The Joys of Luxury Rail Travel
We firmly believe that there's no better way to explore the world than by rail, watching the world roll by the windows of your comfortable carriage. Yet trains come in many shapes and sizes, with differing standards across the globe, with the very height of train accommodations falling into the enviable category of luxury rail travel. With prices to reflect their world-class standards, embarking on a luxury journey is an exclusive experience that makes many an intrepid traveller wonder what all the fuss is about. To help explore this sophisticated realm of iconic travel, we've put together our Top 10 reasons to consider taking a luxury journey yourself.
- Superb comfort
Trains are one of the most comfortable forms of transportation, but the height of this experience is on board luxurious carriers. Enjoy incredible interiors that hearken back to a bygone age, or that have simply been styled to offer the upmost in modern-day comfort. Settle in to your carriage and watch the world pass by your window, as you recline in incredible comfort throughout your stay. - Exceptional food
Many of the world's luxury trains also have a reputation as providers of gourmet cuisine, taking influences and fresh produce to create magnificent dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On most luxury trains, meals are served in a separate dining car, for a restaurant experience as you travel; the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express service is a good example of this, whilst Belmond's Venice Simplon-Orient-Express uses its dining car for some meals, serving others privately in your cabin. Many also include house wines alongside evening meals, with a bar car on board for a night-cap after dinner - a sophisticated way to spend a night on board. - Inclusive value
Although luxury journeys come with an expectedly high price tag, many have inclusive value, combining off-train excursions to some of the more fascinating points along the route, as well as all meals and the sumptuous accommodation of the train itself. If you're looking for a fascinating into your en-route destinations, this is a great way to explore tucked-away sites and vast wildernesses alike. - Iconic trains
If you're a train buff, this is a bonus to any luxury journey: the chance to travel on one of the best-known trains in the world. From the Trans-Siberian and Venice Simplon-Orient-Express trains, to the Blue Train of Africa and Australia's Ghan, these iconic trains each have a character and presence of their own - what a thrill to be able to step on board and experience a legend first-hand. - Incredible routes
Trains can cross vast expanses and reach incredible destinations other methods of transport can only dream of, so it's hardly surprising to learn that luxury trains pass through some of the world's most dramatic scenery, providing unforgettable views from a perfectly comfortable setting. Drink in your surroundings through panoramic windows, and enjoy discovering the world in the most relaxing way possible. - A luxury hotel, for less
Luxury trains are like rolling hotels, equipped with first class amenities and sumptuous comfort throughout. Unlike a hotel, the train also carries you to your points of interest, so it's travel and accommodation rolled into one - arguably, a bargain! - Exclusive access … to the world
How else is it possible to cross a vast Siberian wasteland, reach outer Mongolia, or cover the vast, uninhabited expanses of the Australian desert, with this level of comfort? Travelling aboard a luxury train provides unprecedented access to landscapes that are beautiful yet hostile, allowing for unfiltered views and remarkable experiences in a risk-free environment. - A connection to the past
Some of the world's greatest luxury trains have a long heritage, and either feature original carriages from rail travel's 'Golden Age', or restored versions that retain the feel of a bygone era. This connection to the past offers an extra layer of excitement to the proceedings, as you follow in the tracks of travellers whose discoveries have long since been consigned to history. - A unique experience
Luxury rail journeys are rare, with relatively few travellers able to claim they have had such an experience. There is nothing quite like being on board a train that is simultaneously an indulgent setting , a key that unlocks incredible landscapes as it carves a path through them, and an icon in its own right, and yet, luxury rail journeys combine all three of these elements, for a truly show-stopping experience. - Unparalleled views
We may have mentioned this a couple of times now, but it is a point that bears repeating: the views you can enjoy from a train designed especially to pass through the kind of breathtaking scenery that graces the cover of National Geographic is unparalleled. So what are you waiting for?
