July 18, 2024
Luxury Rail Travel Has Never Been More Inviting
Every bucket list should include at least one rail journey. Train travel invites passengers to slow down, watch the world go by (on a luxury railcar), and sip Champagne in old-time splendor while doing so. With my insider access and expertise, I’ll craft a rail journey filled with indulgent touches, personalized service, and moments of wonder.
In Europe, the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express by Belmond offers one—and two-night journeys to multiple countries, allowing passengers to sleep in historic Pullman cars with art deco detailing. For a truly legendary experience, the five-night Paris-Istanbul route runs a few times a year. Accor’s newly refurbished Orient Express is another option for trundling through the continent, with sleek and chic trains running one—and two-night journeys.
Reservations are open now for 2025 journeys in Italy on Accor’s La Dolce Vita trains (think 20th-century Italian art and design in its suites and restaurant cars). Switzerland is famous for its rail routes, and a ride on the Glacier Express in Excellence class (where every seat is a window seat) includes wine paired with gourmet dining between Zermatt and St. Moritz and offers next-level indulgence.
In Canada, daytime travel (and hotel sleeps) makes the Rocky Mountaineer one of the best ways to see the majestic landscapes of Canada’s Western provinces. But lovers of art deco railstock should at the Via Rail’s The Canadian for a slower but more iconic journey.
In the U.S., Rocky Mountaineer launched a new route through the red rock canyons of the West with two-day journeys from Moab to Denver.
In Peru, Belmond’s Hiram Bingham daylong trip brings visitors from Cusco to Machu Picchu in grand style, with an outdoor observation car to lean into the scenery. Another multi-night luxury train – the Andean Explorer – takes visitors through the breathtaking Andes and Lake Titicaca and beyond.
In Australia, instead of flying across the continent, admire the vast expanses of the Nullarbor Plain and the red rocks of South Australia on refined rail journeys – the India-Pacific traverses between Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide. The Ghan takes awestruck visitors through the great Red Center (next stop, the Outback!) while traveling between Darwin and Adelaide.
