When was the last time you enjoyed the actual ‘travel’ bit of travelling? It’s hard to imagine a time when we weren’t all just trying to get from A to B as quickly (and cheaply) as can be – or when a successful journey was measured not in time taken, but joy given.
It’s time to fall back in love with the magic of the journey – relishing the relaxation, eco-mindfulness and sweet anticipation that slower means of transport can bring. A holiday by train is the perfect excuse to kick back and appreciate the true scale and majesty of the landscapes you’re traversing. Rather than burying heads in phones and wishing away the hours, you’ll savour an ever-changing panorama as your destination draws serenely closer.
A recent study by London St. Pancras Highspeed found that the demand for international rail travel is set to triple by 2040, while flight-free holiday specialist Byway reports a 60 per cent increase in bookings over the past year. Rail travel is entering a second golden age, with an explosion in new routes and an unprecedented standard of luxury trains hitting the rails.
Eurostar is set to expand operations into Germany and Switzerland in upcoming years, while grand projects like Dream of the Desert – a luxury train zipping through the wilds of Saudi Arabia – are laying tracks in previous unexplored quarters.
It’s all rather timely, too, given that 2025 is the 200th anniversary of modern rail travel.
These are the hottest rail trips to take in 2025, where the journey is a destination in itself.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express
Is there any more storied luxury train than the Orient Express, immortalised in Agatha Christie’s 1934 thriller? The original high-glamour cortege, which debuted in 1883 and linked Paris and Istanbul in a week-long trip of unparalleled indulgence, went kaput in the 1970s as cheap air travel took off.
Now the brand’s legendary style has returned to the rails with La Dolce Vita, a new, ultra-exclusive train with routes snaking through Italy’s sun-baked landscapes. Nine opulent carriages showcase impeccable golden age Italian design, with marbled en suite bathrooms and crisp-sheeted double beds in cabins and suites.
Meals are by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, served up in a swanky dining car with lacquered walls and yawning windows that let you relish the rolling landscapes of Bel Paese as you glide on by.
Book it: One night from £3,000 per person. orient-express.com
Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train
The UK has no shortage of scenic rail routes, but when it comes to luxury sleeper journeys it’s pretty much a desert. That changes on 4 July with the launch of Belmond’s swanky new Britannic Explorer, a vision in Georgian-era splendour with pastel-hued cabins in sage and rose, and an opulent dining car serving decadent nibbles five times a day (note: pack your stretchy pants).
Departing from London Victoria, three-night routes through Wales, the Lake District and Cornwall will put some of Britain’s finest scenery on show, making scheduled stops for exclusive experiences. For example, the Lake District route includes a final gala dinner at two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire before returning to the capital; foodie bucket list stuff in and of itself.
Book it: From £11,000 per cabin. belmond.com
The Ghan, Australia
Rambling through 1,400km of unspoiled Outback between southerly Adelaide and tropical Darwin in the north, The Ghan is one of the world’s most iconic – and remote – rail journeys, traversing a red-earthed lunar landscape punctuated with kangaroos and camels.
The two-night train route showcasing the vastness of Australia is in itself nothing new, but recent upgrades have given renewed reason to travel. Gold Premium carriages which debuted last year have upped the level of on-board luxury, they feature fine detailing in walnut, marble and brass, sensuous curves of ribbed glass and upholstery featuring Indigenous prints.
Food and drink, including Australian wine, is thrown in, as is optional audio commentary in-room so you can hear tales of the Outback while watching the scene transition from city, to desert, and then to tropical lushness.
Book it: From £1,505 per person. journeybeyondrail.com.au
Amtrak Gulf Coast Mobile to New Orleans, USA
Despite having the world’s largest rail network, America is rarely explored by train, with most visitors opting to take in panoramas via the window of a car. But a trip with national rail service Amtrak, which later this year launches a new route connecting Mobile in Alabama with world-famous New Orleans, should tempt you.
Resurrected after years of absence following devastating Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi River-hugging route provides essential infrastructure to locals while also giving car-free visitors the opportunity to explore the Deep South. Stop-offs include Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, and with two round trips between Mobile and New Orleans each day, you can build a DIY itinerary featuring neoclassic antebellum architecture, beaches and all the shrimp you can eat.
Book it: Prices to be confirmed. amtrak.com
West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Spectacular, UK
It was on 27 September 1825 that the world’s first steam-powered passenger locomotive chugged along Stockton and Darlington Railway, marking the birth of modern rail travel. Special events across the country this year will mark the two-century anniversary of engineer George Stephenson’s landmark achievement, including summer festival dates over the summer.
You can spend up to three days riding an array of vintage locomotives from coastal Minehead to quaint Bishops Lydeard, through the Quantock Hills and along the Bristol Channel. Relatively short journey times keep them engaging for rail geeks both little and large.
Book it: £40. west-somerset-railway.co.uk
Évora to Elvas
Portugal is in the midst of a major rail upgrade, with high-speed trains, newly electrified lines and an eventual direct rail connection between capital Lisbon and Madrid in Spain all in the works. Much is still in progress, but later this year visitors will benefit from the opening of a new railway section connecting Alentejo capital Évora with historic fortress city Elvas.
While the hubs are only 85km apart, currently to travel by public transport requires a complicated set of time-consuming changes gobbling the best part of a full day – pretty untenable for car-free travellers. The new direct rail connection will cut the journey to just an hour, so you can hop from Évora, home to Gothic builds and a Roman temple, to UNESCO-listed Elvas’s soaring 17th-century walls with little to no advance planning.
Book it: Price to be confirmed. cp.pt
Bernina Express, Switzerland
Slicing through mountains, traversing bridges and fringing glaciers – before descending towards the glittering lakes of northern Italy – the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhaetian Railway is a dazzling display of engineering. Zooming through its 55 tunnels and nearly 200 bridges on route from Chur to Tirano, the Bernina Express lets you enjoy the route in style, with oversized windows that engulf you in alpine wilderness. The journey is over a century old, but if you’re craving a fresh take bookend each side of the trip with some hotel newness. Twenty minutes from Chur, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is revamping its medi-spa into a new ‘healthy living centre’, while near the conclusion historic Lake Como stay Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has just launched a new Baci da Bellagio Beach Club.
Book it: From £30. myswitzerland.com
Revolution Express, Vietnam
Running up the country’s backbone from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh in the south, Vietnam’s famed rail network gives visitors a relatively comfy, inexpensive way to take in the verdant landscapes. Due to be added to the mix later this year is this new sightseeing train departing from popular resort city Da Nang. Featuring historic steam-hauled locomotives, the two-hour journey will take visitors to former royal capital Hue. More details will be released in due course; watch this space.
Book it: Prices to be confirmed. revolutionexpress.com
