette of amber, green and navy mirrors mystical Scottish landscapes, while the embossed bedhead and Orkney-inspired armchair pay tribute to rich Celtic origins. The 37 threads of the tartan textiles even reference the number of years the luxury train journey has been on rails. Guests can view the passing lochs and towering peaks from the comfort of their private cabin or from the popular Edwardian observation car.
Read more: There’s now a Dior spa on board The Royal Scotsman
Venice-Simplon Orient-Express, Europe
The Orient-Express is the original Grand Dame of the European rails. Its modern incarnation, the Belmond Venice-Simplon Orient Express, continues that tradition, travelling between London and Venice, with luxury train journeys all the way to Istanbul, and launching a new Paris to Portofino route in June 2024. Wimberly Interiors headed the redesign of four new opulent suites that honour the grandeur of the Roaring Twenties, with each inspired by different European landscapes: golden foliage motifs in ‘La Campagne’, blue tones reminiscent of glacial lakes in ‘Les Lacs’ and mother of pearl that mimics light-refracting alps in ‘Les Montagnes’.
Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express, Southeast Asia
The Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express is another luxury rail journey from Belmond recommencing in 2024, with two new itineraries travelling from Singapore to the lush jungles of Malaysia. After invigorating days spent marvelling at wildlife in Taman Negara National Park, guests can relax in supreme sleeping quarters furnished with glossy green and cream surfaces, vintage accents and timber-panelled walls.
Cruise Train Seven Stars, Japan
Japan’s Cruise Train Seven Stars is one of the most exclusive luxury train journeys in Asia. Luck – in the most literal sense of the word – is a prerequisite, as those wishing to reserve a place must apply through a lottery. Crafted by designer Eiji Mitooka, just eight beautifully appointed suites are available, one of which boasts a magnificent wall-to-wall observatory. Japanese artistry is woven into every detail of the train’s interior, from the nara oak walls and rice paper screens down to the Arita porcelain washbasins.
The Orient Express, Europe
Having undergone a recent refurbishment, Accor’s Orient Express is reviving its famed Istanbul-to-Paris route in 2025. Guests can relive the legend within one of 17 original cars dating back to the 1920s and ’30s that have been skillfully reinterpreted by esteemed architect Maxime d’Angeac. The interiors blur the boundaries between past and present with bronze-beaded bedheads, Art Deco geometries, vaulted ceilings and pieces restored from the original 1883 Nostalgie-Istanbul Orient-Express.
Read more: The Orient Express is building the world’s largest yacht
The Blue Train, South Africa
Dating back to 1923 but now running on electric locomotives, the Blue Train is one of the top luxury train journeys on South African rails. Come nightfall, the suites transform from private lounges into sumptuous sanctuaries offering goose down duvets and underfloor heating. The restaurant car, adorned with crystal glassware, invites guests to savour hand-picked South African wines while enjoying mellow jazz refrains.
Belmond Andean Explorer, Peru
The Belmond Andean Explorer is one of the best luxury train journeys in the world for slow travel. Passengers can admire the cascading hills of Peru’s Sacred Valley from within curated sleeper suites styled with quilted bedheads, cream panelled walls and vibrant Peruvian textiles.
Maharajas’ Express, India
The Maharajas’ Express imbues its carriages with the pageantry and enigma of Indian nobility as it journeys from Delhi to Mumbai. The two dining cars certainly feel fit for royalty, drawing the eye with elaborate wood-carved walls, throne-like chairs in shades of emerald and ruby and gold fresco ceilings that shimmer under subdued lighting – reminiscent of the jewels that the Maharajas were born into.
The Transcantábrico Gran Lujo, Spain
Four of the 14 cars within the Transcantábrico Gran Lujo locomotive are original 1923 Pullman cars, and the interior of the train is designed to reflect the history and nostalgia of the era. The panoramic viewing car, adorned with wood panelling and rosy textiles, offers passengers first-class views of Spain’s most beautiful landscapes as it traverses a route over the northern coast from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela.
The Ghan, Australia
In operation since 1929, The Ghan is one of Australia’s most beautiful luxury train journeys. Passengers are taken on a four-day trip from Darwin to Adelaide in comfort, with onboard meals showcasing local fare such as saltwater barramundi and grilled kangaroo fillet. In Gold class, passengers can sleep soundly in elegant cabins whose beds convert into lounges by day.
Golden Eagle Danube Express, Europe
Described as a bespoke hotel on wheels, the Golden Eagle Danube Express offers some of the best luxury train journeys in Europe. Explore spellbinding cities such as Budapest, Prague and Vienna by day and sink into plush pillows in stylish cabins in the evenings.
The Heritage Palace on Wheels, India
When it comes to identifying luxury rail journeys, a name such as the Heritage Palace on Wheels is a dead giveaway. Boasting 14 luxurious cabins with contemporary amenities and an aesthetically astounding dining zone, you’ll feel like a monarch travelling in regal grandeur. Experience India’s most riveting cultural offerings with daily excursions to sites such as the Taj Mahal.
Great Southern, Australia
The three-day Great Southern luxury train journey showcases the Grampians and Australia’s capital of Canberra on its route from Adelaide to Brisbane, where beachside dining is sure to be a highlight. On the return four-day itinerary, travellers will explore the vineyards of New South Wales’ Hunter Region and see the Twelve Apostles along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
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