No matter how long your travel bucket list is, now is the time to make an addition to it. American train operator Railbookers has created the most iconic train trip itinerary, and while it will undoubtedly make a dent in your travel budget, it’ll certainly be worth it. Railbookers’ ultimate train journey, Around the World by Luxury Trains, will take you to 13 countries across four continents in the seven most luxurious trains that exist.
Photo: Ric Jacyno/Shutterstock
This 80-Day Luxury Train Trip Covers 13 Countries on 4 Continents on the World’s Most Iconic Trains
The 80-day train journey, departing on August 28, 2024, will start in Vancouver, Canada, with a scenic ride on the emblematic Rocky Mountaineer, Canada’s only luxury train and the first of this over-the-top rail itinerary. Next up comes nine days in Scotland, most of which will be spent exploring the country’s nook and crannies onboard the Royal Scotsman. From there, you’ll cross Europe on the famed Orient Express, India on the Maharajas Express, Eastern Europe and Turkey on board the Golden Eagle Danube Express, South Africa with Rovos Rail, and finally Malaysia on the Eastern and Oriental Express. The trip will end 11 weeks later, in November, in Singapore.
The itinerary of the Around the World by Luxury Trains organized by Railbookers. Photo: Railbookers
The Railbookers Around the World by Luxury Trains trip includes 24 nights onboard the seven luxury trains, and 52 nights in some of the most expensive and opulent hotels in the world, such as the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy, and the Imperial Hotel in Delhi, India. But that’s not all. Railbookers is organizing skip-the-line visits to all the must-see attractions along the way and upscale excursions in each of the destinations: seaplane flight in British Columbia, Canada; balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey; safari game drives in Kruger National Park, South Africa; and many more.
Needless to say that such an incredible journey does not come cheap — it starts from $113,599 per person.
While this is an eye-wateringly expensive rail trip that’s clearly not accessible to most, it is a sign of the times: Train travel, especially luxury train travel, is on the rise. We spoke with Railbookers communications manager Dan Reisig about this extraordinary journey and about the popularity of traveling by train here in the US and throughout the world.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Matador: What does Railbookers do?
Dan Reisig: Railbookers offers complete independent train vacations for travelers, inclusive of rail tickets, hotel accommodations, and sightseeing activities and excursions, transfers and more. We offer more than 5,000 customizable itineraries across the globe, and customers can book and travel from today to two years out. Our experts can put together and instantly quote the perfect vacation trip for any type of traveler, whether they are looking for luxury, overnight, or scenic rail journeys.
Has Railbookers noticed an increased interest in train travel? Particularly in luxury train travel?
Absolutely — train travel is one of the fastest-growing areas of travel as it offers so much additional value to one’s vacation. In Europe, our most popular region among customers, train travel is often the best option, both in terms of time and budget. Luxury train travel is definitely growing in interest as well — the overwhelming demand from our customers for luxury rail is one of the main reasons we created our Around the World by Luxury Train itinerary.
How did the idea of creating the Around the World by Luxury Trains journey come about?
The idea came from our product team, which is always creating new products in response to customer demand, and in this case, a growing demand for luxury train travel around the world.
The Around the World by Luxury Trains journey is extremely expensive. How much interest have you received?
We have received a significant amount of interest, and being an independent vacation, it can be customized by travelers to include the destinations and trains that they prefer in accordance with their budget.
What are Railbookers’ most popular train experiences?
Popular itineraries right now include Italy, Switzerland, Ireland and luxury rail experiences.
Would you say that your clients are particularly interested in sleeper trains? Which ones in particular?
The best thing about a rail vacation is it can meet the needs of any type of traveler. Among our popular sleeper trains are the opulence and luxury of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe, traditional British and Scottish hospitality onboard the Caledonian Sleeper and Belmond Royal Scotsman, exploring the Australian Outback on the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains, an immersive cultural experience on India’s Maharajas Express, voyaging to South Africa on Rovos Rail and the Blue Train, and much more.
How much interest is there to travel by train within the United States? What US route is the most popular with your clients?
We are fortunate to have our sister brand, Amtrak Vacations, as the national tour operator for the United States’ national rail system. There is tremendous interest in train travel, whether it’s the convenience of visiting the major cities such as Washington, DC, or New Orleans or venturing to America’s National Parks in the west via train. Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks are among our most popular, as we are able to offer train journeys, hotel accommodations, and sightseeing without the hassles of driving or flying. Alaska is also a very popular destination for our customers, taking advantage of the scenery from the Alaska Railroad and much more. 