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Demand for slower travel has boosted interest in premium rail trips, with new cabins, trains and routes all over the world.

Belmond’s Britannic Explorer, a renowned luxury rail favourite, features earth-toned cabins that mirror the landscapes it passes through.Salva LópezByQin XiePublished September 23, 2026

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller(UK).

It’s hard to imagine anywhere that looks more post-apocalyptic than Coober Pedy. At first glance, this small mining town in the Australian Outback seems to be entirely devoid of life. Mountains of brown and white rubble stretch as far as the eye can see; with only patchy scrub clinging to the parched earth, the slightest breeze lifts a plume of suffocating dust. In summer, temperatures can easily breach 50C.

Not that any of it bothers me in my private sleeper cabin on The Ghan, a luxury train serving a 1,851-mile transcontinental route between Darwin and Adelaide. The four-day Expedition service starts from A$5,290 (£2,775) for a compact, wood-panelled twin room, with a sofa that staff turn into a sleeping berth, and a large window from which you might spot wild camels pacing on the horizon. Trips combine three-course, regionally inspired meals, described on hand-illustrated menus and served on white linen; an open bar stocked with staggeringly good Australian wines; and curated tours to some of the remotest parts of the country.

Journeys on The Ghan are unique, not least because there’s no other train that will let you tag on a visit to Uluru — slap-bang in the middle of the Red Centre, miles from anywhere — but luxury rail experiences can be found on every continent save for Antarctica. Despite hefty price tags — from a couple of hundred pounds for a lunch service trundling past bucolic landscapes, to tens of thousands for a multi-day ride in a butler-serviced suite — they’re incredibly popular and often sell out months in advance. And demand is on the rise.

Visa’s analysis of data from its payment network found expenditure on experiential rail tours rose by 59% between 2019 and 2024, far outpacing the 18% increase in other types of international holidays. According to research from business consulting firm Market Intelo, the industry could be worth around $2.3bn (£1.7bn) by 2034, almost doubling the current $1.2bn (£890m).

The Golden Eagle Silk Road Express puts a big focus on its drinks and food menu, which includes fine dining dishes like grilled black tiger prawns with egg yolk mustard sauce.Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (Top) (Left) and Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (Bottom) (Right)

Rail operators have responded by upping the ante. In April, The Ghan unveiled the art deco Australis suite, the first of its kind in Australia; at 25sq metres, it has a fixed bed and a pillow menu, a lounge area with marble-top bar, and a butler at the ready. Elsewhere, southern Spain’s Al Ándalus, where carriages are decorated in faded crimson and gold, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2026 with a new seven-day itinerary between Madrid and Seville. There are brand-new trains, too. Norway’s Norient Express, due to debut later this year, will include a gym car on its six-day journeys from Bergen to Trondheim.

Increased sustainability concerns have helped boost rail travel. But, for Eleanor Hardy, luxury rail specialist at global travel agency network Virtuoso, the demand for premium options hinges on how they’re perceived. “For many, the train’s the destination,” she says. “From the moment you arrive at an atmospheric station, the experience feels cinematic: bags already in your suite, Michelin-starred menus and the journey unfolding like a performance.” In other words, trains are no longer just a mode of transport — they’re an experience in their own right.

The New Golden Age

Luxury rail travel dates back to the 19th century. Trains like the Orient Express, launched in 1883 to serve a cross-continent route between Paris and Istanbul, epitomised comfort and style. They featured hotel-like sleeping compartments, decadent dining cars and white-gloved service. From the mid-20th century, the rise of commercial aviation and cars led to an industry decline; the Orient Express officially stopped running in 2009. But its myth lived on. “Documentaries such as Channel 4’s The Orient Express: A Golden Era of Travel remind travellers of the appeal and romance of slow, scenic journeys,” says Alison Nicolle, a rail travel specialist at tour operator The Luxury Holiday Company.

Many modern luxury train carriages evoke that sense of nostalgia with classic designs, updated for contemporary tastes. In some cases, vintage cars are being brought back to life. Unveiled in 2025, Thailand’s The Blue Jasmine, which runs nine-day round trips from Bangkok via Chiang Mai, features 1960s Japanese sleeper carriages, their walnut-hued wood panelling upgraded by heritage Thai silk brand Jim Thompson. One of 2027’s most anticipated launches is hospitality group Accor’s ‘revived’ Orient Express, composed of 17 carriages from the 1920s and 1930s.

Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, the industry is more focused on catering to the hunger for new experiences in new destinations. “We’re increasingly seeing a demand for alternative rail routes and destinations beyond the traditional favourites,” says Nicolle. In the past year, The Luxury Holiday Company saw a 400% jump in enquiries for luxury trains in Spain, in many ways an emerging rail destination thanks to the expansion of the country’s network. There have been smaller but significant increases in interest in new routes elsewhere, too.

She attributes the trend to considerations around overtourism. “Many travellers are looking for places that offer a slower pace, greater comfort and opportunities to experience nature and culture in a more immersive way,” says Nicolle. “That helps explain the growing interest in places such as Vienna and Amsterdam, as well as long-haul rail experiences like Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer.”

Before boarding La Dolce Vita Orient Express, travellers are invited to wait in a dedicated lounge at Roma Ostiense Station.Mr.Tripper

Perhaps as a result, countries that haven’t traditionally been associated with rail are debuting their first luxury services. Finishing touches are being put on Dreams of the Desert, which will launch in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2026, with interiors showcasing Islamic geometric motifs. Over in Egypt, the Guardian of the Nile, set to run from 2027, markets itself as a ‘rail cruise’ to the Nile Valley. Uzbekistan is working on the Samarkand Express, which will connect four Silk Road cities.

Meanwhile, at The Luxury Holiday Company, demand for rail trips combined with experiences such as cruises, opera packages and tailor-made touring has gone up 30% in the past year. “Rather than treating rail as a standalone experience, travellers are increasingly building entire holidays around it,” says Nicolle.

High-end rail packages are already being designed to cater to this shift in mindset. “Luxury travel is no longer about seeing more places, it’s about understanding them more deeply,” says Paolo Barletta, founder and CEO of Arsenale Group, which creates and operates experiential rail journeys worldwide. A prime example is Italy’s La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Arsenale Group’s first launch in 2025. It offers journeys inspired by the original Orient Express, but its greater focus is building immersive trips. On its multi-day itineraries, guests join curated experiences like live music in Matera’s Unesco-listed cave dwellings, a 4WD safari up Mount Etna or a round of golf with views of the Adriatic Sea.

Back on board, they’re treated to menus curated by Heinz Beck, who heads up Rome’s three-Michelin-star La Pergola. Cabins were designed by Milan-based Le Dimore Studio, with colour schemes evocative of Harlequin, a stock character from commedia dell’arte (a popular Italian theatre genre). Every detail of the experience has been carefully curated to feel like it could only exist in one place in the world, according to Barletta. “When guests remember a journey, they shouldn’t just remember the train,” he says. “They should remember the destination, the people they met and the emotional connection they built along the way.”

True — I still vividly remember the experiences The Ghan opened up for me in the remotest parts of the country: spying crocodile tracks in Nitmiluk Gorge and having dinner under the stars in Alice Springs. Even the simple act of stepping off the carriage to touch the ochre-hued soil felt remarkable, and remains firmly etched in my mind. In the future, luxury rail won’t be competing against other trains, says Barletta. “It’s competing with luxury resorts, expedition cruises and other forms of experience-led travel.”

The Canyon Spirit journeys between Denver and Moab in the American West.Canyon Spirit

Five New Luxury Rail Experiences to Try

1. London to Penzance, Belmond Britannic Explorer

This train’s earth-toned cabins are your base for breaks to Cornwall, Wales and the Lake District. The four-day return trip features wine-tasting overlooking St Michael’s Mount.

2. Copper Trail, Rovos Rail

Journey through several African countries on this 14-day itinerary from Zimbabwe to Angola, which includes a visit to Victoria Falls and game drives in Zambia. There are only two one-way trips a year.

3. The Mighty Nullarbor, Indian Pacific

Cross the Nullarbor Plain — a seabed turned desert — on a five-day journey from Perth to Sydney. New for 2026 are two coffee- and cream-toned hotel-style suites.

4. Mighty 5 Explorer, Canyon Spirit

See the American West through glass-dome windows. The six-day rail-and-road tour starts with a train ride between Denver and Moab, with overnights in hotels, then explores Utah’s national parks by car.