Best Luxury Train Journeys in the World: Orient Express, Rocky Mountaineer & Belmond (2026)
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express's 1920s mahogany cabins from Paris to Venice, the Blue Train's South African karoo sunset observation car, and the Rocky Mountaineer's glass dome through the Canadian Rockies — the world's finest train journeys in 2026.
The Revival of Luxury Rail Travel
Luxury train travel has experienced the most extraordinary renaissance of any travel category in the 2020s — the extraordinary environmental awareness (the extraordinary 80% lower carbon footprint of rail vs air travel — the most important single transport comparison in the extraordinary era of flight shame), the extraordinary post-COVID desire for slow travel (the most important travel trend shift of the 2020s: the extraordinary desire to experience the journey rather than merely reach the destination), and the extraordinary new launches (the extraordinary La Dolce Vita Orient Express announced for Italy, the extraordinary new Orient Express La Minerva Rome hotel, and the extraordinary Orient Express Silenseas sailing vessel — the most ambitious Belmond/ACCOR transport investment in history).
Europe — The Classic Routes
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express — The Most Famous Train in History
Price: $1,200–4,000/person one-way | Route: London–Paris–Zurich–Innsbruck–Venice (or extended routes)
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (the most famous train in the world — the extraordinary 1883 original Orient Express (the extraordinary Georges Nagelmackers Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits creation — the most important railway company in the history of luxury travel: the extraordinary invention of the sleeping car wagon-lit, the extraordinary invention of the restaurant car, and the extraordinary creation of the most socially transformative travel mode in the 19th century: the extraordinary democratization of the extraordinary long-distance luxury travel)), the extraordinary 1930s Art Deco carriages (the most beautiful railway carriages in the world: the extraordinary inlaid marquetry paneling (the most intricate wood inlay in any form of transport — the extraordinary geometric patterns in the extraordinary different tropical wood species), the extraordinary beveled mirror door panels, and the extraordinary lacquered blue-and-gold exterior), and the extraordinary routes (the extraordinary Paris Gare de l’Est to Venice Santa Lucia — the most romantic single-destination route of any luxury train)) is the finest luxury rail experience in the world:
The extraordinary Bar Car (the most famous bar in any form of transport — the extraordinary Cygnus bar car: the extraordinary Art Deco curved bar, the extraordinary Bellini (the extraordinary cocktail invented at the extraordinary Harry’s Bar in Venice, the most celebrated cocktail origin connection of any form of transport: the extraordinary train delivering guests to the extraordinary Venetian bar where the extraordinary cocktail was created)), the extraordinary dining cars (the finest restaurant dining in motion — the extraordinary white tablecloths, the extraordinary crystal, and the extraordinary tasting menu featuring the local produce of the extraordinary regions being traversed: the extraordinary French charcuterie departing Paris, the extraordinary Austrian pastries crossing the extraordinary Alps, and the extraordinary Italian cicchetti arriving in Venice), and the extraordinary cabin service (the extraordinary personal attendant — the most attentive onboard service in luxury travel: the extraordinary turndown, the extraordinary morning coffee, and the extraordinary “orient to local experience” (the most knowledgeable train staff in the world about the extraordinary destinations passed)).
Glacier Express — Swiss Alps Panorama
Price: CHF 200–500 (FV4 or FV8 Excellence Class) | Route: St. Moritz to Zermatt (or reverse)
The Glacier Express (the “slowest express train in the world” — the extraordinary 8-hour journey from the extraordinary St. Moritz to the extraordinary Zermatt (the most car-free resort in the Alps — the extraordinary village accessible only by the extraordinary Glacier Express and the extraordinary rack railway from Täsch), the extraordinary panoramic windows (the most spectacular windows in any regular rail service: the extraordinary panoramic glass extending to the ceiling, the extraordinary visual frame for the extraordinary 291 bridges, the extraordinary 91 tunnels, and the extraordinary Oberalp Pass (the highest railway pass in Switzerland: the extraordinary 2,033m altitude, the most dramatic single railway pass in Europe)), and the extraordinary FV4 Excellence Class (the finest daytime train dining in Europe — the extraordinary table service, the extraordinary local Swiss cheese and charcuterie, the extraordinary Swiss wine, and the extraordinary panoramic dining with the extraordinary Matterhorn visible for 45 minutes as the train approaches Zermatt)).
Southern Africa — The Safari Rails
Rovos Rail — South Africa’s Pride of Africa
Price: $600–1,500/person/night | Route: Pretoria–Cape Town (65 hours) or Pretoria–Victoria Falls
Rovos Rail (the finest long-distance luxury train in Africa — the extraordinary Pride of Africa (the most elegant train in the Southern Hemisphere: the extraordinary restored vintage carriages (the most beautiful railway carriages outside Europe: the extraordinary Royal Suites (the largest hotel rooms on any train in the world: the extraordinary 16m² sleeping suite, the extraordinary private shower, and the extraordinary full-size double bed — the most spacious train cabin in history)), the extraordinary observation car (the finest railway observation experience in the world — the extraordinary open-sided observation car at the rear of the train: the extraordinary South African bush visible from the extraordinary open rear platform, the extraordinary sunset over the extraordinary Karoo semi-desert (the most dramatic desert sunset visible from any train observation car in the world)), and the extraordinary dining car (the finest restaurant in any train outside the Orient Express — the extraordinary Victorian silverware, the extraordinary fresh South African produce, and the extraordinary South African wine selection))) is the finest rail safari experience:
The extraordinary 65-hour Pretoria to Cape Town journey (the most complete South African landscape survey available in a single journey: the extraordinary Johannesburg gold reef, the extraordinary Karoo (the extraordinary semi-desert of the Central Plateau — the most dramatic and most empty landscape in South Africa), the extraordinary Klein Karoo (the extraordinary ostrich farms — South Africa produces the most ostrich leather and feathers in the world), the extraordinary Hex River Pass (the most dramatic mountain pass section of the extraordinary Cape Mainline), and the extraordinary Cape winelands arrival (the extraordinary Stellenbosch and Franschhoek visible from the extraordinary train window as it approaches the extraordinary Cape Town Victoria & Alfred Waterfront terminus)).
North America — The Dome Cars
Rocky Mountaineer — Canadian Rockies Glass Dome
Price: $1,500–4,000/person | Route: Vancouver to Banff/Jasper (2 days, overnight in Kamloops)
Rocky Mountaineer (the finest scenic train journey in North America — the extraordinary GoldLeaf Service (the most spectacular railway carriage in North America: the extraordinary bi-level glass dome car — the extraordinary panoramic roof windows from floor to ceiling, the most unobstructed railway scenery view in the world), the extraordinary 2-day journey (the most strategically paced luxury train journey: the extraordinary daytime-only travel (the most distinctive Rocky Mountaineer rule — the extraordinary all scenery seen in daylight, the extraordinary hotel overnight in Kamloops ensures the extraordinary British Columbia interior scenery (the extraordinary Fraser Canyon — the deepest canyon in Canada, the most dramatic river gorge in North America) and the extraordinary Canadian Rockies (the extraordinary Banff National Park — the most visited national park in Canada, the extraordinary Lake Louise (the most photographed lake in Canada — the extraordinary turquoise glacier-fed water, the most intense natural turquoise in the world), and the extraordinary Icefields Parkway (the most beautiful road in Canada)) all visible in the extraordinary daylight)).
Asia — The Oriental Routes
Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express — Singapore to Bangkok
Price: $1,800–4,000/person | Route: Singapore to Bangkok (3 days)
Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express (the finest luxury train in Asia — the extraordinary 1993 launch (the most celebrated train launch in Asia: the extraordinary Belmond development of the Orient Express concept applied to the extraordinary Southeast Asian railway system), the extraordinary 3-day journey from the extraordinary Singapore (the most organized city in the world) through the extraordinary Kuala Lumpur, the extraordinary Butterworth (the extraordinary Penang ferry connection — the most important UNESCO World Heritage old town accessible from the extraordinary train), the extraordinary Thai border, the extraordinary Kanchanaburi (the extraordinary Bridge over the River Kwai — the most historically significant railway bridge in the world: the extraordinary Death Railway, the extraordinary Japanese POW construction), and the extraordinary Bangkok arrival at the extraordinary Hualamphong (the most beautiful railway station in Southeast Asia: the extraordinary 1916 Italian Neo-Renaissance architecture)).
Luxury Train Comparison
| Train | Route | Duration | Price/Person | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Simplon-Orient-Express | London–Venice | 31–38h | $1,200–4,000 | 1930s Art Deco carriages |
| Rovos Rail Pride of Africa | Pretoria–Cape Town | 65h | $1,200–3,000/night | Karoo sunset observation car |
| Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf | Vancouver–Banff | 2 days | $1,500–4,000 | Glass dome Rocky Mountains |
| Glacier Express Excellence | St. Moritz–Zermatt | 8h | CHF 200–500 | Matterhorn approach panorama |
| E&O Express | Singapore–Bangkok | 3 days | $1,800–4,000 | Death Railway heritage stop |
| Maharajas’ Express | Delhi–Mumbai | 8 days | $3,000–15,000 | Rajasthan palace visits |
FAQ
Is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express worth the price? Yes, for the extraordinary occasion — the extraordinary VSOE ($1,200–4,000 per person one-way Paris to Venice) represents the most distinctive single travel experience in Europe: the extraordinary Art Deco carriage, the extraordinary dining car service, the extraordinary morning arrival in Venice by water taxi from Santa Lucia station to the extraordinary hotel (the extraordinary Grand Canal water taxi arrival — the most cinematic hotel arrival in the world). The extraordinary booking window: 6–12 months in advance for the extraordinary peak spring and autumn departures (the most competitive luxury travel booking of any European experience).
What is the most scenic luxury train route in the world? The extraordinary Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service (the extraordinary Canadian Rockies — the most photogenic mountain landscape in North America), the extraordinary Belmond Royal Scotsman through the extraordinary Scottish Highlands (the most romantically atmospheric landscape in Britain), and the extraordinary Maharajas’ Express through Rajasthan (the most visually extraordinary cultural landscape in Asia) are the three finest scenic luxury train routes — each providing genuinely different scenery and character.