Ride the Rails: Rail Tours, Rail Vacations and Rail Tickets Worldwide

South Africa offers us two memorable luxury rail trips: The Blue Train and Rovos Rail, (billed as the most luxurious train in the world), both connecting Pretoria to Cape Town.

The slower 72-passenger Rovos Rail trip offers a luxury rail tour using historic coaches, and offering formal service (jacket and tie for dinner, please). There are a few itineraries of varying lengths.

In Europe, rail buffs might consider one of numerous renowned rail journeys. The legenday Venice-Simplon Orient Express was perhaps the first, connecting western Europe with Istanbul between 1883 and 1977. Today the train offers art deco dining cars serving gourmet cuisines, and luxurious cabins.

The Al Andalus Express is a vintage luxury train touring southern Spain. The Royal Scotsman is an ultra-posh Orient-Express rail tour through the beautiful landscapes and rugged moorland of Scotland. And the Flam Railway in Norway was voted one of the top ten rail trips by travel writers.

Switzerland is noted for its scenic 8-hour long Glacier Express rail trip over the Swiss Alps between Zermatt and St. Mortiz or Davos, crossing 791 bridges, 91 tunnels, and the 6,700-foot-high Oberalp Pass. Connecting northern with southern Europe, The Bernina Express is an amazing journey offering views of mighty glaciers. The section between Thusis and Tirano is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Eurostar high-speed train connects London with the European continent, traveling underneath the English Channel, either to Paris or Brussels.

In Asia, the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express takes guests on 2-night trips from Singapore and Bangkok, and 3-night rail trips from Bangkok to either Chiang Mai, Vientiane, or Singapore.

A new addition might be the Tangula Luxury Trains from Beijing to the Tibetan Plateau and Southern Himalayas. The train will cross the 16,000-foot Tangula Pass, for which it is named.

India offers a few grand rail trips on which one can capture the magic, romance and timeless wonder of the country. Two of note are the famed Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels. Travel in the style of the maharajas on a 7-night roundtrip itinerary between New Delhi and Agra visiting Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur/Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bharatpur/Agra (Sept. thru April).

Rated among the top train journeys of the world, the Deccan Odyssey is a luxury train operating an 8-day roundtrip itinerary for up to 80 passengers from Mumbai with stops in Jaigadh/Ganapatipule/Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg/Tarkarli/Sawantwadi, Goa, Pune, Aurangabad/Ellora Caves and Nasik/Ajanta Caves. (Oct. till April). The Deccan Odyssey offers the luxuries of a five-star hotel, with two restaurant cars and a Spa Car, which features Ayuverdic massage, steam bath, gym and salon.

The Golden Chariot luxury train operates a 7-night maharaja's itinerary in southern India's Karnataka province, roundtrip from Bangalore, that visits Mysore, Kabini, Hassan, Hospet, Gadag and Goa.

The 3-night Heritage on Wheels visits Jaipur, Bikaner, Deshnok, Gajner, Nawalgarh, Mandawa, Ramaarh and Churu. A 7-night program is available, combining a trip by SUV from Delhi to Jaipur, overnighting in Agra to see the Taj Mahal, then connecting with the Heritage on Wheels rail trip.

A new 23-coach, 82-passenger luxury train trip is The Maharajas' Express, which will be India's first that explores the country on four different routes, with air-cushioned suspension and LCD TV's, DVD players and en-suite bathrooms. Two week-long itineraries are offered, between Mumbai and Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. The Maharahas' Express is an exciting addition to vacation opportunities in India as well as rail buffs.

The Shatabdi Express day trains link major cities, such as Delhi and Agra, enabling one to visit both the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in one day.

And then there's the grandaddy of all rail journeys, the Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest rail trip of 9,000 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok, with two dozen itineraries offered. There are three classes of service, two with private en-suite facilities. 

In Australia, there's the Great Southern Railway, crossing the Australian continent, as well as rail options in Queensland that can take you the length of Queensland’s spectacular eastern coast from Brisbane to Cairns.

The more famous is the Ghan, which operates an 1,850-mile journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs and north to Darwin.

In South America we recommend the famed Hiram Bingham, a luxury train between Cuzco and Macchu Pichu in Peru, a perfect addition for travelers visiting Machu Picchu.

In the United States, Amtrak offers rail service throughout the country, as well as a USA Rail Pass.

Canada, with its stunning scenery and majestic mountains, offers a few rail options. The Rocky Mountaineer in Western Canada operates two-day tours between Jasper and Vancouver; or Jasper or Banff and Calgary (April and Oct.). The company also operates a 3-hour day train between Vancouver and Whistler. Guests travel by rail by day and overnight in hotels enroute. In addition, one of the grand rail journeys is the Trans-Canada route on Via Rail between Vancouver and Toronto, offering two levels of service, Silver & Blue Class.

In Mexico is the Sierra Madre Express and El Chepe, winding thru Copper Canyon, seven times larger than our own Grand Canyon. The rail trip through Barranca del Cobre is just over 400 miles, crossing 39 bridges and 86 tunnels. Short and sweet, the two-hour air-conditioned rail journey on Saturdays aboard the Tequilla Express visits the heartland of tequilla distilleries.

Speaking of the U.S.'s Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Railway is a historic 1950's train making a daily trip along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

While in Alaska, guests enjoy the day trains to Denali National Park, readily available as an add-on to an Alaska cruise. The Alaska Railroad operates three main summer trains for visitors. The Denali Star runs between Fairbanks and Anchorage, the Glacier Discovery is between Anchorage and Whittier, and the Coastal Classic runs between Anchorage and Seward.

Whatever rail vacation you may choose, our travel experts are eager to arrange it for you, and ensure your vacation is grand. Contact them or call 1-800-850-3224.

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